Game Day Central: Coastal Carolina
10/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Coastal Carolina Game Day Central
Coastal Carolina at Liberty
Lynchburg, Va.
Oct. 17, 2009
Williams Stadium (12,000)
Kickoff: 3:35 p.m. (EST)
Television Coverage
Live TV Coverage:
FamilyNet – Atlanta, Ga. (Channel – National)
MASN – Baltimore (Channel – National)
WTLU – Lynchburg, Va. (Channel – 50)
WRTV – Lynchburg, Va. (Channel – 13.2)
WGGN – Sandusky, Ohio (Channel – 52)
KCFT – Anchorage, Alaska (Channel – 35)
WAAY – Huntsville, Ala. (Channel – 31)
WWMB – Florence, S.C. (Channel – 21)
WPDE – Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Channel 15)
Delayed TV Coverage (Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m.):
JCTV – Santa Anna, Calif. (Channel – National)
Replay TV Coverage (Oct. 18, 1 p.m.):
MASN – Baltimore (Channel – National)
DirecTV (Channel 640)
Dish Network (Channel 432)
Radio Coverage (Virginia/North Carolina Radio Network)
Flagship Station:
Flames Sports Network (Radio)
88.3 – Lynchburg, Roanoke, Danville, Va.
Additional Available Networks:
89.5 – Berryville, Va.
103.5 - Clifton Forge, Covington, Va.
95.3 – Culpeper, Va.
89.5 – Winchester, Va.
95.9 – Gainesville, Va.
89.7 - Aquia Harbor, Woodbridge, Dale City, Va.
101.9 – Wytheville, Va.
101.5 – Harrisonburg, Va.
106.5 – Pulaski, Radford, Dublin, Va.
103.7 - South Boston, Va.
96.7 – Charlottesville, Va.
100.3 – Waynesboro, Va.
106.9 – Midlothian, Va.
107.5 - South Hill, Va.
105.1 – Marion, Va.
105.5 - Durham, N.C.
102.5 - Winston - Salem, N.C.
103.7 - Roxboro, N.C.
95.1 - Burlington - Graham, N.C.
98.5 - Creedmoor, N.C.
Today's Game
Winners of the last five Big South titles will clash when Liberty and Coastal Carolina take to the turf at Williams Stadium on Saturday. The Chanticleers won the title from 2004 to 2006, while Liberty enters the contest as the two-time defending Big South Conference champions.
Big South Openers
Liberty has won its last two Big South openers, having knocked off Charleston Southern, 50-10, in 2007 and Stony Brook, 33-0, in 2008. Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames are 2-1 in Big South openers, while the program is 4-3 all-time in Big South openers since beginning league action in 2002. Saturday will mark the first time the Flames have opened Big South play against Coastal Carolina.
Home Sweet Home
On Sept. 12, the Flames welcomed North Carolina Central to Williams Stadium, a facility Liberty has called home for the past 20 seasons. The on-campus facility was opened on Oct. 21, 1989, when the Flames rallied for a 37-19 victory over Towson State. Liberty has since won 65.4 percent of its games in the stadium, having posted a 74-39 record at the on-campus facility. In 2007, the Flames went undefeated at home for the second time in program history, posting a school-record 6-0 mark, en route to their Big South title run.
Sensational "Sellouts"
More than an inch of rain might have fallen on Sept. 26, at Williams Stadium, but the steady downpour never dampen the spirits of the crowd on Liberty Mountain. Against No. 6/7 James Madison, Liberty had 15,532 fans fill the stadium, marking the third-largest crowd in program and Big South history. Since head coach Danny Rocco arrived at Liberty, the Flames have filled Williams Stadium beyond capacity 16 out of 22 games. Liberty has posted a 18-4 record during those contests, averaging 13,170 fans per home game.
Noting the Attendance Numbers
Entering today's game with Coastal Carolina, Liberty continues to remain among the nation's leaders in home attendance. The Flames rank No. 2 in filling stadium capacity, having filled Williams Stadium at 127.25 percent during its first three home games in 2009. The Flames also rank No. 9 in total home attendance (45,811) and No. 12 in average home attendance (15,270).
Top 10 Performances
A Liberty Flames football ticket has been a hot commodity in 2009, leading to some of the largest crowds in all of FCS nation this year. The attendance figures at all three of Liberty's home games ranked inside the Top 10 for that specific weekend in terms of highest attended home FCS game. The attendance figures for the North Carolina Central and West Virginia Wesleyan games ranked as the eighth-largest attended game their weekend, while the Flames match-up with James Madison was the ninth-highest attended game during the weekend of Sept. 26.
Record-Setting Crowd
The Flames played their home opener before a Williams Stadium and Big South Conference home record 16,112 fans on Sept. 12. The largest home attendance figure in program history bested the previous high of 15,631 fans during Liberty's Homecoming game against William & Mary on Oct. 18, 2006.
JCTV Jolts Television Coverage
On Sept. 18, Liberty Athletics announced a new television partnership with JCTV, a division of the Trinity Broadcasting Network. The deal expanded the Flames Sports Network's (FSN) television coverage by more than 450 television stations around the country on various cable and television providers. JCTV will be carrying Liberty's first five home games on its network, showing Liberty's game on a tape-delayed basis.
Prior to the agreement with JCTV, FSN's television coverage was reaching roughly 40 million homes around the country. FSN's television partners also include networks and stations such as FamilyNet, MASN, WTLU, WRTV, WGGN, KCFT, WAAY, WBGR, WWMB and WPDE.
Even Stephen
The Flames have won the last two meetings in the series with the Chanticleers, evening up the overall series, 3-3, which began when Coastal Carolina started its football program in 2003. Liberty holds a 2-1 edge over Coastal Carolina at Williams Stadium, including a 37-24 victory over the visiting Chanticleers on Nov. 3, 2007, during their last visit to Liberty Mountain.
Defending Their Own House
Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames have won 18 out of 22 home games, meaning Liberty has won over 80 percent of its home contests under the skipper, who is in his fourth year at the helm of the program. Liberty was 4-2 under Rocco at home in 2006, a perfect 6-0 in 2007, 5-1 under Rocco in 2008 and 2-1 on Liberty Mountain in 2009.
Conference Consistency
Liberty enters today's Big South match-up with Coastal Carolina, having won its last 11 Big South Conference games. The near dozen consecutive victories is the longest such streak in Big South history, besting Coastal Carolina's eight-straight wins over the course of the 2003, 2004 and 2005 seasons.
Fourth and Climbing
Liberty's current 11-game Big South winning streak currently ranks as the longest in Big South history and the fourth longest active conference winning streak in NCAA FCS football. The only teams in the country to claim longer conference winning streaks are Albany (16 games/Northeast), Appalachian State (14 games/Southern) and South Carolina State (13 games/MEAC).
The Last to Do So
Following back-to-back unbeaten seasons in Big South play, the Flames enter today's match-up with Coastal Carolina having reeled off 11-straight conference victories. The last team to down the Flames was the Chanticleers, when No. 22 Coastal Carolina held on for a 28-26 victory over Liberty in Conway, S.C., on Oct. 28, 2006.
Just to be Exact
Head coach Danny Rocco enters today's match-up with Coastal Carolina having posted an 11-2 record against Big South teams since taking over the program in 2006. Coastal Carolina (28-26) and Gardner-Webb (27-24) are the only two teams to defeat a Danny Rocco-led program, doing so by a combined five points during the skipper's first two Big South contests.
Homecoming Happiness
Today's match-up with Coastal Carolina marks the conclusion of Liberty's annual Homecoming Weekend. The Flames have posted a near 70 percent winning percentage during the annual festive weekend, as Liberty has was 24 of 35 Homecoming football games. The Flames have had an offensive explosion during their last two Homecoming games, knocking off Presbyterian, 48-14, in 2007 and Charleston Southern, 42-0, during last year's Homecoming battle.
Winning in Style
Two of Liberty's three wins this year have been by sizable margins, as Liberty defeated North Carolina Central by 25 points (35-10) and West Virginia Wesleyan by 38 points (45-7). The victories gave Liberty 12 wins under head coach Danny Rocco, where the Flames have won by 25 or more points, meaning 44.4 percent of Rocco's victories have been by the quarter century margin or larger.
Rocco Is Better Against the Best
Despite a 13-point loss to West Virginia on Sept. 5, the Flames are still showing marked improvement under head coach Danny Rocco against the nation's elite programs. Since taking over the program, Liberty has dropped its three games against FBS programs by a combined 34 points (Wake Forest/34-14, Toledo/35-34, West Virginia/33-20). Prior to Rocco's arrival on Liberty Mountain, Liberty lost its last FBS contest by 59 points, in a 59-0 shutout against Connecticut on Sept. 10, 2005.
Back Against the Best
The Flames 2008 schedule snapped a near-decade run against the nation's top level of collegiate football, as Liberty had faced a FBS opponent in nine-straight seasons in a row. Prior to 2008, the last time Liberty did not have a FBS opponent on its slate was in 1998.
During the nine-year run, Liberty faced programs such as South Florida, Marshall, UCF, Akron, Toledo, Bowling Green, Kent State, Connecticut and Wake Forest. Liberty has posted a victory over FBS opponent before, as the Flames shocked Eastern Michigan, 25-24, in Ypsilanti, Mich., on Oct. 14, 1989, for Liberty's only victory over a FBS program.
The Flames are slated to continue their run against FBS foes in years to come, as Liberty has Ball State (2010), N.C. State (2011), Wake Forest (2012), Kent State (2013), Virginia (2014) and Virginia Tech (2015) currently on future schedules.
Saturday Night Lights
Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames are 13-4 in night games. Since 1976, Liberty has compiled a 55-66-3 record in night games.
In Broad Daylight
Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames are 14-8 in games played during the day. Since 1976, Liberty is 116-115-1 in day games.
Natural Versus Artificial Surfaces
Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames are 22-9 on artificial turf and 6-3 on natural grass. Overall, Liberty is 97-108-4 on natural grass and 81-77 on artificial turf. The Flames play their home games at Williams Stadium, which has an artificial surface, as new state-of-the-art FieldTurf was installed prior to the start of the 2006 season. Liberty has posted a 18-4 record at home since the new type of surface was installed.
Overtime Update
The Flames enter today's game having posted a 3-5 record in overtime games. Liberty's last overtime game came on Sept. 15, 2007, when the Flames dropped a 48-41 decision to William & Mary in double overtime in Williamsburg, Va.
Liberty has only played two of its eight overtime games away from Williams Stadium. Liberty's first extra-period game was a 34-28 road loss to Morgan State on Sept. 21, 1996. Liberty's last victory in an overtime contest came on Nov. 22, 2003, when it closed out the 2003 campaign with a 49-42 win over Hofstra.
Raising Up No. 71
Prior to the start of the Flames' contest against Tusculum on Sept. 1, 2007, Liberty ceremonially honored founder Dr. Jerry Falwell, who had passed away the previous May, by starting a new game day tradition. Members of the University Police force raised a No. 71 flag underneath the Liberty Flames flag above the South end zone, just prior to the team taking the field, bringing the 14,925 fans in attendance to their feet. The new tradition has become a permanent part of the Flames' pregame ceremonies at all home football games. A different person/group receives the honor of raising the flag at each game.
Back in the Big South
Liberty is beginning its eighth season of competition in Big South Conference action, and is slated to open conference play against Coastal Carolina on Oct. 17. Since beginning league play in 2002, Liberty has posted an 18-10 Big South record, thanks to perfect championship seasons in 2007 (4-0) and 2008 (5-0), while posting back-to-back 3-1 records in 2003 and 2004.
Liberty series records against Big South schools since 2002
Charleston Southern 6-1
Coastal Carolina 3-3
Gardner-Webb 3-4
Stony Brook 1-0
VMI 5-1
Note: Elon was a member of the Big South in 2002, with Elon defeating Liberty.
