Game No November 11, 2006

Transcription

1 Liberty University 2006 Football Schedule LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Game No November 11, 2006 Record: 4-5 Big South: 0-2 8/31 ST. PAUL S W/ /9 GLENVILLE STATE W/ /16 at Towson L/ /23 at Savannah State W/ /30 at Wake Forest L/ /14 WILLIAM & MARY L/ (Homecoming) 10/21 GARDNER-WEBB * L/ (Parents Day) 10/28 at #14/16 C. Carolina * L/ /4 WESTERN CAR. W/ /11 # 24/25 CHAR. SO. * 1 p.m. (Senior Day) 11/18 at VMI * 1 p.m. * - Big South Conference Game All Times Are Eastern Standard Time Football Quick Facts Location: Lynchburg, Va. Enrollment: 9,558 (Resident), 21,588 (Total) Chancellor: Dr. Jerry Falwell President Emeritus: Dr. A. Pierre Guillermin Exec. VP/COO: Dr. Ronald Godwin Director of Athletics: Jeff Barber Founded: 1971 Nickname: Flames Colors: Red, White and Blue Football Began: 1973 All-Time Football Record: Affiliation: NCAA I-AA Conference: Big South Stadium: Williams Stadium Capacity: 12,000 Surface: FieldTurf 2005 Record: 1-10 Conference Record: 0-4 (5 th ) Offensive Formation: Two-Back Set Defensive Formation: 3-4 Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 26/15 Starters Returning/Lost: 17/8 Head Coach: Danny Rocco (Wake Forest, 84) Record at Liberty: 4-5 (First season) Overall Record: 4-5 (First season) Media Information Radio Station: WRVL 88.3 FM Play-By-Play Broadcaster: Jerry Edwards Color Commentator: Paul Rutigliano Sideline Reporter: Jamie Hall Statistician: H.J. Owen Engineer: Chris Wygal Producer: Mark Edwards Television Station: None Play-By-Play Broadcaster: N/A Color Commentary: N/A CHARLESTON SOUTHERN Buccaneers (9-0, 2-0 Big South) vs. LIBERTY Flames (4-5, 0-2 Big South) Williams Stadium (12,000) Lynchburg, Va. - 1 p.m. (EST) The Game The Liberty University Flames (4-5, 0-2 Big South) host the Charleston Southern University Buccaneers (9-0, 2-0 Big South) in a Big South Conference tilt at Williams Stadium (12,000) in Lynchburg, Va., on November 11, Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. (EST). Ticket Information Tickets for the Liberty-Charleston Southern game can be purchased at the Flames Ticket Office. Premium seating is available for $18 per ticket, while reserved seats can be purchased for $13 per ticket. General Admission tickets are on sale for $8 each. For more information, contact the Flames Ticket Office at (434) 582-SEAT. Scouting The Buccaneers Charleston Southern enters the game with a perfect 9-0 record and a 2-0 mark in Big South Conference action. Charleston Southern holds the second-longest active winning streak by an I-AA team at 14 games (first is San Diego at 16 games). The Buccaneers are led by Big South Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Collin Drafts who ranks fourth nationally in passing efficiency as he has thrown for 2,287 yards and 21 touchdowns along with a 72.7 completion percentage (186-for-256). Wide receiver Maurice Price leads the nation in receptions per game as he has caught 84 passes for 863 yards and 10 touchdowns. Big South Defensive Player of the Year Jada Ross leads the Big South and ranks fourth nationally in tackles (12.11 per game). Ross is part of the best rushing defense in the Big South as the Buccaneers are holding opponents to rushing yards per game, which currently ranks 17th nationally in rushing defense. Charleston Southern has yet to allow a player rush for 100 yards this year. Battling In The Big South This season marks the Flames' fifth year of competition in the Big South Conference for football. Since starting league play in 2002, Liberty has posted a combined 7-10 conference record with a pair of second-place league finishes (2003 and 2004). Liberty University Athletic Media Relations Asst. AD For Athletic Media Relations/FB Contact: Todd Wetmore Mailing Address: Office Phone: (434) Liberty University Home Phone: (434) Athletic Media Relations Cell Phone: (434) University Blvd. Address: twetmore@liberty.edu Lynchburg, VA Assistant Athletic Media Relations Director: Ryan Bomberger Assistant Athletic Media Relations Director: Vincent Briedis Athletic Media Relations Fax: (434) Assistant Athletic Media Relations Director: Paul Carmany Football Press Box: (434) For More Information, visit - the official site of Liberty Athletics!

