[TDDance234]

As long as your language is clean and your intentions are not harmful, you should not get reps.

[SuperJon]

Like I told you earlier, I'm glad you weren't around me at the end of a game.

[thepostman]

yeah, i don't remember what we did to get reps, they were appealed though, so thats good....anyways, i really wanted us to win this game before the game started, while the game is going on some player on William And Mary turned around and got talking to us and once he did that we didn't stop messing with him...number 36 I think, then we lost and all he did was look up at us and smile....then some dumb kid yelled at least we aren't going to hell....wow, i couldn't believe that one....

[TDDance234]

It's one thing to razz the players.

Some of the student body takes it a bit too far. It's all in good fun. I shook the hands of a few WM parents and they were classy as could be. Sometimes we take this stuff a little far.

[El Scorcho]

then some dumb kid yelled at least we aren't going to hell...

Maybe he shouldn't be so sure of himself with lines like that.

[SuperJon]

Some kids are just stupid.

[thepostman]

yeah, i was mad we lost the freaking game, and when the william and mary player mouthed off to us earlier in the game I wanted us to win so much more just so we could laugh at him a little bit more, then some kid goes and says that...its comments like that that give people in the area a reason to feel the way that they do about liberty...right or wrong, it gives them a reason...

[SuperJon]

I'm going to throw up and maybe jump off my balcony.

[Sly Fox]

Here is what Chris had on the game in Sunday's fishwrap:

Kicking woes kill Liberty in loss to William & Mary

By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
October 15, 2006

The sound was unsettling, an odd hush that overcame the record crowd at Williams Stadium.

Ben Beasley had already missed two field goals, kicking one so low that it was partially blocked on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage. Another one was yanked right.

But Liberty coach Danny Rocco had little choice, even if the crowd had little confidence in Beasley's ability to hit a 37-yard field goal. His team trailed by a point. Just a shade more than two minutes remained and the Flames were stalled at the William & Mary 20.

On fourth down, Rocco had to trot Beasley out one more time.

With the ball set on the right hash, the snap and hold were good, but the kick was (again) wide right, essentially sealing the Tribe's 14-13 victory, one that wasn't as much earned as it given to them.

At least that's the view Liberty is taking. The Flames outgained the Tribe 386-265 and held a 12-minute time of possession advantage.

But the two issues that have plagued the Flames this season - poor execution in the kicking and passing games - cost Liberty (3-3) against the Tribe (2-4).

Brock Smith, who was benched from midway through the second quarter until halfway through the fourth, consistently overthrew his receivers late in the game when accuracy mattered the most.

Beasley missed from 30, 35 and 37 yards; all very makeable distances. Zac Kolegue had an extra point blocked in the second quarter, but Rocco put blamed the offensive line for allowing Cortenous Herbert to bust through the line unscathed to get a paw on the kick.

That's 10 potential points left on the field in a one-point loss.

On a frustration scale of one to 10, Liberty running back Rashad Jennings called the loss "an 11."

"Obviously, the kicking game killed us today," Rocco said. "It's embarrassing. It's my fault. It's my job to get it corrected."

Beasley was inconsolable after the final miss. As teammates tried to give him a good-natured, "hey, it's OK," type of pat on the back afterward, he slipped away, his head sunk low as he slinked to the sideline.

Beasley declined to speak after the game.

"I feel for Ben. He's heartbroken," Liberty special teams coach Chad Wilt said. "I gave him a big hug after the game and let him know we're always behind him. Win or lose."

The kicks weren't Liberty's only undoings. The Flames committed 12 penalties, including two costly personal fouls on William & Mary's final drive.

With the Tribe facing a 3rd-and-6 from their own 24, quarterback Jake Phillips scrambled left for six yards before Liberty's Pat Dickerson hit him out of bounds. Two personal fouls, one for a late hit out of bounds, made any measurement for the first down moot, and William & Mary was able to run the clock out.

"It was little things everywhere, across the field," Jennings said. "We beat ourselves. You've got your blocked kicks, you're missed kicks, a couple third downs we missed. We had 12 penalties. It's hard to win with that, home or away."

The miscues negated a fabulous day for Liberty's run game. Jennings ran for 186 of Liberty's 315 yards before leaving in the third quarter with an ankle injury (he declined to give any details, but said he'd be ready to play next week against Gardner-Webb).