One for the Record Books
Liberty's 2008 season will long be remembered as one of the greatest in program history, as Liberty reached the 10-win plateau for the first time since the program's inception in 1973. Prior to the 2008 season, Liberty had reached the nine-win mark just twice in nearly four decades of football action (1997/9-2 and 1979/9-1-1).
Rocco Draws National Attention
Head coach Danny Rocco's efforts in 2008 did not go unnoticed on the national scene, as the three-time Big South Coach of the Year recipient saw his name listed among the nation's elite in 2008. Besides picking up his third-straight conference coach of the year honor, Rocco was a Top 5 finalist in the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year contest in the I-AA category. Rocco also became the second coach in Big South history to be named to the Eddie Robinson Award list, as he was one of 20 coaches up for the top FCS coaching honor in the country.
Rocco Dominates the Big South
Since taking over the Flames program, head coach Danny Rocco has posted an 11-2 record against Big South opponents during his first three years at Liberty. The skipper dropped his first two Big South games by a combined five points, but has reeled off 11-straight wins to set a new Big South standard. Under Rocco, Liberty has outscored its Big South foes, 456-211, outscoring league competition by more than 18 points per game.
Righting the Ship Quickly
The Flames continued a trend on Sept. 12, when they quickly erased a loss to West Virginia the following week with a 25-point victory over North Carolina Central. Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames have only lost consecutive games four times. Liberty dropped four-straight games in 2006 and suffered back-to-back setbacks to William & Mary and Elon in 2007. The Flames only lost two games in 2008 and they were not in successive weeks.
Dukes Down Point Production
No. 6/7 James Madison held the Flames to just 10 points in the Dukes' 24-10 victory over Liberty, on Sept. 26, at Williams Stadium. The 10 points scored by the Flames ranks as the second lowest point total in a game under head coach Danny Rocco (fewest was three points in a 10-3 loss to Towson on Sept. 16, 2006). Liberty has failed to reach the 20 point mark in just five of Rocco's 38 games as a head coach on Liberty Mountain.
A Rocco Rebound
Liberty has only dropped 12 games under head coach Danny Rocco, and most of the time the Flames have quickly rebounded the following week with a resounding victory. Since taking over the program, Rocco has followed up losses with a victory eight times, outscoring their opponents 327-63 in those eight games. Three of those seven victories have been shutouts, as the Flames blanked Savannah State (28-0) and Western Carolina (21-0) in 2006 and Charleston Southern (42-0) in 2008.
Twice as Nice
Liberty's victory over VMI on Nov. 8, 2008, coupled with Gardner-Webb's loss to Coastal Carolina the same weekend, gave the Flames the Big South Conference title for the second straight season. Liberty is one of three programs in league history to win consecutive titles. Gardner-Webb hoisted back-to-back trophies in 2002 and 2003, while Coastal Carolina reeled off three straight championship seasons in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Third and Climbing
In just three seasons, head coach Danny Rocco has quickly moved into third place on the Flames' all-time coaching ranks with 27 victories. Ranking ahead of Rocco are Tom Dowling with 33 wins (33-38-2) and Sam Rutigliano, who is the winningest coach in program history (67-53).
Road Warriors
Liberty scored 16-unanswered points in the first half of the Sept. 12th game against Lafayette, en route to a 19-13 road victory over the Leopards. The victory gave the Flames a win in seven of their last nine road games. Liberty's only road losses over the last two seasons were to Presbyterian (31-28 in 2008) and West Virginia (33-20 in 2009).
Nearly Back Among the Best
For the second-straight week, the Flames found themselves just on the outside of the nation's Top 25 FCS polls, which were released on Monday. In the Sports Network poll, Liberty was the first team listed among "Others Receiving Votes", falling 87 votes behind No. 25 Holy Cross. Liberty was also the first team left out in the AnyGivenSaturday.com poll, while ranking seven spots behind No. 25 Eastern Illinois in the FCS Coaches Poll.
Flying High at Year's End
Liberty's 10-2 record in 2008 and second-straight Big South title enabled the Flames to finish the year ranked No. 14 in the Sports Network poll and No. 15 in the FCS Coaches poll. The Sports Network ranking was the highest end-of-the-year national listing in program history. In 2008, Liberty spent a program-record, 10-straight weeks inside the national Top 25 listings.
Offensive Obsession
Over the final nine games of 2008 and 11 out of the last 12 times the Flames took to the field, Liberty racked up 400 or more total offensive yards. Liberty finished the year ranked No. 9 nationally among FCS program by averaging 446.67 total offensive yards per game. Liberty set a new program standard by tallying 5,360 total offensive yards in 2008, besting the previous school record of 4,856 yards set in 1994. This year, Liberty has surpassed the 400-yard mark just once, doing it with 514 total offensive yards during its win over West Virginia Wesleyan on Oct. 3. Liberty currently ranks No. 52 nationally in total offense, averaging 343.80 yard per game.
A Decisive Number
The Flames' prolific offense in 2008 allowed Liberty to finish the season ranked No. 17 in the nation in scoring offense (33.67 points per game). The 30-point mark seems to be the key number for a Flames victory, as Liberty is 21-2 under head coach Danny Rocco when Liberty scores more than 30 points in a game. The Flames are 6-10 under Rocco when Liberty fails to reach the 30-point threshold.
Finding A Way with Fewer Points
Liberty finished the Lafayette game with 19 points on its side of the scoreboard, tying for the fewest points scored by the Flames in a victory under head coach Danny Rocco. Liberty captured a 19-16 victory over Western Carolina, last year, on Sept. 13 in Cullowhee, N.C.
Don't Forget About the "D"
Despite Liberty's gaudy offensive numbers over the past two-plus seasons, the Flames' defense has played a significant factor in the team's success, bringing a smile to head coach Danny Rocco's face, as he is a 20-plus year defensive coaching veteran. Since 2006, Liberty has held its opponents to an average of 18.6 points per game, bolstered by Rocco's first season when the Flames allowed a program-record low 172 points (15.6 points per game, which ranked No. 12 nationally in scoring defense).
Two Touchdown Favorites
Since taking over the program in 2006, head coach Danny Rocco's Flames have outscored their opponents by an average of 13.7 points per game. Liberty has scored 1,261 points (32.3 average points per game), while allowing 728 points (18.6 average points allowed per game).
Not Finding It Twice
Liberty held West Virginia Wesleyan to just a single touchdown during its last trip out onto the gridiron, marking the third time in five games the Flames have held an opponent under the two-touchdown mark in a game. Since Danny Rocco took over the program in 2006, Liberty has kept 15 out of 39 opponents from reaching the 14-point mark in a game.
Looking To Do Better After the Break
The Flames have won their last two games following a "bye week", having knocked off No. 23 Youngstown State, 31-28, in 2008 and Charleston Southern, 50-10, in 2007. Under head coach Danny Rocco, Liberty is 2-1 following a week off from action, while the program is 10-13 after a "bye week" since 1980.
Plentiful Points
During their last outing, Liberty rolled to a 45-7 victory over visiting West Virginia Wesleyan on Oct. 3. The 45 points is tied for the eighth most points scored by the Flames, as Liberty reached the mark in a 45-0 shutout over Gallaudet on Sept. 25, 1976.
Diversifying their Downs
For the second time this year, Liberty finished a game with a double-digit first down total in both rushing and passing plays. The Flames finished the Lafayette game with 22 first downs, including 10 first downs by rushing plays and 11 more first downs by taking to the airways. Liberty matched the total (10 rushing and 11 passing) during their victory over West Virginia Wesleyan on Oct. 3. Since 2006, Liberty has accomplished the feat seven times. Under Rocco, 51.4 percent of Liberty's first downs have come via rushing plays (386), 41.5 have come via the passing game (312) and 7.0 percent by penalties (53).
Moving Those Chains
One of the busiest crews on the field during a Liberty football game in 2008 was the "chain gang." Liberty finished the campaign ranked No. 3 nationally in third-down conversion rate, moving the chains 50.98 percent of the time on third-down plays. The high conversion rate allowed Liberty to set a new program record with 258 first downs last season.
Under head coach Danny Rocco, Liberty has converted on 45.5 percent of third-down plays (219-of-481). The Flames have not been quite as successful at moving the chains in 2009, as Liberty ranks No. 62 nationally in third-down percentage (36.7 percent/22-of-60). The Flames best showing on third-down plays came against Lafayette, when Liberty converted on 9-of-17 third-down plays.
A Nice Number
The Flames finished the West Virginia Wesleyan game with a season-low one third-down conversion on Oct. 3. However, the true number of note can be found in the fact that Liberty only found itself in six total third-down plays during the game. The six third-down plays mark the fewest in four seasons under head coach Danny Rocco.
Offensive Outburst
The Flames are coming off their highest total offensive output of the season, when Liberty rolled to a 45-7 victory over West Virginia Wesleyan on Oct. 3. Liberty posted the 38-point victory thanks to 514 total offensive yards, which marked the fifth time under head coach Danny Rocco that Flames have surpassed the 500 total offensive yard mark in a game.
Fourth-Down Frenzy
Liberty has found much success on fourth-down plays in 2009, converting on 5-of-6 fourth-down plays which ranks No. 4 nationally in fourth-down conversion rate. All five successful fourth-down conversions have eventually led to Liberty adding points to the scoreboard, including the West Virginia Wesleyan game, when Mike Brown scored on a fourth-and-goal play from the two-yard line during the third quarter.
Racking it Up for Rocco
Head coach Danny Rocco has brought a high-powered offense to Liberty, as the Flames have scored an average of 32.3 points per game since Rocco took over the program. The figure ranks more than five points per game ahead of the next highest scoring coach in program annals, as Sam Rutigliano's crew was able to score 26.7 points per game during his 11-year tenure.
Coach Avg. Points/Games
Danny Rocco 32.3 1,261/39
Sam Rutigliano 26.7 3,205/120
Rock Royer 24.2 145/6
Tom Dowling 20.9 1,524/73
Morgan Hout 20.8 1,040/50
Ken Karcher 20.6 1,382/67
John Cartwright 20.2 565/28
Halftime Help Uncommon
No. 6/7 James Madison held a 10-7 lead over Liberty, on Sept. 26, heading into the locker room, marking the third time the Flames have trailed at halftime in 2009. Prior to the 2009 season, the Flames had only trailed at halftime six times under head coach Danny Rocco. Under Rocco, Liberty has led in 29 games (74.4 percent), while the score has been tied four times (10.3 percent). Liberty did rally to beat North Carolina Central on Sept. 12, marking the second time in eight games that Liberty overcame a halftime deficit to win under Rocco.
Getting Back to Their Basics
The Flames rushed for a season-high 264 yards on 33 carries against West Virginia Wesleyan, averaging 8.0 yard per rushing attempt on Oct. 3. The figure marked the 17th time the Flames have rushed for 200 or more yards in a game under head coach Danny Rocco (out of 39 games).
Rushing to the Top
The Flames scored all six of their touchdowns against West Virginia Wesleyan via the ground attack, giving Liberty 13 rushing touchdowns through the first five games of 2009. With the "baker's dozen" rushing touchdowns, Liberty currently ranks tied for No. 11 nationally in total team rushing touchdowns. Liberty has now rushed for four or more touchdowns 11 times in a game since head coach Danny Rocco look over the program in 2006.
Third and Final Phase
Since the opening of training camp in August, head coach Danny Rocco has talked about dividing the 2009 season up into three distinct phases. The first phase was the Flames season-opener against West Virginia, followed by the remaining non-conference slate, which was phase two. The third and final phase is Liberty's Big South schedule, which makes up the final six games of the team's regular-season schedule.
Dukes Down Run Game
James Madison held the Flames to just 96 team rushing yards on Sept. 26 at Williams Stadium, marking the second time this season the Flames have failed to reach the 100-yard mark in a game. Prior to 2009, Liberty has rushed for 100 or more yards in 31 out of 34 games under head coach Danny Rocco.
