Game Day Central: Delaware State
9/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
All the links you need to follow Saturday's Game
• Live video (LFSN/BSN/ESPN3)
• Live audio (LFSN Radio)
• Williams Stadium information & directions
• Game Day tickets
• And more
Liberty Football Game Notes:
Delaware State vs. No. 15/14 Liberty
Game Time:
7 p.m.
Official Kickoff:
7:06 p.m.
TV Coverage:
Liberty Flames Sports Network – TV
• WFFP-24 (Lynchburg/Roanoke/Danville market)
• The Walk Network (National market)
• See complete Game Day Broadcast Distribution list
• South of Soul Network (Regional markets)
• See complete South of Soul broadcast listing
• ESPN3 (National market)
Play-By-Play Broadcaster: Mike Tilley
Color Commentator: Matt Warner
Sideline Reporter:
Erin Kelly
Halftime/Postgame Reporters:
Rett McGibbon, Paul Rutigliano and Lyndsay Keith
Radio Coverage:
Liberty Flames Sports Network – Radio
LFSN Radio Network Affiliates List
• Pregame: 5:30 p.m.
Play-By-Play Broadcaster: Alan York
Color Commentator: Paul Rutigliano
Sidelines: Nick Pierce
Pregame: Nick Pierce, Jamie Hall and Matt Camire
First and 10 – Saturday's Top Storylines
1. No. 15/14 Liberty will open the season at Williams Stadium for the first time since 2008, hosting Delaware State Saturday at 7 p.m. The Flames and Hornets have squared off 14 times previously, but not since Sept. 22, 2001. See page 3 of the game notes for additional matchup notes.
2. If Liberty is victorious, it would mark the Flames' first season-opening win since 2010. See page 4 of the game notes for more on what a Liberty victory would mean.
3. Senior QB Josh Woodrum is one touchdown pass shy of becoming the third Flame and fifth Big South signal caller with 50 for his career. See page 4 of the game notes for additional milestones within reach on Saturday.
4. Last season, the Flames won their seventh Big South Conference title and made their first NCAA FCS Playoffs appearance. See page 4 of the game notes for more information on Liberty's recent gridiron success.
5. The Flames return players who recorded 388 of Liberty's 448 points scored in 2014 (86.6 percent). See page 5 of the game notes for more information on Liberty's experienced, high-octane offensive attack.
6. Senior WR Darrin Peterson and senior DL Chima Uzowihe are both featured on the STATS Preseason Player of the Year Watch List. See page 6 of the game notes for more on Peterson and page 9 for more on Uzowihe.
7. Liberty's 2015 backfield will feature a pair of senior RBs (Desmond Rice and D.J. Abnar) who have combined for 2,957 rushing yards, 40 touchdowns and 9 100-yard games. See page 7 of the game notes for more information on the Flames' dynamic ground duo.
8. Three freshmen (WR B.J. Farrow, SPUR Corbin Jackson and CB Chris Turner) are listed as possible starters for Saturday's game. See page 15 of the game notes for the Flames' complete depth chart.
9. Senior DL Chima Uzowihe has started 26 consecutive games at RE during the past two seasons. See page 16 of the game notes for Liberty's start chart.
10. Liberty's 2015 roster features players from 18 different states and two foreign countries (Germany and Norway). See page 19 of the game notes for a breakdown of the Flames by state/country.
"4 Downs" with the Hornets
1 - Saturday's game will be Kenneth A. Carter's inaugural contest as Delaware State's head coach. Most recently, he served as an assistant coach at Youngstown State in 2014. Carter also owns experience as an assistant at Florida, Louisville and Penn State. Like Liberty, the Hornets have made one appearance in the NCAA FCS Playoffs, thanks to their 2007 MEAC title.
2 - Liberty's Miles Hunter and Dante' Shells both hail from Camden, Del., approximately five miles south of Delaware State's campus in Dover. Meanwhile, seven Hornets are Virginia natives. Among them, punter Jeremiah McGeough grew up the closest to Liberty. He graduated from George Washington High School in Danville, about an hour south of Lynchburg.
3 - Delaware State is seeking its first non-conference victory in three years. The Hornets' last win outside MEAC play was a 17-10 home triumph over VMI on Sept. 1, 2012. Delaware State is also aiming for its third win at Williams Stadium, as the Hornets are 2-3 all-time at the facility.
4 - Saturday will mark the 15th meeting between Liberty and Delaware State, making the Hornets the fourth most common opponent in Flames history. Liberty has only played Charleston Southern (22 meetings), Gardner-Webb (21) and James Madison (18) more often.
Milestone Watch
1 - Josh Woodrum needs one TD pass to become the third QB in program history and the fifth in Big South annals with 50 career TD passes.
1 - Chima Uzowihe enters his senior season with 17.0 career sacks. With his next sack, Uzowihe will move into second place on the Big South career sack list and tie Larkin Harsey for third place in program history.
2/6 - Chima Uzowihe and Nick Newman could each record their 100th career tackle on Saturday. Uzowihe enters the game two tackles shy of the centry mark, while Newman needs six stops to reach the milestone. No current Flames have notched 100 career tackles.
3 - With three catches, Darrin Peterson would become the fifth Flame ever to tally 150 career receptions.
8 - Dante' Shells needs eight receiving yards to reach 1,000 for his career.
100 - Liberty begins the 2015 season with exactly 100 victories all-time at Williams Stadium. The Flames are 100-45 (.690) at the facility since it opened on Oct. 21, 1989.
A Liberty Win Would ...
• Improve the Flames' all-time record against Delaware State to 10-5, making the Hornets the fourth team Liberty has defeated 10 or more times on the gridiron (also Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb and VMI).
• Mark the third straight season Liberty has defeated a MEAC opponent, boosting the Flames' all-time mark to 21-12 against MEAC foes.
• Give Liberty a season-opening win for the first time since 2010, when the Flames posted a 52-7 victory over Saint Francis (Pa.) at City Stadium.
• Improve the Flames' all-time record to 101-45 at Williams Stadium.
• Mark the Flames' third straight victory in a home opener and 12th win in their last 13 home lid-lifters.
• Boost Liberty's all-time record in home openers to 28-14-1.
