Video: Rocco's Postgame Press Conference
10/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Link Photo Gallery and Game Story from Liberty's 33-0 victory over Stony Brook
Danny Rocco's postgame press conference (Video file)
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.
For the second year in a row, LibertyFlames.com will be bringing audio and video footage from head coach Danny Rocco's postgame press conferences for each of Liberty's 12-regular season games. Video footage will be provided for all home games, while audio coverage will follow Liberty's five road contests.
News and Notes from the Stony Brook game:
• With the victory, the Flames extended their winning streak to 11-straight games, the longest active winning streak among FCS programs in the country.
• Liberty's 11-game winning streak is the longest in program history, bettering the previous record of 10-straight set during the 1988 and 1989 seasons.
• Liberty's 11-game winning streak is the second longest in Big South history, ranking behind Charleston Southern's run of 14-straight captured during the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
• The Flames have also won 11-consecutive home games, which ranks as the second-longest active winning streak among FCS programs in the nation (San Diego has won 28-straight games).
• Liberty's 11-game home winning streak is the second longest in Big South history, falling only one shy of the conference record as Coastal Carolina won 12-consecutive during the 2004 and 2005 seasons.
• The Flames have also won eight-consecutive Big South games, dating back to the 2006 season, which is tied for the longest conference winning streak in league history (Coastal Carolina also won eight-consecutive league games over a three-year span).
• The game was played in front of 14,563 fans, marking the fifth-largest crowd in Williams Stadium history.
• Since head coach Danny Rocco arrived in 2006, Liberty has filled the Williams Stadium beyond capacity during 11 out of 15 home games.
• Following the contest, Liberty's current national rankings in home attendance figures are No. 8 in filling stadium capacity (121.64 percent), No. 13 in total home attendance (43,791) and No. 15 in average home attendance (14,597).
• The Liberty vs. Stony Brook game was the 10th-highest attended FCS game in the nation this week in terms of total attendance.
• For the third week in a row, the Flames bettered their team rushing total, setting a new season high by rushing for 299 yards on 52 carries (5.8 average yards per rushing attempt).
• The team rushing total was the third highest under head coach Danny Rocco, only bettered by Liberty's 315 team rushing yards against William & Mary in 2006 and 379 team rushing yards against St. Francis, Pa., in 2007.
• Liberty currently ranks No. 7 nationally in rushing offense, averaging 251.0 team rushing yards per game.
• The Flames finished the Stony Brook game by doubling up the Seawolves in total offensive yards (466 to 233).
• Liberty currently ranks No. 7 in the country, as the Flames are averaging 449.33 total offensive yards per game.
• For the third-straight game and the 11th time over the past 12 games, Liberty surpassed the 30-point mark in scoring, helping the Flames rank No. 15 nationally in scoring offense (36.5 points per game).
• For the fifth time under head coach Danny Rocco and the 18th time in program history, the Flames recorded a shutout with their 33-0 victory over Stony Brook.
• Following the shutout, the Flame currently rank No. 20 national in terms of scoring defense (allowing 19.83 points per contest).
• For the fourth time in six games this year, the Flames held an opponent below the century mark in team rushing yards, as Stony Brook finished the game by rushing for 91 yards.
• Liberty currently ranks No. 24 nationally by holding its opponents to 107.8 team rushing yards per game.
• The Flames posted a new season high in terms of time of possession advantage during the Stony Brook game, as they had possession of the football 15:32 more than the Seawovles (37:46-22:14).
• The Flames finished the contest with 28 first downs, the most under a Danny Rocco-led Liberty football game.
• Liberty also set a new high under head coach Danny Rocco, as the Flames finished the game with 10 third-down conversions (10-of-18).
• The new high under Rocco allowed the Flames to climb to No. 2 nationally in third-down conversion rate this year (53.2 percent/42-of-79).
• The Flames tied a season high, as Liberty punted four times during the game for 167 yards, averaging a season-best 41.8 yards per punt.
• For the fourth time in the last five games, the Flames did not allow a sack, which has helped Liberty climb to No. 8 nationally in sacks allowed per game (.67).
• Liberty's defensive unit only allowed Stony Brook to cross the 50-yard line three times on 11 drives, with the Seawolves' furthest penetration being the Liberty 23-yard line with the drive ending in a missed 41-yard field goal.
• The Flames opening drive of the games was a 17-play drive, which used up 9:03 on the game clock.