Running with the Flames
The Flames have been one of the nation's top FCS programs over the past seven seasons, as Liberty has ranked among the Top 30 rushing teams in the nation six out of the last seven years. During the time span, the Flames have surpassed the 2,000-yard mark six out of seven years and have averaged 2,167 rushing yards per season. In 2008, Liberty rushed for 2,562 yards and ranked No. 13 nationally in rushing yards per game (213.5).
Nearing the Century Mark
Liberty's six rushing touchdowns against West Virginia Wesleyan on Oct. 3 helped the Flames near a milestone under head coach Danny Rocco. The Flames have now rushed for 97 touchdowns since the three-time Big South Coach of the year took over the program in 2006 (2.49 rushing touchdowns per game).
Still Streaking
Danny Broggin became the newest Flame to record a rushing touchdown during Liberty's last outing against West Virginia Wesleyan, as the running back was one four players to help Liberty score via the ground game on Oct. 3. The scoring run kept a streak alive for Liberty, as the Flames have scored a rushing touchdown in 34-straight games and in 37 out of 39 games under head coach Danny Rocco.
Stopping the Run
Liberty was one of the nation's top FCS programs in terms of rushing defense in 2008, finishing the year ranked No. 35 nationally in the statistical category by allowing 125.92 rushing yards per game. The figure was good enough to best a school record, bettering the 2002 squad, who held opponents to 128.5 rushing yards per game.
Twice this year, the Flames have held an opponent from reaching 100 team rushing yards, doing so against North Carolina Central (43 yards) and Lafayette (70 yards). Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames have held an opponent under the 100-yard rushing mark in 18 out of 39 games.
Dukes Dominate the Ground Game
James Madison did something very few teams have done when facing a Danny Rocco coached Liberty program. The No. 6/7 Dukes rushed for 301 yards on 50 carries, averaging 6.0 yards per rushing attempt. Only one other teams has accomplished the feat, as VMI did so in 2006 (324 yards) and in 2008 (372 yards). James Madison's 6.0 average rushing yards per carry is the highest by an opposing team during the last four seasons.
Offensive Anomaly
Liberty's high power offense was corralled by No. 6/7 James Madison on Sept. 26, when the Dukes held the Flames to 217 total offensive yards. The figure was the teams second lowest in a game under head coach Danny Rocco and marked just the fourth time the Flames have failed to reach 300 total offensive yards under the skipper. Since taking over the program in 2006, Liberty has averaged 395.0 total offensive yards per game under Rocco.
Much Fewer Flags
After opening the year with nine penalties for 80 total penalty yards against West Virginia, Liberty has dramatically trimmed back its penalty total, as the Flames have been flagged for just 10 infractions for 90 total penalty yards over the last four games. Liberty currently ranks No. 4 nationally in fewest penalties per game (3.80) and No. 5 in fewest average penalty yards per game (34.00).
Taking Better Care of the Ball
During the 2008 season, Liberty finished nine out of 12 games with a positive turnover margin, enabling the Flames to finish the year ranked No. 21 nationally in the statistical category (+0.67). Head coach Danny Rocco has tried to instill the importance of taking care of the ball on his youngsters, as Liberty ranked No. 7 in turnover margin in 2007 (+1.27 per game) and No. 20 in 2006 (+0.55 per game).
Winning the Turnover Battle
West Virginia is one of eight teams to finish a game coached by Danny Rocco with fewer turnovers than the Flames. Liberty turned the ball over once on an interception, while West Virginia never coughed the ball up. Since 2006, Liberty has a +33 turnover figure as compared to its opponents, as Liberty has committed 43 turnovers, while forcing 76 giveaways (+0.86 turnover margin).
Against Lafayette on Sept. 19, the Flames finished the game without giving the ball away, marking the 13th time in 39 games Liberty has finished a Danny Rocco-coached game without a turnover. Liberty currently ranks No. 25 nationally in turnover margin (+0.80).
Fewer Fumbles in 2009
The West Virginia Wesleyan game marked the fourth time this season, the Flames have finished a game without giving a fumble away. Liberty has fumbled the ball seven times in 2009 and have given it away just once, which has the Flames tied for No. 3 nationally in fewest fumbles lost.
Bearing down Back-to-Back Times
Liberty finished the Lafayette game by holding the Leopards to 286 total offensive yards, marking the second-straight time Liberty's defense has held an opponent under the 300 total offensive yard mark. On Sept. 12, Liberty's defensive unit gave head coach Danny Rocco his fourth fewest total offensive yards allowed, when the Flames surrendered 213 total offensive yards against North Carolina Central. Since 2006, Liberty has held 16 opponents under 300 total offensive yards (out of 39 games).
Time of Possession Talk
West Virginia Wesleyan finished the Oct. 3 game with a 11:36 time of possession advantage (35:48 to 24:12), marking the eighth time under head coach Danny Rocco's reign that an opponent has finished a game with a 10-minute time of possession edge. Opponents have won the battle for the clock in three out of five games in 2009, which leaves the Flames ranked No. 88 in the statistical category (28:33 in average time of possession).
Picking Them Off One at a Time
For the fourth game in a row, the Flames finished a contest with an interception, as Liberty picked off a pass against West Virginia Wesleyan during its last outing on Oct. 3. Liberty currently ranks No. 40 nationally with six total interceptions in 2009. Since head coach Danny Rocco took over the program, Liberty has intercepted 44 passes in 39 games, resulting in 432 interception return yards, and had two or more interceptions 14 times.
Closing the Year with a New Standard
Liberty finished the last four games of 2008 without throwing an interception, tying a program record. The Flames were one of the most careful passing teams in the country in 2008, ranking No. 7 nationally in passing efficiency (158.81). Under head coach Danny Rocco, Liberty's quarterbacks have thrown just 22 interceptions in 39 games (0.56 per game). Liberty has thrown four interceptions in 2009, which has the Flames ranked No. 34 nationally in fewest interceptions.
Streeter Streamlines the Passers
Under quarterback coach and now offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter, Liberty has been one of the most effective passing units in the country of late. Since joining head coach Danny Rocco's staff, Streeter has seen his quarterbacks throw at a 62.6 completion percentage clip, completing 569-of-909 passing attempts for 7,499 yards and 48 touchdowns. During the span, Liberty averaged 192.3 passing yards per game and had a pass efficiency rating of 147.44 since 2006.
Big Shoes to Fill
The quarterbacking tandem of Tommy Beecher and Mike Brown have been tasked with the lofty goal of trying to replace one of Liberty's best quarterbacks. Brock Smith, who is a student assistant on this year's staff, finished his days in a Liberty uniform by ranking third in passing yards (7,036) and second in passing touchdowns (50) and completion percentage (60.0) in program history. The left-handed hurler also finished his career as the program's all-time leader in passing efficiency (148.1), nearly 16 points higher than Robby Justino's mark of 132.6.
A QB's Best Friend
Liberty has allowed five sacks in five games in 2009, as West Virginia got to Liberty's quarterback three times, while James Madison finished with two sacks. The Flames offensive line kept Liberty's hurlers from being sacked against North Carolina Central, Lafayette and West Virginia Wesleyan, which has the Flames ranked No. 15 nationally in sacks allowed.
Liberty, who finished the 2008 season ranked No. 3 in sacks allowed, has allowed less than a sack per game (0.82/32 in 39 games) since head coach Danny Rocco took over the program in 2006 and has finished 17 games during that span without allowing a sack.
Targeting Their Leader
The Flames continually pestered North Carolina Central quarterback Michael Johnson, getting to the hurler and sacking him four times for a loss of 30 total yards on Sept. 12. The four sacks marked the fifth time under head coach Danny Rocco the Flames have finished a game with four or more sacks (four times with four sacks and once with five sacks). Liberty has recorded at least one sack in the past four games. Under Rocco, the Flames have averaged 1.90 sacks per game (74 total) for an average loss of 14.7 yards per game (572 total yards lost on sacks).
Leaving Lofty Numbers
Rashad Jennings posted numbers in 2008 which many never be broken at Liberty, as the now NFL running back rushed his way into the record books in 2008. During his senior campaign, the bruising tailback rushed for a program and Big South record 1,500 yards and 17 touchdowns. In just three seasons with the program, he rushed for 3,633 yards and 42 touchdowns, with his touchdown total setting a new program mark. All in all, he rushed for 100 or more yards in 21 out of 33 games with the Flames.
Joining the Nation's Elite
Last April, running back Rashad Jennings heard something no Liberty Flames had heard in 20 years, as the running back was selected in the NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round. Prior to Jennings' selection, the last Flame to be picked in the NFL draft came in 1990 when Eric Green was taken in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers (21st overall pick), followed by Donald Smith going to the Minnesota Vikings in the 10th round later in the same draft.
Playing at the Top Level
During the first weekend of September, two of Liberty's former standouts made the cut at the highest level of competition, as Rashad Jennings and Sam Gado received word they were on a 53-man NFL roster. Jennings, who was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars last April, was one of eight draftees by the Jaguars to make their squad. Gado made the cut on the St. Louis Rams' roster, marking the 2005 Liberty graduate's fifth different stint on a NFL roster.
Red Zone Rapport
Liberty currently ranks among the Top 40 teams in the nation in Red Zone Offense, scoring on an average of 83.3 percent of their trips inside the opponent's red zone. Of Liberty's 18 trips inside its opponents' 20-yard line, Liberty has scored 12 touchdowns and kicked three field goals. Since 2006, Liberty has added points to the scoreboard 81.9 percent of the time under head coach Danny Rocco (140-of-171 Red Zone opportunities) when penetrating the opponents' 20-yard line.
Tough Inside the 20
Liberty currently ranks as one of the nation's best red zone defenses, as the Flames have allowed opponents to score just 66.7 percent of the time (12-of-18). The figure puts the Flames No. 14 nationally in red zone defense. Of those 12 scoring drives, five have failed to find the end zone, as opponents had to settle for a field goal.
The Ideal Job
If you are looking for the "cushy" job on the Flames roster in 2009, you need not look any further than Flames punter Mike Larsson. The sophomore has been called upon to punt 20 times over the course of the first five games, making Liberty the team with the 14th fewest team punts in the nation. Last year, Liberty did even better in the statistical category, as the Flames finished the year with the fourth fewest punts in all of FCS football.
Fresh New Faces
Liberty has one of its younger teams since head coach Danny Rocco took over the program in 2006. Of the various players listed on the Flames' current depth chart leading into the West Virginia Wesleyan game, eight are true freshmen and 37 have underclassmen status.
New to the Starting Line-Up
Liberty graduated 24 seniors last year, leaving several holes for head coach Danny Rocco to fill in his 2009 line-up. Of the 22 players who took to the field for the first offensive and defensive snap of the Flames' matchup with West Virginia on Sept. 5, seven were listed as starters on Liberty's line-up in their opener against North Greenville in 2008 (LG – Bryan Mosier, RT – Josh Weaver, FB – Derek Bishop, DE – Trey Jacobs, SLB – Ian Childress, JLB – Chad Brown, LS – Chris Rocco).
The Largest Crowd Ever
Liberty played its first game of the 2009 season in front of a near sellout in Milan Puskar Stadium up in Morgantown, W.Va., (60,000 capacity), as the contest's official attendance was listed at 57,950. The figure marked the largest crowd a Liberty football team has played in front of, besting the previous record of 40,000 fans for Liberty's match-up with Connecticut in 2005.
Needing to Replenish the Points
Head coach Danny Rocoo is looking for several younger players to step up in 2009 and try to fill holes left open by 24 graduated seniors from last season. All in all, five of the Flames' top scorers from last year graduated and a total of 66.8 percent of the offensive production from last year's squad will not be on the field this season. Liberty's top two returning scorers are a pair of kickers, Matt Bevins (56 points) and Ben Shipps (33), followed by Mike Brown, who scored 18 points during his first year on the field.
