Liberty (7-5, FBS Independent)
vs.
Georgia Southern (7-5, 5-3 Sun Belt)
Liberty joins Appalachian State, and today's opponent among those five teams. Georgia Southern was one of the blue blood 1-AA/FCS programs when they relaunched their football program in 1981, winning six national championships before making the move to FBS following the 2012 season along with Appalachian State (who is playing in the New Orleans Bowl later this evening). The Eagles have rebounded nicely in the second full season under Chad Lunsford after winning only five total games under Tyson Summers after winning the GoDaddy Bowl in 2015. Liberty 's story has been well documented under first year head coach Hugh Freeze, who took two years off following his ouster at Ole Miss. The Flames won exactly six games four straight seasons under former head coach Turner Gill, and five of his seven seasons at the helm ended with exactly 6 wins. Hugh Freeze improved the record from the previous year at each of his previous stops in the first season (though the vast majority of his victories at Ole Miss have since been vacated by the NCAA as a result of violations) and improved it at Liberty as well (albeit by one victory).
Let's take a look at the game itself
Matchup
Location:Exploria Stadium Orlando, FL
Series: First Meeting
Last Meeting: First Meeting
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m.
Radio: The Journey FM Radio Network/Liberty Flames Sports Network (Liberty) Alan York play-by-play; Georgia Southern Sports Network, Danny Reed play-by-play
Television: CBS Sports Network, Carter Blackburn play-by-play
Coaches: Hugh Freeze (First season at Liberty 7-5 record) , Chad Lunsford (2nd* season at GSU 19-12 record
Last Week: Liberty d. New Mexico State 49-28, Georgia Southern d. Georgia State 38-10
If there is one thing that the Eagles are known for, especially post-Paul Johnson, it is the triple option. Georgia Southern finished 8th in the nation in rushing with 261.5 yards per game and six different players rushing for 100 or more yards at least once in a game, including quarterback Shai Werts. Liberty finished the regular season 100th in FBS in rushing yards allowed at 192.5 yards per game. Liberty's strength is the passing game, finishing 21st in the regular year with just south of 291 yards passing per game, with Stephen Calvert resetting the passing annals in school history after finishing with 3,393 yards in his senior campaign.
This has been an interesting one to handicap for me. My heart wants me to go with Liberty, since it is my alma mater, but they will be facing a well-oiled machine in the Georgia Southern triple option and I expect Werts as well as top running back Wesley Kennedy to get quite a bit of activity against the Flames' front seven.
Liberty 28
Georgia Southern 37
If there is one thing that the Eagles are known for, especially post-Paul Johnson, it is the triple option. Georgia Southern finished 8th in the nation in rushing with 261.5 yards per game and six different players rushing for 100 or more yards at least once in a game, including quarterback Shai Werts. Liberty finished the regular season 100th in FBS in rushing yards allowed at 192.5 yards per game. Liberty's strength is the passing game, finishing 21st in the regular year with just south of 291 yards passing per game, with Stephen Calvert resetting the passing annals in school history after finishing with 3,393 yards in his senior campaign.
This has been an interesting one to handicap for me. My heart wants me to go with Liberty, since it is my alma mater, but they will be facing a well-oiled machine in the Georgia Southern triple option and I expect Werts as well as top running back Wesley Kennedy to get quite a bit of activity against the Flames' front seven.
Liberty 28
Georgia Southern 37
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