Keeping the faith in FBS
Liberty has reach-for-the heavens ambitions in college football
When the late and renowned evangelist Dr. Jerry Falwell founded Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., in 1971, his vision wasn’t solely about being a top-notch private college with regard to academics and the arts.
He wanted Liberty to be the best in athletics, comparable to Alabama, Notre Dame and USC. Observers feel he would have been thrilled by what the Flames are achieving and the path they are on in football.
This is Liberty’s inaugural season as an Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team after great success as a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) squad. Falwell’s vision and Liberty’s mission is not complete, however.
“The mission (here) is training champions for Christ,” Liberty coach Turner Gill said in a phone interview with the Journal on Wednesday morning. “The Mormons have BYU (ranked No. 20). The Catholics have Notre Dame (ranked No. 8). We have Liberty, and what it
stands for is to go out and (teach) the world . ... Whether it’s right or wrong, football brings out the brand of the university.”
Gill, who is 42-31 in six-plus seasons with the Flames, is excited to show New Mexico what Liberty football is all about over the next two weeks. The Flames (1-2) play at Dreamstyle Stadium for the 2-1 Lobos’ homecoming game Saturday, then against New Mexico State (1-4) in Las Cruces on Oct. 6 at 6 p.m.
Liberty opened the season at home with a 52-10 win over Old Dominion, a result made more notable given ODU’s earth-shaking upset win over thenNo. 13 Virginia Tech last week. The Flames then lost at Army 38-14 and at home last week to North Texas, 47-7.
Gill was disappointed with his team’s showing against North Texas, which included two weather delays — 42 minutes before the start of the game and 53 minutes in the third quarter.
But, he believes his team can rebound, especially with the enthusiasm the players showed the day after the loss and the practices leading into Saturday. The Flames, who won eight Big South Conference titles in 10 years (2007-2016), seek their first road win as an FBS team.
Can they can get two in New Mexico? After their game against the Lobos on Saturday night, they will travel back to Virginia, where they will arrive early Sunday morning. Gill, the former Nebraska star quarterback who coached at Buffalo and Kansas, said he plans to give his team the day off in preparation for the Aggies.
He said initially there were talks about staying in New Mexico for a week, but the Flames decided the costs for weeklong accommodations and meals for all the players and staff, along with missing classes, would be too much to handle.
Liberty’s game-day equipment, which is driven to the site for road games, will remain in the New Mexico area for a week, leading up to the game in Las Cruces, Gill said.
Gill knows the next two weeks will be challenging, but he has been preparing for moments such as these. When Liberty announced in February of 2017 that it would be an independent FBS program, it went into scramble mode to put together a schedule for 2018.
UNM will play at Liberty next year. The Flames will play the Aggies twice this season and twice next year.
LOBOS: Tevaka Tuioti, the Lobos’ redshirt sophomore quarterback, will start against Liberty, coach Bob Davie said after Wednesday’s practice.
Tuioti, who has thrown for 382 yards and five touchdowns with one interception on 18-of-29 passing, missed the game at NMSU Sept. 15 after he suffered a concussion against Wisconsin on Sept. 8.
Davie said Tuioti, a 6-foot-1, 199-pound dual threat, showed rustiness during Monday’s practice but improved over the next two days.
Sheriron Jones, who helped lead the Lobos to their 42-25 win over NMSU, will be the backup, and freshman Trae Hall will be the third-stringer.