Saturday’s game against Old Dominion is an important one. It’s the first game as an FBS team. It’s the first home game against an FBS team. It’s the first game in an expanded Williams Stadium. But more than all that, what makes this game so important, is the opponent.
The Flames are set to face off against the Monarchs, an in-state FBS rival. These two teams are in close proximity to one another and bump into each other on the recruiting trail frequently. While the two have only agreed to additional games in 2021 and 2022, it can be expected that the Flames and Monarchs will become common opponents in the future. Additionally, Liberty is attempting to do what Old Dominion already has done – make a successful transition from the FCS to the FBS. ODU played their first season as an FBS team in 2014 and just a couple seasons later they won 10 games, including a bowl win in their first ever bowl game appearance.
“These guys are a familiar opponent in the sense that we recruit against these guys,” offensive coordinator Joe Dailey said. “We’ve played against them in years past. We camp with these guys in the summer. We know these guys, most of their staff. We recruit some of these guys that they have, so we’re familiar with a lot of those guys. It’s going to be an exciting challenge just due to the fact that we’re 3.5 hours from each other, we know each other, and we’re trying to do what they’ve already done. They were an FCS team that made the transition to the FBS, and we’re in that process right now.”
“It adds a lot more attention to it with the people in the state of Virginia,” Gill said of the meeting between 2 of the 4 FBS teams in the state. “It’s great that here at Liberty we’re blessed and fortunate to play all of the 3 schools here in the state. And playing Old Dominion, who has done a very good job there, Bobby Wilder and his staff, it adds a little bit more, particularly for the fans. We always want to have this game for our fans to have enjoyment out of it. Our Liberty fans are going to have a great chance this yea,r they’ve heard a lot of these brand names, if you want to call it that, at the FBS level. They’re going to be playing right here in Williams Stadium. I think that’s a very exciting time.”
With Liberty having just 18 months to complete its 2018 schedule after announcing the move to FBS in February 2017, AD Ian McCaw and his staff were backed up against a wall to get games. So much so that Liberty agreed to pay ODU $1.32 million to make the necessary adjustments to its schedule to open the 2018 season against Liberty in Lynchburg. That’s a huge pay day for a brand new FBS school to be paying an in-state G5 program.
“We’re going to find out Saturday,” defensive coordinator Robert Wimberly said, “which team is going to come in and really be physical after all the excitement has gone. Until kickoff, it’s going to be a lot of emotions, a lot of adrenaline, but what’s going to happen when you start having to play football?”
Liberty’s coaching staff stressed the importance of being able to run the ball successfully and stopping Old Dominion’s rushing attack.
“I’ve got one thing as far as the keys – the team that runs the ball the best is going to win the football game,” Coach Gill said.
Kentory Matthews will get the first crack at RB Saturday
On paper, the Monarchs certainly have the advantage as they have established themselves as a power running team whereas the Flames like to air it out. Liberty’s starting running back is listed as Kentory Matthews, who had just 31 carries in 2017. ODU’s top returning back, Jeremy Cox, is dealing with a sprained ankle, but he could still see some playing time. Redshirt-junior Kesean Strong is expected to get the start Saturday. He’s more of an explosive back that can also make plays in the receiving game whereas the 235 pound Cox doesn’t mind mixing it up in the trenches. Strong missed all of 2017 with a foot injury.
“We’ve got to stop the run,” Wimberly said. “We’ve got to contain the run. The person that runs the ball is going to win the game. We’ve got to do our part to make sure it boils down to, as we all know, effort and doing your assignment and making sure that you’re physical.”
Helping the Flames in the run game on both sides of the ball will be several junior college transfers. In total, 8 JUCO transfers that have joined the team since the end of the 2017 season made their way on to this week’s depth chart. This includes running back Peytton Pickett and three defensive linemen in Jessie Lemonier, Vincent Elefante, and Devin Pearson.
“They have brought some maturity,” Gill said of the JUCO transfers. “They are very mature in how they handle things emotionally, mentally, and physically. They have a great work ethic. Sometimes you bring in junior college young men, and they don’t have that work ethic. They have a good mental capacity in everything they can handle. They talk more football. They are thrilled. They are thankful. They are grateful. They are like a sponge just soaking in all the information. Those guys that have been here, they can’t relax. Like I told them, we’re going to play the best people. Whether you have been here 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, if somebody has shown that they can compete and have been successful, then they’re going to play. It’s been great for our football team to have as many junior college kids come in here and compete for a starting job.”
Gill says he’s not concerned with having 3 JUCO players with no playing experience at the Division I level on the 2-deep going up against a very experienced ODU offensive line that returns all 5 starters from a season ago.
“I can’t sit here and say I’m concerned more than any other game. It’s just, are we going to be able to get some penetration? Are we going to be able to cause some havoc? I’m excited about, one, we’ve got more bodies and, two, we’ve got more talent. So, I’m more positive about it. I’m not concerned about inexperience.”
On Tuesday, Gill failed to give an injury report saying he would provide an update “later in the week.” On Thursday, he again met with the media, but said he still wasn’t prepared to give an injury update.
“One more day. Hopefully a miracle or something may happen here. We’re just trying to see what’s going to happen here. One more day. The decision will be made tomorrow (Friday). I don’t have anything for an update. I’m not sure there’s anybody that will be totally out at this time, but we got one more day. We got all the way until Saturday at 6 o’clock. We’re not going to wait all the way to that time period, but I want to wait as much time as I can to see if something can happen and go from there.”
With there being no media availability Friday or Saturday before the game, Gill was asked if there will be an announcement made.
“No, just between us players and we’ll go from there.”
Prediction
Liberty 37, ODU 31
This is a game that could go either way. Coach Gill led teams typically perform well in big games as evidenced by him owning some of the programs biggest wins in school history – Baylor, JMU, Coastal, Montana, App State. The energy surrounding the game – crowd, FBS move, expansion, etc. – will be enough to push the Flames over the top in its first game as an FBS member.
