12/4/22

Chadwell Named Liberty’s New Head Football Coach

LYNCHBURG, Va. – With the Flames on the verge of moving into their first-ever FBS conference and the program at its greatest heights, Liberty University has hired Jamey Chadwell as the 10^th head coach in the program’s history.

Liberty University Director of Athletics Ian McCaw will welcome Chadwell to Liberty Mountain during a press conference today at 3 p.m. The press conference will be held on the third floor of the Carter Tower at Williams Stadium.

Unprecedented success has followed Chadwell at each of his stops during his 13-year career as a head coach at various levels of football.

Overall, Chadwell brings a 99-57 head coaching record that spans stops at North Greenville (2009-2011), Delta State (2012), Charleston Southern (2013-16) and Coastal Carolina (2017 (intern); 2019-22).

For five of the last six seasons, Chadwell has guided the rapid growth of the Coastal Carolina football program at the FBS level and in the Sun Belt Conference.

Chadwell coached the Chanticleers to first-place finishes in the Sun Belt Conference in 2020 and 2022 (tied for first in East) and a 31-6 record over the last three seasons. He helped Coastal Carolina secure its first two FBS bowl game appearances at the 2020 and 2021 Cure Bowl, including a win over Northern Illinois, 47-41, in the 2021 Tailgreeter Cure Bowl.

After guiding Coastal Carolina to an 11-0 regular season record in 2020, Chadwell was named the 2020 Walter Camp Coach of the Year, The Home Depot College Football Coach of the Year, Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, Sporting News Coach of the Year, CBS Sports/247Sports Coach of the Year, Paul "Bear" Bryant Group of 5 2020 Conference Coach of the Year and Grant Teaff Coach of the Year Award (FCA).

Chadwell’s Chanticleers were ranked in the top 25 Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls for a total of 22 consecutive weeks from Oct. 18, 2020, through Nov. 7, 2021.

The Chanticleers were also ranked as high as No. 12 in the College Football Playoff rankings in 2020, which set a Sun Belt record.

With their back-to-back double-digit wins total in 2020 (11-1) and 2021 (11-2), Coastal Carolina was one of six teams at the FBS level to post back-to-back double-digit win seasons during the two-year span.

The Chanticleers (22-3) were one of 10 teams to win 20-plus games over the same period: Alabama (26-2), Louisiana (23-2), Cincinnati (22-2), Coastal Carolina (22-3), Notre Dame (21-4), BYU (21-4), Georgia (22-3), Oklahoma (20-4), Oklahoma State (20-5), and Clemson (20-5).

During the 2021 season, Coastal Carolina was one of four FBS teams to rank in the top 25 in both total offense (fifth) and total defense (25th) and one of eight teams to rank in the top 25 in both scoring offense (fifth) and scoring defense (25th).

In 2020, Chadwell led the Chanticleers to the program’s first-ever Sun Belt Conference title, an 11-1 overall mark, including an 8-0 Sun Belt Conference record, and the program’s first-ever FBS postseason bowl game.

The Chanticleers posted two wins over ranked FBS opponents, the first two such victories in program history, four wins over top 50 opponents. They were ranked as high as No. 9 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and No. 11 in the Amway Coaches Poll, both Sun Belt Conference records.

During the 2018 season, Chadwell served as the Chanticleers associate head coach under head coach Joe Moglia. He was a Broyles Award nominee, an award given annually to college football’s top assistant coach, serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

The Chanticleers’ offense in 2018 led the Sun Belt and ranked in the top 25 nationally in rushing yards per game, red-zone offense, time of possession, first downs, and both third- and fourth-down conversion percentage for much of the season.

Coastal Carolina finished the year ranked in the top 10 nationally in fourth-down conversion percentage (68.8), fewest penalties (52), fewest penalties per game (4.33), and fewest penalty yards (493).

Chadwell served as interim head coach during the 2017 season due to Moglia taking a medical sabbatical.

Before his days in Conway, S.C., Chadwell spent four seasons as the head coach at Charleston Southern, where he finished fourth in the FCS National Coach of the Year voting in 2015 and eighth in 2013.

He was named Big South Coach of the Year three times (2013, 2015, and 2016), led CSU to conference titles in 2015 and 2016, and guided the Buccaneers to the NCAA Division I FCS Championship Playoffs in each of his last two years.

In 2016, Chadwell earned Big South Coach of the Year honors for the second-straight year and the third time in four years, tying him for the most such accolades in conference history.

Charleston Southern broke through on the national stage in a big way in 2015, compiling a 10-3 overall record and a 6-0 Big South mark en route to achieving a pair of firsts -- an outright conference championship and an automatic FCS Division I Championship bid.

During the 2012 season, served as the head coach at Delta State, following three seasons as the head coach at North Greenville (2009-11).

After posting a 2-8 record in his first season as a head coach at North Greenville in 2009, Chadwell turned the program around in year two, going 9-3. He then led North Greenville to the NCAA DII quarterfinals with an 11-3 record in year three and the program’s first-ever national ranking, finishing the 2011 season 12th in the American Football Coaches Association DII Poll.

In 2011, North Greenville defeated every team in the South Atlantic Conference in the first year of the four-year scheduling alliance of which North Greenville is a part.

Chadwell began his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater East Tennessee State in 2000. From 2000-03, the former Anderson County (Tenn.) High School star worked with the quarterbacks, tight ends, and running backs while assisting with recruiting and offensive game planning.

From 2004-08, Chadwell was on staff at Charleston Southern before he was named the head coach in 2009. He served as recruiting coordinator and offensive coordinator, helping the Buccaneers with their first-ever Big South Conference title in 2005.

Chadwell was a four-year letterman at ETSU (1996-99) and was a two-year team captain for the Buccaneers. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics and business education in May 2000 from ETSU and completed his MBA from Charleston Southern in May 2006.

Chadwell is married to the former Solmaz Zarrineh and the couple has one son, Jameson, and two daughters, Avery and Soraya.

Berkman Scores Career-High 26 & Reaches 1,000, but Liberty Falls to Minnesota, 77-65

NOV 27, 2022 | CHARLOTTESVILLE VA | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Liberty’s Mya Berkman tallied a career-high 26 points to become the 20th member of the Lady Flames’ 1,000-point club, Sunday at John Paul Jones Arena. However, Minnesota put a damper on her celebration with a 77-65 victory in the final game of the Cavalier Classic.

Liberty, which dropped both of its Cavalier Classic contests, falls to 2-4 with its third straight defeat. Berkman’s 1,000th point came on a layup with 7:18 to play in the contest, and the redshirt senior also grabbed 11 boards for her 10th career double-double. Kennedi Williams added a career-high 21 points of her own, but the Lady Flames shot just 38.7 percent (24-of-62) as a team.

Minnesota is now 4-2 this season and 2-0 all-time against the Lady Flames. Katie Borowicz scored a career-high 21 points and dished out five of her team’s 18 assists. The Golden Gophers made 46.9 percent (30-of-64) of their field goals, aided by 48 points in the paint.

Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Berkman – 26 points, 11 rebounds, 10-15 FG; Williams – 21 points, 3 assists, 7-9 FG, 7-7 FT; Bella Smuda – 8 points, 5 rebounds; Emma Hess – 5 points, 3 assists, 3 blocks.

Minnesota Individuals: Borowicz – 21 points, 5 assists, 5 steals, 9-11 FG; Alanna Micheaux – 15 points, 9 rebounds; Amaya Battle – 14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, Angelina Hammond – 8 points.

Key Team Stats: Liberty shot 78.9 percent (15-of-19) from the foul line but only 11.1 percent (2-of-18) from beyond the three-point arc. The two teams each grabbed 38 rebounds, with the Lady Flames’ 15 offensive boards leading to 16 second-chance points. Liberty was outscored in bench points for the first time this season, as the Golden Gophers’ reserves tallied 27 points to Liberty’s 11.

Turning Point
Berkman opened the second-half scoring with a three-point play, cutting Minnesota’s lead to 36-34.

Isabelle Gradwell countered with a three-pointer on the Golden Gophers’ next offensive trip, initiating a 14-5 Minnesota surge over the next seven minutes.

Liberty was unable to get any closer than seven the rest of the evening.

Game Summary
First Quarter

Minnesota emerged with a 16-15 edge after a first quarter which featured four lead changes.
Alanna Micheaux led all players with eight points for the Golden Gophers, while the Lady Flames enjoyed a 14-9 rebounding advantage.

Second Quarter

Berkman went to work in the second quarter with nine points and five rebounds.
However, Minnesota guard Borowicz hit two early triples and scored 11 points of her own as the Golden Gophers outscored Liberty, 20-16, to take a 36-31 halftime lead.

Third Quarter

Minnesota built a trio of 11-point leads during the third quarter, including a 55-44 cushion at the conclusion of the period. The Golden Gophers doubled up the Lady Flames on the boards during the third stanza, 14-7.

Fourth Quarter

Liberty recorded its highest-scoring quarter of the contest in the fourth session, dropping in 21 points on 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from the field. Berkman and Williams combined for 19 of the Lady Flames’ tallies.
However, Minnesota shut the door on a Liberty comeback by posting 22 fourth-quarter points, including 10 by Amaya Battle.

Notes and Nuggets

Berkman’s 20-point game was her first of the season and the fourth of her career. Her 26 tallies were the most by a Lady Flame since Jan. 3, 2021, when Ashtyn Baker posted 27 against Lipscomb.
Berkman’s second double-double in as many days was her third of the season and the 10th of her career.
Williams’ 21 points shattered her previous career high of 13. She and Berkman are the first Liberty duo to score 20+ points in a game since March 7, 2020, when Emily Lytle had 29 and Asia Todd added 20 at Kennesaw State.
Williams connected on all seven of her free throws and has now made 14 in a row since missing her first foul shot attempt this season.
Hess had not blocked a shot this season and had only posted four blocks in her career before rejecting a career-high three Minnesota shots on Sunday.
Liberty drops to 2-7 all-time against Big Ten opponents.
The Lady Flames’ current three-game losing streak is their longest since dropping five in a row between Nov. 8-24, 2019.

Up Next
Liberty will continue its trek around the Commonwealth with a visit to old Big South Conference rival Radford (3-3) on Dec. 4. Tipoff is scheduled at 4:30 p.m. inside the Dedmon Center for the 71st all-time meeting between the Lady Flames and Highlander

Virginia Tech upsets the liberty flames at williams stadium 23-22

It has been nearly two years since Liberty University and Virginia Tech met in the gridiron. The last contest was a memorable game for several reasons. Liberty visited the Hokies and made history with an impressive 38-35 win as it was arguably the biggest win in Flames’ history until this year.

That game marked the coming out party of Malik Willis (Tennessee Titans). The differences are evident as not only the cast has changed but Brent Pry is the new VT coach and they are mired in a disappointing 2-8 season. The Flames on the other hand have catapulted into the national spotlight with the tremendous home triumph over BYU and then the program changing victory at SEC member, the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The teams seem to be going in opposite directions but for game, their seasons collided.

With the backdrop of the tragic events in Charlottesville, both teams honored the University of Virginia by wearing uniforms in orange for VT and blue for Liberty.

The visitors got off to a great start scoring first when Jalen Holston rumbled in from two yards out. The Flames did not stay down long as they covered 89 yards towards the end of the first quarter. They tied the score when QB Jonathan Bennett scrambled 15 yards into the endzone.

The second quarter saw more scoring as both teams put up 10 points each. Holston scored his second touchdown to give VT a 14-7 lead and a Hokie field goal made it 17-7. Liberty quickly responded when Shedrick Louis took the ensuing kickoff 97 yards to electrify the home crowd and swing momentum into the side of the blue clad Flames. The Flames shut down the next Virginia Tech possession and drive the field to tie the game with a field goal at 17 with five seconds just before halftime.

The Flames defense continued the hot streak and sack VT quarterback Grant Wells for a safety. They added another field goal to score 15 consecutive points and take a 22-17 lead.

In the fourth quarter as Liberty was looking to finish the game, disaster struck. The first turnover for either team happened on a QB Kaden Salter fumble in VT territory. The Hokies took the gift and unwrapped in the endzone on Holston’s third TD of the game. His 99 rushing yards led all players.

The two point conversion failed and the shock and suddenness was evident to the crowd as the Flames had a little over seven minutes inter fourth quarter to re-capture the lead. Each team traded possessions and the Flames had one more chance until disaster struck again. Another fumble, this time from Bennett, resulted in the second and last chance turnover for Liberty. VT soaked up the win by taking a couple of kneel downs and celebrate with the upset win over their commonwealth rival. The final score was 23-22 and it marked the highlight of the season for Virginia Tech. Liberty unfortunately now drops to 8-3 and suffered their first losing streak of the year.

EMSPORTS 11/19/2022

10/29/22

Liberty Extends Hugh Freeze Contract Through 2030

LYNCHBURG, Va. – On the heels of the most historic win in program history, Flames Nation has something else to celebrate during the football program’s annual bye week.

Today, Liberty University announced it has extended its contract with Flames Head Football Coach Hugh Freeze through the 2030 season.

“We are grateful for Coach Freeze’s outstanding leadership of Liberty Football and the positive influence he has on our student-athletes,” said Director of Athletics Ian McCaw. “Liberty Football is realizing the vision that was cast for it decades ago and we are excited that Coach Freeze will lead the program into the future.”

Last Saturday, Liberty defeated BYU, 41-14, before 24,012 fans in a nationally televised game on ESPNU. The largest crowd to ever see a game at Williams Stadium witnessed history in the making and they stormed the field following the convincing win to celebrate.

