Here is a list of things to keep an eye on during the Kentucky Wesleyan game tonight:
Dominate
No disrespect meant, but Kentucky Wesleyan is clearly an inferior team. Liberty needs to dominate early and often, and let some of their more inexperienced players get some extended game action.
Javan Shashaty should get extended reps against KWC
Javan Shashaty
Should the Flames dominate as expected, backup quarterback Javan Shashaty should get some quality playing time. The redshirt-freshman has only attempted 2 passes in his young Liberty career, and should starter Josh Woodrum get injured the coaching staff needs to know what they have in Javan. Expect Shashaty to be in by halftime with the full compliment of plays at his disposal.
Nick Newman and Gary Sampson
With Jacob Hagen out for the 1st half of the game, true freshmen Nick Newman and Gary Sampson should get extended playing time. Both guys have been praised by the coaching staff throughout training camp, but have had limited opportunities in game action to showcase their skills.
Young cornerbacks
One of the strengths of this year’s Liberty defense is their cornerbacks, Walt Aikens and Kevin Fogg. Defensive coordinator Robert Wimberly can many times put those guys on an island and let them fend for themselves. Well, they are both seniors, and their backups are very inexperienced. Save for Kenny Scott, no other corners have had extensive playing time at Liberty. True freshman Wesley Scott has shown flashes of being a solid corner, but tonight should provide him with an opportunity to shine.
Shutout
Can Liberty’s defense get a shutout? They’re certainly capable.
Crowd
It will be interesting to see how many fans show up at the Bill. With it being the 3rd home game against an inferior opponent, it will probably be lower than normal. But it is College for a weekend this weekend, so there will be more people on campus than typical which could help combat the smaller crowd because of Kentucky Wesleyan.
Full Kentucky Wesleyan week coverage:
KWC Player Spotlight: Jeff Ward
