Liberty’s football team will make the short commute up route 29 this Saturday to take on the Virginia Cavaliers in a noon kickoff.
Last year, Liberty hung around with UVA until late in the game. Liberty’s then-lowly defense couldn’t slow the Hoos, and UVA pulled away for a 45-24 win. Bryce Perkins, Virginia’s star quarterback was a dominant force in last year’s game: tossing two touchdowns and running for two more. UVA will again look to Perkins to spearhead the Cavalier offense against the Flames.
“I don’t know who will receive the player of the year in the ACC, but I would be shocked if he’s not in the discussion,” Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze said of Perkins in a Monday press conference. “Probably 80% of the offense goes through him.”
Indeed, Perkins dominates both passing and rushing attacks for UVA. He leads the team in carries by a margin of 67, ahead of another dangerous player: Wayne Tualapapa. Tualapapa averages four yards per carry and paces the team with 11 rushing touchdowns.
The Wahoos consistently target three receivers: Hasise Dubois, Terrell Jana, and Joe Reed. Reed is the most explosive of the three. Reed isn’t known for out-jumping defenders and winning 50/50 balls. He’s known for eating up yards by improvising in open space, good rout running, and incredible special-teams work. Reed is the only player in FBS history with more than 2,700 career kickoffs return yards and four or more kickoffs returned for touchdowns.
Just weeks removed from the season-ending injury of all-American corner Bryce Hall, Virginia’s defense is ranked 18th nationally: surrendering an average of 316.3 yards per game. Coach Freeze highlighted Charles Snowden, a 6’7, 235-pound linebacker who’s tallied 58 tackles and three sacks this season. Virginia’s size in general has been problematic for opponents. The average first-stringer in Virginia’s linebacker/defensive line corps is 6’4, 254 pounds.
I still like Liberty’s chances of moving the ball against Virginia. The Flames offense has been firing on all cylinders recently, and I think that momentum will continue through the regular season’s final two games. Defensively, containing Bryce Perkins will be the tallest challenge Liberty DC Scott Symons’ defense has faced this year.
On paper, Virginia is the better football team. The Hoos are favored by 18 points against Liberty, but I think the Flames will make Saturday’s game competitive. The last thing LU’s senior-laden group wants is a repeat of last year’s game in Charlottesville, and the Flames will play with a chip on their shoulder. It’s not likely, but Liberty may even pull the upset. My prediction: Virginia 38, Liberty 28.
