The wait is finally over. Over eight months since the conclusion of the 2020 season, the Liberty Flames will officially kick off the 2021 season on Saturday against the Campbell Camels. The game will be televised on ESPN3 with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. from Williams Stadium.

The past eight months has been like nothing Liberty football has ever seen before. After the program’s 10-1 season last year, the best season in school history, the hype and expectation has risen to a fever pitch. All the talk is over. It’s time to flip the script and begin to write the 2021 story.

“It’s time for us to flip the script from the 2020 season,” Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze said. “(2020) has nothing to do with this season. Zero. Anybody that conditions their mind to think that it might, will be sorely disappointed. This is a whole new DNA, a whole new target on us. There’s no way that success breeds guaranteed success from year to year. You have to go earn it. It starts with Campbell Saturday night. It won’t be given to us. It will be a fight.”

This will be the first ever meeting on the gridiron between the Flames and the Camels. Former Big South rivals in all other sports, Campbell played in the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League before adding scholarships and joining the Big South for football beginning with the 2018 season. Of course, that timeline completed missed Liberty’s time in the Big South as the Flames made the move to the FBS beginning with the 2018 season.

The Camels are led by a familiar name to Liberty football fans as Mike Minter is entering his ninth season as head coach of the program in Buies Creek, North Carolina. Minter spent the 2012 season as Liberty’s special teams coordinator in Turner Gill’s first year as head coach of the Flames. Following that year, Minter took over at Campbell where he has guided the program to a 36-46 record. Prior to the abbreviated 2020 season, Campbell had three straight seasons with a winning record at 6-5.

With the FCS electing not to have a fall 2020 season, Campbell scheduled four games with FBS opponents all within a 21 day period in the fall of 2020. They played from September 12th – October 2nd against Georgia Southern, Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State, and Wake Forest, dropping all four contests.

The Camels’ defense struggled to slow down the FBS offenses it faced in 2020, surrendering 47 points and 480 yards per game. Teams rushed for nearly 300 yards per game against Campbell’s defense which returns 10 starters from the 2020 season. Minter and the Camels also went to the transfer portal during the offseason and welcome in a number of FBS transfers, including several that are pushing for starting spots on the defense.

On offense, Campbell proved to be very explosive and was able to move the ball and score points on all four FBS opponents last season. The Camels averaged 20.5 points per game while accumulating 344.5 total yards. It was a balanced attack with 201 yards coming through the air and 143.5 yards on the ground each contest.

Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams leads the Campbell offense. The dual-threat athlete led the team in rushing, averaging 54 yards per game during the 2020 season. He also threw for 165.5 yards per game with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Liberty’s defensive line will need to ensure they are able to contain Williams within the pocket as plays break down, and the Liberty corners will need to stay in coverage and not break off their assignment as Williams has the tendency to extend plays.

“He presents a ton of challenges,” Liberty defensive coordinator Scott Symons said. “He’s a dual threat guy. He can throw the ball on the run well. He runs their offense at a high level. They are a RPO based offense but have a lot of plus one run game in their system, as well. He does a great job scrambling and getting what’s there, but also keeping his eyes downfield. He is definitely the key to their offense, obviously everything goes through him.”

Symons calls Campbell tight end Julian Hill one of the better pass catching tight ends the Flames have seen over the past couple of seasons. He caught six passes for 102 yards in four games last year. The Camels will also welcome back 6’4″ receiver Caleb Snead who missed 2020 due to an injury. Snead has 1,364 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns in 20 games played during 2018 and 2019.

Bryant Barra nd CJ Freeman are the team’s top returning running backs. They combined to rush for 90 yards per game and three touchdowns during the four game season in 2020. Campbell’s starting offensive line is big and averages 6’5″, 325 pounds with all five starters returning.

“(They are) really big up front,” said Symons. “This O-Line is bigger than most Group of Five O-Lines that we will play against this season.”

NOTABLES

  • Liberty has won 11 straight at home. A victory over Campbell at Williams Stadium would set the program record for longest home winning streak.
  • The Flames are looking to remain undefeated against FCS teams since joining the FBS in 2018. Liberty is currently 6-0 against FCS opponents.
  • Joshua Mack leads active FBS players with 3,636 career rushing yards. He has recorded 18 career 100-yard games, including eight during his two years with the Flames.
  • Liberty is 57-23 all-time against Big South opponents, including a 35-8 mark at Williams Stadium.
  • Hugh Freeze is 18-6 as Liberty’s head coach, the best in program history through 24 contests.
  • This is Liberty’s first time opening a season against an FCS opponent since 2015 when the Flames posted a 32-13 home win over Delaware State.
  • This is the first time since joining Division I in 1988 that the Flames will face only one FCS squad during the season.

QUOTABLES

Hugh Freeze – “We are glad to be home. We certainly hope that our student body will come out and pack our stands along with our fans and make it a very difficult atmosphere for the opposing team that comes in here. We have a great student body. Our band is incredible. We want the full school spirit to show up Saturday night and I know they will.”

DC Scott Symons – “I don’t think it’s even close, this is by far the best FCS team that we have played since we have been here as a staff.”

Malik Willis – “I don’t think we have to go prove anything to anybody, including ourselves. I think we just have to go out there and have fun, enjoy what we’re doing. This is some of the best times of our lives.”

CJ Daniels – “We should look at this game no differently. They got dudes, we got dudes. Whoever is prepared the best and worked the most is going to go get it.”

Chris Megginson on having a crowd for the first time in nearly two years – “I’m excited. This is pretty much what I’ve been wishing for. We haven’t had fans since my freshman year here. I’m excited to hear the fans go crazy and bring that atmosphere, that great energy, back to the stadium.”

Storey Jackson – “We’ve got to focus on our stuff, sharpening up all of our defensive calls and coverages.”

Ralfs Rusins – “We took last year’s defense and just improved it. I think you’re going to see how good the defense is on Saturday.”

Joshua Mack – “I don’t overlook any team. I came from FCS. We played FBS teams. Football is football, no matter the level. Any given Sunday. I prepare for them like I prepare for any other team. We prepare for them like we prepared for Syracuse or V-Tech last year. We don’t overlook any team.”

PREDICTION

Liberty 50, Campbell 14

The Flames will be able to move the ball and score against the Camels. Take care of the football and don’t make stupid mistakes, and this should be a comfortable win for Liberty to open the season.