• The opening drive tied a high under head coach Danny Rocco, as the Flames also pieced together a 17-play drive against William & Mary in 2006.
• The 9:03 opening drive was the longest in duration under head coach Danny Rocco, bettering an 8:41 drive against Glenville State from earlier this year.
• Liberty has now scored on its first drive of the game in four out of six contests this year.
• Rashad Jennings posted his 17th career 100-yard game against Stony Brook, moving him into a tie for first place on the Big South's all-time list (Liberty's Dre Barnes also had 17 100-yard games in his Big South career).
• Rashad Jennings needs three more 100-yard games to tie Dre Barnes for Liberty's all-time record 20 career 100-yard games (Note: Liberty was not in the Big South during Barnes' freshman year).
• Dating back to last year, Rashad Jennings has rushed for 100 or more yards in six-straight games, tying a program record, as Eugene Goodman also accomplished the feat during the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
• Rashad Jennings scored two rushing touchdowns during the games, giving him 33 during his Liberty career.
• Rashad Jennings' 33 career rushing touchdowns is two shy of tying Liberty's all-time career record held by Stacy Nobles (1996-99) and Lawrence Worthington (1994-96).
• Brock Smith threw one touchdown pass against Stony Brook, moving him into a tie for third place on Liberty's all-time career passing touchdowns list with 40 (tying Antwan Chiles).
• Brock Smith finished the Stony Brook game with 136 passing yards, moving him in fourth place on Liberty's all-time career passing yards list with 5,484 yards (passing Phil Basso's mark of 5,410 career passing yards).
• Dominic Bolden scored on a four-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, marking the fifth time in six games the senior has scored this year.
• Matt Bevins connected on both his field goal attempts during the Stony Brook contest (22 and 27 yards), pushing his streak to seven-consecutive field goals made.
• Matt Bevins also handled punting duties for Liberty for the first time in his career, averaging 41.8 yards per punt.
• Nick Hursky tied for team-high tackling honors with six stops, while recording his first career fumble recovery.
• Liberty finished the game with seven pass break-ups, tying a team high under head coach Danny Rocco.
• Doncel Bolt recorded a sack for seven yards during the Stony Brook game, running Liberty's streak to 10-consecutive games with at least one sack.
Danny Rocco's postgame press conference (Video file)
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.
For the second year in a row, LibertyFlames.com will be bringing audio and video footage from head coach Danny Rocco's postgame press conferences for each of Liberty's 12-regular season games. Video footage will be provided for all home games, while audio coverage will follow Liberty's five road contests.
News and Notes from the Stony Brook game:
• With the victory, the Flames extended their winning streak to 11-straight games, the longest active winning streak among FCS programs in the country.
• Liberty's 11-game winning streak is the longest in program history, bettering the previous record of 10-straight set during the 1988 and 1989 seasons.
• Liberty's 11-game winning streak is the second longest in Big South history, ranking behind Charleston Southern's run of 14-straight captured during the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
• The Flames have also won 11-consecutive home games, which ranks as the second-longest active winning streak among FCS programs in the nation (San Diego has won 28-straight games).
• Liberty's 11-game home winning streak is the second longest in Big South history, falling only one shy of the conference record as Coastal Carolina won 12-consecutive during the 2004 and 2005 seasons.
• The Flames have also won eight-consecutive Big South games, dating back to the 2006 season, which is tied for the longest conference winning streak in league history (Coastal Carolina also won eight-consecutive league games over a three-year span).
• The game was played in front of 14,563 fans, marking the fifth-largest crowd in Williams Stadium history.
• Since head coach Danny Rocco arrived in 2006, Liberty has filled the Williams Stadium beyond capacity during 11 out of 15 home games.
• Following the contest, Liberty's current national rankings in home attendance figures are No. 8 in filling stadium capacity (121.64 percent), No. 13 in total home attendance (43,791) and No. 15 in average home attendance (14,597).
• The Liberty vs. Stony Brook game was the 10th-highest attended FCS game in the nation this week in terms of total attendance.
• For the third week in a row, the Flames bettered their team rushing total, setting a new season high by rushing for 299 yards on 52 carries (5.8 average yards per rushing attempt).
• The team rushing total was the third highest under head coach Danny Rocco, only bettered by Liberty's 315 team rushing yards against William & Mary in 2006 and 379 team rushing yards against St. Francis, Pa., in 2007.