Jennings' was hurt on his last run, a 62-yard scamper down the left side, when he was dragged down from behind out of bounds. Zach Terrell capped that drive with a 6-yard TD run, his second of the day.

Jennings was miffed at some of the things he heard in the postgame handshake line.

"I hear them say 'I'm glad No. 3 (Jennings' number) got hurt,'" Jennings said. "When you hear stuff like that, come on. It's college football. We're all athletes out here. I say a prayer for every time I come out on the field: God, let not the opposing team get injured or us. You don't want to see anybody get hurt."

Elijah Brooks led the Tribe with 113 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including a five-yard run on 4th-and-1 that put William & Mary up 14-13 with 5:50 left in the third quarter and quieted the crowd of 15,631.

"There's a fine, fine line between winning and losing," Rocco said. "That football team doesn't respect us. They're getting back on the bus and heading back to Williamsburg, and they don't respect us any more than they did. Regardless of if it was 56-0 or 14-13. They won. We lost. That's the reality of it."

http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Sate ... th=!sports

Flames' struggles at QB continue

By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
October 15, 2006

More than halfway through the season, Liberty is still struggling with the same questions at quarterback.

Saturday's 14-13 loss to William & Mary was similar to the Flames' 28-0 win at Savannah State last month, at least in terms of quarterback play.

Brock Smith made a mistake in the second quarter (this time an interception) and rode the bench while Zach Terrell tried to give the Flames a spark.

The only difference was that Smith re-entered the William & Mary game in the fourth quarter when the Flames tried to dial up a field-stretching pass attack.

Smith finished 6-for-12 with 57 yards and an interception and overthrew three passes on LU's final drive, which ended with a missed Ben Beasley field goal.

"He just never made a big throw," Liberty coach Danny Rocco said. "We got underneath them a couple of times and he overthrew Wynton (Jackson) twice that I remember. He had Luck wide open one time running down the middle of the field and didn't see him.

"We've set these plays up all week long. Sure enough, they show up in the game and you've got to execute. And we didn't."

Quite a change

The last time Art Williams made a trip to Liberty, the football operations center bearing his name was simply a hole in the ground. He hasn't been to Lynchburg since his longtime friend, Liberty chancellor Jerry Falwell, turned 70 three years ago.

Saturday, the school officially dedicated the center, and Williams was in attendance to take part in the festivities.

Williams has been a major donor to the university. He was one of 85 businessmen to found what is now known as Primerica, a life insurance company. In all, he's donated more than $70 million to the school.

"I think Liberty football is going to make major, major strides," Williams said. "I just think the future is unlimited."

Last homecoming

William & Mary senior defensive end Josh Wright offered his left hand for a meek handshake after the game Saturday. His right hand sported a still-fresh wound, one that required three stitches to close.

The knuckle on the middle finger of his left hand was swollen and taped. He tore ligaments in his hand and chipped a bone in the finger during the Tribe's season-opening loss at Maryland.

"Old age, man," said Wright, a former Amherst standout. "It's bad to say that at 22."

Wright was part of a mini-Seminole District reunion Saturday at Liberty. Former Jefferson Forest players Eddie Pinigis and Stevie Ray Lloyd suited up for the Flames. Wright was joined by another former Lancer, W&M redshirt freshman offensive lineman Christopher Moore.

Wright, who had two tackles and batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage, said he had about 50 friends and family at the game.

"This is great, to be able to come home and play like this in front of my family," Wright said. "It was an exclamation point (on my career). And I hate say it, but being able to disappoint them on their homecoming makes it a little more fun for us."

Bad break

Liberty defensive end Jason Horn didn't dress for Saturday's game, and his status for next week's game against Gardner-Webb is unknown.

An MRI taken Friday revealed a fracture in his left leg. Rocco said he won't know until Monday how long Horn will be out.

"I think we're calling it a fracture in his shin, next to the knee," Rocco said. "That's kind of what we're dealing with. The significance of that fracture will determine whether he's one to two to three weeks or three to four to five weeks. Obviously, we're going to have a major decision to make here real soon."