The Killer B's
Mike Brown and Matt Bevins have turned out to be the Flames' top scoring threats in 2009, as the "B" brothers are responsible for 52.7 percent of Liberty's offense (68 of 129 points). Brown leads the Flames with six touchdowns to account for 36 points, while Bevins has booted his way to 32 points, thanks to six field goals and 14 extra points.
The Ground Game Is Good
The Flames have scored 13 of their 16 touchdowns in 2009 via the ground, adding single rushing touchdowns against West Virginia and Lafayette, four touchdowns against North Carolina Central and a season-high six rushing touchdowns against West Virginia Wesleyan.
Special Special Teams
Liberty's special teams certainly played a part in the success of the team against West Virginia on Sept. 5, as the Flames continually pressed toward Mountaineer territory by averaging 23.0 yards per kickoff return. Great special teams play from the Flames is certainly nothing strange on Liberty Mountain, as the Flames finished 2008 ranked No. 12 nationally in punt returns (14.61 average yards per return) and No. 21 in kickoff returns (22.05 average yards per return). Liberty's specialists also tallied three returns for a score last season, retuning one kickoff and two punt returns for touchdowns.
Keeping Them Out of the Backfield
During the 2008 season, the Flames kept their opponents from recording three or more tackles for a loss in eight out of 12 games. Liberty finished the season ranked No. 4 nationally in fewest tackles for a loss allowed, as the Flames allowed just 3.58 TFLs per game en route to a 10-2 season. Liberty is having similar success in 2009, as the Flames have allowed 21 tackles for a loss in five games, which places the Flames No. 13 nationally in the defensive statistical category (4.40 per game).
Larsson Honored by Big South
Following a career night against No. 6/7 James Madison, Mike Larsson was named the Big South Special Teams Player of the Week, this past Monday. The sophomore tallied career high numbers in the contest, including punts (5), total punting yards (207), average yards per punt (41.7), longest punt (50) and punts inside the opponents 20-yard line (3).
The honor marked the second time Larsson has been named Big South Special Teams Player of the Week during his time at Liberty. The sophomore took home his first weekly honor after a stellar performance against Western Carolina, last season.
Linebacker Loom Large
The inside linebacking tandem of Doncel Bolt and Chad Brown both tallied double-digit tackles for the first time in their careers against No. 6/7 James Madison, on Sept. 26. Bolt led all defenders in the game with a game-best 13 tackles, while Brown followed with 11 stops. Both linebackers finished the game with a tackle for a loss and had on one of the team's two sacks on the evening.
Brown Listed Among the Best
With his 157 receiving yards against West Virginia on Sept. 5, Mike Brown became the 44th player in program history to eclipse the 100-receiving yard mark in a game. His 157 receiving yards is the 18th best single-game performance in program history and the seventh best in the past 10 years.
Summers Shines at Lafayette
Chris Summers had a breakout performance against Lafayette, one that left his mark on the record books. The sophomore, who came into the game with five career receptions for 58 yards, caught 14 passes for 138 yards and his first collegiate touchdown versus the Leopards. The 14 receptions is tied for the Big South record for receptions in a game (along with 14 by Duvaughn Flagler against Wofford) while the figure ranks just behind Liberty's all-time record of 15 receptions by Josh Stofle against South Florida in 2001.
Coming Fast and Furious
Coming into the season, head coach Danny Rocco had not seen one of his players finish a game with double-figure receptions. Wynton Jackson was the last Flame to accomplish the feat with 12 catches for 100 yards against Youngstown State on Sept. 17, 2005.
Now, the double-digit games are coming in bunches. Mike Brown accomplished the feat with 11 receptions for 157 yards against West Virginia, while Chris Summers hauled in 14 receptions for 138 yards against Lafayette last weekend.
A Purpose-Driven Player
Mike Brown was the largest ground gainer for either team on Sept. 5, as the sophomore finished the West Virginia game with 271 all-purpose yards (157 receiving, nine rushing and 107 kickoff return yards). The lofty figure is tied for the fifth-highest, single-game, all-purpose yardage total in program history, as Brown now shares the mark with Johnny Shepherd, who first hit the figure against Gardner-Webb on Sept. 30, 1978.
Moving over the Millennium Mark
Mike Brown finished the James Madison game with a team-high 108 all-purpose yards, aided by 56 rushing yards and 52 return yards. The 100-yard game pushed the sophomore over the 1,000-yard career mark, and Brown comes into the Coastal Carolina game with 1,180 career all-purpose yards.
Welcome to the Club
B.J. Hayes joined an exclusive club on Sept. 12, when he rushed for 129 yards on 11 carries. The stellar effort in Liberty's home opener allowed the sophomore to become the 30th player in program history to rush for 100 or more yards in a single game.
Big Time Gain for B.J.
During the fourth quarter of Liberty's home-opening victory over North Carolina Central, B.J. Hayes broke free for a 74-yard touchdown run to help swing the momentum in the favor of the Flames. The lengthy run was the sixth longest rushing touchdown in program history and is tied for the 10th longest rushing play in Big South history.
All Right Allen
Aldreakis Allen had a breakout game against West Virginia Wesleyan, as the freshman rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns to help his team to a 38-point victory. The rookie became the second Flame this season and the 31st in program history to eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark, while averaging 11.2 yards per carry.
Broggins' Big Run
Danny Broggin was one of four players to record a rushing touchdown for the Flames on Oct. 3, helping Liberty to a 45-7 victory over West Virginia Wesleyan. The 13-yard scoring run was the third longest rushing play of his career and marked the junior's first career trip across the goal line. The Brookneal, Va., native finished the game with four rushing attempts for 38, nearly giving Liberty four runners with a 10.0-plus yard average run in the contest.
Mike Makes It Happen
Mike Brown started his second game of the year at one of Liberty's wide receiver positions against North Carolina Central, on Sept. 12. However, the sophomore was called upon to take over for quarterback Tommy Beecher in the second quarter and finished the game by completing 10-of-12 passing attempts for 71 yards. Prior to the game, Brown had completed just 2-of-4 career passing attempts for 25 yards.
No Sophomore Slump Here
Proving his outing against North Carolina Central was no fluke, Mike Brown had a banner day in his first start under center for the Flames. Against Lafayette, the sophomore completed 29-of-36 pass attempts for 242 yards and his second career touchdown pass.
The 29 completions are tied for the sixth most in the program's single-game history and rank No. 10 on the Big South's single-game list. Brown's 80.6 completion percentage is now the No. 6 mark in Big South history.
Nearly Perfect Passing
In his first career start at quarterback, Mike Brown nearly went to the locker room with a perfect completion percentage. The sophomore completed his first 10 passing attempts for the game and did not miss until an incorrectly run route by Ervin Garner forced the Flames to punt the ball away.
Noting the National Attention
Following a performance the sophomore will not quickly forget, Mike Brown not only garnered attention from the Big South Conference, but the versatile athlete was a two-time national honoree on Sept. 21. He was one of four players named to the College Sporting News All-Star list, while being named the Sports Network's national Offensive Player of the Week. Brown finished the Lafayette game with a career-best 330 total offensive yards and played a part in 56 of the team's 73 offensive plays (20 rushing attempts and 36 passing attempts).
Top Offensive Options
Nearly seven out of every 10 plays the Flames have run in 2009 have involved either Mike Brown or Tommy Beecher. Brown leads the team with 94 total offensive plays (549 yards), followed by Beecher's 96 offensive plays (581 yards). The quarterbacking tandem has touched the football 64.0 percent of the time this season, resulting in 65.7 percent of the team's total offensive yards.
First Time Fun for All
Mike Brown and Dominique Jones had career firsts on the same play, when the quarterback found his tight end open for a one-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter to give Liberty the lead for good against North Carolina Central on Sept. 12. The scoring play was the first passing touchdown of Brown's career and the first receiving touchdown of Jones' days on the gridiron. The six points scored on the touchdown equaled the point total the former men's basketball player tallied during his two-year career with the men's basketball program (six points in 18 career games).
Tough Tandem to Replace
Last year, Liberty had two of its better wide receivers in program history playing together. Dominic Bolden finished the year by tallying 1,056 receiving yards (second highest in program history), while Jonathan Crawford ended the year with 713 receiving yards. The tandem's combined 1,769 receiving yards was the second-highest pair in program history, ranking just behind Fred Banks (1,029) and Kelvin Edwards (763) combined yardage of 1,792 yards by the pair of eventual NFL wide receivers.
Matt Missed the Mark
Matt Bevins missed a 24-yard field goal at the 10:43 mark of the first half, as his attempt hit the right upright and kept the Flames from denting the scoreboard on their first drive against North Carolina Central on Sept. 12. The missed kick snapped a successful field goal streak for the sophomore, as Bevins had knocked down seven-straight field goal attempts dating back to last year. During his career at Liberty, Bevins has successfully hit 18-of-24 field goal attempts (75.0 percent).
Pin-Point Accuracy
Mike Larsson might not have had his best outing in terms of punt average against West Virginia Wesleyan on Oct. 3, but the sophomore was able to successfully place two out of his three punts inside the Bobcats' 20-yard line. On the season, Larsson has managed to place half of his punt attempts inside the opposing 20-yard line (10 out of 20). He currently ranks fourth in the Big South by averaging 36.3 yards per punt attempt.
A Consistent Captain
For the second-straight week, outside linebacker Wes Cheek finished a game with eight tackles, as he had two solo and six assisted stops against North Carolina Central, on Sept 12. Over the past two weekend, Cheek has finished a game with seven stops. Cheek, who converted to linebacker from running back two years ago, is the Flames' leading tackler with 30 stops on the season and enters the Coastal Carolina game needing six more tackles to reach the century mark for his career.
Loving Those Linemen
Liberty's stout defensive line played a big part in the Flames picking up their first victory of the year against North Carolina Central on Sept. 12. Asa Chapman, the Flames' starting nose guard, recorded a career-best seven assisted tackles against the Eagles after coming into the game with 11 career tackles in 12 career appearances. Chapman's fellow lineman Daryl Robertson followed with a career outing of his own, finishing the game with 1.5 tackles for a loss (eight yards), a sack (seven yards) and two quarterback hurries.
Backfield Buddies
Chris Rocco finished the Lafayette game with two of Liberty's four pass breakups on the evening. The pair of disturbances gives the senior 10 pass breakups on his career. Rocco and his backfield teammate Tim Torrence are the Flames' leading active career tacklers, as Torrence comes into the West Virginia Welseyan game with 128 stops, just ahead of Rocco's 126 career tackles. Torrence ranks three career breakups behind Rocco (seven).
Rocco Reaches New Mark
Chris Rocco reached a career milestone against West Virginia Wesleyan, as the senior started his 20th career game and his 17-straight contest. The defensive back leads a youthful Liberty squad with 20 career starts. At the end of the 2008 season, Liberty had 10 players on its roster with 20 or more career starts.
Big Time Block
Senior Trey Jacobs snuck around several offensive linemen to get his hands on the football against Lafayette, blocking an attempted 23-yard field goal by the Leopards (their only field goal attempt of the game). The batted down ball gave the senior five career blocked kicks, leaving him two shy of the program record of seven held by Donald Smith, who played for the Flames from 1986-89 before being drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 10th round of the 1990 NFL Draft.
Honoring the Best of the Best
Last April, The Liberty University Athletics Department announced that it would be starting its inaugural Hall of Fame to honor its top student-athletes, coaches and administrators.
On Sept. 26, the inaugural class was honored during special presentations during the first and third quarters of Liberty's game against James Madison.
The seven-member class includes Dr. Jerry Falwell (founder), Arthur L. Williams (athletics financial supporter), Sid Bream (baseball), Kelvin Edwards (football), Karl Hess (men's basketball), Elena (Kisseleva) Bengds (women's basketball) and Bob Bonheim (wrestling and football coach).
The inductees were honored, last night, at the Athletics Hall of Fame banquet, held at Lynchburg's Holiday Inn Select. More than 100 people filled the banquet hall, celebrating the accomplishments of some of Liberty's most revered athletics pioneers.