2 Opponent Information Scouting The Buccaneers General Information Location: Charleston, S.C. Enrollment: 3,000 Founded: 1964 Nickname: Buccaneers Colors: Blue and Gold Conference: Big South Stadium: CSU Stadium (4,000) Surface: Natural Grass President: Dr. Jairy C. Hunter, Jr. Athletic Director: Hank Small Office Phone: (843) Coaching Information Head Coach: Jay Mills (W. Wash., '84) Record at School: (Fourth year) Career Record: (Sixth year) Office Phone: (843) Best Time to Reach Coach: Through SID Player & Team Information 2005 Record: 7-4 Conference Record/Finish: 3-1/1st Offensive Formation: Multiple; One Back Defensive Formation: Multiple Pro Lettermen Returning/Lost: 8/7 Starters Returning/Lost: 16/6 Off./Def. Starters Returning: 8/8 Sports Information/Media Relations SID: Blake Freeland Office Phone: (843) Cell Phone: (843) Fax Number: (843) Address: Website Address: Press Box Phone: (843) RESULTS (7-4, 3-1 Big South) 9/3 at The Citadel L/ /10 PRESBYTERIAN L/ /17 JACKSONVILLE W/ /24 at North Greenville W/ /1 HOWARD L/ /8 at VMI L/ /15 WVA WESLEYAN W/ /22 SAVANNAH STATE W/ /5 at Gardner-Webb W/ /12 LIBERTY W/ /19 C. CAROLINA W/ (2 OT) 2006 SCHEDULE (9-0, 2-0 Big South) 9/2 at Presbyterian W/ /9 at The Citadel W/ (OT) 9/16 WINGATE W/ /30 NORTH GREENVILLE W/ /7 at Savannah State W/ /14 EDWARD WATERS W/ /21 VMI W/ /28 GEORGETOWN W/ /4 GARDNER-WEBB W/ /11 at Liberty 1:30 p.m. 11/18 at Coastal Carolina 12:30 p.m. LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Williams Stadium - Home Of The Flames This year marks the Flames' 17 th season of competition in Williams Stadium. Prior to the 1989 season, Liberty played its home games at Lynchburg's City Stadium. Liberty holds a record at the on-campus facility (68.6 winning percentage), and started competition in the venue with a victory over Towson on October 21, The Flames have posted 13 winning seasons at home over the last 16 years, including a perfect 5-0 record during the 1992 campaign. Flames Year-By-Year Record At Williams Stadium (.667) (.667) (.400) (1.000) (.600) (.667) (.833) (.500) (.600) (.800) (.600) (.600) (.500) (.333) (.833) (.667) (.167) (.600) Total (.686) Fancy New Field For The Flames The Flames faithful noticed quite a few new items during Liberty s game against St. Paul s on August 31, but one of the most noticeable things that will jump out at people entering the stadium is Liberty's new playing surface. During the summer, the Athletics Department made a concerted effort to upgrade several athletics facilities, including a new playing surface at Williams Stadium. Stateof-the-art FieldTurf was installed at Williams Stadium, replacing the old AstroTurf that had been used since the opening of the facility in FieldTurf is the latest innovation in artificial playing surfaces and is the surface of choice for 24 NFL stadiums, including Ford Field where Super Bowl XL was played last February, and at over 40 NCAA stadiums across the country. Three Flames Tacklers Tally 100 Career Tackles The Flames graduated three defenders last year that were members of the Flames' 100 career tackle club with C.J. Moore leading the way as he finished his career with 282 career stops. Following the defensive back in the 100 career tackle club were linebacker Kenneth Kemp (163 career tackles) and fellow defensive back Shane Lancaster (162 career stops). Entering today s game, Liberty has three players on its active roster with more than 100 career tackles, including senior linebacker Manny Rojas, who leads the squad with 329 career stops. Rojas finished 2005 with a career-high 102 tackles. Brandon Duke joined the club against Savannah State and now has 117 career tackles. Steve Ackley joined the group against Gardner-Webb and now has 111 career tackles. On the verge of joining Rojas, Duke and Ackley in the elite club are defensive lineman Jason Horn (88 career tackles) and linebacker Nick Hursky (93 career tackles). Active Players With 100 Or More Career Tackles Name Total Career Tackles Manny Rojas Brandon Duke Steve Ackley Nick Hursky Jason Horn Saturday Night Lights Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames are 3-1 in night games. Since 1976, Liberty is in night games. In Broad Daylight Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames are 1-4 in games played during the day. Since 1976, Liberty is in day games.

3 Big South Conference Overview (as of November 6, 2006) Overall Standings W L Pct. Charleston So Coastal Carolina Gardner-Webb Liberty VMI Big South Standings W L Pct. Coastal Carolina Charleston So Gardner-Webb Liberty VMI Big South Players of the Week November 4 Offensive: Collin Drafts, QB, CSU Defensive: Jon Carmon, DB, CSU Specialist: Josh Hoke, K, CCU Freshman: Tim Torrence, DB, LU Last Week s Results November 4 Savannah State 6 at Coastal Carolina 66 Western Carolina 0 at Liberty 21 Gardner-Webb 14 at Charleston So. 28 Upcoming Schedule November 11 Charleston So. at Liberty 1 p.m. C. Carolina at Gardner-Webb 1:30 p.m. VMI at The Citadel 2 p.m. Big South Conference 2006 Preason Poll Team Total Votes 1. Coastal Carolina (15) Charleston Southern Gardner-Webb (1) Liberty (3) VMI 25 Big South Conference Preseason Players of the Year/ All-Conference Selections Offensive Player of the Year: Collin Drafts, QB, Charleston Southern Defensive Player of the Year: Jada Ross, LB, Charleston Southern LU s Preseason All-Conference Players Running Back: Zach Terrell Tight End: Chris Luck Defensive Line: Jason Horn Linebacker: Manny Rojas Defensive Back: Patrick Calvary LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Forecast For Winning Season Looks Good This year marks the seventh time in the history of the football program that Liberty has started a campaign with a 2-0 record, a fact which bodes well for a possible winning season. In five out of six seasons in which Liberty has started the year with a 2-0 record, the Flames have gone on to