BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Josh Woodrum threw for a touchdown and ran for another and Liberty's defense blanked Gardner-Webb 24-0 on Saturday.
The shutout was Turner Gill's first as a head coach and the first for Liberty (4-4, 1-1 Big South) against a Division I opponent since 2008.
The Flames' defensive line overwhelmed Gardner-Webb, holding them to 30 yards rushing on 29 attempts.
Woodrum finished 18 of 31 for 199 yards. His rushing touchdown came on a 3-yard option keeper to give Liberty a 7-0 lead in the second quarter.
Desmond Rice ran for 74 yards on 19 carries and Darrin Peterson had 6 catches for 69 yards and a touchdown for the Flames.
Lucas Beatty was 21 of 37 for 200 yards for Gardner-Webb (4-4, 0-2) but the Runnin' Bulldogs struggled to stay on the field. They failed on their first ten third-down conversion attempts and finished 3 for 16.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.