DON’T CALL IT A RIVALRY
Liberty and Old Dominion are the only two FBS members in the Commonwealth of Virginia at the non-Power Five level. Virginia and Virginia Tech are members of the ACC, but the Flames and Monarchs are both relatively newcomers at the FBS level and still establishing themselves.
The two programs have met on the gridiron twice before, including Liberty’s first ever game as an FBS member in 2018. Liberty dominated that game, and the series between the two is currently split at 1-1. In addition to this week’s game, the two are also scheduled to play each of the next two seasons. In-state FBS opponents, separated by just over three hours driving distance, but that doesn’t mean these two are necessarily rivals.
“I don’t know. I think every win helps you in recruiting,” Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze said this week when asked if this game means more, particularly in recruiting. “You want to be able to beat them on an in-state kid. So, yes. It means maybe more to that Virginia kid, I don’t know, I haven’t had enough experience with that yet. I think winning and winning at home, it’s all going to beat you in recruiting whether it’s Old Dominion or whether it’s Troy you’re playing at home. I would think probably, some of the Virginia kids’ eyes, maybe if it came head to head with us and them for a kid that it could help lean it our way.”
FLAMES ARE 2-0 FOR A 2ND STRAIGHT SEASON
For the second straight season, Liberty has started the year at 2-0. While that doesn’t sound like a particularly strong statement, but it hasn’t been a common occurrence for the Flames’ program. Liberty has started 2-0 just 13 times all-time as a football team. This is only the third time ever the Flames have begun a year 2-0 in back to back years having also done it from 2006-2008 and 1988-1990. Liberty strung together 2-0 starts to the season three straight years each of those runs.
As a heavy favorite this weekend against Old Dominion, Liberty is looking to improve to 3-0 in back to back seasons for the first time since 1989 and 1990.
Here’s the full list of all the previous times Liberty has begun a season 2-0: 2021, 2020, 2017, 2010, 2008, 2007, 2006, 1997, 1993, 1990, 1989, 1988, and 1975.
UNPRECEDENTED RUN OF SUCCESS UNDER FREEZE
When Hugh Freeze was hired as Liberty’s head coach, the fan base knew he would bring success to the Mountain for as long as he stayed in Lynchburg, but I don’t think anyone realized just how much and how fast that success would be.
We all remember Freeze was limited due to a staph infection in his back that took him out of his first training camp with the Flames prior to the 2019 season. He then began that campaign coaching from a hospital bed against Syracuse and from a medical chair against Louisiana. The Flames lost both of those games, to fall to 0-2, before Freeze made his Liberty coaching debut on the sideline, initially in his elevated perch behind the sideline.
As the 2019 campaign rolled on, Liberty continued to find its way under Freeze en route to an 8-5 finish, the team’s first ever bowl appearance and victory over Georgia Southern. That success carried over to 2020 and now into the beginning of the 2021 season.
Under Freeze, Liberty has now won 12 straight games at Williams Stadium. That is the 6th longest active home winning streak in FBS football. The Flames are 17-2 at home as an FBS team and 12-1 under Freeze at home, with the only loss coming to Syracuse in his first ever game at Liberty.
Freeze is the fastest coach to ever record 20 victories at Liberty, doing so in 26 games. The Flames are 14-1 in its last 15 games under Freeze, a streak that dates back to the end of the 2019 season. During that time, Liberty has made its debut in both major FBS college football top 25 polls, won two bowl games, defeated a top 25 opponent, and has wins over two ACC programs in Syracuse and Virginia Tech.
CUSA DOMINANCE
Liberty is facing its first of four Conference USA opponents on the 2021 schedule this weekend against Old Dominion. The Flames are 4-1 all-time against CUSA opponents and have won three straight since falling to North Texas in Lynchburg in 2018. The Flames are also scheduled to play UAB, North Texas, and Middle Tennessee from CUSA later this year.
Add the CUSA to the Sun Belt as two Group of Five conferences that Liberty has found success against in recent years since announcing its move to the FBS. With last week’s win over Troy, the Flames are now 7-1 against Sun Belt teams. Certainly not a bad feather in the cap in this world of conference realignment right now.
BIG FAVORITES
Liberty opened as a 23 point favorite against Old Dominion this week, but that line quickly ballooned to as high as 28 in some books. It has settled at 27.5 most places, and if that holds that would be the second highest spread where Liberty has been the favorite against an FBS opponent. The only one that was larger was last year’s game against UMass on Black Friday when Liberty was favored by 35.5.
Since moving to the FBS level for the 2018 season, Liberty has been favored by more than 17 points on only two previous occasions and both came against UMass. The Flames have covered both of those spreads. Last season, the Flames defeated the Minutemen, 45-0, when favored by 35.5. In 2019 against UMass, Liberty was favored by 23.5 points and won that game by 42 points, 63-21.
ELIJAH DAVIS RETURNS HOME
Old Dominion running back Elijah Davis is set to return to Lynchburg this weekend where he excelled on the gridiron at Heritage High School. Davis committed to ODU out of Heritage while Liberty head coach Turner Gill and his staff at the time pursued him but it was a little bit too late.
Davis has grown into the Monarchs top running back. He redshirted in 2018 after playing in four games where he had 35 carries for 131 yards and 4 touchdowns. In 2019, he played in 11 games and started four with 79 carries for 337 yards and 4 scores. So far this season, the 5’10’, 209 pound redshirt-sophomore has rushed 20 times for 178 yards and a score in ODU’s first two games. He is fighting an injury from the previous game against Hampton and his status for this week is uncertain.
“He’s going to be evaluated and we will see where it goes,” ODU head coach Ricky Rahne said this week about Davis. “He’s a tough kid. Obviously this is one he wants to play in being that he’s from that area.”