post an overall winning record. The only time that Liberty has failed to finish a year above the.500 mark after a 2-0 start was in 1975 when Liberty won its first three games, but finished the year with a 4-5 record. Year Season Start Final Record ???? WOW - What Wonderful Crowds The excitement of a new brand of Flames' football is quickly growing. Evidence of the excitement has repeatedly been seen in this year's attendance figures as three of Liberty's four home games rank in the Top 15 in the school's attendance annals. On October 14, the Flames set a Liberty and Big South record as 15,631 fans saw the Flames battle in-state opponent William & Mary in the school's annual Homecoming game. One week later, Liberty filled the stadium once again as 12,056 people saw Liberty open Big South Conference play against Gardner-Webb, marking the sixthlargest crowd in school history. Larger home crowds have proven to be an advantage for the Flames as Liberty has posted a 12-9 record in Williams Stadium home games where 10,000 or more fans have attended. In 1998, Liberty had three games in which it accumulated 10,000 fans, while four years saw crowds of 10,000 fans assemble at Williams Stadium twice. Liberty's Top 15 Home Attendance Figures At Williams Stadium Date Opponent Results Attendance 1. 10/14/06 William & Mary L/ , /3/98 Charleston Southern W/ (OT) 12, /11/97 Hampton L/ (OT) 12, /8/94 Delaware State L/ , /4/03 VMI W/ , /21/06 Gardner-Webb L/ , /27/90 Samford W/ , /2/99 Johnson C. Smith W/ , /3/94 Concord W/ , /2/93 North Carolina A&T L/ , /2/04 Gardner-Webb W/ , /19/98 South Florida L/ , /2/95 West Virginia Tech W/ , /9/06 Glenville State W/ , /30/00 Wingate W/ ,377 Noting The Attendance Numbers Liberty recorded a school and Big South Conference record for home attendance on October 14 as 15,631 fans saw the Flames' Homecoming game against William & Mary. The following week, Liberty had 12,056 fans attend the Flames' conference opener against Gardner-Webb, marking the sixth-highest attendence in school history and the third most in league history. Liberty's previous school record for highest home attendance was 12,623 against Charleston Southern (October 3, 1998) and the previous conference high was the 12,273 fans that saw Liberty's come-from-behind victory over VMI (October 4, 2003). Liberty now holds nine of the Top 10 single-game attendance figures in Big South Conference history, including the top eight tallies.

4 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Sports Network I-AA Top 25 Poll as of November 6, 2006 Teams (1 st Place votes) Points 1. Appalachian State (94) (9-1) 2, Montana (2) (8-1) 2, Massachusetts (4) (8-1) 2, James Madison (8-1) 2, North Dakota State (4) (8-1) 2, Youngstown State (8-2) 2, Illinois State (7-2) 1, Tennessee-Martin (8-1) 1, Cal Poly (6-3) 1, Furman (7-3) 1, Hampton (9-1) 1, Northern Iowa (6-3) 1, New Hampshire (6-3) 1, Southern Illinois (6-3) San Diego (9-0) Coastal Carolina (7-2) Harvard (7-1) Montana State (7-3) Maine (6-3) Eastern Illinois (6-4) Princeton (7-1) South Dakota State (6-3) Portland State (6-4) Charleston Southern (9-0) Richmond (5-4) 214 College Sports News I-AA Football Poll as of November 6, 2006 Teams (1 st Place votes) Points 1. Appalachian State (24) (9-1) Montana (1) (8-1) Massachusetts (8-1) James Madison (8-1) North Dakota State (4) (8-1) Youngstown State (8-2) Illinois State (7-2) Tennessee-Martin (8-1) Cal Poly (6-3) Furman (7-3) Northern Iowa (6-3) Hampton (9-1) New Hampshire (6-3) Coastal Carolina (7-2) San Diego (9-0) Montana State (7-3) Harvard (7-1) Southern Illinois (6-3) Maine (6-3) Eastern Illinois (6-4) South Dakota State (6-3) Princeton (7-1) Portland State (6-4) Richmond (5-4) Charleston Southern (9-0) 48 Bold Indicates 2006 opponent Attendance Ranks Among Nation's Best Liberty currently ranks 13th in the nation in home attendance based upon stadium capacity as the Flames are filling their stadium at percent over the first five home games of the year (55,942 fans in total). Liberty also ranks 18th nationally in total home attendance and 30th in average attendance per home game (11,118). The Big South Conference currently has three teams ranked in the Top 15 nationally in attendance based upon capacity (also Coastal Carolina at fourth and Charleston Southern at sixth). The Coaches Liberty University head coach Danny Rocco is just the second coach in school history to start his Flames coaching career off with a 2-0 record after wins over St. Paul's and Glenville State, while the first-year head coach enters today's game with a 4-5 overall record at Liberty. Rocco came to Liberty after a five-year stint at Virginia, including the last three years as associate head coach. The remainder of Rocco's 22-year assistant coaching career includes stints at Maryland, Texas, Boston College, Tulsa, Colorado, Wake Forest and with the NFL's New York Jets. Charleston Southern is under the direction of Jay Mills, last year's Big South Coach of the Year, and the four-year head coach has posted a record at the helm of the Buccaneers' program. Last year, Mills led the program to its first-ever winning season with a 7-4 record and a share of the Big South Conference title along with Coastal Carolina. The Series The contest will mark the 14th meeting in the series between the two programs and the fifth straight as Big South Conference members Liberty enters the game holding a 11-2 advantage in the overall series, including a 3-1 edge in conference battles the Buccaneers snapped a four-game series losing streak against Liberty in their last meeting as Charleston Southern rallied from a 12-point fourth quarter deficit en route to a monumental victory the win gave the Buccaneers their first winning season in the history of the program which Charleston Southern capped off with a stunning double overtime victory over Coastal Carolina the following week to share the Big South title