Kickoff is approaching as we are just over a month away from Liberty’s season opener on Sept. 2 against Bowling Green. It is a season that has been much anticipated with new head coach Jamey Chadwell and the Flames now competing in Conference USA.
As we are about to enter training camp and then the season and will get caught up in the week-to-week grind of each game, let’s pause and take a step back and look at the big picture entering the year. There are a few games that will help define Liberty’s 2023 season, here are our top four, in order of when they appear on the schedule:
Sept. 9 vs New Mexico State
All four games that make our list are Conference USA games. That will likely become a trend with the Flames now in a league, a significant change from the last four years when Liberty competed as an FBS Independent. Any random conference game has more meaning than a non-conference game due to its impact on the conference championship race.
The first game on our list is the conference opener against New Mexico State. With the game coming so early in the season, there will still be plenty of questions of Liberty’s team entering this contest with a new coaching staff and so many new faces. The names that return (and the fan base) don’t forget what happened the last time the team competed at Williams Stadium when the Aggies dominated Liberty amid the Hugh Freeze to Auburn rumors.
Oct. 17 vs Middle Tennessee
The Blue Raiders have been picked to finish third in CUSA this season, behind #1 WKU and #2 Liberty. This could likely be Liberty’s toughest home game this season. MTSU has one thing that most in the revamped CUSA don’t – continuity. They are one of the holdover conference teams and have been led by one of the longest tenured head coaches in the country in Rick Stockstill. Middle Tennessee returns eight starters on defense from a team that picked up an upset at Miami (FL).
Oct. 24 at Western Kentucky
It’s no surprise that this game makes the list. This may be the most anticipated game in all of Conference USA this season as the predicted top two teams meet in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Hilltoppers return a ton of talent, including quarterback Austin Reed. WKU has won 9 games in all three non-COVID years Coach Helton has been the head coach at WKU, but he has yet to win a Conference USA title. Could this be the year? This game in late October will go a long way in determining that.
Nov. 25 at UTEP
The regular season finale could have a lot riding on it for both teams. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if this game has significant bearing on who advances to the CUSA title game the following week. It will be the first ever meeting between the Flames and Miners. With four-year starter Gavin Hardison returning at quarterback, UTEP has their sights on competing for a conference championship in the new look CUSA.
