Flames notes

By Chris Lang
Sports writer
Published: September 27, 2008

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Zach Terrell was one of Virginia’s most decorated prep quarterbacks while at Manassas Park High School. He came to Liberty as a quarterback before making the transition to running back and receiver as his career unfolded.
That doesn’t mean the Flames senior has forgotten how to throw the football.
During the third quarter of Liberty’s 31-28 victory at Youngstown State on Saturday night, Terrell completed the longest pass of his career, and his first since 2006, throwing a 51-yard bomb to Dominic Bolden that set up Rashad Jennings’ second touchdown.
On the play, LU quarterback Brock Smith pitched the ball to the right. Instead of tucking and running, Terrell stopped and launched the ball to Bolden, who made a shoestring catch and moved the Flames to the YSU 12.
“I handed the ball off and then I blocked,” Smith said. “That’s a different perspective when the ball isn’t coming out of my hand. But it looked good. That was neat.”
Terrell has been used in a variety of ways this season. He’s lined up at tailback, gone in motion to take inside handoffs and lined up on the outside at receiver.
“Zach’s just one of those athletes,” Jennings said. “Put him anywhere. He can do it all.”
Not so automatic
Forget the so-called automatic qualifiers for the FCS playoffs for Big South teams. Folks in the conference overlooked one key element of the NCAA’s legislation allowing access to the 16-team playoff for teams outside of the eight qualifying conferences.
A conference needs to be auto-bid eligible. The Big South is not, because its six playing members have not spent two years together in the conference. So there is no chance for a Big South team to qualify automatically for the playoffs until 2010, which will be Stony Brook’s third year in the league. In fact, the only non auto-bid league eligible to earn a “bridge” automatic bid into the playoffs is the Northeast Conference.
Still, if a team like Liberty or Cal Poly from the Great West, which is also a non-eligible conference, meets the three auto-bid requirements (win the conference championship, beat two teams from auto-bid leagues and finish in the top 16 of an aggregate of FCS polls), it would still likely receive very strong consideration as an at-large team.
Give and take
Early in the week, LU coach Danny Rocco decided he wasn’t going to allow Youngstown State to establish the run like the Penguins did in their 32-24 victory over then-No. 2 North Dakota State Sept. 20.
Instead of running the ball, YSU used the short passing game to move the chains. Quarterback Brandon Summers broke a 21-year-old school record for completions in a game, completing 32 of 39 passes for 334 yards and three touchdowns.
Most of the passes were quick screens to receivers in the flat or short curls and slants.
“You can’t take everything away,” Rocco said. “We definitely didn’t want to let the run game get started. If they would have gotten that started, it could have been a long, long night. We had some success shutting down the run. But you’re always going to lighten yourself up somewhere. If they’re going to beat us, let them beat us throwing the ball and make Summers make some plays.”
YSU finished with 93 rushing yards on 32 carries.
Extra points
A Green Bay Packers scout was in the press box to watch players from both teams. … Liberty’s Tim Torrence left the game with a head injury after crushing YSU’s Dominique Barnes on a kickoff return. Both players remained on the field for several minutes after the hit, with Barnes getting up first. … YSU was held under 200 yards rushing for just the 17th time in Jon Heacock’s eight years as Penguin coach. Youngstown is 3-14 in those games. … Liberty snapped a four-game losing streak against the Penguins. … The Flames are one of only nine FCS programs to win twice at Stambaugh Stadium. LU also won here in 1991.