GETTING THE PASSING GAME BACK ON TRACK

At times this season, the Liberty passing attack has been inconsistent. It cost the team the ability to consistently move the ball, pick up first downs, and put points on the board. The Flames’ scoring production is down more than 8 points from last season’s team.

With Kaidon Salter back, many expected the Flames to continue its dynamic offensive attack without much of an issue. Perhaps we undersold the importance of the loss of key pieces in the receiving corp.

Liberty lost four of its top five receivers from a season ago. We all know about the loss of CJ Daniels who transferred to LSU, but the Flames are also without Noah Frith, Elijah Smoot, and Aaron Bedgood. Treon Sibley is the only one who returned.

The Flames have also had the injury bug at receiver, forcing several to miss time. Sibley and Reese Smith both have missed significant time and Tyson Mobley has also been in and out of the lineup some with injury issues. Combine all of this together and it can begin to explain the drop in production.

” Little things that add up,” Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell said of the passing game. “Quarterback maybe not making the throws necessary, but when he’s ready to make them, we don’t run the right route. There’s just a lot that happens. Part of that has been because of injuries, I bet you we’ve had maybe three weeks all year where we’ve had guys that have actually practiced and been able to play. Receiving and passing is such a timing thing. When the guys are there, the guys are open. We feel like we’re scheming things to give us an opportunity on those things. It’s frustrating because they’re there to be made. Make some of those, this conversation might be a lot different.”

BACK TO SATURDAY

It has certainly been a weird year for the Flames in terms of the schedule. Weather delays in two of the first four games, a game canceled, and then the midweek schedule. It has kept the team out of a rhythm and off a consistent schedule that football teams normally have every week.

As the calendar has flipped to November, Liberty is back on the Saturday weekly schedule and will be for the remainder of the regular season except for a Friday game in the regular season finale at Sam Houston.

With their last game having been played last Wednesday, the team had a few extra days to prepare and adjust back to the Saturday game schedule. The team practiced Friday, had Saturday off, and then returned to practice Sunday and Monday before taking Tuesday off.

“We’ve not had anything really normal a lot this year with a lot of changes,” Chadwell said. “I think our team is excited about being back on Saturday and having a routine. We’ll be able to do that for the next, at least, three weeks. Hopefully it’s something that stabilizes us a little bit. We’ve obviously had some ups and downs, but our practices and things, our preparation, getting ready, has been good. I think they’re maybe relieved to be back on a normal schedule.”

Liberty is 12-0 on Saturday under Chadwell. The Flames’ only three losses in the last two seasons have come on Monday (Vrbo Fiest Bowl vs. Oregon) and Wednesday (Oct. 23, 2024 at Kennesaw State; Oct. 30, 2024 vs. Jacksonville State).

HITTING THE ROAD

Partly due to the cancellation of the game at Appalachian State, the Flames will be playing just the third road game of the season on Saturday at Middle Tennessee. Through the team’s first seven games, five of them have been at home with road trips to New Mexico State and Kennesaw State sprinkled in.

Now, Liberty hits the road to play at MTSU before travelling to take on UMass next Saturday. One home date remains with Western Kentucky before a final road trip to Sam Houston to close the regular season.

This is the latest in the calendar year that the Flames’ third road contest of a season has ever taken place. Currently 1-1 on the road, Liberty is looking to extend a streak of three or more road victories to a fifth consecutive season.

INJURY REPORT

Here’s an update on Liberty’s current injury situation:

  • WR Reese Smith did not play last week at Kennesaw State. He suffered an injury against FIU three weeks ago. Chadwell originally gave him a 2-4 week timeline, but said this week the team is hopeful to get Smith back for the last game of the regular season, maybe the final two.
  • WR Treon Sibley left the Kennesaw game with a hamstring injury. He missed the Jax State game and is trending towards being a game time decision. “We are going on the assumption that will be a no, that he won’t play,” Chadwell said on his weekly coach’s show earlier this week.
  • WR Tyson Mobley missed the Jax State game but is expected to return to the field on Saturday.
  • TE Austin Henderson missed last week’s game against Jax State and was seen with a boot on his foot. He is expected to miss 2-3 weeks.
  • TE Bo Burklow will be out this week.
  • DT Jay Hardy was injured in his return to action against Kennesaw State with a high ankle injury. He could play at MTSU but if he does it sounds like he will be limited.
  • S Christian Bodnar has missed the last two games with an illness. He is likely to miss the rest of the season.