Flames fans who are unable to attend home games at Williams Stadium or travel with the team on the road won’t have to miss a minute of the action this season. There are more opportunities than ever before to catch the Flames in action, with home and away contests covered by the Liberty Flames Sports Network and broadcast live on the new WFFP-TV (Channel 24 in the Lynchburg, Roanoke, and Danville areas).
Most games are also webcast on ESPN3 and the Big South Network and will be aired on The Journey radio and its mobile app, My Journey FM. The regular-season finale against Big South Conference (BSC) preseason favorite Coastal Carolina was bumped up two days to be broadcast nationally for the first time through ESPNEWS on Nov. 19. That contest could once again determine the conference champion.
The senior-loaded Flames are coming off their first NCAA FCS playoffs appearance and seventh BSC championship in eight seasons. They upset 15th-ranked James Madison University, 26-21, in the opening round.The Flames entered this season with their highest preseason ranking in 20 years at No. 14.
Flames fans helped set a Williams Stadium crowd record of 22,551 on Sept. 19, when Liberty (No. 15/14) defeated Montana (No. 8/7). This was the first-ever Top 15 showdown in stadium history. With the 31-21 win, the Flames marked their sixth victory over a ranked FCS opponent in four seasons under Head Coach Turner Gill. It also gave Liberty its third win over a Top 10 opponent in the last four years.
In his final season under center, fourth-year starting quarterback and captain Josh Woodrum is within reach of several career records at Liberty, including passing yards, touchdown passes, and total offense. Senior wide receiver Darrin Peterson, a preseason first-team All-American who racked up a school-record 1,379 receiving yards and 12 touchdown catches last season, will be one of his top passing targets.
Senior running backs D.J. Abnar and Desmond Rice should find plenty of running room behind Liberty’s stacked offensive line, anchored by senior left guard Jonathan Burgess and sophomore right tackle Tanner Hartman. That line features an international flavor this year with senior Max Sommer from Germany and freshman Ernst Anderson from Norway.
Senior defensive end Chima Uzowihe, who blocked a field goal as time expired in the one-point win at Coastal Carolina, will lead a young defensive unit that lost five starters, including two who signed free agent contracts with NFL teams — Jacob Hagen (St. Louis Rams) and Dominique “Niko” Davis (Pittsburgh Steelers).
Senior placekicker John Lunsford, who kicked the three longest field goals in the country last year, is considered the best pro prospect in the BSC.
