Game Day: FIU

Liberty (3-0, 1-0 CUSA) will travel to FIU (3-1, 0-1 CUSA) Saturday evening for the Flames' first-ever CUSA road contest. Both teams enter the contest on three-game winning streaks.

"4 Downs" with PANTHERS

#1 Saturday night will mark several "firsts" for the Flames. It will be their first-ever CUSA road game, their first-ever visit to FIU Stadium and their first regular-season contest in Florida since 2002 (at UCF). Liberty will be in search of its first road win in conference play since Oct. 28, 2017, when the Flames posted a 33-17 victory at Gardner-Webb.

#2 Liberty is hoping to win its first two conference games of the season for the first time since 2016 (Big South Conference). Seven of the eight times the Flames started 2-0 or better in Big South play, they went on to win at least a share of the conference title. The last six CUSA champions have started conference play 2-0 or better. Both teams enter the matchup riding three-game winning streaks. FIU has won its three contests by a total of 16 points, while Liberty has won by an average of 18.0 points/game.

#3 Liberty has scored 30+ points in three straight games for the first time since Nov. 27, 2020-Sept. 4, 2021. The last time the Flames eclipsed the 30-point mark in 4+ straight games was Oct. 10-Nov. 14, 2020. Kaidon Salter recorded his first 300-yard passing game at Buffalo and the first by a Flame since Malik Willis on Nov. 27, 2021 vs. Army.

#4 The Flames have made it to four straight bowl games (3-1 record), three of which have been played in Florida. FIU Stadium will be the fourth different CUSA stadium Liberty has visited. The Flames are 3-0 on the road vs. CUSA opponents (at the time of meeting) with wins at WKU (2020), UAB (2021) and North Texas (2021).

A LIBERTY WIN WOULD...

Enable the Flames to start out 4-0 for the first time since 2020, when they opened the year at 8-0.
Give the Flames their first 2-0 start in conference play since opening the 2016 Big South slate at 4-0.
Help the Flames remain as CUSA's only unbeaten team and make Liberty the first squad with two CUSA wins in 2023.
Keep the Flames unbeaten all-time against FIU at 2-0.
Mark the Flames' 10th straight win over a CUSA opponent, improving their all-time record against CUSA foes to 11-1.
Boost the Flames' record to 4-10 when playing in Florida and give them their first regular-season win in the Sunshine State since Oct. 14, 1995 (7-6 victory at UCF).
Make Jamey Chadwell the second Liberty head coach ever to win his first four games with the Flames. Sam Rutigliano started 6-0 during the 1989 campaign, his first at Liberty.
Snap FIU's three-game winning streak.

FAST START
Liberty is off to a 3-0 or better start for the third time in the last four years. In 2020, the Flames got off to their best start in program history, winning their first eight games.

This is the first time in program history in which Liberty has opened a season winning each of its first three games by double-digits. The last time Liberty posted four straight double-digit-margin victories was Oct. 3-24, 2020.

CUSA SUCCESS
Liberty, after playing the last five years as an FBS Indepenent, plays its first Conference USA away game on Saturday at FIU.

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

Liberty, which was voted second in the CUSA preseason coaches' poll, will aim to earn a spot in the 2023 Conference USA championship game, held on Dec. 1

Overall, Liberty is 10-1 all-time, including 3-0 on the road, against teams who were members of CUSA at time of meeting.

SUNSHINE STATE
Liberty is 3-10 all-time when playing in the state of Florida, including 1-9 in true away games and 2-1 in bowl games played inside the Sunshine State.

The Flames won the 2019 (vs. Georgia Southern) and 2020 (vs. Coastal Carolina) Cure Bowls in Orlando and fell to Toledo in the 2022 Boca Raton Bowl.

Liberty's last regular-season game in Florida was Sept. 28, 2002 at UCF, a 48-17 loss. The Flames' lone true road win in Florida came on Oct. 14, 1995, a 7-6 win at UCF where Liberty topped future NFL star quarterback Daunte Culpepper.

Liberty's current roster features 12 players from the state of Florida, including Miami natives C.J. Bazile, Jr. and Nick Days and Amari Williams from North Miami Beach.

TAKE ME AWAY
Liberty leads the nation with nine interceptions this season. The Flames are also tied for the FBS lead in both turnover margin (2.67) and total takeaways (10).

Liberty is one of 13 teams which have not thrown an interception in 2023.

Schedule

Players Mentioned

Nick Days

Kaidon Salter

Amari Williams

Game Day: FIU

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