Sam Houston vs. Liberty Recap: Liberty Rolls 35-3 on the Ground

Liberty beat Sam Houston 35-3 on Thursday night and controlled it from the first quarter on. Liberty ran for 297 yards on 39 carries, scored on a 15-yard Deshawn Purdie pass to Bryce Randolph in the first, and pulled away with four rushing touchdowns. Sam Houston's only points came on a 36-yard field goal just before halftime. Three DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game, all on the Liberty side.

What cashed

Liberty ML (-521 at FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: Liberty came in 4-1 with wins of 51-15, 34-17 and 30-14, its only loss a 20-13 game against James Madison. Sam Houston was 1-3 and had lost 49-14 to Texas Tech. - What happened: Liberty won 35-3. After falling behind 14-0 early in the second quarter, Sam Houston never got closer than 11. - Worth watching: At -521 this is a parlay piece, not a standalone bet. The edge was the gap between the two rosters, and the box score backed it up.

ALT: Liberty -6.5: CASHED - Our read: The main number was 13.5, so -6.5 only needed a one-score-plus win. Kam Davis had run for 147 yards and 2 TDs the week before, and Liberty allows 17.8 a game. - What happened: Liberty won by 32, covering the alt by 25.5. Davis added 67 yards on 10 carries and a 3-yard TD, and Jaylon Coleman led the team with 92 yards on 7 carries. - Worth watching: Buying down a big favorite to a one-score line is a clean way to take the side without laying the full number.

ALT: Liberty over 23.5 team total points: CASHED - Our read: Liberty had scored 24, 51, 34 and 30 in four of its five games and averaged 30.4. Sam Houston allows 24 a game. - What happened: Liberty scored 35, clearing the line by 11.5. Ethan Vasko ran for two short touchdowns, and Terron Kellman added a 9-yard score in the fourth. - Worth watching: Liberty's run game produced 297 yards here. As long as it moves the ball like that, lower alt team totals stay in play.

How the game played out

Sam Houston's offense stalled. Landyn Locke completed 20 of 30 passes for 138 yards and no touchdowns, and the team finished with 243 total yards and 4 conversions on 13 third downs. Neither side turned it over. This was decided on the ground: Liberty out-rushed Sam Houston 297 yards to 105.

Trends to watch

• Liberty's backfield spreads the work: Coleman, Davis, Purdie and Kellman all had 7 or more carries. That makes individual rushing props tougher to call than the team total.
• Purdie threw only 14 times (10 completions, 114 yards). When Liberty controls a game, his passing volume is worth checking before any yardage prop.
• Sam Houston's passing game averaged 4.6 yards per attempt. Short, low-yield passing is a pattern to note before their next team total.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. Learn more about the moneyline and the alt line, or check the college football board.