Game Day: UTEP

No. 22/22 Liberty (11-0, 7-0 CUSA) will travel to UTEP (3-8, 2-5 CUSA) on Saturday for its first-ever matchup with the Miners, looking to wrap up its first undefeated regular season.

Game Day Coverage:

Liberty vs. UTEP (Sun Bowl)
Kickoff: 3:32 p.m. EST
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: LFSN Radio (Flagship Station – 88.3 FM Lynchburg)

"4 Downs" with UTEP

#1 For the first time this season, Liberty is ranked in both Top 25 polls, checking in at No. 22 in both the AP and Coaches listings. The Flames have already won a program-record 11 games with three contests remaining, eclipsing the previous mark of 10 (2008 and 2020). Liberty continues to rank No. 1 nationally for interceptions (19) and rushing offense (282.2 yards/game).

#2 The Flames will look to improve on a 2-5 all-time mark when playing in the Mountain Time Zone. Liberty won at New Mexico in 2018 and New Mexico State in 2019. Kaidon Salter (11 TDs) and Quinton Cooley (10 TDs) are Liberty's first duo with 10+ rushing scores in the same season since 2007 (Rashad Jennings - 15 & Zach Terrell - 11). Liberty has jumped out to a 28-0 lead in the first half each of the last two weeks (vs. Old Dominion and UMass).

#3 Liberty has eclipsed the 3,000-rushing yard mark for the first time in program history with 3,104. The Flames are now taking aim at the CUSA all-time record of 3,994 yards, set by FAU in 2017. The Flames are 3-2 in their regular-season finale at the FBS level, with all five contests coming at home. Liberty's last road game to close out a season came in 2017 at Charleston Southern.

#4 Liberty is trying to close out a 4-0 month of November after going 1-6 the last two Novembers (2021 and 2022). The Flames' previous two 4-0 Novembers came 20 years ago (2003) and 10 years ago (2013). Jamey Chadwell is seeking his second undefeated regular season in four years after going 11-0 at Coastal Carolina in 2020.

A LIBERTY WIN WOULD...

Close out the Flames' first undefeated regular season and extend their program record for wins in a season to 12.
Be the Flames' fifth road victory of the season, their most since going 5-3 on the road in 2014.
Set a new program record for longest winning streak. Liberty previously won 11 straight contests between Oct. 20, 2007-Oct. 11, 2008.
Improve the Flames' all-time record when ranked inside the FBS Top 25 to 7-2.
Make Liberty the third CUSA team ever to start 12-0 or better, joining Tulane (1998) and Houston (2011).
Enable Liberty to become the ninth CUSA squad ever to go undefeated in conference play.
Wrap up the Flames' third time going undefeated in conference play. Liberty posted unblemished Big South records in 2007 (4-0) and 2008 (5-0).

TEXAS TWO-STEP
Liberty is 5-2 all-time against teams from the state of Texas and 3-1 when playing in the Longhorn State.

The Flames won at Texas State (17-14, Sept. 18, 1993), at Baylor (48-45, Sept. 2, 2017) and at North Texas (35-26, Oct. 23, 2021). Liberty's lone loss in Texas was Sept. 17, 2016 when the Flames fell 29-14 at SMU.

Liberty defeated Sam Houston State 21-16 on Oct. 5.

FAST START
Liberty is off to a 11-0 start, its best start to a season in program history. The previous best was 8-0 in 2020.

Jamey Chadwell is the only first-year head coach to guide the Flames to wins in each of his first 11 games. The Flames are the only unbeaten team in FBS football remaining this season who has a first-year head coach.

Liberty is one of six FBS teams to remain unbeaten at 11-0, joining Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Washington.

The Flames are looking to become the first Conference USA team since Houston (12-0 start, 13-1 finish) in 2011 to start 12-0. Tulane finished 12-0 in 1998.

NOT SO CLOSE CALLS
Last season, Liberty went 3-4 in games decided by three points or fewer. The Flames played a total of eight games which were within one score.

This year, Liberty has played only two games which have been decided by seven points or fewer, a 21-16 win over Sam Houston on Oct. 5 and a 42-35 victory over Middle Tennessee on Oct. 17.

Liberty is tied for 12th in the nation in scoring margin at +18.8 points per game this season.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
The Flames have posted their first win in program history against each of the following teams this season: Bowling Green, Sam Houston, Jacksonville State and Louisiana Tech.

UTEP will be the third opponent this year which Liberty is meeting for the first time (also Sam Houston and Louisiana Tech). Since the start of 2020, Liberty is 9-1 in games in which it is facing a team for the first time.

BOWLING 300
Liberty has rushed for 300 or more yards five times this season and in four out of the last five games. Prior to this season, the most 300-yard rushing games in program history was three, in both 2004 and 2020. This is the first time since 2010 (North Greenville - 5), that Jamey Chadwell's team has had five 300-yard rushing games in a season.

Chadwell-coached teams have posted an 80-13 record when rushing for 200 or more yards, 31-0 when totaling 300 or more yards on the ground and 6-0 when churning up 400 or more rushing yards.

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Players Mentioned

Quinton Cooley

Kaidon Salter

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Game Day: UTEP

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