[From the class of 09]

Does Coastal/SB claim the championships as well?

Coastal actually won the tiebreaker and went to the playoffs. They deserve the title in those years.

SB?

[ProudPapa73]

Until we win the big game - we're going to have that monkey on our back. It's always in the back of our minds. We don't have a culture of winning because we haven't won.

Every big game for the last 10 years, we've failed.

That's the issue behind the football program.

STONEY BROOK 2012 BIG GAME WIN!

[ProudPapa73]

How does the same malady hinder different coaches? What is it about LU that might contribute to our inability to become a dominant program?

Do we mistake "Win or lose God get's the glory" as an excuse that it's ok to be soft?

Can it be since we don't basque in the win because it's "un-Christian" that we don't develop a dominating winning attitude?
Can it be since we don't linger on the loss because it's so "un-Christian" that we don't learn to hate losing?

God didn't just win battles. He dominated wars.
God didn't just beat death once. He gave us life forever.

If God get's the glory win or lose...then who needs losing?!

Go Flames!!!

[Purple Haize]

How does the same malady hinder different coaches? What is it about LU that might contribute to our inability to become a dominant program?

Do we mistake "Win or lose God get's the glory" as an excuse that it's ok to be soft?

Can it be since we don't basque in the win because it's "un-Christian" that we don't develop a dominating winning attitude?
Can it be since we don't linger on the loss because it's so "un-Christian" that we don't learn to hate losing?

God didn't just win battles. He dominated wars.
God didn't just beat death once. He gave us life forever.

If God get's the glory win or lose...then who needs losing?!

Go Flames!!!

You had me till the end.

[SumItUp]

How does the same malady hinder different coaches? What is it about LU that might contribute to our inability to become a dominant program?

Do we mistake "Win or lose God get's the glory" as an excuse that it's ok to be soft?

Can it be since we don't basque in the win because it's "un-Christian" that we don't develop a dominating winning attitude?
Can it be since we don't linger on the loss because it's so "un-Christian" that we don't learn to hate losing?

God didn't just win battles. He dominated wars.
God didn't just beat death once. He gave us life forever.

If God get's the glory win or lose...then who needs losing?!

Go Flames!!!

You had me till the end.

Go Flames??

[Purple Haize]

No. It was


Get it right!

[rogers3]

You guys should go to wiki and type in Turner Gill/Dale Layer and check out their coaching records. That will get you fired up for rest of the seasons to come.


And Purple Haize-- Rocco couldn't beat Stoney Brook but he can beat Turner Gill!!

Rocco did beat SB, but in the game that counted, he didn't. Go back under the rock.

[rogers3]

You guys should go to wiki and type in Turner Gill/Dale Layer and check out their coaching records. That will get you fired up for rest of the seasons to come.


And Purple Haize-- Rocco couldn't beat Stoney Brook but he can beat Turner Gill!!

Rocco did beat SB, but in the game that counted, he didn't. Rocco never seemed to have much of a problem pushing teams in games that didn't count for much, but he never won the game that we needed to- every season we had a loss that landed us in the co-champion position.

[badger74]

Not an LU grad but I have watched it develop over the last 10 years. LU is still very nuch a work in progress from the campus to the academics to the football team. 10 years ago there was not really much to the campus and even less to brag about compared to many older schools. That is changing rapidly now and when the current building boom is complete it will look like a real college campus. I think that is a big deal in recruiting--takes more than just a nice football facility IMHO. As you step up in the competition level the other guys have lots going for them too. Recruits take it all in and make a decision based on their overall usually gut feel about the coach, program and school.
Then you have the institutional values and expectations. I think everyone can agree LU is at least unique in these areas. Some might find it a big positive--others not so much--especially those coming mostly to play the sport. And there are a fair number of those--even at the highest talent levels. Maybe especially among those players. So I think the coaches have a pretty tough assignment finding good players who also will be good fits for LU. I'd guess that limitation eliminates a substantial segment of the recruiting pool right off the top. 50%-maybe. In contrast I'd guess 5-10% find LU's values a major plus. Hard to field a top progam that is still building a rep under those constraints. It will take time and more time than at your average public or secular private college.
I see talent and some holes on the LU team. When you get to 85 scholarships there should be fewer holes. Until then I'd look most for improvement and greater consistency. Beating MAC and other schools that have been around many years is not that easy.

