What was supposed to be a fiery rivalry night between Liberty and Coastal Carolina turned quiet in a matter of seconds. Fans had waited six long years for these two teams to clash again, especially with head coach Jamey Chadwell returning to his old stomping grounds. But all that football excitement evaporated in the first quarter when Liberty senior linebacker Ethan Crisp took a hard hit and did not get back up.

“Medical staff is attending to Liberty’s Ethan Crisp, who has been down on the field for some time after the kickoff on the touchdown,” Bryson Gordon reported via an X post. “They have brought a cart out, and are now bringing a stretcher out. Don’t have a good vantage point from the press box at Coastal.” Another fan account summed up the mood in the stadium after Crisp was down: “Nothing worse than the silence heard right now in the Liberty-Coastal game.”

The horror unfolded right after Coastal scored a touchdown. Crisp came down the field on kickoff coverage, made contact, and instantly went stiff on the grass. Medical trainers rushed out immediately as a cold silence fell over Brooks Stadium. Local reporters in the press box noted that staff had to bring out both a cart and a board stretcher, a sight that made players on both sidelines drop to their knees in shock.

Play stopped for a considerable amount of time. As doctors stabilized his neck and strapped him onto the stretcher, players from both teams locked hands in prayer near midfield. Just before the cart drove off toward Conway Medical Center, Crisp raised his hand and gave a quick thumbs-up to the crowd, giving everyone a small breath of relief amidst the fear.

Shortly after the incident, Liberty Football released an official statement asking the entire college football family to keep their senior in their thoughts: “Please join us in lifting Ethan Crisp up in prayer.”

For Liberty, seeing a player taken off on a stretcher is a terrifyingly familiar sight. Just last week during their game against Ball State, Cardinals defensive back Gabe Aramboles suffered a similar scare and had to be stretchered off the field. Having two consecutive weeks rocked by such heavy medical emergencies is certain to shake players and coaches on both sides.

Though the timeline of Ethan Crisp’s recovery remains uncertain, his injury is a real blow for the Flames’ secondary. Crisp is a senior who transferred from Vanderbilt in 2024 and has moved from linebacker to the hybrid Joker position this season. Through the first three games of 2026, he has recorded three tackles.

He played in all 12 games last season, finishing with 11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a pass breakup. Since arriving in Lynchburg, he has served as a steady depth piece and a special teams contributor, and losing him in the middle of the season could hurt the team’s depth and defense rotation.

Behind Crisp on the depth chart, Liberty has Jeffrey Hairston Jr. at the Joker spot, with Brenton Williams holding down the starting role. As they have leaned on rotation all season, the Flames also have other options, including Lorenzo Payne and other rotational defensive backs who could see increased reps if Crisp’s absence extends beyond the September 25 game.

With less information available on Crisp’s injury, Liberty will have to test its depth and turn its attention to the next game, as they entered Week 4 with a 2-1 record.

“We’re in the red and blue”: Jamey Chadwell makes Liberty goal clear at Coastal Carolina

Jamey Chadwell had plenty of memories waiting for him when Liberty returned to Coastal Carolina, but he made it clear that he was focused on leading the Flames to victory.

“I spent six years there,” said Chadwell, MyHorryNews reports. “That’s the longest I’ve ever spent anywhere was there at that institution with those people. There’s a lot of great memories and experiences there for me. I’m sure there will be some type of emotion for a lot of people once we’re back there, being on the other side. But make no mistake, we’re in the red and blue, so we’re going there to win a game.”

“What I want to see, regardless of who was next on the schedule, is that we’re closer to the team last week than we were the team the week before,” Chadwell said ahead of the Coastal game, according to WSLS. “Can we go play that way with that confidence and perform that way, and that’s what I care about no matter what.”

Chadwell’s mentality was tested when Crisp went down, especially with the rivalry adding meaning for him after six seasons at Coastal Carolina. Liberty now has to move forward, with a questionable status on Crisp’s return as they are set to match up with Delaware next week.