Head Coach: Jamey Chadwell is in his 2nd season as the head coach of the Flames with a 13-1 record. They went through the season undefeated with a conference championship win and Fiesta Bowl birth. A pretty good start to say the least.
Program Outlook: Liberty is a program with a lot of resources they have a huge student body and a good amount of donors. They’re the big fish in CUSA which means they can win the conference in any season. The flip side is of course there’s pressure with that. Any season that isn’t undefeated with a conference championship win can feel like a failure. They are well positioned to make the playoff any given year now.
How does the 2024 Roster look?: This offense was truly impressive. Chadwell brings a fun option system that’s tough to defend and he had a group that was a great fit for it. QB Kaidon Salter is near perfect to run this system and after a brief flirtation with the portal he returns. Salter is the best QB in CUSA and one of the most electric QBs to watch overall. His running mate RB Quinton Cooley also returns, Cooley isn’t going to break big plays often but the Flames know what they’re getting because he’s going to find the right gap every time he carries the ball. If there’s anything that will slow down Liberty’s offense this year it will be the Oline and passing game. They lost all but one starter up front, the portal was utilized to help fill some gaps but being on the same page will be important. The passing game is mainly out of play action but may need some time to jell. Treon Sibley is the only experienced receiver back, but Tyson Mobley comes over from Coastal Carolina where he had earlier experience working in this offense. Those questions are going to be interesting to see develop, especially when you consider the fact that if there’s a weakness to Salter’s game it’s that he’s more inclined to take off and run than trust his receivers. The defensive side of the ball needs work for the Flames. Their pass defense is better than what meets the eye, teams had to throw on them because they built early leads and they forced a lot of turnovers (21 picks.) The concern for 2024 is this secondary lost a lot of key pieces, Kobe Singleton left for Oregon State and Preston Hodge to Colorado. How they will hold up against the better passing attacks on the schedule will be a huge question. The front 7 looks good for the most part. It seems like a general comment but they’re good enough to stop the run in most circumstances, but not dominant, and likewise they can get after the QB at a decent rate but it’s not a fearful pass rush for the opposition.
Screenshot from fbschedules.com1
2024 Schedule Thoughts: This schedule is favorable, honestly so favorable that it doesn’t help the Flames. A lot of the tougher opponents they had scheduled were quick to let them out of the game when Liberty joined a conference leaving them with a not super intimidating non-conference schedule. Campbell is a FCS program with a lot of investment but hasn’t figured out how to win, UMass is still figuring things out and East Carolina needs to find an offense. The big showdown will be the road game at Appalachian State, seriously this is one of the best games of the year make sure you watch it. The conference schedule is as favorable as it comes, as I mentioned above Liberty is the big fish in this conference which already helps, but their biggest expected challengers Jacksonville State and Western Kentucky both have to come to Lynchburg. I also find it weird that Liberty has 2 bye weeks in October. They’re one of CUSA’s biggest brands, it’s stunning they aren’t displaying them more during their weeknight month.
Vegas Projection: Liberty’s win total is set at 10.5 with the odds geared toward the under. Vegas very much sees the Flames losing to Appalachian State or an upset along the way but not both.
2024 Best Case: Liberty is even better from the jump they roll to a 4-0 start before facing a surprisingly undefeated Appalachian State in a huge showdown. The Flames are the first team to find gaps in App State’s run defense and run for over 300 yards in a massive statement victory. Liberty handles the rest of their schedule although it gets a nice strength boost thanks to Jacksonville State beating Louisville and the Flames being their only defeat. Salter gets himself in the Heisman race with an incredible season and he doesn’t even throw his first pick until November. Liberty rematches with Jax State in the CUSA championship but beats them again setting the Flames up for a playoff birth. The Flames get a tough draw with Ohio State in the first round but they battle hard all game, taking the lead late in the 4th quarter before Henderson breaks a long run late to win it for the Buckeyes. It’s not a win for Liberty but they made a statement that they belonged. Despite the success and bigger programs calling Chadwell decides this is where he wants to be and sticks around.
2024 Worst Case: The offensive line doesn’t jell and the defense regresses. The Flames season starts with hope but quickly takes a wrong turn in Las Cruces when they’re upset by a New Mexico State team that’s better than expected. 2 weeks later the Flames are stunned by an improved ECU team, and then blown out by Appalachian State on the road. It all leads to a disappointing 6-6 season and the Regression doesn’t stop programs from being interested in Chadwell, he gets a call from South Carolina and jumps ship before the bowl. Liberty loses their bowl game to finish with a losing record. Making matters worse both Virginia Tech and James Madison crash the playoff, Old Dominion finishes with 10 wins and even Virginia finishes with a winning record leaving Liberty at the bottom of the state.
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