Coastal Carolina at Liberty
Lynchburg, Va.
Oct. 17, 2009
Williams Stadium (12,000)
Kickoff: 3:35 p.m. (EST)
Television Coverage
Live TV Coverage:
FamilyNet – Atlanta, Ga. (Channel – National)
MASN – Baltimore (Channel – National)
WTLU – Lynchburg, Va. (Channel – 50)
WRTV – Lynchburg, Va. (Channel – 13.2)
WGGN – Sandusky, Ohio (Channel – 52)
KCFT – Anchorage, Alaska (Channel – 35)
WAAY – Huntsville, Ala. (Channel – 31)
WWMB – Florence, S.C. (Channel – 21)
WPDE – Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Channel 15)
Delayed TV Coverage (Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m.):
JCTV – Santa Anna, Calif. (Channel – National)
Replay TV Coverage (Oct. 18, 1 p.m.):
MASN – Baltimore (Channel – National)
DirecTV (Channel 640)
Dish Network (Channel 432)
Radio Coverage (Virginia/North Carolina Radio Network)
Flagship Station:
Flames Sports Network (Radio)
88.3 – Lynchburg, Roanoke, Danville, Va.
Additional Available Networks:
89.5 – Berryville, Va.
103.5 - Clifton Forge, Covington, Va.
95.3 – Culpeper, Va.
89.5 – Winchester, Va.
95.9 – Gainesville, Va.
89.7 - Aquia Harbor, Woodbridge, Dale City, Va.
101.9 – Wytheville, Va.
101.5 – Harrisonburg, Va.
106.5 – Pulaski, Radford, Dublin, Va.
103.7 - South Boston, Va.
96.7 – Charlottesville, Va.
100.3 – Waynesboro, Va.
106.9 – Midlothian, Va.
107.5 - South Hill, Va.
105.1 – Marion, Va.
105.5 - Durham, N.C.
102.5 - Winston - Salem, N.C.
103.7 - Roxboro, N.C.
95.1 - Burlington - Graham, N.C.
98.5 - Creedmoor, N.C.
Today's Game
Winners of the last five Big South titles will clash when Liberty and Coastal Carolina take to the turf at Williams Stadium on Saturday. The Chanticleers won the title from 2004 to 2006, while Liberty enters the contest as the two-time defending Big South Conference champions.
Big South Openers
Liberty has won its last two Big South openers, having knocked off Charleston Southern, 50-10, in 2007 and Stony Brook, 33-0, in 2008. Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames are 2-1 in Big South openers, while the program is 4-3 all-time in Big South openers since beginning league action in 2002. Saturday will mark the first time the Flames have opened Big South play against Coastal Carolina.
Home Sweet Home
On Sept. 12, the Flames welcomed North Carolina Central to Williams Stadium, a facility Liberty has called home for the past 20 seasons. The on-campus facility was opened on Oct. 21, 1989, when the Flames rallied for a 37-19 victory over Towson State. Liberty has since won 65.4 percent of its games in the stadium, having posted a 74-39 record at the on-campus facility. In 2007, the Flames went undefeated at home for the second time in program history, posting a school-record 6-0 mark, en route to their Big South title run.
Sensational "Sellouts"
More than an inch of rain might have fallen on Sept. 26, at Williams Stadium, but the steady downpour never dampen the spirits of the crowd on Liberty Mountain. Against No. 6/7 James Madison, Liberty had 15,532 fans fill the stadium, marking the third-largest crowd in program and Big South history. Since head coach Danny Rocco arrived at Liberty, the Flames have filled Williams Stadium beyond capacity 16 out of 22 games. Liberty has posted a 18-4 record during those contests, averaging 13,170 fans per home game.
Noting the Attendance Numbers
Entering today's game with Coastal Carolina, Liberty continues to remain among the nation's leaders in home attendance. The Flames rank No. 2 in filling stadium capacity, having filled Williams Stadium at 127.25 percent during its first three home games in 2009. The Flames also rank No. 9 in total home attendance (45,811) and No. 12 in average home attendance (15,270).
Top 10 Performances
A Liberty Flames football ticket has been a hot commodity in 2009, leading to some of the largest crowds in all of FCS nation this year. The attendance figures at all three of Liberty's home games ranked inside the Top 10 for that specific weekend in terms of highest attended home FCS game. The attendance figures for the North Carolina Central and West Virginia Wesleyan games ranked as the eighth-largest attended game their weekend, while the Flames match-up with James Madison was the ninth-highest attended game during the weekend of Sept. 26.
Record-Setting Crowd
The Flames played their home opener before a Williams Stadium and Big South Conference home record 16,112 fans on Sept. 12. The largest home attendance figure in program history bested the previous high of 15,631 fans during Liberty's Homecoming game against William & Mary on Oct. 18, 2006.
JCTV Jolts Television Coverage
On Sept. 18, Liberty Athletics announced a new television partnership with JCTV, a division of the Trinity Broadcasting Network. The deal expanded the Flames Sports Network's (FSN) television coverage by more than 450 television stations around the country on various cable and television providers. JCTV will be carrying Liberty's first five home games on its network, showing Liberty's game on a tape-delayed basis.
Prior to the agreement with JCTV, FSN's television coverage was reaching roughly 40 million homes around the country. FSN's television partners also include networks and stations such as FamilyNet, MASN, WTLU, WRTV, WGGN, KCFT, WAAY, WBGR, WWMB and WPDE.
Even Stephen
The Flames have won the last two meetings in the series with the Chanticleers, evening up the overall series, 3-3, which began when Coastal Carolina started its football program in 2003. Liberty holds a 2-1 edge over Coastal Carolina at Williams Stadium, including a 37-24 victory over the visiting Chanticleers on Nov. 3, 2007, during their last visit to Liberty Mountain.
Defending Their Own House
Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames have won 18 out of 22 home games, meaning Liberty has won over 80 percent of its home contests under the skipper, who is in his fourth year at the helm of the program. Liberty was 4-2 under Rocco at home in 2006, a perfect 6-0 in 2007, 5-1 under Rocco in 2008 and 2-1 on Liberty Mountain in 2009.
Conference Consistency
Liberty enters today's Big South match-up with Coastal Carolina, having won its last 11 Big South Conference games. The near dozen consecutive victories is the longest such streak in Big South history, besting Coastal Carolina's eight-straight wins over the course of the 2003, 2004 and 2005 seasons.
Fourth and Climbing
Liberty's current 11-game Big South winning streak currently ranks as the longest in Big South history and the fourth longest active conference winning streak in NCAA FCS football. The only teams in the country to claim longer conference winning streaks are Albany (16 games/Northeast), Appalachian State (14 games/Southern) and South Carolina State (13 games/MEAC).
The Last to Do So
Following back-to-back unbeaten seasons in Big South play, the Flames enter today's match-up with Coastal Carolina having reeled off 11-straight conference victories. The last team to down the Flames was the Chanticleers, when No. 22 Coastal Carolina held on for a 28-26 victory over Liberty in Conway, S.C., on Oct. 28, 2006.
Just to be Exact
Head coach Danny Rocco enters today's match-up with Coastal Carolina having posted an 11-2 record against Big South teams since taking over the program in 2006. Coastal Carolina (28-26) and Gardner-Webb (27-24) are the only two teams to defeat a Danny Rocco-led program, doing so by a combined five points during the skipper's first two Big South contests.
Homecoming Happiness
Today's match-up with Coastal Carolina marks the conclusion of Liberty's annual Homecoming Weekend. The Flames have posted a near 70 percent winning percentage during the annual festive weekend, as Liberty has was 24 of 35 Homecoming football games. The Flames have had an offensive explosion during their last two Homecoming games, knocking off Presbyterian, 48-14, in 2007 and Charleston Southern, 42-0, during last year's Homecoming battle.
Winning in Style
Two of Liberty's three wins this year have been by sizable margins, as Liberty defeated North Carolina Central by 25 points (35-10) and West Virginia Wesleyan by 38 points (45-7). The victories gave Liberty 12 wins under head coach Danny Rocco, where the Flames have won by 25 or more points, meaning 44.4 percent of Rocco's victories have been by the quarter century margin or larger.
Rocco Is Better Against the Best
Despite a 13-point loss to West Virginia on Sept. 5, the Flames are still showing marked improvement under head coach Danny Rocco against the nation's elite programs. Since taking over the program, Liberty has dropped its three games against FBS programs by a combined 34 points (Wake Forest/34-14, Toledo/35-34, West Virginia/33-20). Prior to Rocco's arrival on Liberty Mountain, Liberty lost its last FBS contest by 59 points, in a 59-0 shutout against Connecticut on Sept. 10, 2005.
Back Against the Best
The Flames 2008 schedule snapped a near-decade run against the nation's top level of collegiate football, as Liberty had faced a FBS opponent in nine-straight seasons in a row. Prior to 2008, the last time Liberty did not have a FBS opponent on its slate was in 1998.
During the nine-year run, Liberty faced programs such as South Florida, Marshall, UCF, Akron, Toledo, Bowling Green, Kent State, Connecticut and Wake Forest. Liberty has posted a victory over FBS opponent before, as the Flames shocked Eastern Michigan, 25-24, in Ypsilanti, Mich., on Oct. 14, 1989, for Liberty's only victory over a FBS program.
The Flames are slated to continue their run against FBS foes in years to come, as Liberty has Ball State (2010), N.C. State (2011), Wake Forest (2012), Kent State (2013), Virginia (2014) and Virginia Tech (2015) currently on future schedules.
Saturday Night Lights
Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames are 13-4 in night games. Since 1976, Liberty has compiled a 55-66-3 record in night games.
In Broad Daylight
Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames are 14-8 in games played during the day. Since 1976, Liberty is 116-115-1 in day games.
Natural Versus Artificial Surfaces
Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames are 22-9 on artificial turf and 6-3 on natural grass. Overall, Liberty is 97-108-4 on natural grass and 81-77 on artificial turf. The Flames play their home games at Williams Stadium, which has an artificial surface, as new state-of-the-art FieldTurf was installed prior to the start of the 2006 season. Liberty has posted a 18-4 record at home since the new type of surface was installed.
Overtime Update
The Flames enter today's game having posted a 3-5 record in overtime games. Liberty's last overtime game came on Sept. 15, 2007, when the Flames dropped a 48-41 decision to William & Mary in double overtime in Williamsburg, Va.
Liberty has only played two of its eight overtime games away from Williams Stadium. Liberty's first extra-period game was a 34-28 road loss to Morgan State on Sept. 21, 1996. Liberty's last victory in an overtime contest came on Nov. 22, 2003, when it closed out the 2003 campaign with a 49-42 win over Hofstra.
Raising Up No. 71
Prior to the start of the Flames' contest against Tusculum on Sept. 1, 2007, Liberty ceremonially honored founder Dr. Jerry Falwell, who had passed away the previous May, by starting a new game day tradition. Members of the University Police force raised a No. 71 flag underneath the Liberty Flames flag above the South end zone, just prior to the team taking the field, bringing the 14,925 fans in attendance to their feet. The new tradition has become a permanent part of the Flames' pregame ceremonies at all home football games. A different person/group receives the honor of raising the flag at each game.
Back in the Big South
Liberty is beginning its eighth season of competition in Big South Conference action, and is slated to open conference play against Coastal Carolina on Oct. 17. Since beginning league play in 2002, Liberty has posted an 18-10 Big South record, thanks to perfect championship seasons in 2007 (4-0) and 2008 (5-0), while posting back-to-back 3-1 records in 2003 and 2004.
Liberty series records against Big South schools since 2002
Charleston Southern 6-1
Coastal Carolina 3-3
Gardner-Webb 3-4
Stony Brook 1-0
VMI 5-1
Note: Elon was a member of the Big South in 2002, with Elon defeating Liberty.
