BRYLAN GREEN RETURNS HOME

Liberty senior defensive back Brylan Green returns to his home state of Louisiana for the first time in his collegiate playing career. Green has become one of the team leaders and best players for the Flames over his career. He exploded onto the scene in 2023 with an All-American campaign when he led the team with five interceptions, helping the Flames have a nationally leading number of interceptions on the season. Now he gets to go back to Louisiana where he starred at Lafayette Christian Academy in both football and baseball. He says he’s expecting over 60 family members and friends in attendance for the game Saturday.

Green recorded his 6th career interception in a game earlier this season against James Madison. Despite missing over a month due to an injury suffered in the game at Old Dominion, Green is still tied for fourth on the team with 32 tackles to go along with a tackle for loss, four pass breakups, and a fumble recovery, in addition to the punt return duties he handled prior to his injury. Green originally feared that injury would force him to miss the rest of his collegiate career, but he has been able to return, playing in each of the previous three games, saying that he finally feels like he’s getting back to where he needs to be.

“It was very exciting just to know that I had a chance to put on the pads,” Green said of the injury scare and learning he would be able to return this season. “I think we sometimes take things for granted as football players, but just knowing God gave me a second chance to play this sport was a good feeling.”

FEW BRIGHT SPOTS IN FRUSTRATING SEASON

While this has certainly been a disappointing and frustrating season on many levels, there have been a few bright spots that have emerged. Most notably, the play of RB Evan Dickens and K Jay Billingsley.

A transfer from Georgia Tech, Dickens began the season pretty far down the depth chart, at best third in the pecking order at running back. He got some opportunities as early as Week 1 against Maine, and he took advantage of those opportunities. As the season wore on, Dickens has risen to the top at the running back room and is in the conversation as one of the top three backs in CUSA. He has recorded three straight 100-yard rushing efforts for the first time in his career, totaling 450 yards on the ground over that span. He currently ranks No. 13 nationally with 93.8 rushing yards per contest and is 154 yards away from 1,000 for the season. If he reaches that mark, he will give the Flames at least one 1,000-yard rusher in all three seasons under Chadwell. Behind Dickens emergence, Liberty has seemingly figured things out in the ground game. The Flames have averaged 214.7 rushing yards each game in the last three contests after not reaching the 200-yard rushing mark in the first seven games of the season.

Billingsley, who transferred to Liberty prior to this season from Gardner-Webb, has turned it on in recent weeks after a slow start to the season. He has connected on 10 of 11 field goal attempts over the last five games. This past weekend at FIU, he nailed a 48-yard field goal as time expired to send the game into overtime. It was the Flames’ first game-tying field goal at teh end of regulation since John Lunsford’s 60 yarder against Richmond on Oct. 4, 2014.

UNIFORM REVEAL

The Flames will wear blue helmets with the interlocking LU logo displayed on the side as well as white jerseys and blue pants for the game at Louisiana Tech. Liberty is 0-2 in this combination under head coach Jamey Chadwell, losing at Kennesaw State last year and to Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl. At the FBS era, the Flames are 2-4 while wearing this combo including wins over Arkansas in 2022 and Virginia Tech in 2020.

INJURY REPORT

Here’s an update on Liberty’s current injury situation:

  • DL Eli Hall missed last week’s game at FIU.
  • TE Connie Hewitt missed last week’s game at FIU.
  • LB Deuce Spurlock got hurt in the game against Delaware and he has missed the past two games.
  • CB Jamal Miles has missed the past two games.
  • CB Elijah Hopkins has missed the last four games due to injury.
  • RB Juju Gray is out for the season with a lower body injury
  • LB Joe Carter left the game against New Mexico State with an injury, and he will miss the rest of the season.
  • DL DJ Jackson has played in each of the first seven games, but he exited the game against NMSU with an injury that will force him to miss the rest of the season.
  • Defensive back and special teams’ player Tre Lawing will miss the rest of the season due to an injury suffered against NMSU.
  • Backup QB Ryan Burger is done for the season as he is medically retiring due to repeated concussions.
  • Backup C Cal Grubbs suffered an injury late during training camp and is out for the season.