• Liberty currently ranks No. 7 nationally in rushing offense, averaging 251.0 team rushing yards per game.
• The Flames finished the Stony Brook game by doubling up the Seawolves in total offensive yards (466 to 233).
• Liberty currently ranks No. 7 in the country, as the Flames are averaging 449.33 total offensive yards per game.
• For the third-straight game and the 11th time over the past 12 games, Liberty surpassed the 30-point mark in scoring, helping the Flames rank No. 15 nationally in scoring offense (36.5 points per game).
• For the fifth time under head coach Danny Rocco and the 18th time in program history, the Flames recorded a shutout with their 33-0 victory over Stony Brook.
• Following the shutout, the Flame currently rank No. 20 national in terms of scoring defense (allowing 19.83 points per contest).
• For the fourth time in six games this year, the Flames held an opponent below the century mark in team rushing yards, as Stony Brook finished the game by rushing for 91 yards.
• Liberty currently ranks No. 24 nationally by holding its opponents to 107.8 team rushing yards per game.
• The Flames posted a new season high in terms of time of possession advantage during the Stony Brook game, as they had possession of the football 15:32 more than the Seawovles (37:46-22:14).
• The Flames finished the contest with 28 first downs, the most under a Danny Rocco-led Liberty football game.
• Liberty also set a new high under head coach Danny Rocco, as the Flames finished the game with 10 third-down conversions (10-of-18).
• The new high under Rocco allowed the Flames to climb to No. 2 nationally in third-down conversion rate this year (53.2 percent/42-of-79).
• The Flames tied a season high, as Liberty punted four times during the game for 167 yards, averaging a season-best 41.8 yards per punt.
• For the fourth time in the last five games, the Flames did not allow a sack, which has helped Liberty climb to No. 8 nationally in sacks allowed per game (.67).
• Liberty's defensive unit only allowed Stony Brook to cross the 50-yard line three times on 11 drives, with the Seawolves' furthest penetration being the Liberty 23-yard line with the drive ending in a missed 41-yard field goal.
• The Flames opening drive of the games was a 17-play drive, which used up 9:03 on the game clock.
• The opening drive tied a high under head coach Danny Rocco, as the Flames also pieced together a 17-play drive against William & Mary in 2006.
• The 9:03 opening drive was the longest in duration under head coach Danny Rocco, bettering an 8:41 drive against Glenville State from earlier this year.
• Liberty has now scored on its first drive of the game in four out of six contests this year.
• Rashad Jennings posted his 17th career 100-yard game against Stony Brook, moving him into a tie for first place on the Big South's all-time list (Liberty's Dre Barnes also had 17 100-yard games in his Big South career).
• Rashad Jennings needs three more 100-yard games to tie Dre Barnes for Liberty's all-time record 20 career 100-yard games (Note: Liberty was not in the Big South during Barnes' freshman year).
• Dating back to last year, Rashad Jennings has rushed for 100 or more yards in six-straight games, tying a program record, as Eugene Goodman also accomplished the feat during the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
• Rashad Jennings scored two rushing touchdowns during the games, giving him 33 during his Liberty career.
• Rashad Jennings' 33 career rushing touchdowns is two shy of tying Liberty's all-time career record held by Stacy Nobles (1996-99) and Lawrence Worthington (1994-96).
• Brock Smith threw one touchdown pass against Stony Brook, moving him into a tie for third place on Liberty's all-time career passing touchdowns list with 40 (tying Antwan Chiles).
• Brock Smith finished the Stony Brook game with 136 passing yards, moving him in fourth place on Liberty's all-time career passing yards list with 5,484 yards (passing Phil Basso's mark of 5,410 career passing yards).
• Dominic Bolden scored on a four-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, marking the fifth time in six games the senior has scored this year.
• Matt Bevins connected on both his field goal attempts during the Stony Brook contest (22 and 27 yards), pushing his streak to seven-consecutive field goals made.
• Matt Bevins also handled punting duties for Liberty for the first time in his career, averaging 41.8 yards per punt.
• Nick Hursky tied for team-high tackling honors with six stops, while recording his first career fumble recovery.
• Liberty finished the game with seven pass break-ups, tying a team high under head coach Danny Rocco.
• Doncel Bolt recorded a sack for seven yards during the Stony Brook game, running Liberty's streak to 10-consecutive games with at least one sack.
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