When the school was founded in 1971, Liberty’s founder Dr. Jerry Falwell, Sr. had a vision for Liberty Athletics. The renowned pastor wanted to create a school that offered Christian student-athletes the chance to play at the highest level of collegiate competition, like what Notre Dame offered to those of the Catholic faith and BYU provided to Mormon student-athletes.

In the eyes of many long-time Flames supporters, Liberty’s win over BYU was an important milestone towards fulfilling the vision cast 50 years ago and punctuated the Flames’ rapid ascent in the FBS ranks.

Freeze has guided Liberty every season since the Flames have been bowl eligible, winning eight or more games each of the last three seasons (2019: 8-5, 2020: 10-1; 2021: 8-5).

Overall, the Flames are currently in their fourth season under Freeze. He has led Liberty to a 33-12 overall record and has the team bowl eligible for the fourth straight season.

After winning five games in a row, Liberty is currently 7-1 in 2022 and is the second team outside the top 25 in the Associated Press and AFCA Coaches Poll national rankings.

Liberty is just one of five FBS teams in the country who have won a bowl game each of the last three seasons, joining the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Louisiana.

Liberty is the second team in NCAA history to win a bowl game during its first three full seasons at the FBS level (2019, 2020 and 2021), all coming under Freeze’s leadership.

During his four-year tenure on the Mountain, Freeze has guided Liberty through a series of “firsts” in program history: first bowl game (2019 Cure Bowl), first bowl game win (2019 Cure Bowl over Georgia Southern), first national ranking (including a No. 17 final ranking in 2020), first wins over ACC teams (Syracuse and Virginia Tech in 2020) and the first win over a nationally ranked FBS team (No. 9 Coastal Carolina in the 2020 Cure Bowl).

Today’s contract extension notice gives Freeze the chance to add another “first” to his Liberty coaching resume. Last November, Liberty announced it is moving its athletics department to Conference USA starting with the 2023-24 season, giving Freeze a chance to win Liberty’s first-ever FBS conference championship in 2023.

SNEAD SHINEs IN SPRING GAME

Lynchburg VA

Liberty’s first touchdown of the morning workout came when quarterback Johnathan Bennett completed a 20-yard scoring play to wide receiver Caleb Snead. Quarterback Nate Hampton added a second scoring pass when he found Jaivian Lofton. Snead caught a 20- yard pass for

a touchdown against his former Teammate Chris Megginson from Heritage High School. Also, Micah Glaize former Brookville player had a good defensive game. EM-SPORTS 4/9/22

A GOOD DAY FOR MALIK WILLIS FOR PRO-DAY

Lynchburg VA

A good day for Malik Willis for a pro-day in front of the NFL scout's upper administration and several head coaches. Willis dazzled onlookers with passes, one after another, slicing through the air a slight whistle and pinpoint accuracy. Liberty Quarterback
Malik Willis impressed a school-day 60 NFL coaches, scouts, and executives from all 32 teams with the arm. Hugh Freeze said that Malik Willis has only played football for two
years in college. also Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin among attendees at pro-day at Liberty University. EM-SPORTS 3/23/22

3/12/22

Liberty Basketball Associate Head Coach Brad Soucie Steps Down

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty men’s basketball associate head coach Brad Soucie has announced that he is stepping away to pursue other interests and will not return next season.

“I am so thankful to have served alongside Ritchie for 27 years and to have had the opportunity to serve so many student athletes,” Soucie said. “It has been an honor to coach at Liberty and be a part of the amazing vision. Liberty basketball is in great hands with Ritchie’s leadership, and I know more success is coming. Thank you everyone for making my time at Liberty University so special.”

Soucie has been by head coach Ritchie McKay’s side since 1996 on the sidelines as Soucie has helped build Liberty Basketball into one of the best mid-major programs in the country. Soucie oversaw a defense that proved to be one of the best in the country over recent years, ranking in the top 50 the last five seasons and as high as No. 2 during the 2020 season. The Flames have won 20-plus games in seven of the nine seasons during Soucie’s time at Liberty including capturing the Flames’ first-ever NCAA Tournament win in 2019.

“It is not often you get to journey with someone in this profession for 27 straight years, so I am thankful for the blessing that it has been to do so with Brad,” McKay said. “He has definitely had an impact on the program and the players’ lives that he had the opportunity to be a part of. I am very thankful for him and wish him great success in the future.”

Liberty flames advance in playoff

Lynchburg VA

Liberty keep their playoff alive by beating Lipscom'S 52-47 it was an uphill batter.
Darius McGhee hit the first three points for Liberty both teams struggled on offense
in the first four minutes of the contest. The Flames led most of the game Lipscomb''s
was able to take its first lead of the game (22-21) with three minutes before halftime.
After halftime Lipscomb change their defense by putting a big man on Darius McGhee
to try to stop him from scoring but Darius McGhee finished with 26 points. Lipscomb's top score was Trae Benham with 21 points. Liberty Flames will host Bellarmine on
Saturday, March 5 in the ASUN Semifinals tipoff is set for 6 pm in Lynchburg Va.
EM-SPORTS.ORG 3/3/22

Liberty men's baseball win home opener against North Carolina a&t 12-2

LIBERTY 72 FGCU 82

Liberty Flames were enjoying a great season and looking at another win as Florida Gulf Coast came to Lynchburg. The Fames were ahead by 1 full game in the Atlantic Sun East Division and aiming to win another conference title.

The Flames were on a two game winning streak and with one game left after tonight, they could almost wrap up the A-Sun title with a win.

FGCU got off to a good start and continue to score as Liberty had to climb out of an early hole. With only about two minutes remaining in the 1st half, Liberty grabbed their first lead. They held the lead at 31-29 in this closely contested affair.

The game couldn't have been closer as FGCU scratched and clawed back into the game and took the lead with over a minute left. With Liberty down 66-64 and staring defeat in the face, they didn't quit. Liberty scored with 41 seconds remaining and forced overtime. With the momentum, Liberty looked to ride into overtime and a win but the Eagles had all the answers.

The Flames could not sustain their energy and FGCU took an early lead after a 3 in overtime. Even with the efforts of all conference guard, Darius McGhee, who scored 28, the home team was overwhelmed by Tavian-Dunn Martin who scored a game high 43 and his team won by 10, 82-72 in an electric atmosphere in Lynchburg. FGCU capitalized most at the free throw line making 18 of 21 attempts. Liberty was only 7 of 12. The three-point shot was seen throughout the game as the teams combined for 15 of 55 with the Eagles making good on eight and Liberty converted 7.

The loss drops Liberty (20-10) into a tie at the top with Jacksonville University as both teams have one game left in regular season before the tournament. FGCU (19-10) moves into third place with the win.

EMSPORTS 2/23/2022

darius mcghEE is the most explosive guard that I have ever seen

2/23/22

He is the most explosive guard that I have ever seen. He'll probably go down in history

the best guard to ever at Liberty U and maybe the best basketball player ever in Liberty's history. McGee's 21.4 points per game rank sixth in D-1 basketball. The top five scorers above McGhee are taller than under 6'-1". What he is doing at his height is nothing short of spectacular.

McGhee is the reigning ASUN Player of the Year. It should come as no surprise that the career 37.4-percent 3-point shooter also led the conference in total points scored last season as well.

McGhee has gone overlooked his entire life — not by his opponents, to be clear — by coaches and scouts alike. When he committed to Liberty, McGhee claimed four other offers from Longwood, George Mason, High Point and Campbell. It was a perplexing notion because his region was experiencing Chris Clemons’ prolific collegiate career during McGhee’s recruitment. The pair carried the same questions coming out of high school before breakout D-1 careers.

“I think all of us have a chip; you cannot play at this level without a chip,” McGhee said. “Especially at my size, you have to play with a chip. My strength coach and I had this conversation the other day; we are about the same size. We didn’t realize we were small until someone told us.”

Liberty Ends 2021 with a Win Over Boyce College

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty extended its home winning streak to 42 games on Friday afternoon at Liberty Arena, defeating Boyce College 91-60. Liberty improves to 9-6 on the season led by Darius McGhee scoring a game-high 21 points.

First Half

After getting off to a slow start to the game, Liberty got in a rhythm ending the first half shooting 56 percent in the half. Liberty was led by Darius McGhee (16 points) and Shiloh Robinson (10 points) combining to score 26 of Liberty’s 48 points in the first half. The Flames were able to control the paint outscoring Boyce College 24-8 inside the paint in the first half as the Flames went into the break with a 48-29 lead.

Second Half

Brody Peebles (8 points) and Kyle Rode (11 points) got hot in the second half, scoring 19 of Liberty’s 32 points in the first 12 minutes of the second half. The Flames continued to be exceptional on offense, shooting 51 percent (17-33) in the second half, recording 11 assists on 17 made shots. Seven different players would score for the Flames in the latter half as Liberty cruised to the 91-60 victory.

Key Stats & Notes

Darius McGhee has recorded his seventh straight 20-point game and his 22^nd career 20-point game.
McGhee moved to No. 35 on Liberty’s all-time rebounding list with 408 career rebounds, passing Mike Baker.
McGhee moved to No. 33 on Liberty’s all-time assists list with 202 career assists, passing Eric Pothoven.
Liberty had six players score double-figures led by McGhee’s 21 points.
Kyle Rode tied his season-high record with 7 assists.
Blake Preston grabbed 11 rebounds, tying his career high.

Thoughts from Head Coach Ritchie McKay

“I think Boyce did a good job of trying to execute their stuff and they were tough-minded. That was a good game for us because we needed to play hard in order to win the game. It is a long trip back from Hawaii and I am not into excuses, but I do know when you travel back the time difference is five hours and some of our guys traveled 14 to 18 hours back; we started defending a little bit better and got a couple of easy baskets.”

Up Next

Liberty will hit the road to begin conference play as the Flames travel to Florida to take on Stetson. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 4, and can be seen on ESPN+.

Willis Leads Flames to 2021 LendingTree Bowl Victory

Liberty’s Malik Willis accounted for five of the Flames’ seven touchdowns on the day, leading Liberty to a convincing 56-20 win over Eastern Michigan in the 2021 LendingTree Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium.

Willis was named the LendingTree Bowl MVP after finishing the game with 289 total offensive yards (58 rushing, 231 passing).

Running back T.J. Green, who rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown, was named the LendingTree Bowl Offensive MVP.

Safety Skyler Thomas, a grad transfer playing in his last season with the Flames, was named the LendingTree Bowl Defensive MVP after returning an interception 27 yards for a touchdown.

Punter Aidan Alves was named the LendingTree Bowl Special Teams MVP after averaging 48.7 yards per punt, including his second 60-plus yard punt of the season (63 yards).

Liberty, in its third year of full FBS eligibility, earned its third straight bowl victory. The Flames, who also won the FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl in 2019 and 2020, join Appalachian State (2015-20) as the only teams to win bowl games in each of their first three years after transitioning to FBS from FCS.

With the victory over Eastern Michigan today, the Flames have won three games inside the state of Alabama this season, also winning at Troy (Sept. 11) and UAB (Oct. 2). Prior to this season, Liberty was 0-6 in Alabama. Liberty is the first FBS team this season to win three games in the same state outside of its home state.

The victory also pushes Liberty’s record to 8-5 on the season. Liberty has now won eight or more games for the 13th season in program history Liberty, including all three seasons under head coach Hugh Freeze.

Louisiana ends flames home win streak

Lynchburg, VA

It was a disappointing day for Liberty. The Flames turned the ball over on three consecutive drives to end the Liberty comeback attempt. Liberty only allowed 101 total offensive yards
to Louisiana and rushed 21 times for negative two rushing yards. The Flames pulled within a score on their first drive of the second half. Willis was intercepted on back-to-back drives on comeback attempt. Louisiana scored twice during the same timespan to secure control, pushing their lead to 42-14.

EM-SPORTS 11/20/21

FORMER MEMBER OF LIBERTY UNIVERSITY’S EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST UNIVERSITY FOR MORE THAN $8 MILLION

LYNCHBURG, Va. – A former Liberty University employee has filed a federal lawsuit against the university. Kelvin Edwards was demoted , then fired about 3 months after he started. Kelvin Edwards claims he was wrongfully terminated by Liberty last October, having been promised a job for at least 10 years, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia.

Edwards, who graduated from Liberty in the 80s and also played for the football team, claimes that he was discriminated against based on his race in violation of Title VII the Virginia Human Rights Act and federal law, as well as breach of oral contract.

Edwards claims that when he was offered the position of executive vice president of management efficiencies and diversity in June 2020, that he was promised the following:

$275,000 salary, a monthly vehicle allowance of $1,500 and full scholarships for Edwards and his family for undergraduate and graduate degrees and a construction of a new home for him and his family on Liberty Mountain.

Liberty also told Edwards that it wanted to commit long-term to Edwards, for at least 10 years or until retirement, whichever came first, according to the lawsuit.

He started in the role on July 1 and the university announced Edwards’ new role in August.

Early in Edward’s tenure, Jerry Prevo was named acting president of Liberty University.

“On our around September 4, 2020, Prevo indicated to Mr. Edwards that he felt that there was confusion about Mr. Edward’s role at the University. Prevo also told Mr. Edwards that he did not recall approving this job description. It became clear that Prevo’s confusion could be explained by the fact that Prevo did not believe in diversity efforts based at Liberty. In fact ‚during the same time frame, Mr. Edwards heard Prevo comment that there were ‘too many people’ in diversity and inclusion,” according to the lawsuit.

