Liberty VS Wake Forest – September 1, 2012

Liberty University kicks off the 2012 football season Sept. 1 in Winston-Salem, N.C., against the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest University. With this in mind, below are some talking points for week one.

FBS Opponents

This season marks the 15th consecutive season that the Flames will square off against at least one FBS opponent. Although there may not be many wins to date, each contest against a larger foe brings needed name recognition for a program with big plans for the future.

“I think people are maybe not quite as aware of Liberty University, so when you play an FBS school and then you’re able to get a victory, it brings national exposure,” head coach Turner Gill said. “That would help us in a lot of ways.”

The Flames most recent win over an FBS team was in 2010 when Liberty defeated Ball State from the Mid-American conference, 27-23. Last year, Liberty also began the season in North Carolina against Wake Forest’s ACC rival North Carolina State, losing 43-21.

Wake Forest

The last meeting between Liberty and Wake Forest was in 2006, with Wake Forest winning 34-14. Wake Forest went on to win the Atlantic Coast Conference with an 11-3 record, securing a trip to the Orange Bowl, where they lost 24-13 to No. 5 Louisville. In 2011, Wake Forest finished 6-7, but managed a 5-3 record within the ACC. The record was good enough for second in the Atlantic division and earned them a berth in the Music City Bowl, where they lost 23-17 to Mississippi State.

The team hopes to continue its journey back to national prominence in 2012. However, they will have to do it with an almost entirely new offense. Quarterback Tanner Price (3,017 yards, 20 TDs in 2011) returns, although he will be missing his top target from 2011 Chris Givens, who was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in April. Price is one of only three returning starters on offense.

Liberty’s QB

Speaking of quarterbacks, Gill has yet to name his starter for 2012. Talking with Gill after practice Aug. 24, he seemed ready to wait until the team arrived at Winston-Salem to make his decision public.

“We may not make an announcement until maybe right before the game,” Gill said. “We’ll try to use that as an advantage for us, as far as the opponent trying to know who we are going to be playing and knowing the strengths and the weaknesses of that particular person that we may be starting.”

The leading candidate for the job is most likely junior Brian Hudson of Stafford, Va. Hudson played in three games in 2011, shining in mop-up duty, throwing two touchdowns against Kentucky Wesleyan. Certainly not far behind in the race is redshirt-freshman Josh Woodrum from Cave Springs High School in Roanoke, Va. Woodrum became known as a dual threat runner and thrower throughout high school.

Despite the mystery surrounding the signal caller, Gill said that the quarterback will not impact the way the rest of the team prepares.
“I think it shows the strength of our football team, being able to have two quality quarterbacks that we believe are very good football players,” Gill said. “Whoever that quarterback is, if each person does his job, then we are going to be successful.”

Liberty’s surrounding cast

Whichever man winds up behind center, he can count on senior wide receiver and captain Pat Kelly to help him move the chains. Kelly, coming off another solid season in which he finished second on the team in receptions (40), receiving yards (591) and touchdowns (3), appears to be fully recovered from a nagging hamstring injury that limited him throughout this year.

“I’m good to go. The biggest thing was that I was just getting tired during practice,” Kelly said. “It’s just getting my wind back, and now that I’m finally back in the swing of things…I’m doing great, body’s feeling well, so I can’t wait.”

In addition to Kelly, Gill hinted at the possibility of some younger players getting significant playing time. One such player is walk-on wide receiver Jaquan Glover, who Gill said has been impressive throughout the off-season.

Defensively, Liberty’s line is led by 2012 Samkon Gado Award-winner Bryant Lewellyn, who was named one of the four team captains. The other team captain on defense is Kevin Fogg. As a defensive back, Fogg flashed his ball skills last year, intercepting two passes against Robert Morris. He also showed himself to be one of the nation’s premiere special teamers, leading the country with a 33.5 yard kickoff return average.

Shake N Bake to Wake

Students and fans looking to attend the Sept. 1 game in Winston-Salem can join the Shake N Bake to Wake caravan and be a part of the sea of red hitting the Wake Forest campus. For a charge of $5 per vehicle, participants receive a gift bag which includes: T-shirts for all travelers, a car flag, travel CD, rally towels, pom-poms, directions and food coupons. The $5 fee is waived for all Flames Club members.

The caravan will meet at Doc’s Diner at 1:15 p.m. for a 2 p.m. departure. Game tickets are available in the Liberty University ticket office for $30, and parking is $8. To register your vehicle, send an email to dcadams3@liberty.edu that includes your driver name, the name of the Flames Club member (include whether it is an adult, student, or kids club membership) and the T-shirt sizes of everyone in your party.