The Flames are again unable to get a marquee win, this time falling to Old Dominion 21-17 in Norfolk. Here’s a few quick hit notes following the game:
Offense:
- If you would have told me prior to the game the Flames would have only scored 17 points I would have told you they got annihilated. That wasn’t the case, but the Flames did not score enough points. Bottom line.
- The Flames finished with 401 yards of offense.
- Liberty had 0 turnovers and just 3 penalties.
- Josh Woodrum finished 23/37 for 295 yards and 2 touchdowns. It seemed like he was off on a couple of his throws though. The one that comes back to me is the post route where he had Peterson for a touchdown in the 1st half. The Flames ended up with 0 points on that drive.
- Gabe Henderson was impressive as he finished with 8 catches for 120 yards and 1 touchdown. Josh kept finding him underneath and Gabe would pick up big chunks of yardage.
- Des Rice had another solid game as he finished with 78 yards on 20 carries.
Defense:
- If you would have told me prior to the game the Flames would have only allowed 21 points I would have thought they won the game. An especially impressive performance particularly considering 7 points came on a punt return.
- Liberty allowed 450 yards of offense, but they played solid.
- The story of the game on the defensive side of the ball was the 4 turnovers the Flames forced and the 1 of 6 in red zone opportunities for the Monarchs.
- Kenny Scott ended with 2 interceptions. Wesley Scott was the Flames leading tackler with 13. Aikens added 10.
Special Teams:
- Any time you give up points on special teams, it’s not pretty. That punt return gave life to ODU and their fans.
- Lunsford nailed the 52 yard field goal, but did miss 2 others which proved costly in such a close game.
Really big bummer to say the least. But we got to put it behind us and focus on the Chanticleers the next two weeks. Go Flames!
No moral victories anymore for Liberty (not saying they are being handed out, but just stating my thoughts). If Liberty wants to take the program to the next level, they need to find ways to win these games. There is a reason ODU, App State, Georgia Southern, etc. have earned move ups to FBS. Liberty can’t afford more of these downer games. We are our own worst enemy many times.
Tough, tough loss. I feel bad for the guys. I’m sure LU earned a lot of respect through this performance but the thing they need the most to immediately boost the program is a win over a quality, in-state rival.
Also, it’s good for LU fans to see how other schools have strong support at the games by their local communities. Despite the announced numbers, the “Baptist” side never looks full to me. Yes, LU can do without the drunken tailgater set which are staples at many secular schools. However, more work needs to be done to build links between the Flames and the surrounding communities and create a genuine level of excitement that will result in warm bodies in the stands.