On Sept. 28, Prevo had another meeting with Edwards where he informed Edwards that he would no longer be in his role and that Prevo would be taking over as the role of efficiency manager, according to the suit Prevo told Edwards that he would now be working under Turner Gill, the only other African American on Liberty’s executive leadership team.

“A few weeks later, Prevo further notified Mr. Edwards that his employment with Liberty was terminated on October 2, 2020. Prevo did this without having any further discussions with Mr. Edwards about his new role or what would be his duties and responsibilities,” according to the lawsuit.

Due to the nature of his demotion and termination, Edwards is claiming both racial discrimination and breach of contract by Liberty.

Final score: Syracuse 24, Liberty 21

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The Syracuse Orange put together an interesting first half against the Liberty Flames, but there were questions even with a 14-7 lead. Things were looking up when the Orange made a stop coming out of the half and then punched in a touchdown to extend the lead to 21-7 in the third quarter.

And then the rest of the game happened. And Syracuse miraculously pulled off 24-21 win (an upset according to Vegas, but obviously the narrative would never support that).

The game was defined in large part by the surprising decision to start Garrett Shrader at quarterback over Tommy DeVito. And while Shrader contributed two rushing touchdowns on the ground, you also saw a lack of polish in other areas — specifically downfield throws. Shrader was 6-for-15 for 77 yards through the air, and like last week, it definitely felt like he was just a bit off on throws to moving receivers.

So while Shrader punched in a couple, it was Sean Tucker that really controlled things for Syracuse and put the Orange out in front through the first two-plus quarters. Tucker had 174 rushing yards on 29 carries, plus a 27-yard touchdown in there. While Shrader made a couple plays with his legs and through the air early on, it was Tucker setting the tempo for a dominant Orange run game.

Third quarter offensive struggles after SU gained the 21-7 lead, though, gave way to some emerging problems within the Orange secondary. After bottling up Liberty’s Malik Willis for much of the two and a half quarters (including five sacks), his mobility finally got the best of SU... repeatedly.

He also found ways to just catch Garret Williams and Duce Chestnut just a little off-balance on the outside as the game wore on. A few downfield throws, some double moves by receivers, and Willis was able to march the Flames back from down 21-7 to tied at 21 in short order.

Syracuse’s defense actually recovered well inside the 10-yard line to stop Liberty on fourth down to keep the game knotted. But then another drive stalled out closer to midfield after a shotgun snap on third-and-1 led to a pass behind the line for Taj Harris that was sniffed out with a quickness.

The Orange got another chance, however, after Mikel Jones forced a fumble on a Willis hit. ‘Cuse took over on Liberty’s side of the field, and then finally just handed the ball to Tucker to get themselves in scoring range. Shrader, to his credit, wound up running it up the middle to secure an easier field goal for Andre Szmyt. And the former Lou Groza Award winner knocked home a field goal to snag the 24-21 victory for SU.

So... that was weird and interesting and I don’t know what to think about what just transpired. But, a win is a win. And the Orange have avenged last year’s loss to somehow get to 3-1 on the season. Enjoy this, if only because it’s a win and a win over Liberty. More recap coming after this.

Liberty flames light up the scoreboard smoking the odu monarchs, 45-17

The Liberty Flames are leaving a trail on the football field. They are also living up to their name. The Flames are nearly unbeatable at home and the ODU Monarchs were their latest conquest. The team from Lynchburg is taking names as they burn through the first three games of their schedule.

In this showdown of Commonwealth opponents, the ODU Monarchs traveled up to Lynchburg hoping to upend the Flames and add a second victory in as many weeks to their season. The Flames have a great homefield advantage in Williams Stadium, having gone undefeated at home during the 2020 season.

It did not take long for the Flames to get on the scoreboard and have ODU playing catch up for the entire evening. QB Malik Willis, one of the best quarterbacks in the country, was the catalyst for the Flames scoring the first 14 points of the game. Willis completed a 14-yard pass play to CJ Daniels to open the scoring in the first quarter. He then used his quick feet and clear vision to scamper into the endzone untouched from 17 yards away. The Monarchs would fight back with a field goal to cut the lead to 14-3 at the end of the first quarter.

The Flames like scoring so much that the scored another 14 points in the second quarter with Willis finding Daniels again from 33 yards out with a pass and catch to take a 21-3 lead. The Monarchs matched to Flames with a 1 yard bulldozing run from halfback Elijah Davis. Davis is the local legend who starred at Heritage High School. The Flames then traded touchdowns again when Malik Willis tossed his third TD of the game. This time he hit Kevin Shaa with perfectly placed pass from 38 yards away.

The Monarchs were undeterred and took momentum into the half when QB DJ Mack, Jr. found Zack Kurtz with a sweet aerial connection. From the 30 yard line, Mack dropped a pass into the hands of Kurtz who did the rest. The Monarchs were only down 28-17 and looking for more.

The highlights of the first half was all the excitement that ODU would find on the evening. As the third quarter played on, the Flames continued to do what they had done before. They scored 14 points in a quarter for the third consecutive quarter. Once again, Willis was in the middle of all the action. He tossed his fourth TD pass to Shaa, who now had two for the game. Shaa caught the short 8-yard pass to give the Flames a 35-17 lead. On their next possession, Liberty took the ball all the way to the goal line where Willis used a QB sneak to give the home crowd even more energy. The second rushing touchdown made Willis responsible for all six touchdowns on the game and the lead grew to an insurmountable 42-17.

With ODU scrambling to any find type of break or just some positive momentum, the Flames continued to be just as stingy on the defense. The Flames recorded the only turnover of the game, when ODU's last possession was a pass to linebacker Carl Poole. The Flames added a field goal as the only score in the fourth quarter wrapped up the win 45-17.

The defense limited ODU to 242 total yards, the same amount Malik Willis produced by himself. The Monarchs were led by Mack with 134 yards passing on 15 of 27 and one touchdown. Elijah Davis scored a touchdown collecting 57 yards on the ground plus four yard receiving. Kurzt led with his 34 yards receiving and one TD reception.

Willis was the player of the game with his 21-28 passing and four touchdowns. Daniels and Shaa each caught two touchdown passes.

The Flames recorded five sacks to ODU's three. Flames' DE Kendy Charles had 3 of those sacks. Liberty returns to action on Saturday in a trip to ACC member Syracuse. This is the second year in a row that the Flames (3-0) are traveling to New York. Liberty beat the 'Cuse last year. ODU (1-2) will get a chance to stay instate as they will host the Buffalo Bills next Saturday night.

EMSPORTS 9/18/2021

Liberty Flames burn the Campbell Camels in season opener, 48-7

The Liberty Flames made it worth the wait. The Covid-19 Pandemic had altered life in college football across the nation in the last 18 months. People, players, fans and sports enthusiast had to hope and pray and wait and see in many cases if the 2021 season would be different. The Liberty Flames made their highly anticipated start of the season and stirred up the fanbase with domination of their former Big South foe.

The Flames did not give the visiting Camels any chance to kick start their season on a good note. The Flames jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. They owned the Camels in every aspect of the game and hit them early and often from all angles. Liberty scored in every quarter and that consistency was too much for Campbell to overcome.

Superstar QB Malik Willis, lived up to the preseason hype. Willis, who is on many players to watch list in 2021, completed 15 of 23 passes for 217 yards and 1 touchdown. The dual threat leader of the Flames, also damaged the Campbell defense with 55 yards on the ground and a touchdown rushing too.

Wilils had a chnace to lead but he was not the only player to hit paydirt for the hometeam. Joshua Bennett, the second QB to play for the Flames, matched Willis with a touchdown rushing and passing as well. He kept the momentum going and when Liberty didn't beat the Camels in the air, they grounded the Camels witha powerful rushing attack. The Flames scored five of their seven touchdowns with carries into the endzone. Five different players scored via the rushing attemps. A total of 224 yards was gained on the ground. The Flames also passed for 319 yards for a grand total of 543 yards that showcased their overwhelming effectiveness on offense for the day.

The Flames defense was just as impressive. The Camels were led by QB Hajj Malik-Willams who was leading rusher with 26 yards and passer with 182 yards. He was bottle up by a ferocious defense that kept his Camels to a total of 269 yards on the day. The other bright spot for the Camels was starting wide receiver Caleb Snead. The homegrown star from Heritage High School, was able to catch four passes for 70 yards and scored the only touchdown in the second period.

To the credit of both teams, neither team lost a turnover. In the opening game for both, there is excitement for the Flames and a chance for the Camels to bounce back and correct the mistakes from their first game lost. Liberty will continue their season with a trip to the University of Troy next week. Campbell will host Elon University in their long awaited home opener also next week.

EMSPORTS.org 09/04/2021

7/26/21

Liberty Extends Multi-Year Agreement with ESPN for Football Media Rights

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty Athletics and ESPN have reached a new five-year extension for the exclusive media rights to Liberty’s home football games, beginning with the 2021 season through 2025.

Liberty inked its first football media rights agreement with ESPN in 2018 during the Flames’ first season at the FBS level.

This new agreement ensures that all Liberty home football games will air on an ESPN platform while guaranteeing that one game each year will air on an ESPN linear network. ESPN also has the right to choose a non-traditional day (non-Saturday) for a second linear network telecast, with all remaining games distributed on an ESPN digital platform.

During Liberty’s historic 2020 season, ESPN elevated three of the Flames’ six home telecasts to linear networks (Sept. 26 vs. FIU on ESPNU, Oct. 10 vs. ULM on ESPN2 and Nov. 14 vs. Western Carolina on ESPNU).

This new multi-year agreement is coterminous with Liberty’s bowl agreement with ESPN Events, which runs through the 2025 season.

Liberty’s 2021 season begins with home games against Campbell on Sept. 4 and Old Dominion (Sept. 18) – both of which will air on ESPN3, followed by matchups against Middle Tennessee (Oct. 9), UMass (Oct. 30), Louisiana (Nov. 20) and Army (Nov. 27) at Williams Stadium. Liberty is anticipating full capacity at Williams Stadium for the 2021 season.

“We are pleased to continue to showcase Liberty home football games exclusively on ESPN platforms in the years ahead through this multi-year extension of our rights agreement which began in 2018. The recent success of the Flames has made them one of the more intriguing programs in college football the past few seasons.” said Dan Margulis, senior director of programming and acquisitions, ESPN.

“We are extremely grateful to have such a strong relationship with ESPN,” said Liberty Director of Athletics Ian McCaw. “ESPN platforms afford Liberty the best opportunity to tell our story of the fastest rising college football program in the country to Flames Nation and beyond.”

Additionally, as part of the new agreement, Liberty’s award-winning 30-minute weekly sports show Flames Central will be available via ESPN digital platforms and the ESPN App.

The show recently won two NATAS Emmy awards from the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) and has brought home a total of 10 NATAS Emmy awards in the last seven years.

Liberty has produced extensive coverage of Liberty Athletics distributed on ESPN digital platforms for nearly a decade, including more than 225 events the last two years.

A unique aspect of this agreement with ESPN is that Liberty’s own Broadcast Communications team produces content that is carried on ESPN digital platforms for each home game.

This award-winning team will continue to produce the Flames Countdown to Kickoff before each home game. The pregame show features Rett McGibbon and former Flames standouts running back Des Rice and wide receiver Pat Kelly. Matt Warner, Joe Jauch and Emily Austen return to the booth to provide Flames Nation with the best analysis and insight during the game from Williams Stadium.

Reflecting on a “Season of Firsts” in 2020

Last year, Liberty had a season of "firsts" in 2020, including the team’s first-ever national ranking, first win over an ACC opponent, the best start in school history (8-0 to start 2020), first-ever win over a top-25 FBS program and back-to-back bowl game wins.

Liberty defeated a pair of ACC foes in Syracuse and in-state opponent Virginia Tech. The two wins made Liberty the first non-Power 5 team to post a pair of wins over ACC schools in the same season since Houston in 2015.

The Flames finished the season with a 10-1 record, tying the program's record for wins in a season (Liberty finished the 2008 season with a 10-2 record).

Liberty finished the campaign ranked No. 17 in the Associated Press poll and No. 18 in the Amway Coaches Poll, the highest year-ending FBS rankings in school history.

Liberty capped off the 2020 season with a thrilling 37-34 overtime win over No. 9/11 Coastal Carolina in the Cure Bowl on Dec. 26 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. The win marked Liberty's first-ever victory over a FBS top-25 ranked program.

With the Cure Bowl win over its former Big South rivals, Liberty became the second transitioning team in NCAA history to win consecutive bowl games during its first two full seasons at the FBS level.

3/4/21

McGhee Scores 1,000 Career Points, Liberty Defeats Kennesaw State

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Liberty opened the ASUN Tournament with a matchup against the No. 8 seed, Kennesaw State, in the ASUN Quarterfinals, Thursday afternoon at UNF Arena. After being all squared at 23 at halftime, Liberty regrouped in the second half to defeat the Owls 69-59. Liberty improves to 21-5 this season and advances to the ASUN Semifinals.

First Half

Liberty started the game cold from the field, shooting 5-20 in the first 13 minutes of the game, as Kennesaw State took an early 16-10 lead. Liberty’s defense kept them in the ball game, forcing Kennesaw State to commit nine turnovers in the first half. Liberty ended the half, outscoring the Owls 13-7 to go into halftime tied at 23-23. Kennesaw State ended the half shooting 43.5 percent while Liberty struggled, shooting 28.6 percent.

