{
  "id": 13005928,
  "title": "Deshawn Purdie, Ethan Vasko guide Liberty to a 35-3 romp over Sam Houston",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/deshawn-purdie-ethan-vasko-guide-liberty-to-a-35-3-romp-over-sam",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-09T02:28:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/uncategorized/2026/10/08/deshawn-purdie-ethan-vasko-guide-liberty-to-a-35-3-romp-over-sam-houston"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Lynchburg, Va. (AP) — Deshawn Purdie orchestrated a dominant performance, connecting on a touchdown pass before Ethan Vasko added two of Liberty's four rushing touchdowns, leading to a lopsided 35-3 triumph over Sam Houston in the Flames' Conference USA opener. Purdie completed 10 out of 14 passes for 114 yards and contributed 57 yards on seven rushing attempts, aiding Liberty's (5-1, 2-0) five-game winning streak to five. The Flames amassed 297 yards rushing, with Jaylon Coleman leading with 92 yards on seven carries, and Kam Davis adding 67 yards and a touchdown on 10 rushes. Deshawn Purdie made a 15-yard scoring pass to Bryce Randolph on an eight-play, 75-yard drive, securing a 7-0 lead at the opening play. Ethan Vasko scored from a yard out for a 14-0 halftime advantage, and Sam Carpenter's 36-yard field goal with 15 seconds left in the half narrowed the gap to 14-3. Liberty's lead expanded to 21-3 by the third quarter, with Coleman and Purdie combining for 50 yards on consecutive rushes, and Vasko scoring on a 3-yard run. In the fourth quarter, Kam Davis sealed the victory with a 9-yard touchdown run, while Terron Kellman added a 9-yard score for Liberty, giving them a 35-3 margin. Landyn Locke contributed 138 yards passing for Sam Houston, which returned to host Western Kentucky later in the week.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Deshawn Purdie orchestrated a dominant performance with touchdown pass and rushing yards.",
    "Ethan Vasko added two rushing touchdowns, leading to a 35-3 triumph.",
    "Liberty amassed 297 rushing yards, securing their fifth consecutive win."
  ],
  "editors_take": "This convincing win cements Liberty's position in Conference USA, with a five-game winning streak and a strong team effort led by Deshawn Purdie and Ethan Vasko.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Deshawn Purdie, Ethan Vasko guide Liberty to a 35-3 romp over Sam Houston",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/deshawn-purdie-ethan-vasko-guide-liberty-to-a-35-3-romp-over-sam-13008249",
        "published": "2026-10-09T02:27:46.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}