Moderators: jcmanson, Sly Fox, BuryYourDuke, Class of 20Something
Anonymous wrote:WOW!!!! i like that alot. what's that from? it looks great.sorry- forgot to acknowlege that. Its on the front page of the official libertyflames.comwebsite
JLFJR wrote:Thanks for your input, PA! Very helpful.
LUconn wrote:speaking of stuff that needed to be done, I drove by campus today via 460. They finally painted the back of the scoreboard and it looks fanfreakingtastic when you drive by. Very noticable. How long has that been like that?Yeah, it's nice.
PAmedic wrote:PROTO: your work?That definitely looks good. If it is Proto then you did a good job.
April 29, 2006 · Lynchburg, Va.
Football Coach Danny Rocco got his final look of the spring season at his football squad as the Flames hosted their annual Spring Football Game, Saturday afternoon, in front of 4,136 fans at Williams Stadium.
The afternoon also saw a celebration of both past and future Flames’ football players as 18 seniors were honored on the afternoon, while Brock Farrel was named the winner of this team’s Luke 2:52 award (Whole Person award) and Chris Stokes was named this year’s recipient of the Samkon Gado award (Most Improved award).
Also, Rocco named his two offensive and defensive captains during a halftime ceremony as linebacker Manny Rojas and defensive lineman Jason Horn will be joined by running back Rashad Jennings and offensive lineman Jarrett Winfrey as captains during the 2006 campaign.
The final scrimmage of the spring practice season was dominated by the running game as Liberty finished the practice rushing for 251 total yards and two touchdowns, while Liberty’s three quarterbacks threw for 156 yards and a score as well.
Pittsburgh transfer running back Rashad Jennings led the squad on the ground as he rushed for 99 yards on 16 carries (6.2 yards per carry), while scoring twice which included a 30-yard scoring run.
Following Jennings was Terron Lawrence, who rushed for 57 yards on 11 carries (5.2 yards per carry), while Zach Terrell rushed for 37 yards on eight carries.
Three players shared quarterbacking duties for Liberty on the afternoon with Terrell passing for 78 yards and a score as he completed 5-of-7 passing attempts, while Brock Smith also passed for 78 yards as he completed 6-of-14 attempts. Tavarus Dove also saw limited time under center and was 0-of-2 in pass attempts.
Tight end Chris Luck led all Flames’ receivers as he caught three passes for 63 yards, while Wynton Jackson finished second on the afternoon by catching a pass for 31 yards.
Liberty rotated two punters during the scrimmage as Ben Beasley had two punts for 78 yards (39.0 average), while Zac Kolegue had a single punt for 41 yards.
Kolegue and Beasley also shared field goal duties on the afternoon with Kolegue making a 32 yard attempt and missing a 31-yard attempt, while Beasley nailed a 40-yard field in the second half.
The Flames will return to Williams Stadium on August 31 when they host St. Paul’s in their season opener to kick off the 2006 season. The Thursday’s evening game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
Final Statistics:
Rushing – Jennings – 16-99 (2 TD), Lawrence – 11-57, Terrell – 8-37, Stokes – 3-21, Corpew – 4-16, Jackson – 2-12, Bolden – 1-9, LiDrazzah – 1-0. Total 46-251 (2 TD).
Passing – Terrell – 5-7-0, 78 yards (1 TD); Smith 6-14-1, 78 yards; Dove – 0-2-0, 0 yards. Total 11-23-1, 156 yards, 1 TD.
Receiving – Luck – 3-63, Jackson – 1-31, Jennings – 1-11, Turner – 1-8 (1 TD), Edwards – 1-7, Thom – 1-7, Lambros – 1-6. Total – 9-156 (1 TD).
Punting – Beasley – 2 punts, 78 yards (39.0 average), Kolegue – 1 punt, 41 yards (41.0 average).
Field Goals – Kolegue – Made (32), Missed (31); Beasley – Made (40).
JLFJR wrote:Thanks for your input, PA! Very helpful.
The final scrimmage of the spring practice season was dominated by the running game as Liberty finished the practice rushing for 251 total yards and two touchdownsI see where this is going: I'm betting this is a recurring theme this fall!
Kolegue and Beasley also shared field goal duties on the afternoon with Kolegue making a 32 yard attempt and missing a 31-yard attempt, while Beasley nailed a 40-yard field in the second half.Oh boy- I know its only spring, but I hope we find a reliable place kicker this fall- I can't take another outcome like the VMI game.
JLFJR wrote:Thanks for your input, PA! Very helpful.
JLFJR wrote:Thanks for your input, PA! Very helpful.
By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
April 30, 2006
If there were any doubts about the buzz Danny Rocco had generated as Liberty University's new football coach, they were quieted Saturday afternoon.
Grills emanated with the sweet smoke of barbecued chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs. Fans gathered on the hill that overlooks Williams Stadium and in the stands.
"Things are changing," said Bob Good, the head of the Flames Club, Liberty's booster organization.
The proof is in the numbers. Last Oct. 22, there were 2,815 fans in the stands for Liberty's home finale against Coastal Carolina.
Saturday, 4,136 fans showed up for the Flames' spring game, a figure that exceeded the attendance for three of LU's five home games last season.
Yes, things are definitely changing.
"This was more typical of a game," said Samkon Gado, the former Liberty running back turned Green Bay Packer, who was in town for the festivities. "It just shows the excitement with the football program is really starting to permeate throughout the school. The school is really starting to take this seriously. I'm really excited about it. I did not expect this many people to show up."
Rocco didn't want Saturday's controlled scrimmage to be called a spring game, because in reality, it was not a game. Rocco scripted 80 plays for Saturday's scrimmage in an effort to replicate certain situations. So even after a 10-yard run on 1st-and-10, the Flames would line up for a 2nd-and-7 on the next play.
Even so, there was enough to keep the largest crowd to ever watch a Liberty spring game entertained.
Rashad Jennings, the former LCA standout and Pittsburgh transfer, ran for 99 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns. Even without live hitting, the 250-pound Jennings was able to display his prodigious skills package. He pounded the ball up the middle for yardage, changed directions on counter plays and cut back through holes for big gains, including a 30-yard TD run.
"Rashad's going to get most of his yards after contact," Rocco said. "When you play in an environment like this, where you're thudding up on the ballcarrier, the whistle is blowing on the thud. There's always going to be that extra three, four, five yards after the thud. You'll see bigger and better things from him in the fall."
Zach Terrell had eight carries for 37 yards and completed 5 of 7 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Chris Luck caught three passes for 63 yards, including a one-handed circus grab of a Brock Smith throw over the middle in the first half.
Rocco didn't allow live tackling at the scrimmage because he didn't see the need in risking injury, especially with the Flames partaking in their final set of drills on Williams Stadium's dilapidated artificial turf. The installation of FieldTurf at Williams will begin next month.
Still, Rocco had a good feel for how much his team improved over the span of 15 April practices.
"The kids worked hard all spring long," Rocco said. "There's a good spirit to the team, a lot of energy. The leadership has come a long way. There's enough talent around here to be good.
"We're going to compete this year and we're going to be good this year. I don't know what that means in terms of wins and losses, but we're going to put a good product on the field."
The fact that Saturday's final practice wasn't really much of a game didn't seem to bother the fans.
The buzz of the start of the Rocco era hasn't worn off yet, and Liberty officials hope it carries through the summer months and to the start of the season Aug. 31.
"I'd love for that whole parking lot out there to be full of people enjoying the day, and not just the game," LU athletics director Jeff Barber said. "This is a good start, and we're just going to build on it."
JLFJR wrote:Thanks for your input, PA! Very helpful.
- By olldflame