with the Chanticleers the two squads have faced off on the gridiron in the past 12- consecutive seasons, marking the longest such streak in school history this year's meeting will tie Charleston Southern for the most frequently played opponent in school history as Liberty has played Delaware State and James Madison 14 times on the gridiron as well the 2001 meeting marked an historic moment in Liberty history as the Flames downed the Buccaneers, 31-17, to pick up the program's first-ever Big South Conference victory. Series Results Overall Record: Liberty leads, 11-2 Record at Home: Liberty leads, 6-1 Record on Road: Liberty leads, 5-1 In Big South Games: Liberty leads, 3-1 Record under Rocco: First Meeting Current Streak: Charleston Southern, W1 Year-By-Year Results 10/30/93 W 42-6 Lynchburg, Va. 11/19/94 W Lynchburg, Va. 10/28/95 W Charleston, S.C. 10/26/96 W 37-7 Lynchburg, Va. 10/25/97 W Charleston, S.C. 10/3/98 W 28-21! Lynchburg, Va. 10/23/99 W Charleston, S.C. 11/11/00 L 0-25 Lynchburg, Va. 11/10/01 W Charleston, S.C. 10/19/02 W * Lynchburg, Va. 11/1/03 W 17-6 * Charleston, S.C. 10/30/04 W 34-6 * Lynchburg, Va. 11/12/05 L * Charleston, S.C. * - Big South Conference game! - Overtime Game

5 Big South Conference 2006 Preseason Football All-Conference Team OFFENSE Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Collin Drafts, QB, Sr., Charleston So. LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Natural Versus Artificial Surfaces Under head coach Danny Rocco, the Flames are 3-4 on artificial turf and 1-1 on natural grass. Overall, Liberty is on natural grass and on artificial turf. The Flames play their home games at Williams Stadium, which has an artificial surface as new state-of-the-art FieldTurf was installed prior to the start of the 2006 season. Liberty has posted a 3-2 record at home since the new surface was installed. Quarterback Collin Drafts, Sr., Charleston Southern Running Back Zach Terrell, So., Liberty Aundres Perkins, Sr., Coastal Carolina Wide Receiver Maurice Price, Jr., Charleston Southern Duvaughn Flagler, Jr., Gardner-Webb Jerome Simpson, Jr., Coastal Carolina Tight End Chris Luck, Jr., Liberty Offensive Line Demario Deese, So., Gardner-Webb Brad Poston, Sr., Coastal Carolina Brian Kepple, Sr., Coastal Carolina Kris King, Sr., Gardner-Webb Ricky Howell, Jr., Charleston Southern DEFENSE Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Jada Ross, LB, R-Jr., Charleston So. Defensive Line Brian Johnston, Jr., Gardner-Webb Jason Horn, Sr., Liberty Adrain Gardy, Sr., Coastal Carolina Eric Hall, Sr., VMI Linebacker Jada Ross, R-Jr., Charleston Southern Jamar Leath, Sr., Coastal Carolina Manny Rojas, R-Sr., Liberty J.P. Weaver, Sr., Gardner-Webb Defensive Backs Quinton Teal, Sr., Coastal Carolina Daniel Cooke, So., Gardner-Webb Patrick Calvary, So., Liberty C.J. Hirschman, Jr., Charleston Southern SPECIAL TEAMS Kicker Josh Hoke, Sr., Coastal Carolina Punter Michael Hanna, So., Gardner-Webb Return Specialist Kory Alston, Sr., Gardner-Webb Long Snapper Matt Skeen, Sr., Gardner-Webb Four Fearless Leaders During halftime of Liberty's annual spring game on April 29, head coach Danny Rocco introduced his new player leadership group as he named Jason Horn, Rashad Jennings, Manny Rojas and Jarrett Winfrey as 2006 team captains. Senior Jarrett Winfrey helps to anchor Liberty's offensive line, while newcomer Rashad Jennings adds some excitement to the Flames' offense at tailback in Liberty's new two-back offensive set. On the defensive side of the ball, senior Jason Horn leads the Flames' defensive line, while linebacker Manny Rojas returns for his fifth year with the program and serves as the Flames' leader at linebacker. Overtime Update The Flames enter today's game having posted a 3-4 record in overtime games, with Liberty's last overtime contest coming against 14th-ranked Coastal Carolina on October 22, The Flames dropped a heartbreaking, decision to the conference foe at Williams Stadium on October 22, 2005, in triple overtime to mark the longest game in school history. The Flames have only played one overtime game away from Williams Stadium, which was the team's first extra period game, a loss at Morgan State on September 21, Liberty's last victory in an overtime contest came on November 22, 2003, when it closed out the 2003 campaign with a win over Hofstra. Red Zone Report Entering today's game, the Flames have converted on 25-of-34 Red Zone scoring opportunities (73.8 percent) on the season. Liberty has scored 16 rushing touchdowns, two passing touchdowns and has converted on seven field goal attempts. The Flames have failed to convert on nine Red Zone scoring chances as they missed five field goals, had two passes intercepted, fumbled the ball once and had a half end inside the Red Zone. Conversely, Liberty's opponents enter the game having converted on 12-of-18 Red Zone scoring opportunities (66.7 percent). Liberty's opponents have scored five rushing touchdowns, five passing touchdowns and two field goals. The Flames' opponents have failed to convert inside the 20-yard line six times as they missed a field goal, turned the ball over on downs twice, had a pass intercepted in the end zone and had two halves end with possession of the ball in the Red Zone. Danny Demands Stout Defense Head coach Danny Rocco spent his previous 22 years of football coaching as an assistant/associate coach at various levels on the defensive side of the field and he is quite proud of his current defensive unit at Liberty. Liberty enters today's game ranked 10th in the nation in scoring defense as the Flames are allowing an average of points per game. The Flames recorded shutouts in three out of nine games and are the only I-AA program to have recorded three shutouts in The Flames also rank 22nd in rushing defense ( yards per game), 49th in pass efficiency defense (119.60) and 38th in total defense ( yards per game).

