Liberty Runs Winning Streak to 11 Straight

Video Game Highlights

The first two possessions of the game set the tone, as Liberty reeled off its 11th-straight victory and its fifth shutout under head coach Danny Rocco, when the Flames downed Stony Brook, 33-0, Saturday afternoon at Williams Stadium.

The victory pushes Liberty's record to 6-0 on the year and 2-0 in Big South play. The win extended the nation's longest FCS winning streak and set a new program record, surpassing the previous mark set during the 1988 and 1989 seasons. The Flames have now won eight-straight Big South games, tying Coastal Carolina's mark for consecutive league victories.

The loss, the Seawolves' fifth-straight since opening the year with a 42-26 victory over Colgate, drops Stony Brook's record to 1-5 and 0-1 in conference action, as the visitors were playing in their first-ever Big South Conference game.

The game was played in front of 14,563 fans, the fifth-largest crowd in stadium history. It also marked the 11th time in 15 games that Liberty has filled its home facility past capacity since Rocco arrived in 2006.

The Flames won the opening coin toss and elected to take the ball, trying to jump out ahead of the visiting Seawolves. The Flames pieced together a 17-play drive to open the game, which stalled at the Stony Brook 10-yard line, leaving Liberty to settle for a 27-yard field goal by two-time reigning Big South Freshman of the Week Matt Bevins.

The drive ate up 9:03 on the game clock, marking the longest drive in duration under head coach Danny Rocco, bettering an 8:41 drive against Glenville State earlier this year. The field goal gave the Flames an early 3-0 lead with 5:57 left to play in the first quarter.

Liberty quickly regained possession of the football, after forcing the Seawolves to punt the ball away after a three-and-out series. Flames defensive back Ryan Greiser upended wideout Lynell Suggs just as the senior was attempting to catch the football, negating the would-be, first-down reception.

Liberty managed to move the football much quicker on the ensuing drive, marching 64 yards downfield to open up a 10-0 lead. Mike Brown took a handoff from quarterback Brock Smith and scored on a 29-yard reverse play with 97 seconds left in the opening quarter.

For the third-straight drive, Liberty managed to put points on the scoreboard, stringing together a seven-play, 80-yard drive to push the lead to 17-0 with 12:05 left in the second quarter.

Liberty kept the ball on the ground five out of seven plays during the drive, including a sweeping 14-yard run by Rashad Jennings to the far side of the field, giving the senior his 32nd career rushing touchdown.

Stony Brook tried to get on the scoreboard late in the second quarter, as the Seawolves mounted their longest drive during the opening 30 minutes. However, the visiting team's push ran out of steam at the Liberty 23-yard line. Luke Gaddis came onto the field, but his 41-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left, leaving the Flames with a 17-point advantage at the break.

For the first time since Liberty's season opener against North Greenville, the Flames held an opponent without a first-half touchdown. The Flames more than doubled the Seawolves in total offensive yards in the first half, 256 to 127, with 165 of their yards coming on the ground.

On the second play of the third quarter, Liberty's Nick Hursky forced the ball loose from Stony Brook tailback Edwin Gowins, giving the Flames possession at the Seawolves' 43-yard line.

Liberty handed the ball off to Jennings five-straight plays, with the senior capping off his own 43-yard drive with a two-yard sweeping run to the left for a score, pushing the Flames' lead to 23-0 with 12:15 left in the third quarter.

Following Stony Brook's third three-and-out series of the afternoon, the Flames pushed their advantage to 30 points on the ensuing drive. Smith completed all three of his pass attempts during the 82-yard drive, including a crisp slant pass to Dominic Bolden for four yards for a score, securing the victory for the homestanding team.

The Flames managed to tack on three points in the fourth quarter on a 22-yard Bevins field goal, while keeping the Seawolves from denting the scoreboard for the 18th shutout in program history and the fifth under Rocco.

The Flames managed to continue their offensive dominance in the contest, doubling up the visitors. Liberty finished with 466 total offensive yards on 79 plays (5.9 average yards per play) to Stony Brook's 233 yards on 46 plays (5.1 average yards per play).

The 233 yards allowed by Liberty's defense marked the third fewest by a Rocco-led program against a Division I opponent.

For the third-straight outing, the Flames bettered their rushing total from the previous game, as Liberty finished the contest with a season-best 299 rushing yards.

Jennings was the leading ground grainer for Liberty, rushing for 101 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. The contest accounted for the 17th time the senior has surpassed the century mark during his career, tying him for most 100-yard games in Big South history, along with former Liberty running back Dre Barnes.

The Stony Brook running back tandem of Gowins and Big South preseason all-conference selection Conte Cuttino combined for 93 rushing yards. Gowins finished with a team-high 55 yards on seven carries, while Cuttino led the team with 11 carries for 38 yards.

Smith won the battle of the quarterbacks, as the Liberty senior completed 14-of-20 pass attempts for 136 yards and a score. Stony Brook's Dayne Hoffman tallied 142 yards as he was 13-of-23, while being picked off once.

Bolden led a plethora of wide receivers on the afternoon, as his four receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown were the most by 16 different players who caught a pass in the game. Suggs was Hoffman's favorite target in the contest, pulling in three receptions for 33 yards.

Defense dominated the contest, with Hursky and Greiser leading the effort. Both senior captains finished the game with six tackles.

Liberty, who entered the game ranked No. 27 in the nation in tackles for a loss, added to its total with six negative-yardage stops during the contest for a combined 19 yards. The Flames also finished with seven pass break-ups, marking a new season high and tying for the most under a Rocco-coached football program.

Arin West and Tyler Santucci led Stony Brook's defensive players, as the pair both finished in double figures. West led the team with 11 tackles, including a tackle for a loss, while Santucci followed directly behind him with 10 stops.

The Flames will play the middle game of a three-game homestand next weekend, when they host Lafayette in a non-conference title. The battle with the Patriot League foe is scheduled to kickoff at 3:35 p.m. Saturday, at Williams Stadium.

Stony Brook will remain in conference play when the Seawolves host Charleston Southern next Saturday. The first-ever Big South game to be played at LaValle Stadium is set for a 3 p.m. kickoff.

Schedule

Liberty Runs Winning Streak to 11 Straight

Next Event

Team Stats

Brock Smith

Spencer Landis