One for the Record Books
Liberty's 2008 season will long be remembered as one of the greatest in program history, as Liberty reached the 10-win plateau for the first time since the program's inception in 1973. Prior to the 2008 season, Liberty had reached the nine-win mark just twice in nearly four decades of football action (1997/9-2 and 1979/9-1-1).
Rocco Draws National Attention
Head coach Danny Rocco's efforts in 2008 did not go unnoticed on the national scene, as the three-time Big South Coach of the Year recipient saw his name listed among the nation's elite in 2008. Besides picking up his third-straight conference coach of the year honor, Rocco was a Top 5 finalist in the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year contest in the I-AA category. Rocco also became the second coach in Big South history to be named to the Eddie Robinson Award list, as he was one of 20 coaches up for the top FCS coaching honor in the country.
Rocco Dominates the Big South
Since taking over the Flames program, head coach Danny Rocco has posted an 11-2 record against Big South opponents during his first three years at Liberty. The skipper dropped his first two Big South games by a combined five points, but has reeled off 11-straight wins to set a new Big South standard. Under Rocco, Liberty has outscored its Big South foes, 456-211, outscoring league competition by more than 18 points per game.
Righting the Ship Quickly
The Flames continued a trend on Sept. 12, when they quickly erased a loss to West Virginia the following week with a 25-point victory over North Carolina Central. Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames have only lost consecutive games four times. Liberty dropped four-straight games in 2006 and suffered back-to-back setbacks to William & Mary and Elon in 2007. The Flames only lost two games in 2008 and they were not in successive weeks.
Dukes Down Point Production
No. 6/7 James Madison held the Flames to just 10 points in the Dukes' 24-10 victory over Liberty, on Sept. 26, at Williams Stadium. The 10 points scored by the Flames ranks as the second lowest point total in a game under head coach Danny Rocco (fewest was three points in a 10-3 loss to Towson on Sept. 16, 2006). Liberty has failed to reach the 20 point mark in just five of Rocco's 38 games as a head coach on Liberty Mountain.
A Rocco Rebound
Liberty has only dropped 12 games under head coach Danny Rocco, and most of the time the Flames have quickly rebounded the following week with a resounding victory. Since taking over the program, Rocco has followed up losses with a victory eight times, outscoring their opponents 327-63 in those eight games. Three of those seven victories have been shutouts, as the Flames blanked Savannah State (28-0) and Western Carolina (21-0) in 2006 and Charleston Southern (42-0) in 2008.
Twice as Nice
Liberty's victory over VMI on Nov. 8, 2008, coupled with Gardner-Webb's loss to Coastal Carolina the same weekend, gave the Flames the Big South Conference title for the second straight season. Liberty is one of three programs in league history to win consecutive titles. Gardner-Webb hoisted back-to-back trophies in 2002 and 2003, while Coastal Carolina reeled off three straight championship seasons in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Third and Climbing
In just three seasons, head coach Danny Rocco has quickly moved into third place on the Flames' all-time coaching ranks with 27 victories. Ranking ahead of Rocco are Tom Dowling with 33 wins (33-38-2) and Sam Rutigliano, who is the winningest coach in program history (67-53).
Road Warriors
Liberty scored 16-unanswered points in the first half of the Sept. 12th game against Lafayette, en route to a 19-13 road victory over the Leopards. The victory gave the Flames a win in seven of their last nine road games. Liberty's only road losses over the last two seasons were to Presbyterian (31-28 in 2008) and West Virginia (33-20 in 2009).
Nearly Back Among the Best
For the second-straight week, the Flames found themselves just on the outside of the nation's Top 25 FCS polls, which were released on Monday. In the Sports Network poll, Liberty was the first team listed among "Others Receiving Votes", falling 87 votes behind No. 25 Holy Cross. Liberty was also the first team left out in the AnyGivenSaturday.com poll, while ranking seven spots behind No. 25 Eastern Illinois in the FCS Coaches Poll.
Flying High at Year's End
Liberty's 10-2 record in 2008 and second-straight Big South title enabled the Flames to finish the year ranked No. 14 in the Sports Network poll and No. 15 in the FCS Coaches poll. The Sports Network ranking was the highest end-of-the-year national listing in program history. In 2008, Liberty spent a program-record, 10-straight weeks inside the national Top 25 listings.
Offensive Obsession
Over the final nine games of 2008 and 11 out of the last 12 times the Flames took to the field, Liberty racked up 400 or more total offensive yards. Liberty finished the year ranked No. 9 nationally among FCS program by averaging 446.67 total offensive yards per game. Liberty set a new program standard by tallying 5,360 total offensive yards in 2008, besting the previous school record of 4,856 yards set in 1994. This year, Liberty has surpassed the 400-yard mark just once, doing it with 514 total offensive yards during its win over West Virginia Wesleyan on Oct. 3. Liberty currently ranks No. 52 nationally in total offense, averaging 343.80 yard per game.
A Decisive Number
The Flames' prolific offense in 2008 allowed Liberty to finish the season ranked No. 17 in the nation in scoring offense (33.67 points per game). The 30-point mark seems to be the key number for a Flames victory, as Liberty is 21-2 under head coach Danny Rocco when Liberty scores more than 30 points in a game. The Flames are 6-10 under Rocco when Liberty fails to reach the 30-point threshold.
Finding A Way with Fewer Points
Liberty finished the Lafayette game with 19 points on its side of the scoreboard, tying for the fewest points scored by the Flames in a victory under head coach Danny Rocco. Liberty captured a 19-16 victory over Western Carolina, last year, on Sept. 13 in Cullowhee, N.C.
Don't Forget About the "D"
Despite Liberty's gaudy offensive numbers over the past two-plus seasons, the Flames' defense has played a significant factor in the team's success, bringing a smile to head coach Danny Rocco's face, as he is a 20-plus year defensive coaching veteran. Since 2006, Liberty has held its opponents to an average of 18.6 points per game, bolstered by Rocco's first season when the Flames allowed a program-record low 172 points (15.6 points per game, which ranked No. 12 nationally in scoring defense).
Two Touchdown Favorites
Since taking over the program in 2006, head coach Danny Rocco's Flames have outscored their opponents by an average of 13.7 points per game. Liberty has scored 1,261 points (32.3 average points per game), while allowing 728 points (18.6 average points allowed per game).
Not Finding It Twice
Liberty held West Virginia Wesleyan to just a single touchdown during its last trip out onto the gridiron, marking the third time in five games the Flames have held an opponent under the two-touchdown mark in a game. Since Danny Rocco took over the program in 2006, Liberty has kept 15 out of 39 opponents from reaching the 14-point mark in a game.
Looking To Do Better After the Break
The Flames have won their last two games following a "bye week", having knocked off No. 23 Youngstown State, 31-28, in 2008 and Charleston Southern, 50-10, in 2007. Under head coach Danny Rocco, Liberty is 2-1 following a week off from action, while the program is 10-13 after a "bye week" since 1980.
Plentiful Points
During their last outing, Liberty rolled to a 45-7 victory over visiting West Virginia Wesleyan on Oct. 3. The 45 points is tied for the eighth most points scored by the Flames, as Liberty reached the mark in a 45-0 shutout over Gallaudet on Sept. 25, 1976.
Diversifying their Downs
For the second time this year, Liberty finished a game with a double-digit first down total in both rushing and passing plays. The Flames finished the Lafayette game with 22 first downs, including 10 first downs by rushing plays and 11 more first downs by taking to the airways. Liberty matched the total (10 rushing and 11 passing) during their victory over West Virginia Wesleyan on Oct. 3. Since 2006, Liberty has accomplished the feat seven times. Under Rocco, 51.4 percent of Liberty's first downs have come via rushing plays (386), 41.5 have come via the passing game (312) and 7.0 percent by penalties (53).
Moving Those Chains
One of the busiest crews on the field during a Liberty football game in 2008 was the "chain gang." Liberty finished the campaign ranked No. 3 nationally in third-down conversion rate, moving the chains 50.98 percent of the time on third-down plays. The high conversion rate allowed Liberty to set a new program record with 258 first downs last season.
Under head coach Danny Rocco, Liberty has converted on 45.5 percent of third-down plays (219-of-481). The Flames have not been quite as successful at moving the chains in 2009, as Liberty ranks No. 62 nationally in third-down percentage (36.7 percent/22-of-60). The Flames best showing on third-down plays came against Lafayette, when Liberty converted on 9-of-17 third-down plays.
A Nice Number
The Flames finished the West Virginia Wesleyan game with a season-low one third-down conversion on Oct. 3. However, the true number of note can be found in the fact that Liberty only found itself in six total third-down plays during the game. The six third-down plays mark the fewest in four seasons under head coach Danny Rocco.
Offensive Outburst
The Flames are coming off their highest total offensive output of the season, when Liberty rolled to a 45-7 victory over West Virginia Wesleyan on Oct. 3. Liberty posted the 38-point victory thanks to 514 total offensive yards, which marked the fifth time under head coach Danny Rocco that Flames have surpassed the 500 total offensive yard mark in a game.
Fourth-Down Frenzy
Liberty has found much success on fourth-down plays in 2009, converting on 5-of-6 fourth-down plays which ranks No. 4 nationally in fourth-down conversion rate. All five successful fourth-down conversions have eventually led to Liberty adding points to the scoreboard, including the West Virginia Wesleyan game, when Mike Brown scored on a fourth-and-goal play from the two-yard line during the third quarter.
Racking it Up for Rocco
Head coach Danny Rocco has brought a high-powered offense to Liberty, as the Flames have scored an average of 32.3 points per game since Rocco took over the program. The figure ranks more than five points per game ahead of the next highest scoring coach in program annals, as Sam Rutigliano's crew was able to score 26.7 points per game during his 11-year tenure.
Coach Avg. Points/Games
Danny Rocco 32.3 1,261/39
Sam Rutigliano 26.7 3,205/120
Rock Royer 24.2 145/6
Tom Dowling 20.9 1,524/73
Morgan Hout 20.8 1,040/50
Ken Karcher 20.6 1,382/67
John Cartwright 20.2 565/28
Halftime Help Uncommon
No. 6/7 James Madison held a 10-7 lead over Liberty, on Sept. 26, heading into the locker room, marking the third time the Flames have trailed at halftime in 2009. Prior to the 2009 season, the Flames had only trailed at halftime six times under head coach Danny Rocco. Under Rocco, Liberty has led in 29 games (74.4 percent), while the score has been tied four times (10.3 percent). Liberty did rally to beat North Carolina Central on Sept. 12, marking the second time in eight games that Liberty overcame a halftime deficit to win under Rocco.
Getting Back to Their Basics
The Flames rushed for a season-high 264 yards on 33 carries against West Virginia Wesleyan, averaging 8.0 yard per rushing attempt on Oct. 3. The figure marked the 17th time the Flames have rushed for 200 or more yards in a game under head coach Danny Rocco (out of 39 games).
Rushing to the Top
The Flames scored all six of their touchdowns against West Virginia Wesleyan via the ground attack, giving Liberty 13 rushing touchdowns through the first five games of 2009. With the "baker's dozen" rushing touchdowns, Liberty currently ranks tied for No. 11 nationally in total team rushing touchdowns. Liberty has now rushed for four or more touchdowns 11 times in a game since head coach Danny Rocco look over the program in 2006.
Third and Final Phase
Since the opening of training camp in August, head coach Danny Rocco has talked about dividing the 2009 season up into three distinct phases. The first phase was the Flames season-opener against West Virginia, followed by the remaining non-conference slate, which was phase two. The third and final phase is Liberty's Big South schedule, which makes up the final six games of the team's regular-season schedule.
Dukes Down Run Game
James Madison held the Flames to just 96 team rushing yards on Sept. 26 at Williams Stadium, marking the second time this season the Flames have failed to reach the 100-yard mark in a game. Prior to 2009, Liberty has rushed for 100 or more yards in 31 out of 34 games under head coach Danny Rocco.