6 Liberty University Head Football Coach Danny Rocco Quick Facts Biographical Information Birth date: July 1, 1963 Wife: Julie Children: Two - David (15) and Amy (13) Hometown: Huntington, Pa. College: Wake Forest, 1984 Record at Liberty: 4-5 (First season) Overall Record: 4-5 (First season) Coaching Experience: 2005-Present : Liberty (head coach) : Virginia (associate head coach/linebackers) : Virginia (assistant head coach/linebackers/recruiting coordinator) 2000: New York Jets (assistant linebackers/special teams) : Maryland (outside linebackers/assistant special teams) 1997: Texas (special teams coordinator/defensive ends) : Texas (outside linebackers) : Boston College (defensive line) : Tulsa (outside linebackers) 1987: Colorado (assistant linebackers) 1986: Wake Forest (defensive line) : Wake Forest (defensive graduate assistant) Bowl Games As A Player: 1983: Mirage Bowl (Wake Forest) 1980: Fiesta Bowl (Penn State) 1979: Liberty Bowl (Penn State) Bowl Games As A Coach: 2005: Music City Bowl (Virginia) 2004: MPC Computers Bowl (Virginia) 2003: Continental Tire Bowl (Virginia) 2002: Continental Tire Bowl (Virginia) 1996: Fiesta Bowl (Texas) 1995: Sugar Bowl (Texas) 1994: Sun Bowl (Texas) 1993: Carquest Bowl (Boston College) 1992: Hall of Fame Bowl (Boston College) 1989: Independence Bowl (Tulsa) Championships Won: 1996: Big XII Conference (Texas) 1995: Southwest Conference (Texas) 1994: Southwest Conference (Texas) Danny Rocco s Weekly Interview Opportunities Tuesday 10:50 Big South Conference Coaches Teleconference 1:00 Weekly Press Conference Williams FB Operations Center Wednesday 5:45 Post-practice interviews Thursday 5:45 Post-practice interviews Coach Rocco is available for interviews during the above times with a 24 hour notice. Please contact the Athletic Media Relations office to schedule all interviews ( ). LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Points Are At A Premium The Flames have allowed just 120 total points this year in eight games, which has the Flames ranked 10th in the nation in scoring defense (13.33 points per game). The Flames are currently on pace to break the school record for fewest points allowed in a season as Liberty finished the 1979 campaign with a record thanks in part to allowing just 176 total points (16.0 points per game). Still A Young Group Today's game marks Senior Day at Liberty as the Charleston Southern contest will be Liberty's final home game of the year. Prior to kickoff, the Flames will honor nine seniors, marking one of the smallest senior classes in recent history. Liberty has a very young roster this year as 68.1 percent of the team's roster is underclassmen. The Flames roster consists of nine seniors, 19 juniors, 24 sophomores and 36 freshmen. Defense Dominates In First Half Western Carolina was the sixth team this year that Liberty has held scoreless during the first 30 minutes of the game as the Catamounts joined St. Paul's, Glenville State Towson, Savannah State and Gardner-Webb as teams that failed to score on Liberty in the first half. Entering today's game, Liberty has allowed a total of 41 points during the first 30 minutes of the game with 17 points coming in the first quarter and 24 in the second. Finishing Up Strong Over the history of the Flames' football program, Liberty has posted a record during the month of November. The 11th month of the year has been especially kind to Liberty of late as the Flames finished the month undefeated two out of the last three seasons. Liberty closed out the 2003 and 2004 seasons on a pair of four-game winning streaks. Flames Against The Best Two weeks ago, Liberty faced conference foe Coastal Carolina, who was ranked 22nd in the Sports Network weekly poll and 23rd in the College Sports News weekly poll (heading into the week), marking the 46th time that Liberty has squared off against a nationally-ranked I-AA opponent in the history of the program. With the loss to the Chanticleers, the Flames record falls to 7-39 against nationally-ranked teams, including 18-straight losses to a ranked opponent. Libetry s last victory over a nationally-ranked opponent came in 1997 when the Flames closed out a miraculous 9-2 season with a victory over 15th-ranked Appalachian State in Boone, N.C., on November 22nd. Keepers Of The Clock For the fifth-straight game and the seventh time this year, the Flames' rushing attack and solid defensive effort allowed Liberty to control the play clock as Liberty finished with 31:43 to 28:17 time of possession advantage in the Western Carolina game last weekend. Liberty currently leads the Big South Conference in time of possession (31:14). Moving Over The Million Fan Mark The Western Carolina game marked a historic day in the annals of Liberty University as the 8,286 fans in attendance helped the Flames move over the 1,000,000 mark in home attendance since the program's inception in Liberty currently ranks 13th in the nation in home attendance based upon stadium capacity as the Flames are filling their stadium at percent over the first five home games of the year (55,942 fans in total). The Flames are averaging 11,188 fans per game at Williams Stadium this year.