[TIMSCAR20]

In my opinion this defense is as good as I have seen in many many years at Liberty. I don't think we are appreciating how hard it is to go on the road and hold a FBS program on their home field to 10 points in the 1st 55 min or an explosive ODU team to 7 points in the 1st 56 minutes and 14 offensive points for the game. What's amazing to me is how this team FAR EXCEEDED nearly everyone's expectations for how Saturday would go (most were predicting a 3 touchdown blowout and as many as 60 plus points given up), yet because of the nature of the loss, now the sky is falling on the entire Liberty Athletics Program. Shout out to Rob Wimbo - D Coordinator. I think he is doing an excellent job in his new role. Keep it going and the Offense will catch up and start pulling away from people. There is still a lot to be positive things left for this team in the very near future.

The truth is that this program in my opinion has it all in front of them and can erase any perception of futility and short comings by winning each game in the Big South starting with Saturday Oct 19th.

[Purple Haize]

In my opinion this defense is as good as I have seen in many many years at Liberty. I don't think we are appreciating how hard it is to go on the road and hold a FBS program on their home field to 10 points in the 1st 55 min or an explosive ODU team to 7 points in the 1st 56 minutes and 14 offensive points for the game. What's amazing to me is how this team FAR EXCEEDED nearly everyone's expectations for how Saturday would go (most were predicting a 3 touchdown blowout and as many as 60 plus points given up), yet because of the nature of the loss, now the sky is falling on the entire Liberty Athletics Program. Shout out to Rob Wimbo - D Coordinator. I think he is doing an excellent job in his new role. Keep it going and the Offense will catch up and start pulling away from people. There is still a lot to be positive things left for this team in the very near future.

The truth is that this program in my opinion has it all in front of them and can erase any perception of futility and short comings by winning each game in the Big South starting with Saturday Oct 19th.

As usual with you reporter types you are only partially correct. We can BEGIN to erase any perception of futility and short coming by winning a play off game. Just "winning" the BSC won't get it done anymore

[TIMSCAR20]

So Haize you are saying that there won't be a parade and a major celebration if Liberty wins all the Big South games and win a playoff BIRTH? If that happens everyone will forget about the ODU game, the Kent game and the Richmond rain storm game. Gotta get to the playoffs before talking about winning a game. But I do agree with you a playoff win would be HUGE!!!

[Purple Haize]

So Haize you are saying that there won't be a parade and a major celebration if Liberty wins all the Big South games and win a playoff BIRTH? If that happens everyone will forget about the ODU game, the Kent game and the Richmond rain storm game. Gotta get to the playoffs before talking about winning a game. But I do agree with you a playoff win would be HUGE!!!

I think GOING to the playoffs would be huge but again, you Liberal Media types see things only your way! It would do nothing of erasing the stigma of not winning the BIG game it would only get us to one. That will be the test, and most Americans agree with me

[comet]

I read a lot about the disappointment in losing "big games." Personally, I tend to think the problem lies in the schedule. The only "big games" the LU program should be playing right now are against FBS teams.

Old Dominion and Richmond should not have been "big games." (Okay, Richmond maybe because of Rocco). The reason these are "big games" is because we fill our schedule with the likes of Brevard and Kentucky Wesleyen.

Hopefully, going forward we schedule competitive teams week in week out.

[Purple Haize]

ODU=FBS

[comet]

Not yet, Purple Haize. They are still technically an FCS school. Does this technicality make a difference? Yes, since they have only been recruiting as an FBS team for about a year. Still a good team, though.

