I’ve shared this before, but I grew up a fan of the Virginia Cavaliers. My family had football season tickets and we went to all the games. I was a diehard.
One of my first sports memories as a kid is from the 1990 Virginia football season. Behind Shawn Moore and Herman Moore, UVA picked up its first ever win over Clemson in football in what felt like a real turning point for the program. They then raced out to a 7-0 record and No. 1 national ranking.
It was a euphoric time from what I knew and can remember as a young kid. But, as quickly as the Cavs rose to the top, it all came crashing down.
The Hoos lost to Georgia Tech and lost the No. 1 ranking. After that, the team went into a bit of a tailspin the rest of the way, finishing the year at 8-4. A very disappointing ending to what set up to be a special season.
It feels like Liberty is in a very similar situation this week.
Coming off the 27-24 loss to Kennesaw State, the Flames are at a crossroads.
That loss was embarrassing. Humiliating. Humbling.
It’s not just that it was the first loss of the season. The first loss in the regular season under Jamey Chadwell. The first loss in CUSA play in almost two full years as a member.
It’s who it was against. The Owls had lost 14 straight games against Division I teams, many of those coming against FCS opponents. They had never beaten an FBS opponent in the history of their program. This was the G5 equivalent of Vanderbilt beating Alabama.
It’s also how it happened. It was self-inflicted. The Owls wanted the game more. They played more together as a team. Those descriptions all came from Coach Chadwell. I don’t disagree with his assessment.
Now, this team is at a crossroads. How will they respond? Will it serve as a much-needed wake-up call or will the team implode and go into a spiral?
“It can go two ways,” Chadwell said after the loss Wednesday night. “You can look at it and it can get you re-focused and you can go play good football going forward, or it can start a spiral.”
It’s time for every member of the coaching staff and every member of the team to decide: are you in or are you out? Are you going to fight back from being knocked down on the mat? Are you going to fight back from the first bit of adversity you have faced in a long time, the first bit of adversity as a group?
The team needs a leader or leaders to step up and answer the call.
“You hope that you look inward as coaches and players, look inward and say what has got us to this point,” said Chadwell. “Why are we not playing the game the way that I believe we are capable of with the group that we have?”
This team has the talent. They have the skill. They have the playmakers. We saw what the ceiling was last year. Sure, there are different pieces and it’s a different team, but that same potential is there. We’ve seen it in brief flashes this season. We saw it in the 4th quarter at New Mexico State. We saw it in the second half against East Carolina.
The time for excuses is over. It’s time to put up or shut up. Does this team have what it takes to respond from that body blow it took in Kennesaw?
We will find out Wednesday night at Williams Stadium when the Flames take on Jax State. The Gamecocks are arguably the hottest team in CUSA, having won four straight and doing so handily. They won’t come into Lynchburg feeling sorry for the Flames. They will come looking for blood, wanting to dethrone the champs and stake their claim as the team to beat for the 2024 conference title.
We’re about to find out what this team is made of.
