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
Sam Houston
Kennesaw State
FIU
New Mexico State
Middle Tennessee

Now, we turn our attention to Liberty’s regular season home finale against Western Kentucky.

Western Kentucky

• When: Saturday, Nov. 21 at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg (1 p.m., ESPN+)
• Last year’s record: 9-4, 6-2 CUSA (3rd)
• Coach: Tyson Helton, 8th year at WKU
• 2026 SP+ ranking: 86
• Series History: Liberty leads, 5-0

Last Meeting: Nov. 23, 2024: Liberty 38, Western Kentucky 21

Liberty’s rushing attack piled up 419 yards on the ground and four touchdowns. Quinton Cooley (166) and Billy Lucas (131) both surpassed the 100-yard mark on Senior Day. Kaidon Salter rushed 11 times for 66 yards and a touchdown while also completing 6 of 11 passing attempts for 108 yards. The Flames forced a season best four turnovers, intercepting WKU’s Caden Veltkamp three times on the day while also forcing a fumble.

Program History:

National Championships: 0 (at FBS level)

Conference Championships: 2 (at FBS level)

Bowl Record: 8-4

Last Bowl Appearance: 2025 New Orleans Bowl, 27-16 W vs Southern Miss

The Hilltoppers have 8 bowl wins in the last 12 years, only Georgia and Minnesota have more. Under Tyson Helton, WKU has been a model of consistency. They are 34-22-1 in CUSA play under him with 7 winning years out of 7, but they have yet to win a conference title during that time. Western Kentucky has won at least 8 games in six of his first seven seasons including five straight. They should be a contender once again. WKU opens with a brutal three game road trip at Nevada, Georgia, and Indiana. They have five of their first seven games played on the road with seven road games overall. The last three games of the regular season are against Jacksonville State, Liberty, and Kennesaw State, all games which will likely have considerable conference championship implications.

This year, WKU has just seven returning starters and 66 new faces. QB Rodney Tisdale is back after starting the last seven games of last season. He provides a run threat at the position. Only two of the top 21 tacklers return from last year, leaving plenty of questions on defense.

What’s at Stake?

Every year, pundits predict Western Kentucky and Liberty to be key figures in the CUSA championship race. While that hasn’t always been the case, it is generally expected that at least one, if not both, of these teams will be prominently featured in the top of the league’s standings. These two didn’t meet a year ago, now they will renew their rivalry in the penultimate week of the regular season in a game that is sure to have conference championship implications.