Robert Morris Revisited: News and Notes
10/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
The Flames scored 41 unanswered points to secure a 41-7 win over visiting Robert Morris on Saturday at Williams Stadium in Liberty's final game before Big South play begins.
Included with today's news and notes are video interviews with head coach Turner Gill, quarterback Stephen Calvert and defensive end Juwan Wells.
Throughout the season, LibertyFlames.com will run a similar feature online each Sunday, spotlighting the notable accomplishments and numbers from the previous day's gridiron battle.
Series with Robert Morris:
• Following the 34-point victory, Liberty leads the series between the two programs, 2-1
• The home team has won each time the two teams have met, including a 38-7 win for the Flames on Sept. 10, 2011 in Lynchburg
• Liberty has outscored Robert Morris by 65 points in two matchups at Williams Stadium (79-14)
• Liberty is now 5-1 all-time when facing opponents from the Northeast Conference
Team Talking Points:
• Liberty scored the final 41 points of the game to secure a win in its last game before Big South play begins on Oct. 15 against Kennesaw State
• Liberty's 34-point victory marked the eighth time the Flames have defeated an opponent by 30 or more points in five seasons under head coach Turner Gill
• The Flames finished the game with 412 total offensive yards on 68 plays (average yards per play – 6.1), its second-highest output in 2016
• Liberty's passing game accounted for 82.5 percent of the Flames' offense against Robert Morris (340 passing yards, 72 rushing yards)
• The Flames finished the game averaging 8.9 yards per passing play, its highest average of the season
• Liberty's 8.9 yards per passing play average was the Flames' best since averaging 10.5 yards per play against Kennesaw State in 2015
• Liberty's strong passing attack aided in the Flames finishing the game with 13 out of 20 first downs gained via passing plays
• Liberty finished its first game of 2016 without an interception thrown
• The Flames had thrown 10 interceptions during the first four games of 2016 after finishing all of 2015 with only four interceptions
• For the fourth time this season, Liberty was held below 100 rushing yards, finishing the contest with 30 carries for 72 yards (2.4 yards per rushing play)
• Dating back to the 2015 season, Liberty has been held to less than 100 team rushing yards in 11 out of its last 15 contests
• Following the Robert Morris game, Liberty ranks No. 88 in the country in rushing offense (124.4 yards per game)
• The Flames finished the game 3-of-14 when attempting to convert on third-down plays, marking the third time in 2016 Liberty has finished with three or fewer third-down conversions
• Following the Robert Morris game, Liberty ranks No. 94 in the country in third-down conversions (32.1 percent/25-of-78)
• The Flames did convert on both of their fourth-down plays, including a one-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter
• The Flames have converted on 4-of-6 fourth-down plays in 2016 and currently rank No. 24 in the country in fourth-down conversions (66.7 percent)
• For the fourth time in five games, Liberty lost the time of possession battle (LU – 29:18; RMU – 30:42)
• Through five games in 2016, Liberty currently ranks last in the Big South and No. 76 in the country in average time of possession (29:10)
• Liberty finished the game with three penalties for 34 yards, its second lowest penalty total of the year
• After committing 25 penalties for 203 yards during the first three games of 2016, Liberty has committed three penalties for 34 yards in its last two games
• For the second time in 2016, Liberty finished a game without allowing a sack (also against Jacksonville)
• For the first time this season, Liberty finished a game without committing a turnover
• Liberty tied its best showing of the season, finishing +3 in the turnover margin against Robert Morris (also was +3 against Jacksonville)
• The Flames' defense finished the game with three interceptions and now ranks tied for No. 4 in the country in passes intercepted (8)
• Through the first five games of 2016, Liberty has gained 15 turnovers and ranks tied for No. 3 in the country in the statistical category (seven fumble recoveries; eight interceptions)
• The Flames currently rank No. 24 in the country in turnover margin at +4/0.80 (LU 11 turnovers lost [one fumble; 10 interceptions]; LU opponents 15 turnovers lost [seven fumbles; eight interceptions])
• Liberty's defense limited Robert Morris to 204 total offensive yards, the lowest total by an opponent in 2016 and lowest total since Gardner-Webb gained 56 yards in 2014
• Robert Morris gained 70 of its 204 yards during the second drive of the game, which briefly gave the visitors the lead at the 6:19 mark of the first quarter
• For the first time this year, Liberty held an opponent under 100 team rushing yards with Robert Morris just missing the mark at 99 team rushing yards
• The last time the Flames held an opponent below 100 rushing yards was against Georgia State in 2016 (a span of 11 games)
• Robert Morris finished with 105 passing yards, the lowest total of the season by an opponent and fewest yards since last year's Presbyterian game (31 passing yards)
• For the third time this season, Liberty held an opponent to five or fewer third-down conversions (4-of-14)
• Following the Robert Morris game, Liberty ranks third in the Big South and No. 36 in the country in third-down conversion defense (34.7 percent/26-of-75)
• For the second game in a row, Liberty recorded three sacks and now ranks third in the Big South in total sacks (9)
• Robert Morris finished the game 1-of-2 when entering the red zone, scoring a two-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter
