Rocco's Postgame Press Conference: WVU
9/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Note: Due to technical difficulties, video from head coach Danny Rocco's press conference will not be available until tomorrow morning. Please check back with LibertyFlames.com later in the morning to see Coach Rocco's comments following Liberty's game against West Virginia.
Yesterday, Liberty opened up its 37th season of football on the road, going toe-to-toe with a Top 30 FBS program, when the Flames suffered a 33-20 setback to West Virginia at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, W.Va.
The contest marked Liberty's first game since closing out the best season in program history, when the Flames finished 2008 with a 10-2 record, their second-straight Big South title and ranked No. 14 in the final Sports Network poll.
News and Notes from the West Virginia Game:
• The game marked the beginning of Liberty's 37th season of football and 22nd at the NCAA Division I FCS level.
• The contest marked the first time under head coach Danny Rocco that Liberty has opened the year on the road and drops the Flames to 3-1 in season openers under the head coach.
• The setback drops Liberty's record to 18-19 all-time in season openers and marks the first time the Flames have dropped the opening game of the year since falling, 48-6, at James Madison on Aug. 30, 2003.
• The game was played in front of 57,950 fans, marking the largest crowd a Liberty football team has played in front of. The program's previous record was 40,000 when the Flames faced Connecticut in East Hartford, Conn., on Sept. 10, 2005.
• Of the Flames 22 starters to take to the field against the Mountaineers on Saturday, seven started the Flames' opener against North Greenville in 2008 (LG – Bryan Mosier, RT – Josh Weaver, FB – Derek Bishop, DE – Trey Jacobs, SLB – Ian Childress, JLB – Chad Brown, LS – Chris Rocco).
• The contest marked the 10th season in the last 12 years that Liberty has squared off against at least one FBS opponent.
• All-time in program history, Liberty has taken to the field against a FBS opponent 13 times, with their lone victory coming at Eastern Michigan, 25-24, in Ypsilanti, Mich., on Oct. 14, 1989.
• Liberty's 13-point setback to West Virginia was a dramatic improvement from the Flames last game against a BIG EAST opponent, when Liberty dropped a 59-0 decision to Connecticut on Sept. 10, 2005.
• Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames have dropped three games to FBS opponents by a combined 34 points (loss to Wake Forest, 34-14, in 2006, loss to Toledo, 35-34, in 2007 and a loss to West Virginia, 33-20).
• Liberty trailed West Virginia, 23-10, at halftime. Under head coach Danny Rocco, Liberty has trailed at halftime just seven times in 35 games and is now 1-6 under Rocco when trailing at halftime.
• Matt Bevins' 49-yard field in the third quarter was a career long for the sophomore and tied for the fourth-longest field goal in program history.
• Bevins finished the game by connecting on both of his field goal attempts, pushing his streak to seven-straight successful field goal attempts dating back to the last year.
• Liberty finished the game by rushing for 89 yards on 26 rushing attempts (3.4 average), marking the first time in 19 games Liberty has not reached the 100-yard team rushing mark and just the fourth time under head coach Danny Rocco.
• Mike Brown rushed for a nine-yard touchdown with 52 seconds left in the game against West Virginia, giving Liberty a rushing touchdown in 30-straight games.
• Liberty was held just one yard shy of 300 total offensive yards, snapping a 17-game 300-yard streak and marking the fourth time in 35 games under head coach Danny Rocco the Flames have failed to reach the 300 total offensive yard mark.
• Brown finished the game with 157 receiving yards, making the sophomore the 44th player in program history to record a 100-yard receiving game.
• Brown led all receivers in the contest with 11 receptions, a figure which is tied for the sixth-most receptions in a single game in program history.
• With his 11 receptions, Brown becomes the first player under head coach Danny Rocco to finish a game with 10 or more receptions in a game.
• Brown posted the first multiple-touchdown game of his career, recording a rushing and a receiving touchdown against West Virginia.
• Brown finished the game with 271 all-purpose yards, which is tied for the fifth highest single-game all-purpose yard total in program history.
• Brown's 271 all-purpose yards also ranks as the fifth most in conference history, besting Liberty's Sam Gado's mark of 270 all-purpose yards recorded against Gardner-Webb on Oct. 2, 2004.