Second Half

Liberty’s offense picked up the pace to open the second half, going on a 16-4 run in the first seven and a half minutes of the half sparked by Kyle Rode scoring 10 of the 16 points during that run. Liberty held Kennesaw State scoreless for six minutes as Liberty extended its lead to double digits. Liberty’s offense got back on track in the latter half, shooting 62.5 percent from the field, led by Rode’s 12 second half points.

Key Stats & Notes

Elijah Cuffee won his 102^nd career game at Liberty, tying for the most wins in program history along with Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz.
Liberty extends its winning streak to 10 games.
Darius McGhee became the 30^th player in program history to score 1,000 career points.
KSU’s Spencer Rodgers came into the game averaging 16.8 points per game and Liberty held Rodgers to four points.
Liberty’s bench outscored Kennesaw State’s 15-0.
Kyle Rode’s 15 points is the most he has scored against an ASUN opponent in his career.
Liberty’s defense forced Kennesaw State to commit 15 turnovers, which led to 15 points for Liberty.

2/3/21

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — Liberty was well-recognized on the ASUN All-Conference Postseason awards, as Darius McGhee was named the ASUN Player of the Year, Elijah Cuffee was named the ASUN Defensive Player of the Year and Head Coach Ritchie McKay was named ASUN Coach of the Year. In addition, Blake Preston was named to the ASUN All-Academic Team while McGhee was a unanimous ASUN First Team All-Conference selection and Cuffee was an ASUN Second Team All-Conference honoree.

8/17/20

Homesley and James Named to ASUN Men’s Basketball All-Decade Team

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty’s Caleb Homesley and Scottie James have been named to the 2011-20 ASUN Conference Men’s Basketball All-Decade Team, as announced today by the conference office.

Throughout the month of July, the ASUN will be recognizing each sport’s top student-athletes from the recently completed decade. Liberty spent the final year and a half of the decade as a conference member after joining the ASUN on July 1, 2018.

The Flames have quickly made their presence known in the ASUN Conference, as eight different Liberty squads have won at least one ASUN team title over the last two years. Liberty captured the 2018-19 Bill Bibb Trophy, which is awarded to the ASUN Conference institution with the top overall athletic program. During Liberty’s two years in the ASUN Conference, Homesley and James led the Flames to back-to-back ASUN Conference championships, including two NCAA Tournament berths and a pair of ASUN Regular Season titles.

Homesley was a two-year ASUN First Team All-Conference selection, including being named the 2020 ASUN Player of the Year and Tournament MVP. He averaged a career-best 15.3 points per game to go along with 5.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game this past season. During conference play, Homesley elevated his game to another level with 17.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 2.5 apg. He had eight games this season in which he scored 20 points or more, seven of which came during conference play. The Indian Trail, N.C., native concluded his career ranking No. 10 on Liberty's all-time scoring list with 1,539 career points and No. 8 on the all-time rebounding list with 703 career rebounds.

James was an ASUN First Team All-Conference selection for two straight seasons as well, including being named the ASUN Tournament MVP in 2019 when he led the Flames to their first ASUN Tournament title. James was one of the best players in school history, as he was a three-time all-conference selection and ranks No. 17 on the all-time scoring list with 1,323 career points. During his senior campaign, James ranked first in the conference in field goal percentage (60.5) while adding 10.8 points per game and a team-leading 7.4 rebounds per outing. The Tarpon Springs, Fla., native ended his career ranked fourth on the Flames' all-time rebounding list at 891 and was named to the 2019-20 Lou Henson Mid-Major All-American Team.

8/17/20

9 Players Named to Phil Steele All-Independent Team

LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Flames placed nine players on the 2020 Phil Steele Preseason All-Independent Team, including four first-team selections.

The annual preseason publication, which will hit newsstands in the coming weeks, has released its Preseason All-Independent Team, today.

The listing features players from the seven FBS independent programs: Army, BYU, Liberty, New Mexico State, Notre Dame, UConn and UMass.

BYU led all the FBS independent programs with 14 selections, followed by 13 for Notre Dame, 11 for Army, nine for the Flames, six for New Mexico State, four for UConn and three for UMass.

Liberty’s first-team honorees on the 2020 Phil Steele Preseason All-Independent Team included defensive end TreShaun Clark, kick return specialist Shedro Louis, running back Joshua Mack and safety Javon Scruggs.

The Flames’ second-team honorees included wide receiver Demario Douglas, tight end Johnny Huntley, defensive tackle Elijah James, long snapper Austin Mock and offensive lineman Tristan Schultz.

Clark saw playing time in all 13 games as a true freshman and started the last seven contests in 2019. He finished the season with 39 tackles (25 solo, 14 assisted), 8.5 tackles for a loss (29 yards), 5.5 sacks (24 yards) and a forced fumble during his collegiate rookie season.

Louis also saw significant time on the field as a true freshman, playing in 11 games. He ranked 13th in the country in kickoff return yards, averaging 27.6 yards per return. He returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown against Maine and finished the season with 662 total return yards, the sixth-best total in school history.

Mack, who sat out the 2018 season due to NCAA transfer rules, finished his first season on the field for the Flames rushing for 792 yards and seven touchdowns in 2019. He had three 100-yard games and scored a touchdown in Liberty’s win over Georgia Southern in the FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl.

Scruggs started 11 of the 12 games he saw action in during the 2019 season. The rising junior ranked fifth on Liberty’s roster with 58 tackles (32 solo, 26 assisted). He added 4.5 tackles for a loss (8 yards), three pass breakups, two interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Douglas redshirted after playing four games during the 2019 season. During his limited time on the field, the redshirt freshman had nine receptions for 136 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown catch during a road victory at UMass.

In his first playing season since transferring from Colorado and moving to a tight end role, Huntley saw playing time in 12 of the Flames’ 13 games, last year. He led all tight ends with 196 receiving yards and scored a 57-yard touchdown during Liberty’s Cure Bowl win over Georgia Southern.

James saw playing time in all 13 games during his first season with the program in 2019. He finished the year with 19 tackles (seven solo, 12 assisted) and added 1.5 tackles for a loss (three yards) along with a quarterback hurry.

Mock has served as Liberty’s starting long snapper each of the last two seasons. Last year, he worked with punter Aidan Alves, who was named to the Ray Guy Award watch list. Alves averaged more than 4.0 yards per punt longer than his freshman season (37.0 average in 2018; 41.6 average in 2019).

Schultz transitioned to left tackle in 2019, starting all 13 games. He graded out an 82.3 percent and helped the Flames record 39 pancake blocks. He was a part of an offensive line that allowed quarterback Stephen Calvert (12,025 passing yards and 93 touchdowns) and wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden (3,814 yards and 33 touchdowns) to finish their careers as the program’s all-time career leaders in passing and receiving statistics, respectively.

Liberty’s Selections on the 2020 Phil Steele Preseason All-Independent Team

First Team

RB – Joshua Mack

DE – TreShaun Clark

S – Javon Scruggs

KR – Shedro Louis

Second Team

WR – Demario Douglas

TE – Johnny Huntley

OL – Tristan Schultz

DT – Elijah James

LS – Austin Mock

JOVAINE ATKINSON

Class: R-Senior Position: Hurdles Height: 6-0 Previous School: Kingston College Hometown: Spanish Town, Jamaica

BIOGRAPHY

Top Efforts in a Liberty Uniform
60 - 6.79 (Indoor)
200 - 22.50 (Indoor)
60H - 7.64 (Indoor School Record)
110H - 13.77 (School Record)

NCAA Division I All-America Honors (1)
2018 Indoor 60 Hurdles - 4th

ASUN Individual Titles (1)
2020 Indoor 60 Hurdles

All-ASUN Honors (2)
2020 Indoor 60 - 3rd
2020 Indoor 60 Hurdles - 1st

Big South Individual Titles (4)
2017 Indoor 60 Hurdles
2017 Outdoor 110 Hurdles
2018 Indoor 60
2018 Indoor 60 Hurdles

All-Big South Honors (4)
2017 Indoor 60 Hurdles - 1st
2017 Outdoor 110 Hurdles - 1st
2018 Indoor 60 - 1st
2018 Indoor 60 Hurdles - 1st

2020 Outdoor Track & Field
• Season was cancelled due to health concerns related to the COVID-19 virus

2020 Indoor Track & Field (R-Sr.)
• ASUN 60 hurdles champion after setting a meet-record time of 7.76 in the prelims. He also placed third in the ASUN 60 dash final.
• VaSID first team all-state (hurdles)
• Named ASUN Men's Track Athlete of the Week on Feb. 12 after posting a season-best 60 hurdles time of 7.75 at the South Carolina Invitational. That effort ranked No. 18 nationally, missing NCAA national qualification by 0.01 second.
• Placed first in the 60 hurdles at five of seven meets
• ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year
• ASUN All-Academic Team

2019 Outdoor Track & Field (R-Jr.)
• Missed the entire season due to injury
• USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
• ASUN Academic Honor Roll member

2019 Indoor Track & Field (R-Jr.)
• Posted the ASUN's fastest 60 hurdles time of the season (7.91) at the Hokie Invitational
• Liberty Flames Invite 60 hurdles champion
• ASUN Men's Indoor Track All-Academic Team

2018 Outdoor Track & Field (R-So.)
• Returned from injury to advance to the 110 hurdles quarterfinals at the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet or the second straight year
• Lowered the Liberty 110 hurdles record to 13.77 while finishing sixth in the Texas Relays final
• Earned two silver medals (110 hurdles, 4 x 100 relay) at the FISU America Games in Brazil
• Google Cloud Academic All-District Team selection
• USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
• VaSID Academic All-State Team member
• Big South Presidential Honor Roll member

2017-18 Indoor Track & Field (R-So.)
• Earned first team All-America honors with a fourth-place finish in the NCAA men's 60 hurdles final after clocking a Liberty and Big South-record time of 7.64 in the prelims
• Voted Big South Men's Outstanding Track Performer after becoming the first male in meet history to sweep the 60 dash (personal-best 6.79, No. 2 in program history) and 60 hurdles (meet-record 7.71) titles
• Undefeated in the 60 hurdles until the NCAA meet, placing first at the Keydet Invitational, Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational, Liberty Elite Invitational and Big South Championship
• Improved the Liberty 60 hurdles record to 7.75 in the Keydet Invitational prelims, 7.73 in the Big South prelims, 7.71 in the Big South final and 7.64 in the NCAA prelims
• Named Big South Men's Track Athlete of the Week on Jan. 24
• Big South Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year
• Big South All-Academic Team member

2017 Outdoor Track & Field (R-Fr.)
• Liberty's first Big South men's 110 hurdles champion since 2004
• Advanced to the 110 hurdles quarterfinals at the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet
• The Liberty men's 110 hurdles record had stood at 14.20 since 1998 before Atkinson broke it three times
• Atkinson ran a wind-aided 14.12 at the VertKlasse Meeting, 14.01 at the Gamecock Invitational and 13.93 in the first round of the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet
• Placed ninth in the Penn Relays men's 110 hurdles final
• Anchored the Flames to the second-fastest shuttle hurdles relay time (58.98) in program history, at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier
• Big South Presidential Honor Roll member

2016-17 Indoor Track & Field (R-Fr.)
• Big South men's 60 hurdles champion
• Placed sixth in the IC4A 60 hurdles final
• Named Big South Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week on Jan. 25, following a record-breaking season debut at the Liberty Kickoff
• The Liberty men's 60 hurdles record had stood at 8.08 since Feb. 21, 1999 before Atkinson clocked 8.07 in the Liberty Kickoff prelims and 7.94 in the final
• Led off for the Flames' shuttle hurdles relay team which clocked a school-record time of 32.88 at the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational

2016 Outdoor Track & Field (Fr.)
• Did not compete in any meets for Liberty and was redshirted

2015-16 Indoor Track & Field (Fr.)
• Competed in only one meet due to injury
• Placed fourth in the 60 hurdles at the Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup in a Liberty freshman-record time of 8.25. The effort was the fastest time by a Big South hurdler in 2016.

Prep
• Graduated from Kingston College
• Clocked a 110 hurdles time of 13.85
• Placed fifth in the 110 hurdles at the 2014 ISSA Grace Kennedy National High School Boys and Girls Championships

Personal
• Son of Dennis Atkinson and Winsome Hall-Dailey
• Birthday is Dec. 6
• Majoring in aeronautics

Liberty's Jovaine Atkinson Finishes 4th in NCAA Men's 60 Hurdles Final

Mar. 10, 2018 General

Liberty redshirt sophomore Jovaine Atkinson capped off his visit to the 2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships by placing fourth in the men's 60 hurdles final, Saturday evening at Texas A&M's Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium.

Thanks to Atkinson's five points, Liberty tied Ohio State, Oklahoma and Akron for 41st place in the final men's team standings. Florida took home the men's team national championship with 40 points, while USC finished second with 37.

Atkinson, who had posted a Liberty and Big South-record time of 7.64 during Friday's semifinal round, finished in 7.72 seconds on Saturday. The Spanish Town, Jamaica, native's first career All-America certificate is of the first team variety. He becomes Liberty's first athlete to garner first team All-America recognition at this meet since 2011, when Sam Chelanga finished as the men's 5K runner-up.

Florida sophomore Grant Holloway successfully defended his national title with a winning time of 7.47 seconds, scoring 10 big points toward the Gators' team championship. The only other two runners to defeat Atkinson on Saturday were seniors, including the Big Ten champion (Nebraska's Antoine Lloyd, second place, 7.60) and the MPSF champion (Cal's Ashtyn Davis, third place, 7.63). Atkinson edged Youngstown State's Chad Zallow by seven thousandths of a second for the fourth position.