• The Flames recorded a 28-yard return on their lone kickoff return and now rank No. 8 in the country in average yards per kickoff return (25.62)
• Liberty finished the Robert Morris game averaging 42.2 net yards per punt and currently ranks No. 33 in the country in the statistical category (37.32 yards per punt)
Notable Player Points:
• In his first career start, RB Carrington Mosley led the Flames' limited rushing attack with 15 carries for 33 yards
• RB Carrington Mosley recorded his first collegiate receiving touchdown on a four-yard pass play in the fourth quarter
• RB Frankie Hickson finished the game with 12 carries for 29 yards, his second highest carries total of the season
• RB Frankie Hickson returned Liberty's lone kickoff return of the game for 28 yards
• Following the game, RB Frankie Hickson ranks No. 14 in the country in kickoff returns (27.6 average yards per return)
• In his first career start, QB Stephen Calvert completed 23-of-37 passing attempts for 340 yards and four touchdowns
• QB Stephen Calvert's passing yardage set a new school record for passing yards by a freshman quarterback in his first career start
• QB Stephen Calvert's passing yardage surpassed the previous freshman record of 322 yards set by Josh Woodrum against Montana in 2012
• QB Stephen Calvert became the 13th player in program history to throw for 300 or more yards in a game
• QB Stephen Calvert's passing yards marked the 20th-best, single-game passing performance in school history
• QB Stephen Calvert became Liberty's first starting quarterback of the 2016 season to finish a game without an interception
• WR Dante' Shells had a career day, finishing the contest with six receptions for 170 yards and a touchdown
• WR Dante' Shells' receiving yardage against Robert Morris surpassed his previous career high of 164 yards against Appalachian State in 2014
• WR Dante' Shells posted his fourth career 100-yard game and first since finishing the Montana game with 111 yards against Montana in 2015
• WR Dante' Shells recorded his team-leading fifth receiving touchdown of the year
• WR Dante' Shells has recorded a receiving touchdown in each of the last four games and now ranks No. 11 in the country in touchdown receptions (5)
• WR Dante' Shells is the first Liberty player with a receiving touchdown in four straight games since Darrin Peterson (Nov. 1 to Nov. 22, 2014)
• WR Zac Parker finished the game with a season-high five receptions for 27 yards (came into the game with seven receptions for 62 yards)
• WR Marquis Fitzgerald also had a career day, finishing the contest with four receptions for 82 yards
• During his first 11 games as a member of Liberty's squad, WR Marquis Fitzgerald had one reception for 11 yards
• WR Antonio Gandy-Golden matched his career high with three receptions for 41 yards, while recording his first collegiate receiving touchdown
• TE Zac Foutz recorded his first career reception and touchdown on the same play, scoring on a one-yard pass play on a fourth-down play in the first quarter
• P Trey Turner finished the game with six punts for 257 yards, averaging 42.8 yards per punt
• P Trey Turner placed three of his six punts inside the Robert Morris 20-yard line
• For the second game in a row and third time this season, P Trey Turner averaged more than 40.0 yards per punt
• K Alex Probert connected on consecutive career-long field goals, knocking down kicks for 47 and 51 yards against Robert Morris (coming into the game, previous high was 44 yards)
• Following the Robert Morris game, K Alex Probert is now 3-of-3 on field goal attempts of 40 or more yards this season
• Six of K Alex Probert's eight kickoffs resulted in touchbacks, continually creating a long field for Robert Morris
• K Alex Probert averaged 63.9 yards per kickoff against Robert Morris and is averaging 63.3 yards per kickoff during his freshman season
• DL Juwan Wells led the Flames, finishing the contest with 12 tackles (seven solo, five assisted)
• DL Juwan Wells' 12-tackle effort marked the third time in five games the sophomore has finished with 10 or more tackles
• DL Juwan Wells currently leads the country among defensive linemen and ranks No. 32 overall nationally, averaging 9.6 tackles per game
• DL Juwan Wells finished the contest with a season-best seven solo tackles and now leads the team with 19 solo tackles in 2016
• DL Juwan Wells also added 2.5 tackles for a loss (10 yards), including 2.0 sacks (10 yards)
• DL Juwan Wells has recorded 9.5 sacks and 14.0 tackles for a loss in his first 13 career games played
• DL Juwan Wells has 4.5 sacks through five games and ranks No. 20 in the country in sacks per game (0.90)
• S Corbin Jackson finished the contest with six tackles (four solo, two assisted), marking this third game in 2016 with five or more tackles
• DL JaRon Greene finished the game with four tackles, giving him his 100th career tackle
• DL JaRon Greene becomes the fourth active player on Liberty's roster with 100 career tackles (joining LB Nick Newman, LB Dexter Robbins and CB Wesley Scott)
• CB Chris Turner recorded his first interception of the year after leading the team as a redshirt freshman with four interceptions in 2015
• S Alpha Jalloh recorded his first interception of the season and fourth interception of his career
• S Solomon McGinty recorded his second interception as a Flame and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown
• S Solomon McGinty became the first Flame to return an interception for a touchdown since Jeremy Peters returned an interception 44 yards for a score against Charleston Southern in 2015
• LB Nick Newman finished the contest with three tackles (two solo, one assisted), making him the first Flame since Jacob Hagen and Nick Sigmon in 2014 to reach the 200-career tackle mark