• Wes Cheek led the Flames defense with eight tackles, marking the third-highest tackle total of his career.
Yesterday, Liberty opened up its 37th season of football on the road, going toe-to-toe with a Top 30 FBS program, when the Flames suffered a 33-20 setback to West Virginia at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, W.Va.
The contest marked Liberty's first game since closing out the best season in program history, when the Flames finished 2008 with a 10-2 record, their second-straight Big South title and ranked No. 14 in the final Sports Network poll.
News and Notes from the West Virginia Game:
• The game marked the beginning of Liberty's 37th season of football and 22nd at the NCAA Division I FCS level.
• The contest marked the first time under head coach Danny Rocco that Liberty has opened the year on the road and drops the Flames to 3-1 in season openers under the head coach.
• The setback drops Liberty's record to 18-19 all-time in season openers and marks the first time the Flames have dropped the opening game of the year since falling, 48-6, at James Madison on Aug. 30, 2003.
• The game was played in front of 57,950 fans, marking the largest crowd a Liberty football team has played in front of. The program's previous record was 40,000 when the Flames faced Connecticut in East Hartford, Conn., on Sept. 10, 2005.
• Of the Flames 22 starters to take to the field against the Mountaineers on Saturday, seven started the Flames' opener against North Greenville in 2008 (LG – Bryan Mosier, RT – Josh Weaver, FB – Derek Bishop, DE – Trey Jacobs, SLB – Ian Childress, JLB – Chad Brown, LS – Chris Rocco).
• The contest marked the 10th season in the last 12 years that Liberty has squared off against at least one FBS opponent.
• All-time in program history, Liberty has taken to the field against a FBS opponent 13 times, with their lone victory coming at Eastern Michigan, 25-24, in Ypsilanti, Mich., on Oct. 14, 1989.
• Liberty's 13-point setback to West Virginia was a dramatic improvement from the Flames last game against a BIG EAST opponent, when Liberty dropped a 59-0 decision to Connecticut on Sept. 10, 2005.
• Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames have dropped three games to FBS opponents by a combined 34 points (loss to Wake Forest, 34-14, in 2006, loss to Toledo, 35-34, in 2007 and a loss to West Virginia, 33-20).
• Liberty trailed West Virginia, 23-10, at halftime. Under head coach Danny Rocco, Liberty has trailed at halftime just seven times in 35 games and is now 1-6 under Rocco when trailing at halftime.
• Matt Bevins' 49-yard field in the third quarter was a career long for the sophomore and tied for the fourth-longest field goal in program history.
• Bevins finished the game by connecting on both of his field goal attempts, pushing his streak to seven-straight successful field goal attempts dating back to the last year.
• Liberty finished the game by rushing for 89 yards on 26 rushing attempts (3.4 average), marking the first time in 19 games Liberty has not reached the 100-yard team rushing mark and just the fourth time under head coach Danny Rocco.
• Mike Brown rushed for a nine-yard touchdown with 52 seconds left in the game against West Virginia, giving Liberty a rushing touchdown in 30-straight games.
• Liberty was held just one yard shy of 300 total offensive yards, snapping a 17-game 300-yard streak and marking the fourth time in 35 games under head coach Danny Rocco the Flames have failed to reach the 300 total offensive yard mark.
• Brown finished the game with 157 receiving yards, making the sophomore the 44th player in program history to record a 100-yard receiving game.
• Brown led all receivers in the contest with 11 receptions, a figure which is tied for the sixth-most receptions in a single game in program history.
• With his 11 receptions, Brown becomes the first player under head coach Danny Rocco to finish a game with 10 or more receptions in a game.
• Brown posted the first multiple-touchdown game of his career, recording a rushing and a receiving touchdown against West Virginia.
• Brown finished the game with 271 all-purpose yards, which is tied for the fifth highest single-game all-purpose yard total in program history.
• Brown's 271 all-purpose yards also ranks as the fifth most in conference history, besting Liberty's Sam Gado's mark of 270 all-purpose yards recorded against Gardner-Webb on Oct. 2, 2004.
• Wes Cheek led the Flames defense with eight tackles, marking the third-highest tackle total of his career.
Wednesday, May 13
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