Atkinson's impressive season saw him lower his own Liberty men's 60 hurdles record four times, slicing it from 7.94 to 7.64 seconds. He became the first runner ever to sweep the Big South men's 60 dash and 60 hurdles championships at the same meet. Atkinson was also recognized as the Big South Men's Outstanding Track Performer and Big South Men's Indoor Track & Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

GANDY-GOLDEN SELECTED BY REDSKINS IN 4TH ROUND OF 2020 NFL DRAFt

Gandy-Golden Selected by Redskins in 4^th Round of 2020 NFL Draft

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Former Liberty Flames standout wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden became the eighth player in program history to be selected in the NFL Draft when the Washington Redskins picked him in the fourth round, earlier today.

Gandy-Golden was the 142^nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and is the first Flame selected in the draft since Walt Aikens was taken in the fourth round in 2014.

Gandy-Golden becomes the third player in program history to be selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.

Wide receiver Kelvin Edwards was selected in the fourth round in 1986 by New Orleans Saints with the 88^th overall pick. The Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame selection played three seasons in the NFL (New Orleans – 1986; Dallas Cowboys – 1987-88).

Aikens was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft with the 125^th overall pick. The cornerback and special teams standout played for the Dolphins the last six seasons (2014-19).

The Flames’ top NFL Draft pick was Eric Green, who was selected in the first round (21^st pick) by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1990.

Liberty’s other previous NFL Draft picks include Fred Banks (1985/Round 8/Cleveland Browns), Edwards (1986/Round 4/New Orleans Saints), Richard Shelton (1989/Round 10/Denver Broncos), Donald Smith (1990/Round 10/Minnesota Vikings), Rashad Jennings (2009/Round 7/Jacksonville Jaguars) and Aikens (2014/Round 4/Miami Dolphins).

Gandy-Golden was the fourth player selected in this year’s NFL Draft by the Redskins, following Chase Young (DE/Round 1/Ohio State), Antonio Gibson (WR/Round 3/Memphis) and Saahdiq Charles (OT/Round 4/LSU).

Gandy-Golden finished his senior year with the Flames ranked No. 4 in the country in total receiving yards (1,396) and No. 5 in receiving yards per game (107.4). He also ranked No. 22 in the country in receptions per game (6.1).

Gandy-Golden finished his senior season with 1,396 receiving yards, becoming the first player in program history to record 1,000 receiving yards in three consecutive seasons (2017 – 1,066; 2018 – 1,037; 2019 – 1,396).

Gandy-Golden has rewritten all of Liberty's career receiving records. He is the school's all-time leader in career receiving yards (3,814), receptions (240) and receiving touchdowns (33). He also holds the program record with 17 100-yard games, seven of which came during his senior season.

The NFL Draft selection is the latest in a long line of honors for the native of Dallas, Ga. The wide receiver was a semifinalist for the 2019 Biletnikoff Award, was named the Offensive End of the Year honoree by the Touchdown Club of Richmond and garnered a spot on the 2019 Phil Steele All-America honorable mention team.

Gandy-Golden was named to the 2019 VaSID all-state team for the third year in a row. He was also one of 11 Flames named to the 2019 Phil Steele FBS Independent All-Conference team.

To help NFL scouts evaluate Gandy-Golden’s talent, the wide receiver was invited to the 2020 Reese’s Senior Bowl in January and the 2020 NFL Combine in February.

Liberty Heads Back to the ASUN Championship, Defeats Stetson

LYNCHBURG, Va. – For the second straight season, Liberty is headed to the ASUN Championship after pulling out the 66-62 win over Stetson, Thursday night at the Vines Center. Liberty will face the No. 3 seed, Lipscomb, in the ASUN Championship for the second consecutive season. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. ET and will be on ESPN.

First Half

Both teams struggled on offense early in the contest the game was tied at 7-7 from the 15:14-mark until the 11:04-mark. Stetson got in a groove late in the half as they jumped out to an 18-9 lead with just under four and a half minutes left in the period. Liberty responded by making its last five field goal attempts as Darius McGhee provided the exclamation point with a three-pointer at the buzzer. Liberty would trail at the break, 25-22. Caleb Homesley led all scorers with 11 points at the break.

Second Half

Liberty was able to get its first lead of the game (29-28) at the 16:19-mark off a steal and layup by Elijah Cuffee and the Flames would never relinquish the lead after that. The Flames were exceptional in the first 10 minutes of the half as Liberty went on a 15-2 run just over six minutes to jump put to a 40-30 lead. Stetson cut Liberty’s lead to single digits with 10:42 left in the game and came within two points (58-56) with 1:12 left in the game. In order to maintain its lead, Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz was clutch in the final minute, converting 8-8 free throws in the final 44 seconds of the game.

Key Stats & Notes

Liberty extends its school record winning streak at home to 21 games.
Liberty has tied its school record for most wins (29) in a single season
Myo Baxter-Bell joins Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz as the only two players in school history to win 100 career games.
Caleb Homesley recorded his ninth 20-point game of the season and 14^th of his career with a game-high 26 points to go along with eight rebounds.
Twenty-six points was the most Homesley has scored in an ASUN Tournament game in his career.
Homesley passed Matt Hildebrand on Liberty’s all-time scoring list as he now sits in 11^th place with 1,523 career points.
This was Liberty’s third win this season where an opponent outshot them from the field as Stetson shot 46.9 percent (23-49) while Liberty shot 45.8 percent (22-48).
Pacheco-Ortiz tied his season-high in free throw makes with eight against Stetson.
Liberty dished out 13 assists on 22 made field goals.

Thoughts from Head Coach Ritchie McKay

"Flames Nation was amazing tonight. That was the best home court since I have been here in seven years. I thought they were the difference. Our guys who I rode with for a lot of the second half they were inspired. I thought we were better in the post and got in a rhythm on offense and we were decent enough on defense to get the win.”

Up Next

Liberty will face Lipscomb in the ASUN Championship at the Vines Center on Sunday, March 8 at 3 p.m.

McKay Named ASUN Coach of the Year; Homesley Named Player of the Year

ASUN All-Conference Awards

ATLANTA, Ga. – After earning a share of the ASUN Regular Season title for the second straight season, Liberty was well-recognized on the ASUN All-Conference Postseason awards, as Caleb Homesley was named the ASUN Player of the Year and Head Coach Ritchie McKay was named ASUN Coach of the Year. In addition, Scottie James was named ASUN First Team All-Conference and Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz was named to the ASUN Second Team All-Conference.

Coach McKay has been named Coach of the Year in a conference for the second time in his career, as he was named the Big South Coach of the Year back in 2016. McKay is the second coach in Liberty’s Division I era to earn a Coach of the Year honor (Dale Layer in 2011), as he has led Liberty to its fourth straight 20-win season. McKay has led the Flames to a historic season, which included 27 wins, the most in school history to end a regular season. McKay and the Flames ended the regular season with a perfect 14-0 home record, the first time in school history Liberty ended the regular season undefeated at home.

Homesley was exceptional all season, averaging a career-best 15.0 points per game to go along with 5.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. During conference play, Homesley elevated his game to another level with 17.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 2.5 per game. Homesley had eight games this season where he scored 20 points or more, seven of which came during conference play. The native of Indian Trail, N.C. is just the second player in school history to earn Player of the Year honors, joining Jesse Sanders, who was named Big South Player of the Year in 2011. Homesley was also named to the ASUN First Team All-Conference for the second straight season.

James joins Homesley as an ASUN First Team All-Conference selection for the second straight season as the big man averaged 11.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. The native of Tarpon Springs, Fla. shot an ASUN-best 61.5 percent from the field and ranked fifth in the league in rebounds (7.4) per game. In the three seasons James has played at Liberty, the senior has been an all-conference selection each season. He currently ranks fourth on Liberty’s all-time rebounding list with 870 career rebounds and is No. 17 on the all-time scoring list with 1,297 career points.

This is Pacheco-Ortiz’s second time he has earned an all-conference honor, as he was named to the Big South All-Freshman Team back in 2017. As the floor general for the Flames, Pacheco-Ortiz was steady all season, averaging 10.7 points per game, the first time in his career he has ended the regular season averaging double-figures. The point guard from Ponce, Puerto Rico ranks first in the ASUN, shooting 92.5 percent from the free-throw line. He also ranks No. 8 in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.63) this season.

Liberty returns to the court on Tuesday, March 3^rd, when the Flames host NJIT in the ASUN Championship Quarterfinals. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Vines Center and can be seen on ESPN+.

LIBERTY CLIPS STETSON

Lynchburg VA

Liberty delivered quite the offensive performance with a 77-49 win on Senior day. Liberty went on a

10-0 run in just under two minutes, sparked by a pair of three-pointers by Darius McGhee.

Stetson was unable to make a field goal for over a six-minute span as the Flames went into

the break with a 34-17 lead. Liberty starting off slow of offense in the second half, Liberty

got hot in the second half with a 18-0 run over a five - minute in-game. Liberty defense

cause problems for Stetson all night as they forced seven turnovers in the second half, which

led to 14 points for the Flames. Caleb Homesley led the way for Liberty with 14 points.

EM-SPORTS 2/20/20

homesley's hot hand leads liberty over north florida ospreys, 82-77

photo by roanoke.com

The Liberty Flames are making some noise. The Flames are not resting on their laurels after winning the Atlantic Sun Tourney and winning a game in last year’s NCAA tournament.

The boys from Lynchburg, VA started the year as one of the last unbeaten teams in Division 1 to lose and have only three losses on the season. There was no bigger game in the conference than when the Flames hosted their arch-nemesis, the North Florida Ospreys.

The Ospreys entered the Vines Center on the waves of six straight wins. As the first place team in the A-Sun at 11-2, they knew this could be their biggest challenge to date. They also had beaten Liberty in their previous meeting in Florida. Liberty was riding a five-game winning streak with a 10-2 conference record.

Caleb Homesley knew how important this game was for the Flames. He was on fire as soon as he stepped on the floor. His 28 points, double his season average, led the offensive charge for Liberty as they had to hold on to beat North Florida and move into the top spot in the A-Sun.

Liberty has been well known all year for their lockdown, man to man defense. However, they changed the script and hit the Ospreys with tremendous outside shooting and drives to the hoop.

Both teams displayed very good shooting and the lead traded hands back and forth. Liberty made ten consecutive field goals towards the end of the half to turn a two point deficit into a 10 point lead. They took the lead good with under eight minutes and stayed ahead into halftime at 40-31. Darius McGhee scored all nine of his points to spearhead the hot shooting.

Liberty shot out the gate in the second half looking to put the Ospreys away. With the hot hand of Caleb Homesley and the power of Scottie James, Liberty built a 12 point lead and was in control.

North Florida gained their composure and made Liberty sweat. The Ospreys cut the lead to five on several occasions then to two, 79-77 with 25 seconds after a Ryan Burkhardt three-point shot.

The Flames were able to put the game away with free throws and outlast the visitors 82-76.

Homesley paced all scorers with 28 points. Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz dropped 17 and Scottie James earned a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. The Flames torched the nets at over 56% from the field but only managed 4 of 13 from behind the 3pt arc.

Conversely, North Florida has four players in double figures. J.T. Escobar led the way with 26. Ivan Gandhi’s-Rosa has 17. Wajd Aminu and Carter Hendrickson both contributed 10 points each. The Ospreys were a solid 48% from the floor and nearly 42% from behind the arc making a season high 17 3pt field goals.

Liberty was able to counter the three-point barrage by crushing the Ospreys with an advantage of 24 to 4 in made free throws. Homesley was 11/15 from the free throw line by himself.

Liberty moves into first and slides North Florida into the second spot in the standings.

EMSPORTS.org 2/20/2020

flames rolls to win over njit 62-49

Lynchburg

The Flames offensive could not be stop Baxter- Bell, and James take charge inside in the

paint in the opening stages of the second half and the perimeter shooting heated up. the post

duo combined to score 12 of the Flames first 20 second-half points.the Flames struggled

in the first half by shooting 25% from the field. Liberty went nearly eight minutes without

a field goal to fall behind 8-3. the Flames used a late surge to take a lead before halftime.

James could not be stop inside with 13 points and his teammate Baxter-Bell had 14 points

for Liberty. the top scorer for NJIT Cooks 14 points.

liberty improved 5-0 in confernce with win over lipscomb 67-60

Lynchburg EM-SPORTS -Liberty Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz and Scottie James was the answer to lead the Flames to Victory 67-60 win. Saturday night at the vine Center. Liberty improved to 19-1 and 5 -0 in conference The best record Liberty ever had in the conference. Liberty became the second team in the country to reach 19 games The Flames were able to force Lipscomb to commit 10 turnovers in the first half that led to 12 points. Ortiz took over for Flames scoring 14 points to lead the Flames for a win. James had seven rebounds in the second half. Ortiz and James combining
For 37 of Liberty’s 67 points. Liberty had three players to score double figures Pacheco-
Ortiz 21points, James 16 points, and Caleb Homesley 13 point 1/19/20

Early 2020 Liberty football predictions

12/21/19

Defensive Efforts Leads Flames to Cure Bowl Victory

ORLANDO, Fla. – In a season that saw the offense grab most of the attention with its gaudy numbers, it was the Liberty defense that show up in its biggest game. A stout defensive effort led Liberty to a 23-16 win over Georgia Southern, Saturday afternoon, in the 2019 FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl.

With the win, the Flames cap off the most memorable year in program history with an 8-5 record. Liberty completed its FBS reclassification process in August, received its first-ever bowl game invitation on Dec. 8 and walked away from Exploria Stadium with a bowl game trophy in hand, this afternoon.