Running with the Flames
The Flames have been one of the nation's top FCS programs over the past seven seasons, as Liberty has ranked among the Top 30 rushing teams in the nation six out of the last seven years. During the time span, the Flames have surpassed the 2,000-yard mark six out of seven years and have averaged 2,167 rushing yards per season. In 2008, Liberty rushed for 2,562 yards and ranked No. 13 nationally in rushing yards per game (213.5).
Nearing the Century Mark
Liberty's six rushing touchdowns against West Virginia Wesleyan on Oct. 3 helped the Flames near a milestone under head coach Danny Rocco. The Flames have now rushed for 97 touchdowns since the three-time Big South Coach of the year took over the program in 2006 (2.49 rushing touchdowns per game).
Still Streaking
Danny Broggin became the newest Flame to record a rushing touchdown during Liberty's last outing against West Virginia Wesleyan, as the running back was one four players to help Liberty score via the ground game on Oct. 3. The scoring run kept a streak alive for Liberty, as the Flames have scored a rushing touchdown in 34-straight games and in 37 out of 39 games under head coach Danny Rocco.
Stopping the Run
Liberty was one of the nation's top FCS programs in terms of rushing defense in 2008, finishing the year ranked No. 35 nationally in the statistical category by allowing 125.92 rushing yards per game. The figure was good enough to best a school record, bettering the 2002 squad, who held opponents to 128.5 rushing yards per game.
Twice this year, the Flames have held an opponent from reaching 100 team rushing yards, doing so against North Carolina Central (43 yards) and Lafayette (70 yards). Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames have held an opponent under the 100-yard rushing mark in 18 out of 39 games.
Dukes Dominate the Ground Game
James Madison did something very few teams have done when facing a Danny Rocco coached Liberty program. The No. 6/7 Dukes rushed for 301 yards on 50 carries, averaging 6.0 yards per rushing attempt. Only one other teams has accomplished the feat, as VMI did so in 2006 (324 yards) and in 2008 (372 yards). James Madison's 6.0 average rushing yards per carry is the highest by an opposing team during the last four seasons.
Offensive Anomaly
Liberty's high power offense was corralled by No. 6/7 James Madison on Sept. 26, when the Dukes held the Flames to 217 total offensive yards. The figure was the teams second lowest in a game under head coach Danny Rocco and marked just the fourth time the Flames have failed to reach 300 total offensive yards under the skipper. Since taking over the program in 2006, Liberty has averaged 395.0 total offensive yards per game under Rocco.
Much Fewer Flags
After opening the year with nine penalties for 80 total penalty yards against West Virginia, Liberty has dramatically trimmed back its penalty total, as the Flames have been flagged for just 10 infractions for 90 total penalty yards over the last four games. Liberty currently ranks No. 4 nationally in fewest penalties per game (3.80) and No. 5 in fewest average penalty yards per game (34.00).
Taking Better Care of the Ball
During the 2008 season, Liberty finished nine out of 12 games with a positive turnover margin, enabling the Flames to finish the year ranked No. 21 nationally in the statistical category (+0.67). Head coach Danny Rocco has tried to instill the importance of taking care of the ball on his youngsters, as Liberty ranked No. 7 in turnover margin in 2007 (+1.27 per game) and No. 20 in 2006 (+0.55 per game).
Winning the Turnover Battle
West Virginia is one of eight teams to finish a game coached by Danny Rocco with fewer turnovers than the Flames. Liberty turned the ball over once on an interception, while West Virginia never coughed the ball up. Since 2006, Liberty has a +33 turnover figure as compared to its opponents, as Liberty has committed 43 turnovers, while forcing 76 giveaways (+0.86 turnover margin).
Against Lafayette on Sept. 19, the Flames finished the game without giving the ball away, marking the 13th time in 39 games Liberty has finished a Danny Rocco-coached game without a turnover. Liberty currently ranks No. 25 nationally in turnover margin (+0.80).
Fewer Fumbles in 2009
The West Virginia Wesleyan game marked the fourth time this season, the Flames have finished a game without giving a fumble away. Liberty has fumbled the ball seven times in 2009 and have given it away just once, which has the Flames tied for No. 3 nationally in fewest fumbles lost.
Bearing down Back-to-Back Times
Liberty finished the Lafayette game by holding the Leopards to 286 total offensive yards, marking the second-straight time Liberty's defense has held an opponent under the 300 total offensive yard mark. On Sept. 12, Liberty's defensive unit gave head coach Danny Rocco his fourth fewest total offensive yards allowed, when the Flames surrendered 213 total offensive yards against North Carolina Central. Since 2006, Liberty has held 16 opponents under 300 total offensive yards (out of 39 games).
Time of Possession Talk
West Virginia Wesleyan finished the Oct. 3 game with a 11:36 time of possession advantage (35:48 to 24:12), marking the eighth time under head coach Danny Rocco's reign that an opponent has finished a game with a 10-minute time of possession edge. Opponents have won the battle for the clock in three out of five games in 2009, which leaves the Flames ranked No. 88 in the statistical category (28:33 in average time of possession).
Picking Them Off One at a Time
For the fourth game in a row, the Flames finished a contest with an interception, as Liberty picked off a pass against West Virginia Wesleyan during its last outing on Oct. 3. Liberty currently ranks No. 40 nationally with six total interceptions in 2009. Since head coach Danny Rocco took over the program, Liberty has intercepted 44 passes in 39 games, resulting in 432 interception return yards, and had two or more interceptions 14 times.
Closing the Year with a New Standard
Liberty finished the last four games of 2008 without throwing an interception, tying a program record. The Flames were one of the most careful passing teams in the country in 2008, ranking No. 7 nationally in passing efficiency (158.81). Under head coach Danny Rocco, Liberty's quarterbacks have thrown just 22 interceptions in 39 games (0.56 per game). Liberty has thrown four interceptions in 2009, which has the Flames ranked No. 34 nationally in fewest interceptions.
Streeter Streamlines the Passers
Under quarterback coach and now offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter, Liberty has been one of the most effective passing units in the country of late. Since joining head coach Danny Rocco's staff, Streeter has seen his quarterbacks throw at a 62.6 completion percentage clip, completing 569-of-909 passing attempts for 7,499 yards and 48 touchdowns. During the span, Liberty averaged 192.3 passing yards per game and had a pass efficiency rating of 147.44 since 2006.
Big Shoes to Fill
The quarterbacking tandem of Tommy Beecher and Mike Brown have been tasked with the lofty goal of trying to replace one of Liberty's best quarterbacks. Brock Smith, who is a student assistant on this year's staff, finished his days in a Liberty uniform by ranking third in passing yards (7,036) and second in passing touchdowns (50) and completion percentage (60.0) in program history. The left-handed hurler also finished his career as the program's all-time leader in passing efficiency (148.1), nearly 16 points higher than Robby Justino's mark of 132.6.
A QB's Best Friend
Liberty has allowed five sacks in five games in 2009, as West Virginia got to Liberty's quarterback three times, while James Madison finished with two sacks. The Flames offensive line kept Liberty's hurlers from being sacked against North Carolina Central, Lafayette and West Virginia Wesleyan, which has the Flames ranked No. 15 nationally in sacks allowed.
Liberty, who finished the 2008 season ranked No. 3 in sacks allowed, has allowed less than a sack per game (0.82/32 in 39 games) since head coach Danny Rocco took over the program in 2006 and has finished 17 games during that span without allowing a sack.
Targeting Their Leader
The Flames continually pestered North Carolina Central quarterback Michael Johnson, getting to the hurler and sacking him four times for a loss of 30 total yards on Sept. 12. The four sacks marked the fifth time under head coach Danny Rocco the Flames have finished a game with four or more sacks (four times with four sacks and once with five sacks). Liberty has recorded at least one sack in the past four games. Under Rocco, the Flames have averaged 1.90 sacks per game (74 total) for an average loss of 14.7 yards per game (572 total yards lost on sacks).
Leaving Lofty Numbers
Rashad Jennings posted numbers in 2008 which many never be broken at Liberty, as the now NFL running back rushed his way into the record books in 2008. During his senior campaign, the bruising tailback rushed for a program and Big South record 1,500 yards and 17 touchdowns. In just three seasons with the program, he rushed for 3,633 yards and 42 touchdowns, with his touchdown total setting a new program mark. All in all, he rushed for 100 or more yards in 21 out of 33 games with the Flames.
Joining the Nation's Elite
Last April, running back Rashad Jennings heard something no Liberty Flames had heard in 20 years, as the running back was selected in the NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round. Prior to Jennings' selection, the last Flame to be picked in the NFL draft came in 1990 when Eric Green was taken in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers (21st overall pick), followed by Donald Smith going to the Minnesota Vikings in the 10th round later in the same draft.
Playing at the Top Level
During the first weekend of September, two of Liberty's former standouts made the cut at the highest level of competition, as Rashad Jennings and Sam Gado received word they were on a 53-man NFL roster. Jennings, who was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars last April, was one of eight draftees by the Jaguars to make their squad. Gado made the cut on the St. Louis Rams' roster, marking the 2005 Liberty graduate's fifth different stint on a NFL roster.
Red Zone Rapport
Liberty currently ranks among the Top 40 teams in the nation in Red Zone Offense, scoring on an average of 83.3 percent of their trips inside the opponent's red zone. Of Liberty's 18 trips inside its opponents' 20-yard line, Liberty has scored 12 touchdowns and kicked three field goals. Since 2006, Liberty has added points to the scoreboard 81.9 percent of the time under head coach Danny Rocco (140-of-171 Red Zone opportunities) when penetrating the opponents' 20-yard line.
Tough Inside the 20
Liberty currently ranks as one of the nation's best red zone defenses, as the Flames have allowed opponents to score just 66.7 percent of the time (12-of-18). The figure puts the Flames No. 14 nationally in red zone defense. Of those 12 scoring drives, five have failed to find the end zone, as opponents had to settle for a field goal.
The Ideal Job
If you are looking for the "cushy" job on the Flames roster in 2009, you need not look any further than Flames punter Mike Larsson. The sophomore has been called upon to punt 20 times over the course of the first five games, making Liberty the team with the 14th fewest team punts in the nation. Last year, Liberty did even better in the statistical category, as the Flames finished the year with the fourth fewest punts in all of FCS football.
Fresh New Faces
Liberty has one of its younger teams since head coach Danny Rocco took over the program in 2006. Of the various players listed on the Flames' current depth chart leading into the West Virginia Wesleyan game, eight are true freshmen and 37 have underclassmen status.
New to the Starting Line-Up
Liberty graduated 24 seniors last year, leaving several holes for head coach Danny Rocco to fill in his 2009 line-up. Of the 22 players who took to the field for the first offensive and defensive snap of the Flames' matchup with West Virginia on Sept. 5, seven were listed as starters on Liberty's line-up in their opener against North Greenville in 2008 (LG – Bryan Mosier, RT – Josh Weaver, FB – Derek Bishop, DE – Trey Jacobs, SLB – Ian Childress, JLB – Chad Brown, LS – Chris Rocco).
The Largest Crowd Ever
Liberty played its first game of the 2009 season in front of a near sellout in Milan Puskar Stadium up in Morgantown, W.Va., (60,000 capacity), as the contest's official attendance was listed at 57,950. The figure marked the largest crowd a Liberty football team has played in front of, besting the previous record of 40,000 fans for Liberty's match-up with Connecticut in 2005.
Needing to Replenish the Points
Head coach Danny Rocoo is looking for several younger players to step up in 2009 and try to fill holes left open by 24 graduated seniors from last season. All in all, five of the Flames' top scorers from last year graduated and a total of 66.8 percent of the offensive production from last year's squad will not be on the field this season. Liberty's top two returning scorers are a pair of kickers, Matt Bevins (56 points) and Ben Shipps (33), followed by Mike Brown, who scored 18 points during his first year on the field.