7 Liberty University s NCAA I-AA Statistical Rankings (as of October 30, 2006) Team Rankings Rushing Offense th Passing Offense th Total Offense th Scoring Offense th Rushing Defense nd Pass Efficiency Defense th Total Defense th Scoring Defense th Net Punting th Punt Returns st Kickoff Returns th Turnover Margin st Pass Defense nd Passing Efficiency th Sacks th Tackles For Loss th Sacks Allowed th Individual Rankings Rushing Rashad Jennings nd (96.22) Zach Terrell th (62.67) Passing Efficiency Brock Smith th (112.29) Receptions Per Game Wynton Jackson th (3.67) Receiving Yards Per Game Wynton Jackson th (51.00) Punting Ben Beasley th (38.45) Punt Returns Wynton Jackson th (12.36) Field Goals Ben Beasley th (0.44) Zac Kolegue th (0.38) Scoring Zach Terrell T41st (6.67) Rashad Jennings th (6.00) All-Purpose Runners Rashad Jennings th (100.89) Wynton Jackson th (100.56) LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Sensational Shutouts For the third time in school history and the first since moving to the Division I level, Liberty has posted three shutouts in a season with its 21-0 victory over Western Carolina on Saturday. The Flames also recorded three shutouts in 1974 (when they were NCCAA) and in 1976 (when they were NAIA). The Flames are the only team in the country to have recorded three shutouts this year as the Flames broke a six-way tie for the nation's lead in shutouts with their 21-0 blanking of Western Carolina on Saturday. Five other teams in I-AA football have recorded two shutouts this year: Albany, Cal Poly, UMass, Nicholls State and San Diego. Running With The Flames The Flames rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns against Western Carolina last weekend, helping Liberty approach a familiar figure. Liberty enters the final two games of the year needing just 183 rushing yards to surpass the 2,000 yard mark for the fifth time in school history (1,817 yards through nine games) and for the fourth time in the last five years (also in 2002, 2003 and 2004). Liberty leads the Big South and ranks 15th nationally in rushing yards per game (210.89). Liberty's Best Rushing Seasons , , , , ,969 Ranking Among The Best Nationally In Turnovers Liberty has committed just eight turnovers this year and ranks tied for sixth nationally in fewest turnovers committed. There are only four teams nationally that have committed fewer turnovers than Liberty (Illinois State and San Diego with six, and James Madison, New Hampshire and William & Mary with seven turnovers). Liberty currently ranks tied for 41st in the nation in turnover margin (.22) as the Flames have forced 10 turnovers. Taking A Look At The Turnovers Two weeks ago, the Flames tied a season high by committing two turnovers against Coastal Carolina (both interceptions). Liberty has taken great pride in taking care of the ball this season as the Flames' offense has committed just eight turnovers (three fumbles and five interceptions). Liberty's opponents have turned the Flames' eight turnovers into just 17 points on a pair of touchdowns and a field goal. Equally, Liberty's defense has forced 10 turnovers as well (four forced fumbles and six interceptions), leading to 17 points on a pair of touchdowns. Keeping The QB Clean Western Carolina was the fifth team this year to fail to record a quarterback sack this past weekend as Liberty has allowed just seven sacks all year. Liberty's offensive line has done a great job holding off would-be tacklers as the Flames currently rank fourth nationally in quarterback sacks allowed per game (0.78). Ever So Close Taking away the Flames' I-A game against Wake Forest, the Flames have lost their four other games by a combined 13 points (seven to Towson, three to Gardner-Webb, two to Coastal Carolina and one to William & Mary) or an average of 3.25 points per loss. The Flames' two-point setback to Coastal Carolina on October 28 marked the sixth-straight Big South Conference game that Liberty has lost by six or fewer points, dating back to the beginning of league play in Liberty has dropped those six games by a total of 22 points and an average of 3.7 points per contest.

