This is a series taking a look at the teams on Liberty’s 2023 schedule. It will be run over the next month, and we move to Liberty’s first road contest of the season, a game at Buffalo.
Previous:
Bowling Green
New Mexico State
When
Week 3, Sept. 16, 12 noon (CBS Sports Network)
Location
UB Stadium – Buffalo, NY
Last year’s record
7-6, 5-3 MAC (t-2nd in East)
Coach
Maurice Linguist, 11-14 in two years
Returning starters
10 (five on offense, five on defense)
Post-Spring SP+ Ranking
They are 102nd in Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings after the spring. They’re 83rd on offense and 113th on defense.
Buffalo story line
The Bulls were one of the best teams in the MAC under previous head coach Lance Leipold before he left for Kansas. In their first year under Coach Linguist in 2021, Buffalo missed a bowl game for the first time since 2017. Last year, the Bulls rebounded for a 7-6 season and win over Georgia Southern in the Camellia Bowl. Buffalo should be a contender in the MAC East this season.
A Liberty win would mean
Liberty is likely to be a slight underdog in this game for the first time of the 2023 season and one of a small number that could end up with the Flames entering as the underdog. A win over Buffalo, on the road, would mark to everyone that the program has not lost a step under Coach Chadwell and not only will likely make a 5th straight bowl game but should also be considered a serious threat to win the CUSA. A win, if proceeded by a 2-0 start to the season, could launch the team to a very special campaign in the win/loss column, as well.
A Liberty loss would mean
A loss at Buffalo would not be terrible. It’s one of only a few that could be an expected loss entering the season. It could make a double digit win season very challenging with almost no margin for error moving forward.
Up next
at Florida International
