Today, we conclude our series of an early look ahead to the teams on Liberty’s 2026 schedule. We will give a quick preview of all 12 teams that stand in the Flames’ way of hoping to get back to another bowl trip and potentially a second CUSA championship as fourth-year head coach Jamey Chadwell prepares his team for the upcoming season. If you have missed any of these previews, a link to the previous 11 is included below.
Previous:
James Madison
Gardner-Webb
Ball State
Coastal Carolina
Delaware
Sam Houston
Kennesaw State
FIU
New Mexico State
Middle Tennessee
Western Kentucky
Now, we turn our attention to Liberty’s regular season finale at Missouri State.
Missouri State
• When: Saturday, Nov. 28 in Springfield, Missouri (2 p.m., ESPN+)
• Last year’s record: 7-6, 5-3 CUSA (t-4th)
• Coach: Casey Woods, 1st year at Missouri State
• 2026 SP+ ranking: 126
• Series History: Missouri State leads, 2-1
Last Meeting: Nov. 8, 2025: Missouri State 21, Liberty 17
After trailing 10-0 at half, Missouri State scored three second half touchdowns including the game winner with 27 seconds left to lift the Bears over the Flames in their first ever meeting at the FBS level in a game played at Williams Stadium. The Flames kept Missouri State to just 84 yards of offense in the first half, but they nearly tripled those numbers after the intermission. The loss snapped Liberty’s three game winning streak. Evan Dickens rushed 28 times for 127 yards and a touchdown while Ethan Vasko completed 18 of 35 passes for 196 yards with a lost fumble.
Program History:
National Championships: 0 (at FBS level)
Conference Championships: 0 (at FBS level)
Bowl Record: 0-1
Last Bowl Appearance: 2025 XBox Bowl, 32-31 L vs Arkansas State
Behind head coach Ryan Beard and veteran quarterback Jacob Clark, Missouri State had a very strong debut season in Conference USA and the FBS as they went 7-5 in the regular season and reached a bowl game. The Bears were 7-3 before giving up a late touchdown in a loss to Kennesaw State and dropping the regular season finale at home to Louisiana Tech. Following the season, Beard left to take the head job at Coastal Carolina. The new head coach is Casey Woods, who comes over after a stint as offensive coordinator at SMU. His dad is Sparky Woods, a 17-year head coach veteran who is on the staff at Missouri State. Woods will make his debut on the road at Texas A&M and also has to play at SMU in a return to his previous school in a tough non-conference slate.
The Bears have the fewest returning starters in all of CUSA with just five and you would expect this to be a rebuilding year. Just two starters return on offense as Missouri State loses Clark, a 1,000-yard running back, three of the top four receivers, and all five offensive line. It would be expected for the Bears to take a step back from last year’s 392 yards and 25.6 points per game averages but under a new head coach with an offensive mind, you never know. On defense, the Bears lose 11 of its top 15 tacklers from last year. They are led by LB Jared Lloyd but the defensive line and corner back rooms are virtually in total rebuilds.
What’s at Stake?
For a regular season finale, it’s virtually impossible to try and predict what is at stake in late July. The Flames hope to be playing for (or already have clinched) a spot in the CUSA Championship Game. Under a first year head coach and having to find several replacements at key spots, the Bears may be fighting for a bowl game or simply positive momentum going into the offseason.