The Killer B's
Mike Brown and Matt Bevins have turned out to be the Flames' top scoring threats in 2009, as the "B" brothers are responsible for 52.7 percent of Liberty's offense (68 of 129 points). Brown leads the Flames with six touchdowns to account for 36 points, while Bevins has booted his way to 32 points, thanks to six field goals and 14 extra points.
The Ground Game Is Good
The Flames have scored 13 of their 16 touchdowns in 2009 via the ground, adding single rushing touchdowns against West Virginia and Lafayette, four touchdowns against North Carolina Central and a season-high six rushing touchdowns against West Virginia Wesleyan.
Special Special Teams
Liberty's special teams certainly played a part in the success of the team against West Virginia on Sept. 5, as the Flames continually pressed toward Mountaineer territory by averaging 23.0 yards per kickoff return. Great special teams play from the Flames is certainly nothing strange on Liberty Mountain, as the Flames finished 2008 ranked No. 12 nationally in punt returns (14.61 average yards per return) and No. 21 in kickoff returns (22.05 average yards per return). Liberty's specialists also tallied three returns for a score last season, retuning one kickoff and two punt returns for touchdowns.
Keeping Them Out of the Backfield
During the 2008 season, the Flames kept their opponents from recording three or more tackles for a loss in eight out of 12 games. Liberty finished the season ranked No. 4 nationally in fewest tackles for a loss allowed, as the Flames allowed just 3.58 TFLs per game en route to a 10-2 season. Liberty is having similar success in 2009, as the Flames have allowed 21 tackles for a loss in five games, which places the Flames No. 13 nationally in the defensive statistical category (4.40 per game).
Larsson Honored by Big South
Following a career night against No. 6/7 James Madison, Mike Larsson was named the Big South Special Teams Player of the Week, this past Monday. The sophomore tallied career high numbers in the contest, including punts (5), total punting yards (207), average yards per punt (41.7), longest punt (50) and punts inside the opponents 20-yard line (3).
The honor marked the second time Larsson has been named Big South Special Teams Player of the Week during his time at Liberty. The sophomore took home his first weekly honor after a stellar performance against Western Carolina, last season.
Linebacker Loom Large
The inside linebacking tandem of Doncel Bolt and Chad Brown both tallied double-digit tackles for the first time in their careers against No. 6/7 James Madison, on Sept. 26. Bolt led all defenders in the game with a game-best 13 tackles, while Brown followed with 11 stops. Both linebackers finished the game with a tackle for a loss and had on one of the team's two sacks on the evening.
Brown Listed Among the Best
With his 157 receiving yards against West Virginia on Sept. 5, Mike Brown became the 44th player in program history to eclipse the 100-receiving yard mark in a game. His 157 receiving yards is the 18th best single-game performance in program history and the seventh best in the past 10 years.
Summers Shines at Lafayette
Chris Summers had a breakout performance against Lafayette, one that left his mark on the record books. The sophomore, who came into the game with five career receptions for 58 yards, caught 14 passes for 138 yards and his first collegiate touchdown versus the Leopards. The 14 receptions is tied for the Big South record for receptions in a game (along with 14 by Duvaughn Flagler against Wofford) while the figure ranks just behind Liberty's all-time record of 15 receptions by Josh Stofle against South Florida in 2001.
Coming Fast and Furious
Coming into the season, head coach Danny Rocco had not seen one of his players finish a game with double-figure receptions. Wynton Jackson was the last Flame to accomplish the feat with 12 catches for 100 yards against Youngstown State on Sept. 17, 2005.
Now, the double-digit games are coming in bunches. Mike Brown accomplished the feat with 11 receptions for 157 yards against West Virginia, while Chris Summers hauled in 14 receptions for 138 yards against Lafayette last weekend.
A Purpose-Driven Player
Mike Brown was the largest ground gainer for either team on Sept. 5, as the sophomore finished the West Virginia game with 271 all-purpose yards (157 receiving, nine rushing and 107 kickoff return yards). The lofty figure is tied for the fifth-highest, single-game, all-purpose yardage total in program history, as Brown now shares the mark with Johnny Shepherd, who first hit the figure against Gardner-Webb on Sept. 30, 1978.
Moving over the Millennium Mark
Mike Brown finished the James Madison game with a team-high 108 all-purpose yards, aided by 56 rushing yards and 52 return yards. The 100-yard game pushed the sophomore over the 1,000-yard career mark, and Brown comes into the Coastal Carolina game with 1,180 career all-purpose yards.
Welcome to the Club
B.J. Hayes joined an exclusive club on Sept. 12, when he rushed for 129 yards on 11 carries. The stellar effort in Liberty's home opener allowed the sophomore to become the 30th player in program history to rush for 100 or more yards in a single game.
Big Time Gain for B.J.
During the fourth quarter of Liberty's home-opening victory over North Carolina Central, B.J. Hayes broke free for a 74-yard touchdown run to help swing the momentum in the favor of the Flames. The lengthy run was the sixth longest rushing touchdown in program history and is tied for the 10th longest rushing play in Big South history.
All Right Allen
Aldreakis Allen had a breakout game against West Virginia Wesleyan, as the freshman rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns to help his team to a 38-point victory. The rookie became the second Flame this season and the 31st in program history to eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark, while averaging 11.2 yards per carry.
Broggins' Big Run
Danny Broggin was one of four players to record a rushing touchdown for the Flames on Oct. 3, helping Liberty to a 45-7 victory over West Virginia Wesleyan. The 13-yard scoring run was the third longest rushing play of his career and marked the junior's first career trip across the goal line. The Brookneal, Va., native finished the game with four rushing attempts for 38, nearly giving Liberty four runners with a 10.0-plus yard average run in the contest.
Mike Makes It Happen
Mike Brown started his second game of the year at one of Liberty's wide receiver positions against North Carolina Central, on Sept. 12. However, the sophomore was called upon to take over for quarterback Tommy Beecher in the second quarter and finished the game by completing 10-of-12 passing attempts for 71 yards. Prior to the game, Brown had completed just 2-of-4 career passing attempts for 25 yards.
No Sophomore Slump Here
Proving his outing against North Carolina Central was no fluke, Mike Brown had a banner day in his first start under center for the Flames. Against Lafayette, the sophomore completed 29-of-36 pass attempts for 242 yards and his second career touchdown pass.
The 29 completions are tied for the sixth most in the program's single-game history and rank No. 10 on the Big South's single-game list. Brown's 80.6 completion percentage is now the No. 6 mark in Big South history.
Nearly Perfect Passing
In his first career start at quarterback, Mike Brown nearly went to the locker room with a perfect completion percentage. The sophomore completed his first 10 passing attempts for the game and did not miss until an incorrectly run route by Ervin Garner forced the Flames to punt the ball away.
Noting the National Attention
Following a performance the sophomore will not quickly forget, Mike Brown not only garnered attention from the Big South Conference, but the versatile athlete was a two-time national honoree on Sept. 21. He was one of four players named to the College Sporting News All-Star list, while being named the Sports Network's national Offensive Player of the Week. Brown finished the Lafayette game with a career-best 330 total offensive yards and played a part in 56 of the team's 73 offensive plays (20 rushing attempts and 36 passing attempts).
Top Offensive Options
Nearly seven out of every 10 plays the Flames have run in 2009 have involved either Mike Brown or Tommy Beecher. Brown leads the team with 94 total offensive plays (549 yards), followed by Beecher's 96 offensive plays (581 yards). The quarterbacking tandem has touched the football 64.0 percent of the time this season, resulting in 65.7 percent of the team's total offensive yards.
First Time Fun for All
Mike Brown and Dominique Jones had career firsts on the same play, when the quarterback found his tight end open for a one-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter to give Liberty the lead for good against North Carolina Central on Sept. 12. The scoring play was the first passing touchdown of Brown's career and the first receiving touchdown of Jones' days on the gridiron. The six points scored on the touchdown equaled the point total the former men's basketball player tallied during his two-year career with the men's basketball program (six points in 18 career games).
Tough Tandem to Replace
Last year, Liberty had two of its better wide receivers in program history playing together. Dominic Bolden finished the year by tallying 1,056 receiving yards (second highest in program history), while Jonathan Crawford ended the year with 713 receiving yards. The tandem's combined 1,769 receiving yards was the second-highest pair in program history, ranking just behind Fred Banks (1,029) and Kelvin Edwards (763) combined yardage of 1,792 yards by the pair of eventual NFL wide receivers.
Matt Missed the Mark
Matt Bevins missed a 24-yard field goal at the 10:43 mark of the first half, as his attempt hit the right upright and kept the Flames from denting the scoreboard on their first drive against North Carolina Central on Sept. 12. The missed kick snapped a successful field goal streak for the sophomore, as Bevins had knocked down seven-straight field goal attempts dating back to last year. During his career at Liberty, Bevins has successfully hit 18-of-24 field goal attempts (75.0 percent).
Pin-Point Accuracy
Mike Larsson might not have had his best outing in terms of punt average against West Virginia Wesleyan on Oct. 3, but the sophomore was able to successfully place two out of his three punts inside the Bobcats' 20-yard line. On the season, Larsson has managed to place half of his punt attempts inside the opposing 20-yard line (10 out of 20). He currently ranks fourth in the Big South by averaging 36.3 yards per punt attempt.
A Consistent Captain
For the second-straight week, outside linebacker Wes Cheek finished a game with eight tackles, as he had two solo and six assisted stops against North Carolina Central, on Sept 12. Over the past two weekend, Cheek has finished a game with seven stops. Cheek, who converted to linebacker from running back two years ago, is the Flames' leading tackler with 30 stops on the season and enters the Coastal Carolina game needing six more tackles to reach the century mark for his career.
Loving Those Linemen
Liberty's stout defensive line played a big part in the Flames picking up their first victory of the year against North Carolina Central on Sept. 12. Asa Chapman, the Flames' starting nose guard, recorded a career-best seven assisted tackles against the Eagles after coming into the game with 11 career tackles in 12 career appearances. Chapman's fellow lineman Daryl Robertson followed with a career outing of his own, finishing the game with 1.5 tackles for a loss (eight yards), a sack (seven yards) and two quarterback hurries.
Backfield Buddies
Chris Rocco finished the Lafayette game with two of Liberty's four pass breakups on the evening. The pair of disturbances gives the senior 10 pass breakups on his career. Rocco and his backfield teammate Tim Torrence are the Flames' leading active career tacklers, as Torrence comes into the West Virginia Welseyan game with 128 stops, just ahead of Rocco's 126 career tackles. Torrence ranks three career breakups behind Rocco (seven).
Rocco Reaches New Mark
Chris Rocco reached a career milestone against West Virginia Wesleyan, as the senior started his 20th career game and his 17-straight contest. The defensive back leads a youthful Liberty squad with 20 career starts. At the end of the 2008 season, Liberty had 10 players on its roster with 20 or more career starts.
Big Time Block
Senior Trey Jacobs snuck around several offensive linemen to get his hands on the football against Lafayette, blocking an attempted 23-yard field goal by the Leopards (their only field goal attempt of the game). The batted down ball gave the senior five career blocked kicks, leaving him two shy of the program record of seven held by Donald Smith, who played for the Flames from 1986-89 before being drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 10th round of the 1990 NFL Draft.
Honoring the Best of the Best
Last April, The Liberty University Athletics Department announced that it would be starting its inaugural Hall of Fame to honor its top student-athletes, coaches and administrators.
On Sept. 26, the inaugural class was honored during special presentations during the first and third quarters of Liberty's game against James Madison.
The seven-member class includes Dr. Jerry Falwell (founder), Arthur L. Williams (athletics financial supporter), Sid Bream (baseball), Kelvin Edwards (football), Karl Hess (men's basketball), Elena (Kisseleva) Bengds (women's basketball) and Bob Bonheim (wrestling and football coach).
The inductees were honored, last night, at the Athletics Hall of Fame banquet, held at Lynchburg's Holiday Inn Select. More than 100 people filled the banquet hall, celebrating the accomplishments of some of Liberty's most revered athletics pioneers.
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