Extra points

W&M coach Jimmye Laycock said there was no real rhyme or reason to how he substituted quarterbacks Saturday. Mike Potts and Jake Phillips alternated series, with Potts completing 6 of 9 passes for 92 yards and Phillips connecting on 1 of 8 passes for three yards. "I was just alternating them," Laycock said. "I started doing it in practice and it looked OK so I said, what the heck?" ? W&M running back Elijah Brooks went broke the 2,000-yard mark for his career on a 17-yard run in the second quarter. He's the 11th Tribe RB to reach the mark. ? Liberty's E.L. Estes prevented a first-quarter W&M touchdown when he intercepted a Phillips pass in the end zone. "I just read the quarterback," Estes said. "There was the flat and a route behind me. I got in between the two so I'd be able to break front or back. The quarterback turned and threw and I broke on it."

http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Sate ... th=!sports

Liberty-William & Mary player of the game and more

By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
October 15, 2006

Player of the game:

Cortenous Herbert,

William & Mary

Herbert made the game's deciding play when he blocked Zac Kolegue's point after attempt on Liberty's first touchdown.

Play of the game:

Liberty 4th-and-5 at the William & Mary 20, 2:07 left in the fourth quarter

Ben Beasley lines up for a 37-yard field goal on the right hash mark. The kick is plenty long, but it drifts wide right, allowing William & Mary to maintain its 14-13 lead.

Quotable:

'I thought this was going to be another one of those defining moments for our team. It's really tough. We're going to have to go back to the drawing board to make sure we do the right things to finish ballgames.'

E.L. Estes

Liberty cornerback

Three keys:

Grading the three keys

Unleash Jennings: Liberty running back Rashad Jennings struggled against the tough opponents on the Flames' schedule, but he tore off big chunks of yards Saturday before leaving in the third quarter with an ankle injury. Jennings ran for 186 yards on 22 carries, an 8.5 yard per carry average, and broke a 62-yard run that set up Liberty's second TD.

Grade: A.

Pressure the passer: Playing without standout defensive end Jason Horn, Liberty got into the backfield and had seven quarterback hurries. But the Flames couldn't seal the deal. They were shut out in the sack department. Grade: C.

Capitalize on the atmosphere: Liberty's first long drive ended in a missed field goal, so no quick start was in the cards Saturday.

Grade: C.

http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Sate ... th=!sports[/b]

[A.G.]

The band takes the third quarter off and that's a joke. Name another band in the country that does that.

That is unbelievable. BJ has some 'xplaining to do.

Dr Kerr wanted to get everybody in the stands as quick as possible today for that reason. The band is not in teh stands for the 3rd Quarter so that we can get a break after performing halftime, see parents that came down, just relax, whatever. I mean if you have a problem with it, then take it up with our director. Otherwise, lay off it. We oughta be able to take a break and celebrate a good performance you know

BJ--thanks for the explanation--that makes perfect sense. Yes, the band deserves to chill after half-time and maybe visit with parents, too.

[4everfsu]

Sounds like LU is experiencing the old FSU curse of wide right. I sorry I missed the game but I am now glad I didn't make it, after hearing how we lost, I may have lost my salvation(if that is possible).

[Stevev]

I was thinking the same thing but something inside of me told me that something bad was going to happen at that game. I guess I am glad I listened to that person inside of me telling me that. I would have probably gone back to my motel room and trashed the place like some of the others on this board spoke of. But over time I think that the frustration will pass and I will realize that better times are ahead for the LU football program (I hope). You have to have faith that it will happen

[absturgill]

I was talking to SJ and smoothie about this after the gamge yesterday, we have talked about the kicking, which did cost us the game, but how about these 2 things:

3 15 yard penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct, 2 on the same play, and our WR making little to no effort to lay out for a catch on an easily catchable ball.

[nyblue92]

I think a big part is learning how to win. It sounds kinda silly but anyone who has played an orginized sport knows what i'm saying. There is a difference between playing good enough to win and actually winning. The team is young and their still learning the Rocco system. Between W&M and Towson they showed us they don't yet know how to win football games. The only way you learn how to win these games is by losing them first. Think of the 03-04 BBall team. They lost to games to W&M, Arkansas State, Miami Ohio. In those games they found ways to lose, when they got to conference play they found ways to win...this football team hasn't yet learned how to find ways to win......as far as the kicking situation. You win as a Team and you lose as a team. It sucks leaving 7 points off the scoreboard, however that wasn't the whole game. They lost as a team yesterday.