8 Interview Policies Liberty University head football coach Danny Rocco has requested a 24-hour notice on all interviews, including interviews for himself, members of the coaching staff and the players. Please plan ahead and call the Office of Athletic Media Relations when requesting interviews. All efforts will be made to make sure that the requested individual(s) are available with prior notice. Preseason camp interview schedule: Players and coaches are available after each practice session for post-practice interviews for a designated amount of time. If you need to conduct an interview during a different time, please contact the Office of Athletic Media Relations for alternate plans. However, due to the rigorous time schedule of preseason camp, it is requested that every effort be made to conduct following practice sessions. Regular season interview schedule during game week: Head coach Danny Rocco, members of the football coaching staff and players are available for interviews Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of game weeks. Tuesday interviews: Head coach Danny Rocco will host a weekly media press conference each Tuesday during the season to address the media. The press conference will be held in a designated area in the Williams Football Operations Center. The press conference will start at 1 p.m. and run for 30 minutes. Requested players and members of the coaching staff can be available for one-on-one interviews following Coach Rocco's weekly press conference. Player/coaching staff interviews will start at 1:30 p.m. and will run for 30 minutes. However, players will not be asked to miss class time or any other academic/team requirements for these interviews. Wednesday and Thursday interviews: Head coach Danny Rocco, members of the coaching staff and players will be available after practices on Wednesday and Thursday. If you request an interview, you are advised to arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled finish time of practice just in case practice finishes early. Coach Rocco, members of the coaching staff and players will not be held if you are not present at the conclusion of practice. Postgame interviews: The Liberty University football locker room is closed to members of the media at all times, both at home and on the road. LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Something Has To Give The Flames enter today's game with the most potent rushing attack in the Big South Conference as they are averaging rushing yards per game (ranking 15th nationally in rushing offense). However, Charleston Southern is holding opponents to a league-best rushing yards per game (ranking 17th nationally in rushing defense). Charleston Southern has also yet to allow a 100-yard rusher as VMI's Jonathan Wilson as the quarterback rushed for 90 yards on 20 carries has come the closest. Hurrying Up The Hurler The Flames finished the Western Carolina game with a season-high 13 quarterback hurries as they pressured the Catamounts' hurler all day and held him to just 164 passing yards. Liberty currently ranks second in the Big South Conference in quarterback hurries as the Flames are averaging 4.2 hurries per contest. Gardner-Webb leads the league in quarterback hurries as the Bulldogs rush the quarterback an average of 4.6 times per contest. Quite A Kickoff Return Effort The Flames lead the Big South Conference in kickoff return yardage as Liberty is averaging 23.1 yards per kickoff return, which is almost 4.9 yards per return better than Gardner-Webb who ranks second in the league (18.2 yards per game). Liberty is the only team in the league to have returned a kickoff for a touchdown this year (97 yards by Dominic Bolden against Coastal Carolina) and currently ranks 17th nationally in kickoff return yardage. Wynton Jackson leads the league as he is averaging 24.3 yards per kickoff return. Batting Them Back Liberty currently ranks first in the Big South Conference in pass breakups as the Flames have tallied a league-best 32 deflections over the first nine games this year (3.6 per game). The stat is a total team accomplishment as Liberty has just two players rank in the Top 10 in passes defended. On the season, 13 different players have broken up a pass with E.L. Estes (6) and Patrick Calvary (5) leading the way for the team. Total Team Effort The Flames have the stingiest defense in the Big South and the 10th best in the nation in scoring defense which is a credit to Liberty's entire defense unit and not just one player. The Flames currently don't have a player rank in the conference's Top 10 in tackles (Stevie Ray Lloyd is the highest at 12th) and the Flames have just four players in the Top 30. Home postgame interviews: Head coach Danny Rocco and requested players/members of the coaching staff will be available after a brief 10-minute cooling off period after each home game. Interviews will be conducted in a designated area inside of the Williams Football Operation Center, beginning with Coach Rocco followed by requested players/members of the coaching staff. Media members will be escorted down onto the field by a member of the Athletic Media Relations staff with approximately five minutes left in the fourth quarter. After the team leaves the playing field and enters the locker room, a member of the Athletic Media Relations staff will escort the media to the designated interview area. Road postgame interviews: Head coach Danny Rocco and requested players/members of the coaching staff will be available after a brief 10-minute cooling off period after each road game. Coach Rocco and requested players/member of the coaching staff will be available for interviews outside of the locker room or in a designated interview area (if one is available). A member of the Athletic Media Relations staff will escort the members of the media to the designated interview area. Don't Run On The Flames Not only can Liberty run the ball with efficiency, but the Flames aren't bad at defending the run as well as Liberty currently ranks first in the Big South and 22nd nationally in rushing defense. Liberty is allowing an average of rushing yards per game and opponents have scored just eight rushing touchdowns in eight games. Liberty has held three opponents this year to less than 100 rushing yards in a game (St. Paul's, Glenville State and Gardner-Webb). Terrell Is On A Tear For the fourth-straight week and the 10th time this season, Zach Terrell found the end zone with a two-yard rushing touchdown just 25 seconds before half time against Western Carolina. Terrell leads the Flames with 10 rushing touchdowns this year, making him the 10th player in school history to rush for 10 or more touchdowns in a season. Terrell currently leads the Big South with 10 rushing touchdowns and ranks third in scoring as he is averaging 6.7 points per contest.