Georgia Southern came into the game ranked No. 8 in the country in rushing offense, averaging 261.5 yards per game. Liberty came into the game ranked No. 100 in the nation in rushing defense, surrendering 192.7 yards per game on the ground.

Liberty’s defensive effort held Georgia Southern to 154 rushing yards, a single rushing touchdown and three field goals in the victory. On the day, the Flames outgained the Eagles in total offense (402 to 249).

Flames defensive end Jessie Lemonier was named the 2019 Cure Bowl MVP, finishing the game with eight tackles, including two sacks. Lemonier ends his two-year career with the Flames ranked third in program history with 20.5 sacks.

Fellow senior Solomon Ajayi led the team on the day with nine stops, while Benjamin Alexander and TreShaun Clark finished with eight stops.

Liberty’s four-year starting quarterback Stephen Calvert finished the day completing 16-of-35 attempts for 270 yards and two touchdowns. He ends his career as the program’s all-time career leader in passing yards (12,025), completions (896) and touchdowns (93).

Antonio Gandy-Golden finished his last game in a Liberty uniform with five receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown. The 2020 Senior Bowl bound player completes his career as the program’s all-time leader in receptions (240), receiving yards (3,814) and touchdowns (33).

Running back Frankie Hickson posted his ninth career 100-yard game, leading all rushers on the day with 120 yards on 22 carries. The senior finished the year with 1,021 yards, posting his second-consecutive 1,000-yard rushing campaign.

Box Score Highlights:

Final Score: 23-16

Liberty (8-5)

Georgia Southern (7-6, 5-3 Sun Belt)

Location: Exploria Stadium (Orlando, Fla.)

Attendance: 18,158

Turning Point:

After limiting the Georgia Southern offense to 115 yards during the first half, including 95 yards on the ground, two third-quarter turnovers by Liberty gave the Eagles extra chances to erase a 23-7 Flames lead during the third quarter.

However, the Flames’ defense buckled down and kept Georgia Southern out of the end zone. The Eagles were forced to settle for three second half field goal, allowing Liberty to secure its first-ever bowl game victory.

Play-By-Play Breakdown:

First Quarter

· The two teams struggled to get into an offensive flow, as the first five drives resulted in 18 total plays for 31 yards of offensive. Liberty opened the game by forcing the Georgia Southern offense into three consecutive three-and-out series.

· The Flames were the first team to crack the scoreboard when Calvert completed a 57-yard touchdown strike to tight end Johnny Huntley wide open in the slot. The redshirt junior’s first career touchdown at Liberty gave the Flames a 7-0 lead at 3:31.

Second Quarter

· The Eagles scored on the following drive, getting into the end zone on the first play of the second quarter. Junior Wesley Kennedy, III finished off a seven-play, 79-yard drive with a 10-yard rushing touchdown to knot the game at 7-7 with 14:53 left to play before half.

· Liberty responded on its next possession, taking a 13-7 lead just 91 seconds later. Calvert completed lengthy passes to Noah Frith (30 yards) and Demario Douglas (18 yards), setting up a three-yard rushing touchdown by Joshua Mack at 13:22.

· The Flames extended their lead to 16-7 before halftime. Alex Probert connected on a 46-yard field goal with 1:02. Liberty controlled the pace of play during the first half, outgaining the Eagles 264-to-115.

Third Quarter

· Liberty scored on the opening possession of the third quarter, pushing their lead to 23-7 12:01 into the period. Calvert lofted a ball into the corner of the end zone where Gandy-Golden went up and over the top of a defender for a 14-yard touchdown reception, his 10^th of the season and 33^rd of his career.

· After Liberty scored 16-consecutive points, the Flames’ defense continued to keep the Eagles out of the end zone, but not off the scoreboard. Georgia Southern’s Tyler Bass knocked down a pair of field goals during the remaining time in the period (28 and 30 yards), trimming Liberty’s lead to 23-13 heading into the final quarter.

Fourth Quarter

· The Eagles continued to attempt to chip away at the Flames advantage after getting a stop on a fourth-and-three play midway through the fourth quarter. However, Liberty’s defense made one last stop, forcing Georgia Southern to settle for a 35-yard field goal with 1:48 left to play.

· Holding a 23-16 lead, the Flames were able to wind down the clock with a pair of rushing attempts from Hickson and a pass attempt from Calvert to secure the victory.

What’s Next:

The Flames will begin their quest to make their second bowl appearance in a row when Liberty opens the 2010 season against Commonwealth foe Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. on Sept. 5. The Hokies, who are currently 8-4, conclude their 2019 season on Dec. 31 when they face Kentucky in the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, N.C.

Date: Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020

Location: Blacksburg, Va. (Lane Stadium)

12/20/19

Former University of Maine quarterback Chris Ferguson has transferred to Liberty University, an independent Football Bowl Subdivision program. Ferguson, who has one year of eligibility remaining as a grad student, left the Black Bears days after the end of a 6-6 season.

Liberty Adds 22 Players for 2020 Football Signing Class

12/20/19

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty Head Football Coach Hugh Freeze announced the addition of 22 players to his 2020 roster as part of National Signing Day, earlier today.

Freeze and his coaching staff held their Signing Day offices from a meeting room in the Loews Royal Pacific Hotel at the Universal Resorts in Orlando, Fla., the team’s home base during their preparation for the 2019 FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl on Saturday.

Freeze’s second signing class at Liberty is the highest ranked recruiting class in program history. The 2020 is ranked No. 98 in the country by 247Sports.com, which included 11 three-star ranked recruits (out of 19 scholarship offers). Freeze’s 2020 signing class includes nine mid-year enrollees and 13 players who will join the roster the fall.

2020 Mid-Year Enrollees Announced in December

Gage Bassham OL 6-5 315 Abingdon, Va./Lord Botetourt HS

Will Buchanan OL 6-6 300 Asheville, N.C./Christ School

Anthony Butler LB 6-1 225 Charlotte, N.C./Zebulon B. Vance HS

(Charlotte)

Tim Coutras S 6-2 195 Nolenville, Tenn./Nolensville HS

Gabe Fuster LB 6-1 220 Chesapeake, Va./Deep Creek HS

Durrell Johnson DE 6-4 225 Essex, Md./Overlea HS (ASA College)

Jerome Jolly, Jr. DB 6-0 200 Jacksonville, Fla./Mandarin HS

Karsen Perkins DE 6-4 250 Concord, N.C./NW Cabarrus HS

Juawan Treadwell DB 6-0 190 Ford Heights, Ill./Crete-Monee HS

(Independence CC)

2020 Signees Announced in December

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School

Deon Biggins DB 6-1 170 Horn Lake, Miss./Horn Lake HS

Sean Brown QB 6-2 185 Apex, N.C./Middle Creek HS

Kendy Charles DT 6-2 245 Orange Park, Fla./Orange Park HS

CJ Daniels WR 6-1 185 Lilburn, Ga./Parkview HS

Brian Hannibal OL 6-3 290 Silver Spring, Md./James Hubert Blake HS

Marcus Haskins DB 6-1 180 St. Paul, Minn./East Ridge HS

(Iowa Western CC)

Ahmad Jackson WR 6-1 200 Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek HS

Jaivian Lofton WR 6-2 195 Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./

Rancho Cucamonga HS (Chaffey College)

Aaron Lovins DB 6-0 180 Nashville, Tenn./Brentwood Academy

Chase Mitchell OL 6-4 330 Washington, Pa./Washington HS

Louis Taylor, III DB 6-1 180 Martinsville, Va./Magna Vista HS

Aakil Washington DL 6-2 230 Marietta, Ga./Wheeler HS

Rashad Whitehead DL 6-2 245 Atlanta, Ga./B.E.S.T. Academy

December Signee Bios

Gage Bassham, OL, 6-5, 315, Abingdon, Va./Lord Botetourt HS

Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … also received offers from ETSU, Marshall and Old Dominion … District Lineman of the Year … first-team all-district … first-team all-region … first-team all-state … 2019 Blue Ridge District Champions … 2019 Region 3D Champions … helped his team to the 2019 state championship game played at Liberty’s Williams Stadium … son of Deborah and Mark Bassham … is looking at majoring in criminal justice or business.

Deon Biggins, DB, 6-1, 170, Horn Lake, Miss./Horn Lake HS

Also received offers from Austin Peay, Louisiana-Monroe and Louisiana Tech … Fastest Man 4.35 Forty Time … finished his senior season with three interceptions and seven pass breakups … helped lead Horn Lake to the 2018 6A State Championship … son of Yolanda Hassell Rooks and Charlie Biggins … plans to major in business.

Sean Brown, QB, 6-2, 185, Apex, N.C./Middle Creek HS

Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … also received offers from Campbell, Charlotte, Elon, Furman and Bucknell … finished his last two years of high school throwing for 5,034 yards and 50 touchdowns … two-time all-conference honoree … three-time academic all-conference … 2019 Offensive MVP … son of Tracie and Mike Brown.

Will Buchanan, OL, 6-6, 300, Asheville, N.C./Christ School

Also received offers from Bryant, Campbell, Charleston Southern, Eastern Kentucky, Elon, ETSU, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville State, Mercer, William & Mary and Wofford … first-team all-conference … first-team all-state … named to the USA Today All-North Carolina team … helped Christ School to two state runner-up titles … son of Carrie and Scott Buchanan.

Anthony Butler, LB, 6-1, 225, Charlotte, N.C./Zebulon B. Vance HS (Charlotte)

Transferring to Liberty from Charlotte … also received offers from 17 different schools … three-year varsity standout … two-time team MVP … two-time All-MECKA 4A conference player … 2014 All-Charlotte Observer third team defensive back … helped the Cougars to an 11-4 record as a junior where they reached the 4A State semifinals … ranked fourth in the country with 12 tackles as a junior, averaging 8.1 tackles per game … added 3.0 sacks, 17.0 tackles for a loss and an interception … Zebulon B. Vance High School advanced to the playoffs during his senior campaign … son of Hana Mahmoud … plans to be a sport management major.

Kendy Charles, DT, 6-1, 245, Orange Park, Fla./Orange Park HS

Also received offers from Bethune-Cookman, Chattanooga, Charleston Southern, The Citadel, Coastal Carolina, New Hampshire, Western Kentucky and Wofford … finished his high school career with 216 tackles, 30 sacks, 24 quarterback hurries and four forced fumbles … also scored a pair of touchdowns, five two-point conversions and connected on 15-of-17 field goal attempts … 5A Co-Player of the Year … 5A all-state honoree … three-time first-team all-county … two-time first-team all-conference … two-time first-team all-district … son of Marie and Jean Charles … plans to major in sport management.

Tim Coutras, S, 6-2, 195, Nolenville, Tenn./Nolensville HS

Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … also received offers from ETSU, Eastern Illinois and UT Martin … finished his career with 19 interceptions, returning four for a touchdown … also added 58 tackles, 1,005 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns … 4A Mr. Football Finalist … two-time all-state selection … Region 4A MVP … Region 4A Athlete of the Year as a senior … son of Tess and Chris Coutras … plans to major in sport management.

CJ Daniels, WR, 6-1, 185, Lilburn, Ga./Parkview HS

Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … also received offers from Air Force, Army, Navy, North Dakota State and Southern Illinois … finished his senior year with 1,411 receiving yards on 93 receptions for 15 touchdowns … two-time second-team all-county honoree … two-time first-team all-region selection … helped Parkview High School to a pair of region titles … son of Natalie Beavers and Carlton Daniels … is looking at majoring in engineering or sport management.

Gabe Fuster, LB, 6-1, 220, LaBelle, Va./Deep Creek HS

Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … finished his career at Deep Creek High School with 112 tackles … son of Ashley and Gustavo Fuster … plans to major in sport management.

Brian Hannibal, OL, 6-3, 290, Silver Spring, Md./James Hubert Blake HS

Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … also received offers from Buffalo, Charlotte, Georgetown, Old Dominion, Marshall, Purdue, Rutgers, Syracuse and Yale … allowed only two sacks during his senior year … first-team all-country … first-team all-division honorable mention … All-Met selection … son of Tonya and Anslem Hannibal … plans to major in computer science.

Marcus Haskins, DB, 6-1, 180, St. Paul, Minn./East Ridge HS (Iowa Western CC)

Transferring to Liberty from Iowa Western Community College … also received offers from Akron, Austin Peay, Buffalo, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Kent State, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, Northern Iowa, Montana State, Southeast Missouri State, Tennessee Martin and Troy … finished the 2019 season at Iowa Western with 31 tackles, 10 pass breakups, seven interceptions and two forced fumbles … first-team All-ICCAC Conference … first-team All-America NJCAA DB … recorded an interception in five-straight games to open his college football career … had a pair of games with two interceptions during the season’s final three contests … tied the NCAA Division II single game season high with seven passes defended in a 31-7 win over Upper Iowa (six pass breakups and an one interception) … recorded 41 tackles during his senior season at East Ridge High School … ranked sixth on the team and added a pair of forced fumbles … had 170 all-purpose yards included 125 on his nine interception returns … first-team all-conference as a senior … A Cliff Harris Award finalist … earned D2CCA, Associated Press and Don Hansen’s Football Gazette All-America first-team and D2Football.com All-America honorable mention … named Don Hansen’s Football Gazette Super Region 4 Freshman of the Year … named Don Hansen’s Football Gazette and D2CCA All-Super Region 4 first-team … NSIC Defensive Newcomer of the Year and All-NSIC South Division First Team … led the county with 2.9 passes defended per game … led the Northern Sun and ranked second in the nation with nine interceptions … led the conference with 20 pass breakups … son of Naomi and Kevin Haskins … plans to major in communications.

