Game Day: Middle Tennessee

Liberty (6-0, 4-0 CUSA) will host its second and final Midweek on the Mountain contest at Williams Stadium this season Tuesday evening, welcoming Middle Tennessee (2-5, 1-2 CUSA) to Lynchburg.

"4 Downs" with Middle Tennessee

#1 After starting his Liberty coaching career at 6-0, Jamey Chadwell needs one more victory to set a program record for most consecutive wins to begin his tenure as Flames football head coach. Liberty's all-time wins leader (67 between 1989 and 1999), Sam Rutigliano posted a 6-0 record to start off his first season with the Flames in 1989.

#2 Liberty currently ranks No. 2 nationally with 253.5 rushing yards per game. When the Flames rushed for a program single-season record 2,614 yards in 2003, they averaged 217.8 yards per contest. Liberty also features two of the nation's top performers in yards per reception, including CJ Daniels (No. 2, 24.3) and Treon Sibley (No. 4, 24.1). Only one Flame (Courtney Freeman - 29.4 in 1997) has ever averaged more than 24 yards/catch for a full season.

#3 Liberty is 3-0 at home this season and has now won 71 percent of its games at Williams Stadium since the facility opened in 1989. Interestingly, the Flames' three smallest margins of victory this season have all come at home. Liberty is bowl eligible for the fifth straight season, while Middle Tennessee is aiming for its third consecutive bowl appearance.

#4 Entering the weekend of Oct. 14, Brylan Green was tied for the national lead with four interceptions. He is one of four Flames (also Kobe Singleton-3, Tyren Dupree-2 and Jerome Jolly, Jr.-2) with multiple picks. Tuesday's contest kicks off Liberty's first stretch of four home games in five outings since 2020.

A LIBERTY WIN WOULD...

Improve the Flames' all-time record against Middle Tennessee to 2-1, including 2-0 at Williams Stadium.
Give the Flames their fifth winning streak of seven or more games all-time and longest since winning 10 in a row, Nov. 30, 2019 through Nov. 14, 2020.
Enable the Flames to start out 7-0 for the first time since 2020, when they opened the year at 8-0.
Make Jamey Chadwell the first Liberty head football coach ever to win his first seven games with the Flames.
Give the Flames their first 5-0 start in conference play since opening the 2011 Big South slate at 5-0.
Make the Flames the first team ever to win their first five CUSA games as conference members.
Mark the Flames' 13th straight win over a CUSA opponent, improving their all-time record against CUSA foes to 14-1.

FAST START
Liberty is off to a 6-0 start, its best start to a season since 2020, when the Flames set a program record by winning their first eight games.

Liberty has started 6-0 or better for the fourth time in program history. This is the second time that a first-year head coach has guided the Flames to a 6-0 start (1989 - Sam Rutigliano).

The Flames also started 6-0 in 2008, while winning their first eight games in the 2020 season.

In each of Liberty's first five games this year, the Flames scored at least 21 first-half points. Liberty was held to 10 points in the first half at Jacksonville State, but responded with 21 second-half points.

CUSA SUCCESS
Liberty, after playing the last five years as an FBS Independent, has started 4-0 in CUSA play. Liberty is the first football team to win its first four Conference USA games as conference members since 1996, the first year of CUSA football, when Southern Miss won its first four conference games.

The Flames were members of the Big South Conference from 2002-2017, winning eight conference titles.

Liberty was voted second in the CUSA preseason coaches' poll behind only Western Kentucky.

Overall, Liberty is 13-1 all-time against teams who were members of CUSA at time of meeting.

FLAMES QUARTER
Liberty Head Coach Jamey Chadwell refers to the fourth quarter as Flames Quarter, and the defense has proven stout in the final frame.

The Flames have allowed just six total fourth-quarter points through six games this season, with the lone score against being a touchdown by Buffalo, Sept. 16. That is the fewest of any FBS team in the nation.

TENNESSEE (IN) WILLIAMS
Liberty is 5-11-1 all-time against teams from the state of Tennessee, including 4-3 at home.

The Flames are 2-2 against Tennessee teams inside Williams Stadium. Liberty lost at home to ETSU in 2000 and to Chattanooga in 2005.

Liberty has won each of its last two meetings against schools from the Volunteer State, beating Tusculum 38-14 (Sept. 1, 2007) and Middle Tennessee 41-13 (Oct. 9, 2021). Both games were played in Williams Stadium.

MIDWEEK ON THE MOUNTAIN
Liberty is 4-1 all-time in non-Saturday games played at Williams Stadium, winning its last four games in a row not played on Saturday.

The Flames are 3-0 on Thursday and 1-1 on Friday inside Williams Stadium all-time. This week will mark Liberty's first Tuesday home game in program history.

Schedule

Players Mentioned

CJ Daniels

Tyren Dupree

Brylan Green

Jerome Jolly, Jr.

Treon Sibley

Kobe Singleton

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