[BJWilliams]

The problem with getting "competitive" teams to come to Lynchburg lies in two things (the first more so than the second):

1) Access to Lynchburg. Most of the real good teams west of Kentucky, Ohio, Alabama, and Tennessee at the FCS level are going to have to bus in because the airport in Lynchburg isnt capable of handling team charters. I think the closest airport(s) that could would be found in either Roanoke or Richmond, so the team would have to not only charter a plane, but also a bus to get from the airport to Lynchburg and back which would add an additional expense to what would already no doubt be an expensive trip.

2) Attitude towards Liberty. This can manifest in two ways: 1) Quality of opponent 2) Liberty's stance. The second one you might still find some administrators at schools like say William and Mary or some other "power conference schools". The first one is probably much more likely. Teams, especially with large conference schedules (>6 games), want to be able to get butts in the seats for home games, but also get good fan support wherever they travel. I think BYD touched on it some in the discussion of the Richmond game a couple weeks ago, but there probably are some schools that feel that we are still "just Liberty" and as such they wont really hype up traveling to a game in Lynchburg. On the flip side of that, even though we have shown a propensity to travel very well, because of that attitude, fans for the opposing team might not be as enthused at a game like that like they would for say a Montana or Appalachian State or Eastern Washington or Stephen F. Austin a few years back or Sam Houston State or North Dakota State. Also, and I think I've mentioned this a few times before, a win over Liberty doesnt exactly move the needle for a team looking at maintaining a high SoS, especially if they have designs on an at-large bid. Conversely, a loss to Liberty is still at a level where it would just about flatline a team's chances of an at-large, especially when they are a lower tier team from one of the "power conferences" (SoCon, MVFC, CAA, Southland, Big Sky).

[flamehunter]

Regarding your #1 BJ, this story should help improve accessibility. I think it was on the Lynchburg Morning Show, Mari said that one of the reasons for the improvements is to allow "team charter flights better access".

http://www.newsadvance.com/work_it_lync ... 0f31a.html

Lynchburg Regional Airport has received a $4.17 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration for rehabilitation, relocation and expansion planned for taxiways and aprons.

[Chris Lang]

The airport is not an excuse.

Teams have to bus from Roanoke to play Virginia Tech.
Teams bus from Charlotte or Winston to play Appalachian State.

And teams charter buses even when they can fly directly into the game city.

[Purple Haize]

The airport is not an excuse.

Teams have to bus from Roanoke to play Virginia Tech.
Teams bus from Charlotte or Winston to play Appalachian State.

And teams charter buses even when they can fly directly into the game city.

I agree. The big question is what's to gain playing at LU?

[TH Spangler]

The airport is not an excuse.

Teams have to bus from Roanoke to play Virginia Tech.
Teams bus from Charlotte or Winston to play Appalachian State.

And teams charter buses even when they can fly directly into the game city.

Orig. Piedmont Airlines use to fly Boeing 737-200's into LYH everyday. Found this 1969 photo on flicker. What's the aircraft limit today. Could a Airbus 319 or Boeing 737-400 get in?

[TH Spangler]

Maybe an Embraer 175, seats 86. Theres a 190, seats around 100?

[BJWilliams]

I touch on that near the end of my post...a win over Liberty doesn't gain a team much but a loss pretty much gets you crucified (pardon the imagery) not only in the polls but by the selection committee if you don't win your conference's autobid, especially if youre not one of the "top teams" (like Sam Houston State, North Dakota State, Towson, etc).

[comet]

BJ, you do have some really good points. But in my opinion it's a tit for tat. Until we can put together a stronger schedule (and stronger team), we may always be "just Liberty." We've been hampered by a smaller conference. Put us in a bigger conference, and we may end up with Kentucky Wesleyen and Brevard weeks being conference games.

I wish we could go to the CAA.

[Purple Haize]

If we hadnt put the FBS thing out there we would probably have a shot at the CAA.

+100