- August 30th, 2006, 7:42 am
#27463
http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Sate ... th=!sports
Liberty Notebook: Flames new turf finally installed
By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
August 30, 2006
Heat forced workers to take a break from applying the final layers of sand and rubber pellets to Williams Stadium's new FieldTurf Tuesday, and the Liberty football team took advantage.
Even though the sand/rubber process wasn't complete, there was enough padding on the turf to run a practice, so LU held its Tuesday session at Williams. Later in the night, crews applied the last sand/rubber layer to the turf, completing a process that left officials in the university's athletics department antsy.
The turf process was wrought was delay after delay, starting with the late arrival of the turf itself to machine breakdowns that dragged the process out even longer. The turf was finished with just one day to spare.
The Flames practiced once on FieldTurf last week, moving workouts to Amherst High School for a day. So there won't be a pronounced home-field disadvantage, even if the Flames have only run on the new turf one time more than Thursday's opponent, St. Paul's.
"I had the same turf in high school, so I've played on it for three years," LU quarterback Brock Smith said. "It's really good on your shins. It's a lot faster and a lot more comfortable."
Big South notes
On Tuesday, the Big South's coaches took part in the first of a season-long series of teleconferences with the media. Some interesting tidbits:
Gardner-Webb will be without kicker Hunter Smith for the foreseeable future after the senior pulled a groin muscle in his kicking leg.
Coastal Carolina has lost four offensive guards - three to injury and one to academic ineligibility - during training camp, leaving coach David Bennett few options to work with for Saturday's opener against Elon. Bennett said he planned on using a mix of backup centers and tackles at the guard spots.
VMI coach Jim Reid, whose Keydets meet Davidson Saturday in Lexington, has major concerns about the team's depth.
"Secondary, wide receiver, linebacker, defensive line, offensive line," he said, stifling a chuckle. "We could have used that transfer on the offensive line from Virginia, that's for sure."
Reid, referring to Liberty tackle Eddie Pinigis, had to send two mononucleosis-stricken offensive lineman home.
Charleston Southern opens with future Big South member Presbyterian Saturday in Clinton, S.C., and hopes to erase the memory of a 42-0 loss to the Blue Hose in last year's home opener. "We've got a lot of ground to make up," CSU coach Jay Mills said. "For it to be a rivalry, there's got t be a little more competitiveness from our end."
Presbyterian is 12-1 all-time against the Bucs, who are working to improve a weak non-conference schedule in the future. CSU plays PC, Division II North Greenville and Wingate, NAIA Edward Waters and Patriot League foe Georgetown this year. CSU will start a four-year series with Wofford next year and is expected to announce soon a contract with a Division I-A team. Several message boards have rumored that opponent to be Florida.
Extra points
Freshmen defensive backs Al Bailey and Harcourt Farquharson have returned home to Florida and won't play this season while working out some academic issues. "We'll revisit their situation in January," LU coach Danny Rocco said. ? LU will hold a 9 p.m. pep rally tonight at Williams Stadium in advance of the opener.
Liberty Notebook: Flames new turf finally installed
By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
August 30, 2006
Heat forced workers to take a break from applying the final layers of sand and rubber pellets to Williams Stadium's new FieldTurf Tuesday, and the Liberty football team took advantage.
Even though the sand/rubber process wasn't complete, there was enough padding on the turf to run a practice, so LU held its Tuesday session at Williams. Later in the night, crews applied the last sand/rubber layer to the turf, completing a process that left officials in the university's athletics department antsy.
The turf process was wrought was delay after delay, starting with the late arrival of the turf itself to machine breakdowns that dragged the process out even longer. The turf was finished with just one day to spare.
The Flames practiced once on FieldTurf last week, moving workouts to Amherst High School for a day. So there won't be a pronounced home-field disadvantage, even if the Flames have only run on the new turf one time more than Thursday's opponent, St. Paul's.
"I had the same turf in high school, so I've played on it for three years," LU quarterback Brock Smith said. "It's really good on your shins. It's a lot faster and a lot more comfortable."
Big South notes
On Tuesday, the Big South's coaches took part in the first of a season-long series of teleconferences with the media. Some interesting tidbits:
Gardner-Webb will be without kicker Hunter Smith for the foreseeable future after the senior pulled a groin muscle in his kicking leg.
Coastal Carolina has lost four offensive guards - three to injury and one to academic ineligibility - during training camp, leaving coach David Bennett few options to work with for Saturday's opener against Elon. Bennett said he planned on using a mix of backup centers and tackles at the guard spots.
VMI coach Jim Reid, whose Keydets meet Davidson Saturday in Lexington, has major concerns about the team's depth.
"Secondary, wide receiver, linebacker, defensive line, offensive line," he said, stifling a chuckle. "We could have used that transfer on the offensive line from Virginia, that's for sure."
Reid, referring to Liberty tackle Eddie Pinigis, had to send two mononucleosis-stricken offensive lineman home.
Charleston Southern opens with future Big South member Presbyterian Saturday in Clinton, S.C., and hopes to erase the memory of a 42-0 loss to the Blue Hose in last year's home opener. "We've got a lot of ground to make up," CSU coach Jay Mills said. "For it to be a rivalry, there's got t be a little more competitiveness from our end."
Presbyterian is 12-1 all-time against the Bucs, who are working to improve a weak non-conference schedule in the future. CSU plays PC, Division II North Greenville and Wingate, NAIA Edward Waters and Patriot League foe Georgetown this year. CSU will start a four-year series with Wofford next year and is expected to announce soon a contract with a Division I-A team. Several message boards have rumored that opponent to be Florida.
Extra points
Freshmen defensive backs Al Bailey and Harcourt Farquharson have returned home to Florida and won't play this season while working out some academic issues. "We'll revisit their situation in January," LU coach Danny Rocco said. ? LU will hold a 9 p.m. pep rally tonight at Williams Stadium in advance of the opener.
Isaiah 33:1
Woe to you, O destroyer, you who have not been destroyed!
Woe to you, O traitor, you who have not been betrayed!
Woe to you, O destroyer, you who have not been destroyed!
Woe to you, O traitor, you who have not been betrayed!
- By LU Armchair coach
- By Purple Haize
- By Sly Fox