Petey will have his hands full with Darrin Marrow of NSU
A pair of 0-1 teams meet on the gridiron Saturday afternoon in Norfolk. Norfolk State and Liberty renew a series the Flames lead 3-2.
Why Norfolk State can win this game
You don’t have to look far. The Spartans came to Lynchburg in 2012 and defeated the Flames in Coach Gill’s debut at Williams Stadium. NSU should have plenty of confidence in thinking they can defend their home field. Additionally, Liberty has not beat an in-state nonconference Division I opponent since 2003. The Flames have lost 10 straight including 2 to Norfolk State.
Lynden Trail has NFL potential (lyndentrail.com)
NSU has a very good defense. They held last year’s CAA champion, Maine, to 187 yards of total offense last week. Maine averaged just 3 yards per play. The Spartans’ defensive attack is led by a couple of All-Americans in linebacker Lynden Trail and cornerback Darrin Marrow. Trail had 4 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks against Maine. Marrow was one of the best defensive backs in the country last season with 5 interceptions.
Coach Gill has mentioned frequently leading up to the season Liberty’s recent struggles in nonconference road games. The Flames are 0-6 in nonconference road games under Gill, including last week’s loss to North Carolina. LU held 2 scrimmages off-campus during preseason camp with the thought of overcoming their road struggles. Only time will tell if the adjustments have worked.
Why Liberty can win this game
The Flames are more explosive on offense than the Spartans. In NSU’s first game, the Spartans had exactly 1 drive longer than 16 yards. One. Maine forced Norfolk State into 8 punts. By contrast, against a top-25 FBS opponent, Liberty put up nearly 350 yards of total offense. The Flames had 8 drives longer than 16 yards.
While Norfolk State is trying to find their way through 3 quarterbacks, the Flames are set on their signal caller. Josh Woodrum can lead Liberty’s offense against a stout defense, unlike any of NSU’s quarterbacks have proven to be capable of.
Coach Gill has been preaching to his team all offseason about winning on the road early in the season. It’s the concept behind the “Start Fast – Finish Strong – Get it Done” motto you’ve heard around the team this year. The Flames will be amped up and ready to get revenge from the 2012 loss to the Spartans.
X-Factor for this game
Josh Woodrum. Josh needs to be the 3rd-year, veteran quarterback the Flames expect to have this season. He struggled a bit against North Carolina, and he will be tested this weekend with the likes of Trail creating havoc in the backfield and Marrow blanketing one side of the field. If Liberty is able to move the ball consistently, behind Josh, the Flames should have no problem beating the Spartans.
