Flames Prepared for SMU Contest on Saturday
9/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Game Day Central
Live Stats
Live Audio (LFSN Radio)
Live Video (ESPN3)
Following Liberty's final full practice of the week, Head Coach Turner Gill met with the media to discuss his team's preparation for their matchup against SMU on Saturday.
Saturday's game will be Liberty's first-ever matchup with SMU and its first meeting with an American Athletic Conference foe. However, the Flames have played 16 previous games against current American members, prior to the formation of the conference. Liberty is 0-1 all-time against Connecticut, 3-8 versus UCF and 0-4 against USF.
SMU, under second-year head coach Chad Morris, is already halfway to its win total from 2015, when the Mustangs went 2-10. SMU opened its 2016 campaign with a 34-21 win at North Texas before losing a 40-13 decision to nationally-ranked Baylor. The Mustangs' golden era came in the early 1980s, when "Pony Express" running backs Eric Dickerson and Craig James led SMU to a 21-1-1 record in 1981 and 1982.
SMU is the last of three straight first-time opponents Liberty is facing to start the 2016 season, following Virginia Tech and Jacksonville. Saturday's game will be the Flames' third all-time matchup with a Texas opponent, with both previous meetings coming against Texas State.
SMU will not leave the state of Texas for the first four weeks of the season, including road trips to North Texas and Baylor and home matchups with the Flames and TCU. Conversely, Liberty is making its first trip west of the Mississippi in four years, since a 2012 visit to Montana.
The Liberty Flames Sports Network (LFSN) will provide radio coverage for the contest, with the Flames Pregame Tailgate Show scheduled to go on the air at 5:30 p.m. ESPN3 will televise the game through its various outlets and platforms. For more information about where to watch and/or listen to the game, check out the Game Day Central page for this Saturday's contest.
