Today, we continue 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.
Previous:
James Madison
Gardner-Webb
Ball State
Coastal Carolina
Delaware
Now, we turn our attention to Liberty’s return home after being away for a few weeks, welcoming Sam Houston to town for Midweek on the Mountain.
Sam Houston
• When: Thursday, Oct. 8 at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg (7 p.m., ESPNU)
• Last year’s record: 2-10, 1-7 CUSA (t-11th)
• Coach: Phil Longo, 2nd year at Sam Houston
• 2026 SP+ ranking: 136
• Series History: Series tied, 1-1
Last Meeting: Nov. 29, 2024: Sam Houston 20, Liberty 18
With a spot in the CUSA Championship Game on the line, Liberty saw its rally fall short. The Flames scored twice during the final eight minutes of the game but was unable to convert on a two-point play at the end. The Bearkats’ defense held Liberty to a season low 262 yards with 179 of the yards coming on the ground. Liberty allowed Sam Houston to tally 333 total offensive yards. Quinton Cooley finished with 19 carries for 90 yards while Billy Lucas followed with 9 carries for 59 yards. Playing through an injury, Kaidon Salter completed 12 of 35 pass attempts for 83 yards and a touchdown. He also had a 33-yard rushing touchdown with just over a minute left to play to put the Flames in position to potentially force overtime.
Program History:
National Championships: 0 (at FBS level)
Conference Championships: 0 (at FBS level)
Bowl Record: 1-0
Last Bowl Appearance: 2024 New Orleans Bowl, 31-26 W vs Georgia Southern
Coming off a 10-win campaign in 2024, Sam Houston head coach KC Keeler left for Temple and the Bearkats struggled mightily in his absence under first year head coach Phil Longo last fall. They did play their home games an hour away from campus, so basically played 12 road games. Sam Houston opened 0-8 before an upset win over Oregon State and Delaware before finishing 2-10, their first 10 loss season since 1977. This year, they have 7 starters back and should be improved but they do have a lot of ground to make up.
Under Longo, Sam Houston switched to an Air Raid offense last year, struggling to just 17.8 points and 316 yards per game. This year, with another year of recruiting under his belt, the personnel should better align for the system. True freshman Landyn Locke took over as starting quarterback late in the season and helped the team their only two wins. He seems to fit the offense better than his predecessors and should help the group top last year’s numbers. On defense, the Bearkats allowed 38 points and 484 yards per game last year. This year, they lose six of their top seven tacklers but can only improve on those poor numbers.
What’s at Stake?
A win would keep the Flames on track for a potential conference championship while a loss could force Liberty to rely on help elsewhere in the conference and significantly narrow its margin for error down the stretch.
