A Sea Of Red

This is not exactly a news flash, but here is the confirmation on next fall being our trip to face the Penguins.

Next season the Penguins will play six away games, including four in the Gateway, at Ohio State and a return game at Southern Utah. Liberty University will be the other non-Gateway home game, as they return a game they owed the Penguins.

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Last time I saw LU play Youngstown, I was a chaperone for the LU band (that's for you, BJ). It rained, and they wouldn't permit umbrellas in their stadium, so I had to wear an orange Penguin poncho.

There was a note on the 2008 schedule in the Sunday paper. Shockingly, it didn't get online. The YSU game is Sept. 27.

I'd love to see the full schedule note if you have it still on your machine, Chris.

Nice addition to the schedule. Way to go.

Our schedule is going to be real tough next year. Will definitely test our young group of players.

Here it is:

Liberty’s 2008 football schedule is nearly complete, with 10 of the 12 games set.
That’s a stark change from earlier this year, when LU athletics director Jeff Barber was still trying to complete the 2007 schedule in February.
The home schedule features games against North Greenville (in the Aug. 30 opener), Stony Brook, Elon, Gardner-Webb and Charleston Southern.
The Flames will travel to face Western Carolina, Youngstown State, Presbyterian, Coastal Carolina and VMI.
That leaves two spots to fill, and Barber said the Flames won’t face a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision, marking the first time since 2000 that Liberty hasn’t played a money game.
The James Madison series, which was supposed to begin next season, has been pushed back a year and will start in 2009 in Lynchburg.
Director of football operations Paul Rutigliano said Liberty is talking with Richmond and other in-state schools to fill next season‘s open dates.
The Western Carolina and Youngstown State games are return trips to close out home-and-home series. Liberty still has to return a trip to Lehigh at some point to complete that series.

Gracias

I hope we can keep W&M on the schedule

overall, that's a nice schedule.

would like to see Lehigh next year, but that's not likely, I suppose.

If you get that one out of the way though, you can get ODU in '09 or '10.

assuming we WANT to play them.

Richmond would be nice, but it will be great to see JMU on the schedule again.

ODU!!!

Traditionally Richmond has not wanted to have anything to do with us. If we could land them it would be a very nice addition to the schedule.

The more high DI-AA teams the better. That is where we want to go next so we might as well start filling our schedule with them. How about App, Furman, or some other Southern conference options? No too far from home either if other in state teams cannot be gotten.

Sly Fox wrote:Traditionally Richmond has not wanted to have anything to do with us. If we could land them it would be a very nice addition to the schedule.

I think Richmond will be willing to play LU again in the near future. I heard from Coach Clawson's own mouth (referring to the 2006 season) that Liberty had gotten "much better". LU is beginning to earn more respect from coaches, so I'd imagine we'd get more teams willing to play us. A successful 2007 should be a turning point....

Richmond's issues with us generally have not been sports-related. But it seems only natural for us to be playing each other.

I updated the blog with some dates for 2008.

Chris Lang wrote:I updated the blog with some dates for 2008.

Thanks for mentioning me in the blog the other night Chris...Seems like me walking into a room is actually "newsworthy" afterall . With a weather report no less.

Non-conference on the last game of the year? That's kinda weird.

SCAR wrote:

Chris Lang wrote:I updated the blog with some dates for 2008.

Thanks for mentioning me in the blog the other night Chris...Seems like me walking into a room is actually "newsworthy" afterall . With a weather report no less.

Any mention of Tim Scarborough is bound to draw in readers.

N&A Sports Blog

I agree, Jon. But that's not a bad matchup for a home date right before Thanksgiving break. It also might give us some traction with the selection committee depending on how both of our seasons go next fall.

Frankly that's shaping up to be a nice lineup even with the DII LU wannabe in the opener.

If we can get Richmond (home or away) and another decent I-AA, that'll be a very good schedule.

I agree SJ...the schedule for next year seems to be coming together nicely....I know a lot of people are upset about us playing 2 DII's the last couple years...but I think its very smart...we were freaking 1-10 not so long ago....no need to have the toughest schedule in conference at this point....next year is the year to get rid of that second DII game....and I am glad to see they are doing so (or at least it looks that way)

I've never complained about our schedule. Do I like it? Ehh, not really, but I understand completely as to why our schedule is the way it is this year. Rocco said he wants to compete with the best teams in VA year in and year out. He's building to that.

oh yeah, i know you haven't complained...I was just saying there are a lot of people on this board that have complained a lot about it....but it makes perfect sense

I'm actually cool with throwing a bone to likeminded DIIs such as Carson-Newman & North Greenville.

But I have to tell you that for selfish reasons I'd love to see a road trip here to Texas next fall. And I'm not picky, anybody in Greater Houston would be fine (i.e. Sam Houston St., Texas Southern, Prairie View ... I'd even drive to SFA, Texas State or McNeese State).