Liberty (5-4, 2-2) heads on the road for their final road game of the regular season as they take on #8 Charleston Southern (8-1, 5-0) on Saturday in Charleston, South Carolina. Kickoff is scheduled for 2pm.
Why Charleston Southern can win this game
The Buccaneers have arguably the top defense in the entire country. They rank #1 in total defense, #7 in scoring defense, #4 in passing yards allowed, #14 in rushing yards allowed, and #9 in 3rd down defense. CSU has also scored 4 touchdowns on defense this season including one last week against Kennesaw State. Coastal Carolina scored 25 points on the Bucs, but in their other 4 Big South games they have allowed just 7 points per game.
Charleston Southern has the top rushing offense in the Big South as they are averaging 238 rushing yards per game. You may recall the 349 rushing yards the Buccaneers rushed for against Liberty last season. This year, CSU is led by Darius Hammond and Mike Holloway who combine to rush for over 140 yards per game. Quarterback Austin Brown is also a capable runner.
The aforementioned Austin Brown threw 4 interceptions against Liberty last year, which may be the only reason the Flames were even close in the 4th quarter. Well, Brown is a much improved passer this year. He has thrown for over 1,000 yards with 7 touchdowns and 4 interceptions through 9 games. His completion percentage is over 55% and he also has 154 rushing yards on the season.
Charleston Southern is good. This is not your typical Buccaneers squad where Liberty can just outmuscle them for a 56-14 win. CSU is deservedly ranked #8 in the country and are 14 point favorites against the Flames. It will be a true upset if Liberty wins.
Why Liberty can win this game
The Flames are 19-3 all-time against Charleston Southern and had won 8 straight prior to last season’s loss. Liberty is 9-1 in Charleston against the Bucs including a 56-14 win over a top 20 ranked CSU team in their last trip in 2013. LU is also 2-0 all-time against Charleston Southern when the Buccaneers are ranked.
The month of November has been very good Coach Gill since he took over at Liberty. Under Gill, the Flames are 12-1 during the month including a 4-0 record against ranked teams.
No offense to any of the other FCS teams Charleston Southern has faced this season, but the Flames’ passing attack will be the most potent they have seen. Josh Woodrum has an assortment of receivers at his disposal, including Darrin Peterson who torched the Bucs last year for 123 yards and 3 touchdowns. Liberty is averaging 264 passing yards per game, best in the Big South and better than any other team CSU has played this year including FBS member Troy.
X-Factor for this game
The run game.
Charleston Southern ran all over the Flames last year on their way to a 38-36 win. Meanwhile, Liberty has struggled both stopping the run and getting any ground game going themselves this season. If CSU is able to drop back in coverage, the Flames may struggle to move the ball all afternoon. Likewise, Liberty’s defense must be able to hold the Buccaneers’ rushing attack in check or we could see a repeat of last year’s outcome.
