A Sea Of Red

After reading FlamesNation's breakdown of the schedule (which can be read here: http://www.libertyflamesnation.com/2013 ... kdown.html), I figured Id do my annual prediction thread and get the annual calls of my being a megahomer out of the way:

08/31 Kent State

Last year the Golden Flashes came within one game of the first ever BCS berth for the Mid American Conference, but a loss to Northern Illinois in the conference Championship game allowed the Huskies to gain that honor. Leading rusher Dri Archer will be back to lead the way on the offense. Liberty has stayed competitive in their FBS games the last few seasons and has been especially competitive against the MAC beating Ball State in 2010 and losing by one point to the Toledo Rockets).

The last time the Flames met the Golden Flashes was 2004 when Ken Karcher was the head coach, and Liberty left on the short end of a 38-10 score. This game will be much more competitive but the Flashes will win their second in a row

Kent State 37
Liberty 20

09/07 Monmouth

Liberty plays an NEC opponent for the third time in four years as the Hawks make their first ever trip to Lynchburg. The Hawks finished 4-7 last year including a loss to 2012 Flames opponent Lehigh and conference co-champion Albany (now a member of the CAA).

Liberty lost their first home opener since 2002 last year to Norfolk State, but beat the last NEC team to enter Williams Stadium, Robert Morris 38-7. The last time Liberty faced a team entering the Big South the following season was 2008 when Stony Brook made the trip and left 33-0 losers. Expect a similar result here.

Liberty 35
Monmouth 7

09/14 Morgan State

Liberty hasnt faced the Bears since 1996 and in Lynchburg in 1995. The Bears have not posted a winning season since 2009 (going 6-5). Liberty beat MSU in Lynchburg 48-17 in 95 and Im hoping for a repeat of that performance this year.

Liberty 48
Morgan State 17

09/21 @Richmond

This will be the first meeting between Liberty and the Spiders, coached by previous Flames head man Danny Rocco. DR showed his turnaround magic again last season leading the Spiders to an 8-3 record and just missing out on the FCS playoffs. I expect a real battle between these two with DR ekeing out the victory over his former squad this time around

Richmond 27
Liberty 24

09/28 Kentucky Wesleyan

The first of 2 Division II programs makes a visit to Williams Stadium when the Panthers make their second trip to Lynchburg in three seasons. Liberty routed KWC 57-0 last time and I see another easy win for Liberty (who has not lost to a Division II program since 1993)

Liberty 49
Kentucky Wesleyan 0


10/05 @Old Dominion

This matchup comes about 5 years late but Liberty and ODU finally meet on the gridiron after meeting in basketball, baseball and even club hockey. 2012 Payton Award winner Taylor Heinecke leads the Monarchs as they are in their final season as an FCS program and they begin the transition to FBS status, where ODU will join Conference USA in 2014. Its also Homecoming weekend for the Monarchs and they will no doubt want to send their alumni home happy. With both teams heading into a bye week next week, both teams will be looking to head into halftime with a victory, but ODU will come out on top in this in-state battle

ODU 41
Liberty 24

10/19 Coastal Carolina

The Chanticleers are the homecoming opponent for the third time in six seasons and will make their first visit under second year head coach Joe Moglia. Liberty has had CCU's number in Lynchburg, winning five of the 6 meetings at Williams Stadium, and all of those games have been double digit wins, including a 63-27 thrashing in 2011. With rumors of the Chants being potentially invited to the Southern Conference to fill the vacancies left by Appalachian State and Georgia Southern, a win at Liberty will likely be all that stands between them and a third straight FCS playoff berth. Williams Stadium has been a house horrors as no Big South team has succeeded in leaving Lynchburg with a W since 2006 when Gardner-Webb did so. I think Liberty wins by double digits again but it wont be as one-sided a game as the last couple have been and the alumni will be heading home happy once again.

Liberty 35
Coastal 21

10/26 @Gardner-Webb

As mentioned before, Gardner-Webb was the last Big South team to beat Liberty seven years ago. Since that time, Liberty has won six in a row, including an epic comeback from down 28-10, handing the Bulldogs a demoralizing 42-35 loss, after which they went 3-3, including lopsided losses to Stony Brook, Coastal Carolina and Charleston Southern. Ron Dickerson resigned and North Greenville head coach (and GWU alum) Carroll McCray takes over a program and has not won a Big South Championship since 2004. Liberty has not proven a welcome guest in Boiling Springs, winning the last three games at Spangler Stadium by a combined 107-31. Liberty continues the trend this season.

Liberty 45
Gardner-Webb 14

11/02 VMI

The Keydets come to town to open the final homestand for Liberty for 2013 and the Runnin Roos have proven to be quite the nemesis the last two seasons, taking Liberty to the last minute in 2011 before losing 37-31 and then remaining competitive into the fourth last season in Lexington before Liberty pulled away with a pair of TDs late to clinch a share of the Big South title 33-14. VMI has not won in this series since 2005 but do not be surprised if this is another offensive matchup between the two in Lynchburg as two of the last three matchups saw both teams score over 30 points.