Ahmad Jackson, WR, 6-1, 200, Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek HS

Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … also received an offer from Ole Miss … native of Atlanta, Ga., who graduated from Sandy Creek High School in Sandy Creek, N.Y. … finished his senior year with 61 receptions for 1,191 yards and 11 touchdowns … son of Marlene and Clovis Jackson.

Durrell Johnson, DE, 6-4, 225, Essex, Md./Overlea HS (ASA College)

Transferring to Liberty from ASA College in Brooklyn, N.Y. … also received offers from Akron, Bethune-Cookman, Grambling State, Morgan State and South Alabama … two-time all-conference honoree at ASA College … JUCO All-American … named a Super 22 Athlete and a BTC All-Star at Overlea High School … son of Kiffiney Parrish and Durrell Johnson.

Jerome Jolly, Jr., DB, 6-0, 200, Jacksonville, Fla./Mandarin HS

Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … also received offers from Alabama A&M, Florida A&M, Georgia Southern, Southern Miss and UAB … finished his career with 104 tackles, six sacks and five pass breakups … second-team Gateway Conference … helped Mandarin High School to the 2018 8A State Championship … son of Kenya and Jerome Jolly, Sr. … plans to major in sport management.

Jaivian Lofton, WR, 6-2, 195, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga HS (Chaffey College)

Transferring to Liberty from Chaffey College … also received offers from Arkansas Pine Bluff, Middle Tennessee, Tennessee Tech and Western Kentucky … finished his two season at Chaffey College wit 1,584 receiving yards, 72 receptions and 20 touchdowns … first-team all-conference … son of Quiana Lundy and Randel Horton … plans to major in kinesiology.

Aaron Lovins, DB, 6-0, 180, Nashville, Tenn./Brentwood Academy

Also received offers from Austin Peay and Missouri Western State … finished his senior year with 81 tackles (52 solo, 29 assisted), six tackles for a loss, eight pass breakups, an interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a blocked punt … all-state cornerback … all-country cornerback … played in the East-West All-Star game … helped Brentwood Academy claim three state titles … son of Lisa and Rich Lovins … plans to major in business or coaching.

Chase Mitchell, OL, 6-4, 330, Washington, Pa./Washington HS

Also received offers from Howard, UMass, West Liberty and William & Mary … two-time all-conference honoree … All-WPIAL … helped Washington High School to four conference titles and a WPIAL title … son of Tamara Mitchell … plans on majoring in business.

Karsen Perkins, DE, 6-4, 250, Concord, N.C./NW Cabarrus HS

Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … also received offers from Akron, Campbell, Charlotte and Eastern Kentucky … finished his junior season with 13 sacks … all-conference honoree as a junior … helped lead NW Cabarrus to a conference title … son of Kelli Dixon and Andre Perkins … plans to major in psychology.

Louis Taylor, III, DB, 6-1, 180, Martinsville, Va./Magna Vista HS

Finishes his senior season at Magna Vista High School with 32.5 tackles, six pass breakups and an interception … first-team All-Region Defense honoree … son of Courtney Davis and Louis Taylor, Jr. … plans to major in exercise science.

Juawan Treadwell, DB, 6-0, 185, Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee HS (Independence CC)

Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … transferring to Liberty from Independence Community College in Independence, Kan. … also received offers from Akron, South Alabama, Southern Miss and Temple … finished the 2019 at Independence with 57 tackles, 10 pass breakups and 1.5 tackles for a loss … all-conference and All-America honoree at Independence … son of Tami Treadwell and Michael Scott.

Aakil Washington, DL, 6-2, 230, Marietta, Ga./Wheeler HS

Also received offers from Akron, Buffalo, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Eastern Kentucky, Florida A&M, Georgia Southern, Illinois State, Jacksonville State, Kent State, Mercer, Troy, Tulane and Western Carolina … finished his senior season with 59 tackles, 13 sacks, three forced fumbles and a safety … three-time first-team All-Region honoree … Eloisa Reynoso and Nicholas Washington … plans to major in information technology.

Rashad Whitehead, DL, 6-2, 245, Atlanta, Ga./B.E.S.T. Academy

Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … also received offers from Akron, Arizona, Army, Buffalo, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Fordham, Mercer, Navy and USF … 151 tackles and 16 sacks … also finished his career with 45 receptions for 385 yards and seven touchdowns … second-team all-conference defense honoree as a sophomore … firs-team all-conference defense selection as a junior and senior … Pre-Season All-Region selection heading into his senior season … son of TaCorey and Robert Whitehead … plans to major in sport management or business management.

LIBERTY FLAMES MAKE HISTORY, HEADED TO FIRST EVER FBS BOWL GAME

The Liberty Flames Football Team has enjoyed success in their second year as an Independent FBS Program. They have competed with Power 5 programs. They have hosted ACC program the Syracuse Orange and they have won more than 50% of their games in the last two seasons.

Another first has been accomplished. The Liberty Flames have been invited and accepted the invitation to the Cure Bowl. This young bowl game is in its fifth year of operation in Orlando, Florida. It is one of the most inspirational and impactful bowl games because it directly impacts the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

The Flames will have the honor of being the first Independent to participate in this bowl game.

The contest will take place on December 21st and the opponent will be a familiar face: the Georgia Southern Eagles.

When both teams played in the FCS, they had faced each other three times over the years. The Eagles had won the three previous matchups. The Eagles are now members of the Sun Belt Conference.

This is a milestone accomplishment for the Flames and their program. This school has only been in existence since 1971 and the football program has taken leaps and bounds in the nearly 50 years since the school's inception.

The Liberty Flames are making history and are just starting to blaze a trail as the program looks into the next decade of Flames football.

EMSPORTS.org 12/08/2019

12/2/19

Liberty Becomes First Team in DI to 10 Wins, Defeats Trinity Baptist

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty became the first team in the country to reach the 10-win mark this season as the Flames defeated Trinity Baptist College 87-28. The win was Liberty’s largest margin of victory in school history as 28 points was also the fewest points Liberty has allowed an opponent to score in a game in school history.

Turning Point

Liberty started the game on a 16-2 run, shooting 60 percent (6-10) in its first 10 shots of the game. While the offense started clicking, Liberty’s defense was exceptional holding Trinity Baptist College to just 20 percent (2-10) in its first 10 shots of the game. Liberty’s defense frustrated Trinity Baptist College all night long, holding the Eagles to just 22.2 percent (12-54) shooting throughout the game. Liberty had a balanced scoring attack as all 14 Liberty players scored against Trinity Baptist College.

Key Stats & Notes

Liberty is 10-0 for the first time in school history.
Liberty is the first team in the country to reach 10 wins this season.
Liberty has now won 15 straight games against non-conference opponents at home.
Trinity Baptist College’s 11 points in the first half was the fewest Liberty has ever allowed in a half in school history (previous low was 12 on Dec. 16, 2016 against Clarks Summit).
Twenty-eight points was the fewest points Liberty has allowed an opponent to score in a game in school history.
After missing four of the last five games, Caleb Homesley returned to the court recording seven points, six rebounds and five assists.
Tytist Dean (three points) and Luke McKay (three points) each recorded their first collegiate points.
Colton Reed was tied for a game-high four makes from three-point range, scoring a career-high 12 points.
Liberty shot 58.9 percent (33-56) from the floor.
Liberty’s bench outscored Trinity Baptist College’s bench 46-15.

Thoughts from Head Coach Ritchie McKay

"Great to see our students out tonight. It was great to see Caleb (Homesley) out there tonight, moving freely, which hasn’t happened in a while. I wanted to give him a few minutes to shake off the rust. He had an impact on the game and did a really good job.”

Up Next

Liberty will close out the week on the road when they travel to Phoenix, Ariz. to compete in the Jerry Colangelo Classic against Grand Canyon. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPNU.

McKay Announces Class of 2020

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Ritchie McKay and Liberty men’s basketball announced three newcomers on National Signing Day, signing Micaiah Abii, Drake Dobbs and Jonathan Jackson.

“Overall this is a class that we are really excited about,” McKay said. “Because of what the university stands for and the growth of our program due to the hard work of our current and former players, we are able to attract a really talented student-athlete that is a great fit for Liberty. “I hope this class has the same passion and desire that we do as a family to continue to elevate our program.”

Michaiah Abii | Forward | Frisco, Texas

Abii is one of the best players from the state of Texas, where he played at Liberty High School for coach Stephen Friar and was a two-star recruit. Abii has been a force at Liberty where he was a First Team All-District selection and First Team All-Area honoree. Abii also played for Texas Impact 4:13 on the AAU circuit under head coach TJ Thomas.

Coach McKay Quote: “Micaiah Abii was someone we identified late but thank goodness we did. He has an infectious personality, is multi-positioned and really skilled. He has a level of basketball acumen that I think is going to afford him the opportunity to play early.”

Drake Dobbs | Guard | Eden Prairie, Minn.

A native of Minnesota, Dobbs is a three-star recruit and has played against some elite competition and was a part of one of the best AAU programs in the country in DI Minnesota under head coach Al Harris. Dobbs attended Eden Prairie High School where he was a four-year starter and was an All-Lake Conference selection all four years of high school. During his junior campaign, Dobbs scored 1,000 career points and is on pace for 2,000 currently during his senior season. The guard is currently on pace to set the school record for career points and career assists at Eden Prairie.

Coach McKay Quote: “Drake Dobbs is your quintessential point guard. He had a great basketball IQ and because of the level of competition that he has played at both on the high school level and the AAU Summer Circuit, he comes very well prepared to the college level. He has been fabulously coached by his high school coach, David Flom, and his AAU coach, Al Harris. We are really excited about Drake being a part of our family.”

Jonathan Jackson | Guard/Forward | Overland Park, Kan.

Jackson started his high school career in Kansas, beginning as a home school player with Kansas City’s Metro Academy and also playing at Blue Valley High School. Recently, Jackson moved to Dallas, Texas where he now plays for the Dallas Thunder. Jackson has received a lot of attention throughout his career from prominent schools, as he is the younger brother of Justin Jackson, who currently plays for Dallas Mavericks in the NBA.

Coach McKay Quote: “I have known Jonathan (Jackson) for years before I even thought of recruiting him because of our recruitment for his brother, Justin. I love their family and he is unheralded but is an absolute great get for our program. I really think Jonathan is going to be one of the most mature freshmen that our program has seen.”

liberty remains undefeated with win 65-39

Lynchburg VA-Both teams started off cold with one made field goal in the
First 10 minutes. Liberty finally broke through on the offensive with Kyle
Rode, who scored all seven of his points. both teams struggled
on offense to start the game. Kyle Rode came off the bench and provided a
Spark for Liberty offense as went on a run 15-2. Flames dominated both
Offensive and defensive boards. South Carolina try to slow down Liberty by going
To full-court press, it did not stop Flames from scored inside and outside.
Flames forced a season-high 14 turnovers which led to 13 points. Georgie
Pacheco- Ortiz led the way with 12 points for Liberty and Scottie James
Posted a game-high 12-rebounds. Jahmari Etienne with 14 points for South
Carolina. EM-SPORTS 11/12/19

big win for liberty 66 -55

Lynchburg VA The Flames are now 2-0 They outscored Maryland Eastern Shore’s36 - 28 inside the
paint.Liberty shot 52 percent 26-50 for the game while holding Maryland Eastern Shore’s
To 43 percent 21-49. Liberty bench was outscored by Maryland Eastern Shore’s
40-12. Ritchie Mckay was little disappointed. I felt like the visiting team play harder than we did
and I feel like we are a lot better than that effort this afternoon. The Flames top scorers Scotty James with a game-high 22 points and 16 rebounds and Darius Mcghee with 19 points also
Caleb Homesley recored a game-high six assists. Da’Shawn Phillip top scored for Maryland
Eastern Shore’s. EM-SPORTS 11/10/19

liberty 66-60 victory win over radford

LYNCHBURG VA EM-SPORTS 11/8/19

Liberty was on cruise control they control the game to end. Liberty led 16-5 with 9:15
to go in the first half. Radford went full-court press with 5:16 left in the first half Cuffee had two- three
To built the led 33-19 before halftime. Start the second half Radford cut the lead to 13 point
With 16:51 left in the second half. them Radford cut the lead again to 10 points with 14:20 to go in-game.
Radford got hot from the flood with Carlik Jones lead the way with 31ponts for Radford.
Liberty had 29 points from the bench and 26 points Inside paint. Caleb Homesley was
The top scorer with 18 points and Kyle Rode 12 points.

Liberty Flames burn the Maine Bears 59-44 on Homecoming Night

The Liberty Flames entered Williams Stadium on a four game winning streak. The Flames were even more excited because they were entertaining their dedicated fans on 2019 Homecoming Night.

The Flames and Bears decided to put on a fireworks show. The game featured 1,059 total yards and over 800 yards passing alone. Each team was responsible for 10 total passing TDs with both quarterbacks tossing five apiece.

In the case of Liberty WR, Antonio Gandy-Golden, he had a career night. He finished the game with nine receptions for 149 yard making his total of 3,295 career receiving yards, which surpasses Darrin Peterson’s (2012-15) previous record of 3,170 career yards.

On the same drive he broke the receiving yardage record, QB Stephen Calvert completed all four of his passing attempts for 79 yards. The yardage pushed the senior over the 10,000 career passing yards threshold, making him the second quarterback in school history to pass for 10,000 or more yards.

