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Liberty announces challenging 2015 football schedule

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liberty-flames21Following the program’s first-ever run in the NCAA FCS Playoffs, Liberty has announced it will face one of the most challenging schedules in program history when the Flames return to action during the 2015 season.

Liberty Athletics announced today the Flames’ 2015 schedule, which features two FBS opponents (West Virginia and Georgia State) and three home games against NCAA FCS Playoffs teams (Montana, James Madison and Coastal Carolina).

Liberty’ 2015 schedule contains six homes and five road contests, including three-straight road games for the Flames to open the month of October.

The Flames will face a pair of FBS opponents in the same season for the second year in a row. This past season, Liberty faced North Carolina and Appalachian State, defeating Appalachian State on Oct. 11 in overtime for the program’s third win against an FBS program.

Liberty opens the year against Delaware State on Sept. 5, the Flames’ first season opener at Williams Stadium since 2008. Liberty opened the 2010 year at Lynchburg’s City Stadium while renovations were being finished at Williams Stadium.

The contest will be the 15th in the meeting between the two schools with Liberty leading the series, 9-5. The two schools met 11 times over a 12-year period from 1990 to 2001, but have not met since Liberty’s 34-7 win at home in 2001.

Liberty will take to the road the following weekend for its first road game of the year, traveling to Morgantown, W.Va., to face West Virginia on Sept. 12. The Flames opened the 2009 season against the Mountaineers, dropping a 33-20 contest in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

The Flames will close out the month of September with back-to-back home games against NCAA FCS Playoffs teams.

Liberty will welcome Montana to Williams Stadium on Sept. 19. Montana was an at-large selection into this year’s NCAA FCS Playoffs field. The Grizzlies won their first round game against San Diego before falling to No. 4/4 Eastern Washington, last week, to finish the year with a 9-5 overall record.

James Madison will travel to Lynchburg the following weekend, facing Liberty at Williams Stadium on Sept. 26. The Flames knocked off the No. 15/15 Dukes, 26-21, two weeks ago at Bridgeforth Stadium in Liberty’s first-ever NCAA FCS Playoff appearance and victory.

The Flames will close out the non-conference portion of their 2015 schedule on Oct. 3 when they travel to Atlanta, Ga., to face Georgia State. The Panthers recently finished their first season in the Sun Belt Conference, completing the year with a 1-10 record.

Liberty will begin Big South play with back-to-back road conference games at Gardner-Webb on Oct. 10 and Monmouth on Oct. 17.

The Flames have defeated Gardner-Webb in their last eight matchups, including consecutive shutouts against the Runnin’ Bulldogs.

Liberty will face Monmouth for the third year in a row, but will be making it’s first-ever trip to West Long Branch, N.J.

The Flames will welcome Big South newcomer Kennesaw State to Williams Stadium on Oct. 24, Liberty’s only home game during the month of October. The Owls will field their first-ever football team next year and will join the league as an associate member.

Following a bye week, Liberty will begin play during the month of November at home against Presbyterian on Nov. 7. The Flames have won six meetings in a row against the Blue Hose and are 11-1 in three seasons during the month of November under Head Coach Turner Gill.

The Flames will play their final regular season road game of the year on Nov. 14 when they travel to Charleston, S.C., to face the Buccaneers of Charleston Southern. Liberty is 19-3 all-time against the Buccaneers and has won its last four games at Buccaneer Field.

Liberty will face Big South rival Coastal Carolina in the final game of the 2015 regular season on Nov. 21 at William Stadium.

The two teams have been the premier programs in the Big South, with the victor in this matchup having won 10 of the last 11 conference titles.

Liberty closed out the 2014 season with a thrilling 15-14 victory over No. 2/1 Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C., securing Liberty’s first-ever trip to the NCAA FCS Playoffs.

The Chanticleers qualified as an at-large selection into this year’s NCAA FCS Playoffs field as the No. 7 national seed. Following a 36-15 win over Richmond this weekend at home, Coastal Carolina will face three-time defending national champion North Dakota State in the Fargodome in one of the NCAA FCS Playoffs quarterfinal matchups this weekend.

The NCAA FCS Playoffs begin with eight first-round games on Nov. 28 and culminate with the crowning of another champion at FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco, Texas, in the NCAA FCS National Championship game in January.

 

2015 Liberty University Football Schedule

Sept.     5         Sat.        DELAWARE STATE (LYNCHBURG)

12       Sat.        at West Virginia (Morgantown, W.Va.)

               19       Sat.        MONTANA (LYNCHBURG)

               26       Sat.        JAMES MADISON (LYNCHBURG)

 

Oct.       3         Sat.        at Georgia State (Atlanta, Ga.)

10       Sat.        at Gardner-Webb (Boiling Springs, N.C.)

17       Sat.        at Monmouth (West Long Beach, N.J.)

               24       Sat.        KENNESAW STATE * (LYNCHBURG)

               31       Sat.        Open Week

 

Nov.      7         Sat.        PRESBYTERIAN * (LYNCHBURG)

14       Sat.        at Charleston Southern * (Charleston, S.C.)

               21       Sat.        COASTAL CAROLINA * (LYNCHBURG)

28       Sat.        NCAA FCS Playoffs (First Round)

Dec.       5         Sat.        NCAA FCS Playoffs (Second Round)

11       Fri.         NCAA FCS Playoffs (Quarterfinals)

12       Sat.        NCAA FCS Playoffs (Quarterfinals)

18       Fri.         NCAA FCS Playoffs (Semifinals)

19       Sat.        NCAA FCS Playoffs (Semifinals)

Jan.        TBA    TBA        NCAA FCS Playoffs (Frisco, Texas)

National Championship Game (FC Dallas Stadium)

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