[givemethemic]

Changes are going to be made this week in practice, Coach told me yesterday after that he wants to beef up the line on kicks to stop pentatration, also he is going to try all the kickers this week and see if anything is better this week... I will hope post his postgame comments here in a minute

[SuperJon]

Scott Kiovsky wrote
at 4:15pm
Man after that game and many of the previous ones... Makes me strongly consider coming back for one more year and kicking for the team again.

[PAmedic]

please, please, please.

either that or I'm coming down w/ my own set of cleats and walking on. You guys saw my style after the game- I'm golden

[jcmanson]

I understand everyone's gripe, but we have to realize how far we have come in such a short amount of time. Yes, I'm just as dissapointed and frustrated as any of you, but we have improved greatly. There are just a few areas on the team that need improvement, whereas last year we needed just to redo everything. Great atmosphere, wish those on the alumni/town section would cheer more. Everytime I stood up to yell, I had about 15 guys behind me yelling at me! Frustrating, but what can you do?

I don't think the passing game is as bad as everyone thinks. Yeah, we couldn't connect on these deep balls, but we had a decent short to medium game. If we could just connect on one of those deep balls a game we would be alright.

I'm glad Rashad busted out in this game. Hopefully, he will be fine. I saw him on the sidelines, and I thought he would return during the game. He was up walking around, but he might be hurt worse than I can tell.

We need Jason Horn out there. He is a monster, and you can tell we miss him when he's not out there.

All in all, I feel confident in where Rocco has brought us this far, and I feel confident in where he can take us. Let him get another year or two of recruiting under his belt, and we should be competing for a playoff birth. Hopefully, this enthusiasm will not die out. This is why we need the team to get to at least 7-4 to keep everyone's head up.

[PAmedic]

we DEFINITLEY need #91 for CCU

MUST pressure Thig or we're screwed

[LUconn]

Everytime I stood up to yell, I had about 15 guys behind me yelling at me! Frustrating, but what can you do?

This is something that goes on at every sporting event. It's so unfathomably ridiculous. You went there specifically to cheer on a team. Really waht you should do is yell back at them to stand up. It gets unpleasant sometimes. My MO is to normally start standing before the game starts so they know what they're getting into and if thye don't like it, sit in the nursing home section.

[Stevewalt]

Brock was recruited as a Punter out of H.S. he did not kick field goals in H.S. oh yeah he did play (don't remember if he started) in the Big 33 game which is all-star teams from PA and Ohio and he did quite well as a QB. He is young give him time you can't turn a whole losing attitude around in 6 months give Rocco time to get more help.

[SuperJon]

The losing attitude isn't what causes overthrows.



However, Brock is getting slammed when Wynton Jackson needs to get it just as much if not more. Those two balls down the right sideline should've been dove for and that ball on the 3rd and five across the middle should've been dove for. Show some freaking effort.

[HarrisburgFlame]

I really think the issue with Brock on the deep ball isn't losing attitudes or lack of WR effort. Watch his release. His elbow is down. Look at the pictures on FSN look at his release point. Looks that way live to - almost like a shot put and I think that is why the deep balls are floating so bad. I bet the coaches will get that corrected. I think the issue is mechanical.

[thepostman]

Brock made some decent throws, some not so good throws, but there were 2 passes that I keep thinking about that if Wynton just ran hard and reached his hands out would've been long completions or even touchdowns....I am sure it will be addressed in practice, especially after coach looks at the tape

[TIMSCAR20]

This team is a good team and will get better. The coaching staff has them prepared for every opponent and they play with enthusiasm. Add in the fact that they are well supported and have a commitment from the AD on down to get them what they need, I suspect we will have a playoff team here in the Rocco era soon. I won't go into Brock or the kicking game because you guys have all said a mouthful. I did want to share something that coach Rocco said at Flames Club on Friday. He hates it when teams or fans say we should be 4-1 or 10-0 or whatever. You are what you are. We are a 3-3 team. I have to agree with him. Things didn't go the way we expected them to but it is a reality and it is what happened. We got beat on Saturday and are 3-3. These guys will not get down on themselves on Rocco's watch. He is a personality and a leader that makes you always feel like there is hope. At least that is how I feel when I am in his presence. It is not a false hope either but one of competence, determination and a commitment to excellence. This season is not over and we still have a lot to play for. I hope the fan base continues to grow. I for one can't wait to get back to Williams Stadium on Saturday. I am looking forward to a quality performance from our team in ALL areas.