Flames notes

By Chris Lang
Sports writer
Published: September 2, 2008

It started with a busted communication and ended with Liberty quarterback Brock Smith on his keister. But the damage from one blown offensive line call during the Flames’ 49-10 win over North Greenville last Saturday didn’t end there.

Trying to compensate for a Crusader defender rushing unimpeded up the middle, Flames tailback Rashad Jennings broke his right pinkie finger. He’ll have surgery to repair the fracture today and will miss Saturday’s game against Glenville State at Williams Stadium. His status for the Sept. 13 at Western Carolina, LU’s first game against a Division I opponent, is uncertain, LU coach Danny Rocco said.

Zach Terrell will move from his hybrid A-back/receiver position to No. 1 tailback, and Danny Broggin will move from receiver and be Terrell’s main reserve. Terron Lawrence, who scored a late touchdown against North Greenville, will be the No. 3 tailback.

“I don’t know if it hurts us in any way,” Smith said. “With Zach moving back to running back, we’re not going to miss a step.”

Terrell ran eight times for 70 yards and scored a touchdown against North Greenville.

Jennings will have a screw inserted to stabilize the bone break, and Rocco said there’s a chance he’ll have to wear the same sort of cumbersome cast that Terrell had to wear last season when he broke his wrist. Ball security will be the biggest issue when he comes back.

The injury occurred on a freak play on the Flames’ first drive.

“Brock made a check on the line of scrimmage, and everyone got the check except for (center) Mike Godsil,” Rocco said. “We were sliding the protection to the right and Mike was sliding to the left. There was a guy lined up in the gap and he just went through. That happens maybe one time in a million.”

2009 schedule finalized

For the first time in school history, Liberty will play a football schedule filled exclusively with Division I opponents.

The Flames finalized their 2009 schedule Tuesday, and it features six home games and five road games. A Sept. 12 game against FCS newcomer North Carolina Central was the final piece of the slate.

Liberty opens its season Sept. 5 at West Virginia. After playing Lafayette Sept. 19 in Easton, Pa., Liberty returns home for a game with CAA power James Madison Sept. 26.

The Dukes last visited Lynchburg in 2001, when they escaped with a 14-7 victory.

“That’s going to be a really, really big game,” Rocco said. “For all of the crowds we’ve been getting, very few of the crowds are being generated by opponent interest. This one will bring an opponent fan base.”

Iona, an FCS independent, visits LU Oct. 3. Liberty’s bye week will be Oct. 10, and afterward, the team will play six straight Big South games. Coastal Carolina (Oct. 17), Presbyterian (Oct. 31) and VMI (Nov. 7) visit Liberty, and the Flames will travel to Charleston Southern (Oct. 24), Gardner-Webb (Nov. 14) and Stony Brook (Nov. 21).

Good first impression

In its first game as a Big South Conference member, Stony Brook pounded traditional Patriot League power Colgate last Saturday, winning 42-26 in a game that wasn’t that close. Stony Brook led 35-6 early in the second half. Seawolves tailbacks Conte Cuttino and Edwin Gowins combined for 251 yards and three touchdowns.

Count one observer impressed.

“I’m not going to say I was surprised,” Rocco said. “I’ve been tracking them here for a year and a half, and I’m certainly aware of what they have going up there. They are somewhat modeled in the same fashion that we are here. They want to run the football. I have no doubts that Stony Brook will perform very well this year in our league. They have the ability, physically, to match up with everyone in this conference.”

Extra points

FB Derek Bishop (concussion) is expected to play Saturday against Glenville State. … LB Jamal Giddens (leg) is also expected to return after missing a week. … Smith ranks second nationally in pass efficiency (205.67) behind North Dakota State’s Nick Mertens (274.64) after one week. Smith completed 14 of 17 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns against North Greenville. One of his incompletions was a Corey Rasberry drop, and another was a ball he threw away to avoid a sack. … Liberty leads the nation in kickoff return yardage (40.67 yards per return).