Quick-Hit Notes: Liberty Beats FBS Opponent Georgia State

Here are some quick notes following Liberty’s win against FBS opponent Georgia State:

• This is Liberty’s fourth win over an FBS school. This is their second win against a Sun Belt team as they knocked off App State last year.
• What makes this win so huge is the at-large bid for the playoffs. With this win, the Flames still have a good chance to grab it as long as they hold steady throughout Big South play. They could fall to Coastal and still have a chance to get in. We prefer the automatic bid though.
• Liberty finally got the run game established. After a three-week absence of an effective ground attack, the Flames picked up 263 yards rushing. And it was the ground game that they relied heavily on, considering all 5 touchdowns came that way. Both D.J. Abnar and Des Rice rushed for over 80 yards.
• After a notable absence, the option made its way back on the field for the Flames. On the first drive of the game, Woodrum got lose on a pitch-option and went for his longest run of the season.
• The passing game is developing into what we all hoped it would. Darrin Peterson made his presence known as he returned from a 1 game absence due to injury. He had 9 catches for 89 yards. True freshman D. King is becoming a key contributor on offense and Zach Parker is becoming a third down weapon.
• The only turnover of the game came on the first drive. The ball was handed off to Stephon Masha, who never really had great control of it, and the ball rolled into the endzone for a touchback.
• Liberty also did what they do best and kept the ball of offense. They had the ball for 43 minutes. That’s two-thirds of the game. Wow. Their drives were extremely effective. Aaron Stamn’s play-calling was very impressive. He kept the GSU defense on their toes for the majority of the game. The Flames were 4 of 4 on 4^{th downs.}
• The defense got off to a very rocky start, specifically the backfield, as they let two Georgia State receivers get over the top for 58, 61 and 75 yard touchdowns. This continued throughout the game. GSU’s QB, N. Arbuckle constantly found receivers beating our defensive backs. They gained 394 yards through the air. I imagine this will be a great point of emphasis at practice this coming week.
• The defensive line still looks great. They held Georgia State to 11 total rushing yards. They also picked up a couple of sacks.
• On the final drive of the game, the D-line was very dominating. They recorded a sack and pressured QB N. Arbuckle to the point that he threw an interception. Chris Turner managed to grab the game-winning INT.
• John Lunsford successfully kicked a 26 yarder and a 56 yarder.  The 56 yard field goal was pivotal. Instead of a simple touchdown to win the game, GSU would need both a touchdown and 2 point conversion just to force OT. Luckily, it never got that far.
• The Flames are now 3-0 when wearing the red mesh helmets, white jerseys, and blue pants. Those wins were App State, JMU, and now GSU.
• The Flames now head down to Boiling Springs to open up Big South play. Gardner-Webb will be coming off a bye.