Game Day: Old Dominion

Liberty (1-3, 0-1 CUSA) will close out the non-conference portion of its schedule on Saturday with a trip across the Commonwealth to face Old Dominion (2-1, 0-0 Sun Belt).

Broadcast Information:
TV: ESPN+

Broadcast team: Scott Jackson (play-by-play), Andy Mashaw (analyst)

Radio: LFSN Radio (Local: 88.3 FM | Liberty Flames Mobile App | LibertyFlames.com)

Broadcast team: Alan York (play-by-play), Jason Porter (analyst) and Nick Pierce (sidelines)

Game Day Information:
Location: Norfolk, Va.
Stadium: S.B. Ballard Stadium
Kickoff: 6 p.m. ET

News and Notes:

The Flames are 4-1 all-time against the Monarchs, including 4-0 since Liberty moved up to the FBS level in 2018. Liberty has won those four contests by an average of 28 points per game.
Liberty, which is facing a Sun Belt opponent for the second week in a row, is 10-4 all-time against Sun Belt foes.
Jamey Chadwell is 22-8 in his third year at Liberty and owns a 53-14 coaching record dating back to the start of 2020. The Flames are 8-4 on the road under Chadwell.
Three different QBs saw playing time for the Flames during their 31-13 home loss to James Madison last Saturday, as starter Ethan Vasko was backed up by Michael Merdinger and Ethan Houck. The trio combined for 83 rushing yards and a TD.
RB Evan Dickens paces the Flames with 311 rushing yards during his first season at Liberty and has scored a TD during three of the Flames' first four games.
LB Derrell Farrar recorded a team-high and career-best 10 tackles during the JMU contest. He tops the Flames with 25 stops through four games.

"4 Downs" with Old Dominion

#1 Liberty hosted Old Dominion on Sept. 1, 2018 in the Flames' first game as FBS members. Liberty's 52-10 victory that day marked the first of four straight head-to-head wins over the Monarchs during which the Flames have averaged 43.3 points per contest. This marks Liberty's second-longest winning streak against an FBS foe, trailing the Flames' six-game streak vs. UMass.

#2 Both Liberty and Old Dominion are playing their second straight contest against an in-state opponent. The Flames lost 31-13 to James Madison on Sept. 20, one week after ODU recorded a 45-26 win at Virginia Tech. The Flames are seeking their first game with 200+ rushing yards this season, while ODU has rushed for 200 yards in all three contests. Liberty is 0-6 under Jamey Chadwell when being outrushed, including 0-3 this season.

#3 Sun Belt teams went 3-2 against CUSA opponents last week, improving to 4-3 in matchups between the two conferences this season. Saturday's slate features two more CUSA-Sun Belt clashes, including Liberty at ODU and Jax State at Southern Miss. Liberty (2020) and ODU (2022 and 2025) have accounted for Virginia Tech's three most recent losses to Commonwealth foes.

#4 Liberty is continuing a stretch where the Flames are playing four out of five contests away from home spanning Sept. 6-Oct. 8. Liberty has dropped three straight road games but is 8-4 on the road during Jamey Chadwell's three seasons. The Flames have outscored ODU 38-7 in the fourth quarter of their last four meetings.

A LIBERTY WIN WOULD...

Mark the Flames' fifth consecutive victory over Old Dominion, boosting their all-time record against the Monarchs to 5-1.
Improve the team's all-time record against Sun Belt foes to 11-4.
Move the Flames' all-time record versus Commonwealth opponents to 47-40, giving them a fifth win in their last seven meetings with in-state foes.
Be the Flames' first road win of 2025, snapping a three-game road losing streak dating back to last season.
Halt the Flames' three-game losing streak and prevent their first four-game losing skid since the final four contests of the 2022 season.
Avoid the Flames' first winless month of September since 2012, when Liberty went 0-4 to start Turner Gill's tenure as head coach.
Even CUSA's record against the Sun Belt this season at 4-4 with Jax State and Southern Miss to square off later on Saturday evening.

BOUNCE BACK
Liberty is 3-4 in games immediately following a loss under Jamey Chadwell, who is 22-8 overall at the helm.

After losing the final two games of the 2024 season, the Flames responded by winning the 2025 season opener against Maine.

The Flames' current three-game losing streak is its longest under Chadwell, in his third season.

FLAMES QUARTER
Liberty Head Coach Jamey Chadwell calls the fourth quarter Flames Quarter. Last year, Liberty outscored opponents 124-69 in the fourth quarter. So far this season, the Flames hold a 41-34 advantage in fourth-quarter scoring.

The Flames scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to beat Maine 28-7 in their season opener.

However, on Saturday, James Madison outscored Liberty, 14-0, in the final 15 minutes.

Liberty is 16-0 when leading after three quarters under Jamey Chadwell.

Chadwell's team has closed out the game with a win each of the last 45 times it took a lead into the fourth quarter, since giving up a 31-25 advantage in a 39-38 Coastal Carolina loss at Arkansas, Nov. 4, 2017.

COMEBACK KIDS
Liberty has trailed at some point in each of its last 18 games, going 10-8 in that stretch. The last time Liberty led wire to wire was Nov. 25, 2023 at UTEP, a 42-28 victory over the Miners.

Liberty was the only FBS team to overcome deficits of 13 points or more in three games last season. The last time an FBS team overcame 13-point or more deficits in three games was 2022 (Houston and LSU).

The Flames' eight come-from-behind wins last year were the most by any FBS team.

SUN BELT SCUFFLES
Old Dominion is one of 10 Sun Belt opponents (at time of meeting) that Liberty has faced in football.

Overall, the Flames are 10-4 all-time against Sun Belt teams.

Current Liberty Head Coach Jamey Chadwell was the 2020 Sun Belt Coach of the Year during his time at Coastal Carolina. He went a combined 20-4 in Sun Belt play in his last three years at Coastal.

Chadwell vs. ODU
Jamey Chadwell is 1-1 all-time against Old Dominion as a head coach. His Coastal Carolina Chanticleers fell to the Monarchs at home, 49-21, on Oct. 15, 2022.

The next fall, Chadwell guided Liberty to a 38-10 home win over Old Dominion, Nov. 11, 2023.

Schedule

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Evan Dickens

Derrell Farrar

Ethan Houck

Michael Merdinger

Ethan Vasko