Liberty (6-4, 2-2) faces Charleston Southern (5-5, 2-2) on Saturday in Charleston, South Carolina. The Flames are hoping to put an end to the Buccaneers’ 3 game win streak in the series.
Series history
Liberty has faced CSU more than any other opponent in the program’s history, as Saturday will be the 25th meeting between the two schools. The Flames and Buccaneers are two of the four charter members of the Big South Football Conference with Liberty’s first Big South conference win coming against Charleston Southern. The Flames have dominated the overall series, winning 19 of the 24 meetings, but the Bucs have won 3 straight. In fact, no current Flame has ever appeared in a victory over Charleston Southern. Also, Turner Gill is 16-4 in the month of November during his time at Liberty, but 3 of those losses have came at the hands of CSU.
Bucs are in first year of new head coach’s tenure
Following the 2016 season, Charleston Southern head coach Jamey Chadwell left to become the offensive coordinator at Coastal Carolina. Chadwell had a very impressive run with the Buccaneers, sporting a 35-14 overall record and 16-5 mark in Big South play during his 4 years at CSU. He also led the team to the FCS playoffs in each of the past 2 years. Former quarterbacks coach Mark Tucker was promoted to head coach in January. Under Tucker, Charleston Southern still runs the same defensive and offensive schemes.
The Bucs are still one of the better defensive teams in the conference, as they are holding opponents under 20 points per game and are 2nd in the league in total defense, surrendering 312 yards per game. Reigning Big South Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-American Anthony Ellis has 14 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, and has forced 3 fumbles.
Quarterback Shane Bucenell leads the triple option offense with 737 passing and 164 rushing yards.
Positive momentum
Liberty’s coaching staff is hoping a win against Charleston Southern Saturday can launch the team into a successful off-season of recruiting and beginning of FBS play in 2018.
“It’s great for us to finish on a positive note,” Coach Gill stated, “as far as winning this football game, having a 4 game winning streak going into the FBS, help our fans with all the positive things that are going on with the FBS level heading into the next season, the excitement that we’re moving forward. We only had 9, 10 seniors, so it tells our fans, and anyone else, that we have a young team. We have a young team that has a lot of experience this year. So, therefore, when we get into the FBS schedule, that’s going to help us moving forward in a great way. So, I think it’s an exciting time for us, an exciting time for our fans, and I know our coaches and players are excited to finish this thing off on a great note.”
Final Big South game
Saturday will be Liberty’s final Big South Conference football game, something Coach Gill called bittersweet.
“It’s a great opportunity that we’ve had to meet a lot of great people here in the Big South Conference, the commissioner and all the different coaches that have come through,” Gill stated. “They’ve been very, very good in talking and communicating and doing things to help Liberty University and get things done, not just from a football side of it but off the field things too. So, we’re looking forward to this opportunity, and hopefully we can represent the Big South Conference well one more time.”
As mentioned previously, Liberty was one of four charter Big South Football Conference members. The Flames have competed in the league since 2002, and have won the outright conference championship twice and shared the title 6 times. Liberty is currently 55-22 all-time in Big South games. The Flames have finished with a .500 conference record or better for 11 straight years, and with a win over the Buccaneers will move that mark to 12.
Injury report
Linebacker Jaylyn McKinney is out and wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden is probable.
My prediction:
Liberty 27, Charleston Southern 24
