Fresh off last week’s bye, the Flames now have 5 straight conference games to close the season. Can they run the table and win the league outright for the first time since 2008? If they do, Liberty will make the FCS playoffs for the first time in school history. Here’s 5 keys to win the Big South outright:
1. The defense must improve.
The Flames have the worst defense in the conference giving up over 34 points and 400 yards per game.
2. Get, and remain, healthy.
Nick Sigmon, Jimmy O’Grady, Wesley Scott, the defense needs you, badly.
3. Flames must be successful on 3rd downs.
Liberty is 5th in the conference in converting 3rd downs, and last in the conference in stopping their opponents on 3rd downs. One of the keys in the App State win was improvement on 3rd downs. The Flames were 10/17 against App while holding the Mountaineers to 6/12.
4. Those special teams’ blunders need to be nonexistent.
Championship caliber teams don’t continually shoot themselves in the foot with poor kickoff coverage, muffed punt returns, and mishandled kickoff returns.
5. The Josh Woodrum of the Richmond and App State games needs to stick around.
In the last 2 games, the Flames’ signal caller is 39-of-62 (63%) passing for 549 yards, 6 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 117 yards and 3 more touchdowns. If that Josh shows up the next 5 games, Liberty will be in the playoffs.