Calvert didn’t stop once he reached 10,000-yard mark, with the senior finishing the night by completing 23-of-35 attempts for 351 yards and five touchdowns. Calvert’s 16th career 300-yard game and third career five-passing touchdown game pushed him to the top of Liberty’s career passing charts.

With his 351 passing yards tonight, Calvert became Liberty’s all-time leader in career passing yards with 10,282. His total surpasses Josh Woodrum (2012-15), who finished his career with 10,266 passing yards.

Liberty broke out early and scored often versus the Black Bears. Liberty led 17-3 after the first quarter then increased the lead to 45-17 at the half. Maine may have been down but they didn't give up without a fight.

The defenses seemed to come alive in the second half but holding each team to one touchdown apiece. Then Maine started chipping away at the big lead by outscoring the Flames 20-7 in the fourth quarter. Their comeback fell short. Maine QB Joe Fagnano was 25-37 for 445 yards and five touchdowns. He also threw one interception.

Maine outgained Liberty in yardage and clock possession with a time of nearly 36 minutes to the Flames' 24 minutes.

With the win, Liberty now stands at 5-2 while Maine falls to 2-5 on the year.

EMSPORTS.org 10/19/2019

Liberty Football to Retire Edwards’ Jersey at Homecoming

LYNCHBURG, Va. – While all alumni will be recognized during Liberty University’s annual Homecoming Weekend, one former football player will join an elite group of program honorees.

During Homecoming Weekend 2019, the Liberty Football program will retire the No. 83 jersey of Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame member Kelvin Edwards.

Edwards will be honored during Liberty’s football game against Maine on Oct. 19. Kickoff for the Homecoming contest is set for 6 p.m.

Edwards will become the fourth individual to have a jersey retired, honoring his contributions and accomplishments on the gridiron. Liberty retired a jersey in honor of Dr. Jerry Falwell in 2006, the school’s founder and former chancellor. In 2008, former head coach Sam Rutigliano and tight end Eric Green each had a jersey retired in their honor.

Edwards helped the athletics department’s flagship program make the move to the NCAA ranks, as the wide receiver shined for the football program during a star-studded four-year career (1982-85).

A 1985 Associated Press Little All-America first-team honoree, Edwards finished his career as the program’s all-time leader in receiving yards (2,546) and receiving touchdowns (22). Both records stood for 26 seasons before they were eclipsed by Chris Summers in 2011.

Edwards finished his career at Liberty with five 100-yard games. Despite Liberty’s 1985 season being shortened by a flood that wiped out the football program’s facilities, Edwards was still selected to participate in the 1985 Blue-Gray All-Star game. He became the first player in program history to be named to a postseason all-star game.

Upon graduating from Liberty, Edwards became Liberty’s second-highest NFL draft pick, when he was selected in the fourth round of the 1986 draft by the New Orleans Saints. His three-year professional football career was spotlighted when he was a starting wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys.

The native of Atlanta, Ga., finished his NFL career with 49 receptions, 746 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He had a breakout year for the Cowboys in 1987, finishing the season with 34 receptions, 521 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

The retired jersey honor will be the second time Liberty Athletics has recognized Edwards. The standout wide receiver was one of seven inductees into the inaugural Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame class in 2009.

10/2/19

third win in a row for liberty flames

Liberty University earned its third straight victory, shutting down a high-powered New Mexico offense.

In a 17-10 to victory, both teams played tough defense. As time expired in the first quarter, Liberty QB Stephen "Buckshot Calvert threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to WR Antonio-Gandy-Golden. The senior became the program’s all-time career leader in touchdown receptions. For the game, he finished the night with six receptions for 144 yards.

Stephen Calvert posted another 300-yard passing game and his third in a row. The senior finished the night completing 24-of -36 passing for 306 yards and two touchdowns.

At the start of second-quarter, the visiting Lobos started to get their offense going during a drive that reached the 34-yard line of the Flames. New Mexico settled for a 52-yard field goal by PK Andrew Shelley at the 9:20 mark. The successful field goal trimmed the Flames' lead to 7-3, in the second quarter.

The home team responded with a statement drive. On Liberty’s second-longest drive of the first half, a nine-play, 82-yard, Calvert tossed a 2-yard pass to tight end Jerome Jackson. This extended the score to 14-3 prior to the halftime intermission.

As both teams struggled to score points in the second half, Liberty finally broke through as it extended its lead to 17-3 thanks to an Alex Probert 42-yard field goal.

New Mexico was able to score their only touchdown on a ptich and catch of 14 yards from Tuioti to Aaron Molina.

Liberty's defense did the heavy lifting and shut the door to seal the victory in Lynchburg, VA

EM-SPORTS 9/29/19

liberty shock hampton 62-27

Lynchburg VA EM-SPORTS 9/21/19

Liberty made history tonight by scoring 62 points against Hampton. The two teams found the end zone a total six time during the first quarter, the Flame scored a TD on the opening drive
With Frankie Hickson two-yard run. Next scoring play was set up by a 47-yard pass from Calvert to Stubbs, and Bandon Robinson too in for a 2-yards touchdown. The Flames scored
two more touchdowns on ground two-yard run by Robinson and a -yard by Peytton Pickett .
Antonio Gandy-Golden 73-yard pass from Stephen Calvert for a touchdown. The Pirates scored
First, on a muffed punt return, while Deondre Francois hit Jadakis Bonds on a 28-yard scoring
The route over the middle of the field. Liberty came right back to score again with Calvert hooked up
With a 29-yard pass to Gandy-Golden for touchdown 9:33 ) second quarter. Hampton opened
Third-quarter with the most successful drive of the night a six-play, 80-yard drive Alec Dana 25-yard
Pass from Deondre Francois touchdown they went for the two-point conversion made it. Stephen Calvert completing 10-of -16 passing attempts for 319 yards and two touchdowns. Next game for Liberty - New Mexico State.

big win for Liberty 35-17

Stephen Calvert And wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden dominated the game for the Flame .
Calvert had a career 300-yard game, finishing the night by completing 20- of 30 attempts for 325
Yards and four TD. Gandy- Golden ended the night with eight receptions for 174 yards and two TD. the Flames offense scored on the game’s first drive and four times before halftime to take a 22-7 lead into halftime. Liberty held the Bulls to 373 offensive yard. Buffalo tried to respond on the following drive, marching with 65 yards on 16 plays to get deep in Liberty territory. However,
Alex McNulty Missed wide left on a 37-yard field goal attempt. Buffalo quarterback Matt Myers
Threw a 13-yard pass to Dylan McDuffie for TD to tie the game 7-7 In the second quarter.
Third Quarter Gandy -Golden scored 55-yards TD with 16 seconds left before the end of
The third quarter. The Bulls score on their lone possession of the fourth quarter when Myers complete a 5-yard pass to Cole Burniston stone for Buffalo TD. EM-SPORTS 9/15/19 Lynchburg VA

liberty Flames Football lose home opener

Liberty Flames step right up. The 2019 season will begin like no other in the school’s short football history.

In what is billed as the “biggest game in Liberty’s history”, the Syracuse Orange entered onto the turf of Williams Stadium.

Liberty wants one day to aspire to be a big-time program in an FBS conference. The 22nd-ranked Orange of the ACC were going to be a great test.

Liberty had said the right things and the entire city of Lynchburg was motivated and ready to generate the energy needed for an upset. However, the Orange were not surprised or overwhelmed. Syracuse was methodical and uneven as Liberty threw everything they had at them. Syracuse took an early 10-0 lead into the half.

Liberty kept scratching and clawing but could not breakthrough the super tough Syracuse defense. On offense, Syracuse made just enough plays and scored two more touchdowns in the second half.

Each team showed early season miscues and jitters. Both starting quarterbacks, Stephen Calvert for Liberty and Tommy Devito of Syracuse, each tossed two interceptions apiece. The teams combined for 7 total turnovers. Antonio Gandy-Golden was the true bright spot for Liberty. He finished with game highs of six receptions and 119 receiving yards. Syracuse running back Moe Neal finished with 143 total yards. The ground game from the Orange churned up 192 yards and gashed the Liberty defense on multiple occasions.

With all heart and effort, the Flames played valiantly but in the end could not match the depth and strength and effectiveness of the proverbial “Big Boys.” The lessons learned will pay great dividends in the future. The Flames will have to regroup and prepare for more tough challenges ahead but they know that they can compete. Knowing is half the battle.

by EMSPORTS.org 8/31/2019

8/29/19

NCAA Denies Waiver Appeal for Willis

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty Athletics received word today the NCAA has denied its appeal request for immediate eligibility for former Auburn quarterback Malik Willis.

Willis transferred to Liberty this past summer following two seasons of play at Auburn. The native of Atlanta, Ga., saw playing time in 15 games with the Tigers during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. He completed 11-of-14 passing attempts for 69 yards and a touchdown, while rushing 28 times for 309 yards and two touchdowns.

Willis faced the Flames when Liberty traveled to Auburn, Ala., in 2018. He finished the Nov. 17 game completing 2-of-3 passing attempts for 13 yards, while adding a 16-yard rushing touchdown.

Liberty and ESPN Events Enter Bowl Agreement for 2020-25 Bowl Cycle

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty’s bowl game opportunities will greatly expand during the next bowl cycle with Liberty and ESPN Events entering a new secondary bowl game agreement.

During the 2020 to 2025 bowl game cycle, ESPN Events could place the Flames in one of at least six bowl games: Boca Raton Bowl (FAU Stadium; Boca Raton, Fla.), Camellia Bowl (Cramton Bowl; Montgomery, Ala.), , Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Albertsons Stadium; Boise, Idaho), Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl (Toyota Stadium; Frisco, Texas), Myrtle Beach Bowl (Brooks Stadium; Conway, S.C.) and New Mexico Bowl (Dreamstyle Stadium; Albuquerque, N.M.).

“Liberty enjoys a strong and vibrant partnership with ESPN Events that has been furthered by a six-year bowl participation agreement beginning next season,” said Director of Athletics Ian McCaw. “This agreement provides a wide array of attractive bowl opportunities in exciting destinations for future Liberty football teams and Flames Nation.”

The secondary bowl agreement extends Liberty’s long-standing working relationship with ESPN. ESPN has an exclusive, multi-year agreement to broadcast Liberty’s home football games.

Through its ASUN Conference broadcast agreement with ESPN, all of Liberty's conference events (home and away) are now carried on ESPN+. Liberty also has agreements, which provide field hockey, ice hockey and other Club Sports events for airing on ESPN+.

The partnership between Liberty and ESPN has always involved live sports productions. Over the past two years, Liberty has produced more than 250 live sporting events for ESPN+, highlighted by the football broadcasts.

The bowl game agreement is Liberty Athletics’ second for its football program since announcing plans to move up to the FBS level on Feb. 16, 2017.

Last year, Liberty Athletics announced an individual secondary bowl agreement with the AutoNation Cure Bowl for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

In the event either conference affiliated with the previously mentioned bowl games does not have enough deserving teams, defined as meeting the six qualifying win threshold, the secondary bowl agreement allows ESPN Events and its bowl game partners to place a bowl eligible Liberty team.

With an enrollment figure over 100,000 students, including 15,000 residential students, and 250,000 current alumni hailing from all 50 states and over 80 countries around the world, Liberty provides these seven bowl games with a fan base that is prepared to travel the country and see the Flames football program play in their first-ever FBS bowl game.

Liberty Athletics recently completed the two-year FBS reclassification process and enters the 2019 season as the 130^th fully bowl eligible FBS team in the country.

ESPN Events Bowl Agreement for the 2020-25 Bowl Game Cycle:

Boca Raton Bowl

· FAU Stadium

· Boca Raton, Fla.

Camellia Bowl

· Cramton Bowl

· Montgomery, Ala.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

· Albertsons Stadium

· Boise, Idaho

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl

· Toyota Stadium

· Frisco, Texas

Myrtle Beach Bowl

· Brooks Stadium

· Conway, S.C.

New Mexico Bowl

• Dreamstyle Stadium

• Albuquerque, N.M.

Football Season Tickets Remain On Sale

Excitement around Liberty’s football program has never been higher and Flames Nation can take their next step in supporting the Flames by purchasing their 2019 season tickets.

After seeing the Flames become the ninth team in NCAA history to win six or more games during their first season at the FBS level, college football’s highest level of competition, the Flames Ticket Office is excited to announce that 2019 season tickets are currently on sale.

Flames Nation can reserve their season tickets for as low as $70 per person for a general admission ticket at the renovated Williams Stadium, which now seats 25,000 fans.

By visiting www.LUFootball.com, fans can see the variety of numerous season ticket options available throughout the 2019 season.

Season ticket packages for Liberty’s six-game home schedule include: Club Level ($360), West Premium Chairbacks ($165), West Reserved Benchbacks ($130), West Reserved Benchbacks ($100), East Reserved Benchbacks ($85) and East General Admission ($70).

A season ticket package provides fans with significant savings over purchasing a single game ticket – up to 56 percent. Liberty opens its 2019 season on Aug. 31 when it hosts ACC opponent Syracuse, the first Power 5 opponent to visit Williams Stadium.

Fans can support Liberty Football by joining the Flames Club, which exists to underwrite Liberty Athletics' three-fold mission to train Champions for Christ, provide a world-class student-athlete experience and achieve victory with integrity.

Flames Club membership starts at just $60 and members can enjoy preferred parking, seating and pregame hospitality benefits, based upon membership level. For more information about the Flames Club, please call 434-582-CLUB (2582) or email FlamesClub@liberty.edu.

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big win for liberty 66 -55

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