Liberty 41
VMI 31

11/09 Presbyterian

The Blue Hose very nearly snuffed out the Flames and their Big South winning streak in 2011 before Liberty pulled out a double overtime win thanks to good defense and a leaping grab by wide receiver Chris Summers against current Arizona Cardinal Justin Bethel. Liberty left zero doubt of the outcome last year, racing out to a 21-0 first quarter lead on the way to a 56-7 rout in Clinton. PC spoiled Liberty's playoff aspirations in 2008 but once again the home field advantage will carry the day and Liberty wins

Liberty 28
PC 13

11/16 Brevard

Liberty faces two D2 squads for the first time since 2008 as the Brevard Tornados make their first trip to Lynchburg. I gave all my thoughts in the KWC section so I will just say Liberty wins...by a lot

Liberty 56
Brevard 3

11/23 @Charleston Southern

The Buccaneers get the chance to play conference spoiler once again this year as Liberty closes the season against CSU. This is the first time the Bucs have been the final opponent since 1994, but the first time ever that the Flames will close the Big South slate in Charleston. This could also be a coronation weekend for Liberty with a win clinching the first outright title since 2008 and the first ever appearance in the FCS playoffs, which increase to 24 teams this season. Liberty has come close to reaching the top of the mountain before and just come up short but with Stony Brook now battling for the CAA title, this is the best chance Liberty has to snag the automatic bid and they do just that

Liberty 31
Charleston Southern 14

Final Record 9-3, 7-0 at home, 5-0 Big South

Pretty good work. That's how I picked the games too.

Megahomer - That would be a decent season. I hope we can pull one out against Richmond.

I think that pretty much hits it. The swing games will likely be Richmond on the road and Coastal at home. Anything in the 8-4 to 10-2 range seems reasonable to expect.

The thing that really plays into our favor in the conference games is our level of success at home. We get our biggest challenger (CCU) there and we get the two teams who have given us the most trouble there as well (PC and VMI) in back to back weeks.

NotAJerry wrote:I think that pretty much hits it. The swing games will likely be Richmond on the road and Coastal at home. Anything in the 8-4 to 10-2 range seems reasonable to expect.

but with 2 D2 games, an 8-4 record with a loss to Coastal means no playoffs.

At least we won't likely have any 3-way championships.

Isn't the home team suppose to be on the bottom. Other then that fine work. I figured you would have had Liberty losing in triple OT to Kent State in route to a 11-1 season

This isnt the year to go megahomer with the results the way I see it.

I believe that you guys are the only Virginia FCS team that we haven't played (beaten) yet. Should be a fun game.

One side note, ODU's has not played well in the last two homecoming games. (Played horrible in our only regular season loss to Villanova last year, and lost on a 4th and 29 Hail Mary to Towson the previous year). Seems to be the right day to play us.

With ODU moving to FBS in 2014, they are going to want to make as good an impression as possible on their new conference, so they will do the best they can to avoid any slip ups. I think if this was a couple years ago, Liberty might have a chance to catch ODU acting a little overconfident. This year, I think the Monarchs know that Liberty isnt some weak team they can pound by 50 and Im sure they will prepare accordingly for a battle.

10/05 @Old Dominion

This matchup comes about 5 years late but Liberty and ODU finally meet on the gridiron after meeting in basketball, baseball and even club hockey. 2012 Payton Award winner Taylor Heinecke leads the Monarchs as they are in their final season as an FCS program and they begin the transition to FBS status, where ODU will join Conference USA in 2014. Its also Homecoming weekend for the Monarchs and they will no doubt want to send their alumni home happy. With both teams heading into a bye week next week, both teams will be looking to head into halftime with a victory, but ODU will come out on top in this in-state battle

ODU 41
Liberty 24

That's a 5-10 minute drive for most of them!

ODU is a down field scoring machine. Give them an inch and their QB will pick you apart. We will need up front pressure and superb down field coverage or this can be a 3rd string bench clearer for the home team. Here's to a crack d coaching staff / game plan and flawless execution.

Go Flames!!!

alabama24 wrote:Megahomer - That would be a decent season. I hope we can pull one out against Richmond.

If we pull out the game against Richmond, the only game I realistically see us losing the rest of the year is ODU, so a 10 win season is not out of the question if that were to happen

Hey BJ, Southern conf. needs a few teams. What do you think?

Realignment questions go elsewhere but as far as scheduling, youre not going to get much there. Itd be great to replace KWC and Brevard but to replace a team at this point would require a seismic shift in team schedules not only here, but wherever the teams we would be playing are on the schedule as well

Looks pretty solid on the picks there, only thing I would question is the score of the Kent State game, they will opening the season with a new coach so things could change in the mind set of the HC whether he be an offensive person or defensive.

Why do we have to get blown out by ODU, pressure bursts pipes, so I am going to assume(yes, I know what they say) that if the defense is living up to half the hype that they have been receiving to date, that seems like a lot of points to be giving up. I think they will probably come up with some scheming and designs to move him off his spot, and like someone else said getting some solid db or lb pressures it may be a tad closer.

If the defense is as good as advertised I do think this is a game we could steal, but at this point, if we get into an old west style shootout with the Monarchs, they will have a couple more bullets in the gun and will pull away from us in the second half.

As for the Kent State game, I dont think we will get embarrassed like we did last time we played them, but much like our FBS games of late (save the Ball State win), they will assert why they are FBS and we arent (yet), and will get a couple TDs late to give the final margin

I wonder if they will play Ohio by Neil Young at the Kent State Game

With the notoriety in Kent, that's the best reference you can summon for that game? Ha!

Sly Fox wrote:With the notoriety in Kent, that's the best reference you can summon for that game? Ha!

Ironically I was listening to it while I posted!