Liberty ranked 19th

FROM WIRE REPORTS
Published: June 18, 2008

For the second year in a row, the Flames football program received a preseason Top 25 nod in Lindy’s College Football Preview, as Liberty is ranked No. 19 in the 2008 edition of the magazine.

Liberty, fresh off its 2007 Big South Conference championship, is the annual publication’s preseason pick to win the Big South. The Flames’ 2008 season-finale foe Elon is ranked just above Liberty at No. 17.

Liberty’s Big South home opener against Stony Brook on Oct. 11 was sighted as one of several premier games to watch in the publication’s “Big One” section. Also joining the Flames and Seawolves in the elite listing of match-ups was Georgetown at Howard (Sept. 8), New Hampshire at Army (Sept. 8), Appalachian State at James Madison (Sept. 20) and South Dakota State at North Dakota State (Nov. 22).

Three-time defending national champion Appalachian State was the prevailing favorite to claim an unprecedented fourth national title as the preseason No. 1. Rounding out the remainder of the top five were No. 2 North Dakota State, No. 3 James Madison, No. 4 Massachusetts and No. 5 Montana.

The Flames stand 73 days out from the opening of their 12-game 2008 slate. Liberty opens the year on Aug. 30 when North Greenville comes to Williams Stadium for a 7 p.m. tilt. The Flames will begin defense of their conference crown with a road game against Coastal Carolina, winner of the conference crown 2004-06, in Conway, S.C., on Oct. 4.