Game Day Central: Jacksonville
9/7/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Game Day Central Page
All the links you need to follow Saturday's Game
• Live video (LFSN TV/BSN/ESPN3)
• Live audio (LFSN Radio)
• Williams Stadium information & directions
• Game Day tickets
• And more
Liberty Football Game Notes:
Liberty vs. Jacksonville
Game Time:
7 p.m.
Official Kickoff:
7:06 p.m.
Game Time:
7 p.m. (EST)
Official Kickoff:
7:06 p.m. (EST)
TV Coverage:
LFSN TV/BSN/ESPN3
Play-By-Play Broadcaster: Mike Tilley
Color Commentator: Matt Warner
Sideline Reporter: Gabe Henderson
TV Coverage:
Liberty Flames Sports Network – TV
• WFFP-24 (Lynchburg/Roanoke/Danville market)
• Big South Network
• The Walk Network (National market)
• See complete Game Day Broadcast Distribution list for The Walk Network
• ESPN3 (National market)
Radio Coverage:
Liberty Flames Sports Network – Radio
LFSN Radio Network Affiliates List
• Pregame: 5:30 p.m. (EST)
Play-By-Play Broadcaster: Alan York
Color Commentator: Paul Rutigliano
Sidelines: Nick Pierce
Pregame: Nick Pierce, Jamie Hall and Matt Camire
NEW for 2016 – Williams Stadium Clear Bag Policy:
Liberty Football Game Day Information Page - Jacksonville (Sept. 10)
First and 10 – Saturday's Top Storylines
1. Liberty will host Jacksonville for the Flames' 2016 home opener, Saturday evening at Williams Stadium. It will mark Liberty's first-ever matchup with the Dolphins and their first meeting with a Pioneer Football League opponent.
2. Saturday's game will be Turner Gill's 50th contest at Liberty. See page 2 of the game notes for more information on the Flames' fifth-year head coach.
3. The Flames have won 12 of their last 13 home openers and three in a row. See page 3 of the game notes for more on Liberty's history in home lid-lifters.
4. Liberty will be hosting a Florida-based opponent at Williams Stadium for the first time in 18 years. See page 3 of the game notes for more information on the Flames' history against Sunshine State foes.
5. LB Dexter Robbins is nine tackles shy of 100 for his career. See page 4 of the game notes for more milestones within reach during Saturday's contest.
6. Liberty will be aiming for its sixth straight home win on Saturday. See page 4 of the game notes for more on what a Flames victory would mean.
7. After forcing just 14 total turnovers during the entire 2015 season, the Flames came up with four takeaways (all fumble recoveries) at Virginia Tech, last Saturday. See page 5 of the game notes for more team notes and page 7 for more information on Liberty's defensive standouts.
8. Eight Flames made their first career start during the season opener at Virginia Tech, while 10 true freshmen saw playing time in Blacksburg. See page 11 of the game notes for Liberty's updated depth chart.
9. At Virginia Tech, S Alpha Jalloh became the first Flame to return a fumble for a TD since Dec. 6, 2014. See page 19 of the game notes for more on "The Last Time ..."
10. Two former Flames (Walt Aikens and Rashad Jennings) will open the 2016 NFL season on Sunday. See page 20 of the game notes for more information on the Flames in the pros.
"4 Downs" with the Dolphins
1 - Saturday's game will mark a number of "firsts," as it will be Liberty's first home game of the season, first-ever meeting with Jacksonville and first matchup against a member of the Pioneer Football League. The Dolphins will be kicking off their 2016 season, following an extremely early bye week.
2 - For the second straight week, Liberty is facing a head coach making his debut with a new team. Ian Shields takes the helm at Jacksonville after serving as head coach at Lenoir-Rhyne the last two years. He inherits a team coming off of back-to-back 9-2 seasons and featuring two Preseason All-Pioneer Football league picks in RB Ulysses Bryant and LB Grady Redding.
3 - Jacksonville is the second of three straight first-time opponents Liberty is facing to start the 2016 season. The Dolphins will be the third Florida-based opponent the Flames have met on the gridiron, along with UCF and USF.
4 - Although Liberty has never played a Pioneer Football League opponent, Jacksonville will become the fourth league member with whom the Flames are acquainted. Liberty went 1-1 versus Dayton and 5-3 against Morehead State prior to the Pioneer Football League's first season of competition (1993). Meanwhile, league member Campbell is coached by former Liberty assistant Mike Minter.
Milestone Watch
1 - After recovering his fifth career fumble at Virginia Tech, Erwin Dessources' next fumble recovery will move him into a tie for second place on Liberty's all-time list.
5/28 - Zac Parker needs five receiving yards to reach 500 for his career, wile B.J. Farrow is 28 receiving yards away of 500 himself.
9 - Dexter Robbins is nine tackles shy of 100 for his career. He would become the third active Flame with 100+ career stops, joining Nick Newman (168) and Wesley Scott (108).
30/50 - Saturday's game will be Turner Gill's 50th contest at Liberty's head coach. Meanwhile, the Flames' next victory will be No. 30 of Gill's coaching career at Liberty. He would become the fourth Flames head coach ever to record 30 or more career wins.
79 - Dante' Shells is 79 receiving yards away from 1,500 for his career.
A Liberty Win Would ...
• Give the Flames a victory in their home opener for the fourth straight season and for the 13th time in the last 14 years.
• Extend the Flames' home winning streak to six games, which would be the team's longest streak since a run of seven straight home wins spanning 2012-13.
• Improve the team's record in home games under Turner Gill to 20-5.
• Give the Flames an all-time record of 105-46 at Williams Stadium in the team's 28 years of competition at the facility.
• Enable the Flames to avoid their first 0-2 start to a season since 2012, Turner Gill's first year as Liberty's head coach.
• Boost the Flames' all-time record against Florida -based opponents to 4-12.
• Mark the Flames' first victory over a Florida-based opponent since a 7-6 triumph at UCF on Oct. 14, 1995.
• Send Jacksonville to defeat for the first time since Oct. 31, 2015, as the Dolphins won three straight games to close out the 2015 campaign.