9 Big South 2006 Players of the Week September 2 Offensive: Sean Mizzer, RB, VMI Defensive: Jamaal Walton, DB, VMI Specialist: Wynton Jackson, RS, LU Freshman: Brandon Jackson, WR, GWU September 9 Offensive: Tyler Thigpen, QB, CCU Collin Drafts, QB, CSU Defensive: Okeba Rollinson, DB, CSU Specialist: Michael Hanna, P, GWU Freshman: Stan Doolittle, QB, GWU September 16 Offensive: Jerome Simpson, WR, CCU Defensive: Manny Rojas, LB, LU Specialist: Ben Beasley, P, LU Freshman: Jamar Anderson, WR, CCU September 23 Offensive: Rashad Jennings, RB, LU Defensive: Quinton Teal, SS, CCU Specialist: Hunter Smith, K, GWU Freshman: Chris Rocco, DB, LU September 30 Offensive: Tyler Thigpen, QB, CCU Defensive: Mario E. Brown, LB, GWU Specialist: Michael Hanna, P, GWU Freshman: David Montgomery, RB, GWU October 7 Offensive: Jerome Simpson, WR, CCU Defensive: Jamar Leath, LB, CCU Specialist: Sean Lundy, DB, CCU Freshman: Tim Maypray, RB, VMI October 14 Offensive: Mike Tolbert, FB, CCU Defensive: Mario E. Brown, LB, GWU Specialist: Nick Ellis, K, CSU Freshman: Tim Maypray, SB, VMI October 21 Offensive: Devin Campbell, QB, GWU Defensive: Jada Ross, LB, CSU Specialist: Hunter Smith, K/P, GWU Freshman: Christian Kelly, DB, VMI October 28 Offensive: Devin Campbell, QB, GWU Defensive: Quinton Teal, DB, CCU Specialist: Dominic Bolden, KR, LU Freshman: David Montgomery, RB, GWU November 4 Offensive: Collin Drafts, QB, CSU Defensive: Jon Carmon, DB, CSU Specialist: Josh Hoke, K, CCU Freshman: Tim Torrence, DB, LU Offensive: Defensive: Specialist: Freshman: Offensive: Defensive: Specialist: Freshman: November 11 November 18 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Quite The Tandem Zach Terrell and Rashad Jennings enter the Charleston Southern game with a combined 19 rushing touchdowns, which ranks third in school history for combined rushing touchdowns by a pair of running backs. Kim Raynor (15 TDs) and Glenn Inverso (13 TD) are the only running tandem to rush for more than 10 touchdowns in the same season as they do so in Ranking second was the tailback-fullback combination of Lawrence Worthington (16 TD) and J.T. Morris (7 TDs) as the pair rushed for 23 touchdowns in Jennings About To Join Elite Group Rashad Jennings enters today's game with a team-best 866 yards rushing, which leads the Big South Conference and ranks 32nd nationally. Jennings needs to finish with 111 rushing yards over the final two games of the season to crack the Flames' Top 5 rushing list by sophomore running backs as Stacy Nobles ranks fifth in school history as the sophomore rushed for 977 yards in Dre Barnes is the sophomore school record holder as the school's all-time leading rusher ran for 1,304 yards in his second year with the program in Sophomore Rushing Yards/Carries Dre Barnes (2002) 1,304/221 Lawrence Worthington (1994) 1,224/175 Kim Raynor (1977) 1,112/219 Chip Smith (1974) 1,095/216 Stacy Nobles (1997) 977/222 Turner Tears The Up Brandon Turner became the 23rd player in school history to record multiple career 100-yard receiving games as the junior led the Flames with seven receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown against Western Carolina last weekend. Turner posted his first career 100-yard game last year with seven receptions for 178 yards at Gardner-Webb and currently leads the Flames with 459 yards receiving and two touchdowns. Two Pass The 1,000 Yard Mark The Gardner-Webb game will long be remembered by both Zach Terrell and Wynton Jackson as the duo surpassed the 1,000 career yardage mark during the same contest. A one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter gave Terrell his 1,000th career rushing yard, allowing him to become the 14th player in Big South history to surpass the mark. Also, Jackson caught four passes for 57 yards against the Bulldogs, giving him 1,034 career receiving yards. Rojas Closes The Gap On Conference's Top Spot Manny Rojas currently ranks second in Big South Conference history as he enters today's game with 329 career tackles. The senior added 10 more tackles to his career tally last weekend against Charleston Southern, helping him gain ground on Coastal Carolina's Jamar Leath as the senior finished with four tackles against Savannah State to give him 339 career stops. Rojas Racks Up Tackles Manny Rojas became just the third player this year to record double-figure tackles in a game as the senior led the team with 10 stops against Western Carolina last weekend. This marked the 10th time in Rojas' career that the linebacker has finished a game with 10 or more tackles.

10 A Salute To The Seniors Today marks the final home game in the careers of nine players and a student assistant coach as it is Senior Day at Williams Stadium. Those playing in the final home game of their careers are: Ben Beasley K, Laurel, Miss. Darnell Edwards WR, Durham, N.C. Jason Horn DL, Phoenix, Ariz. Weston Lambert LB, New Bringhton, Pa. Don Carlos McWhorter DL, Newport News, Va. Rhett Parson OL/Student Assistant Coach, Villa Rica, Ga. Manny Rojas LB, Oakdale, Pa. Stephen Sene OL, Columbia, S.C. Tyler Turner DL, Northfield, Minn. Jarrett Winfrey OL, Scottdale, Ga. The Flames football program would like to say thanks for all that you have done for the program over your careers. LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Rojas Ranks Among Program's Best Tacklers With his 10 tackles against Western Carolina last weekend, Manny Rojas moved into sixth place on the Flames' all-time tackles list as he moved past Eric Carroll ( ) who finished his career with 325 tackles. Rojas, who enters today's game with 329 career tackles, will most likely finish in sixth place on the school's all-time tackles list barring a record-setting performance over the final two games of the year as Joe Seamster ( ) currently ranks fifth on the school's all-time list with 385 tackles. All-Time Career Tackles List John Sanders ( ) 522 Mickey Paige ( ) 427 Jesse Riley ( ) 394 Damon Bomar ( ) 385 Joe Seamster ( ) 385 Manny Rojas ( ) 329 Eric Carroll ( ) 325 Torrence Named Big South's Top Rookie Defensive back Tim Torrence was honored by the Big South Conference on Monday as he was named the league's Freshman of the Week, honoring his efforts against Western Carolina. Torrence posted his second-high career tackle total as the defensive back finished the game with four tackles. For the third time this season, the freshman finished a game with three solo tackles, including the first tackle for a loss in his collegiate career (1 yard). Torrence also added his third pass break up of the year. Still Playing A Man Down For the fifth-straight week, the Flames will be without the services of senior defensive lineman Jason Horn who suffered a fractured fibula in his left leg during practice leading up to the William & Mary game. At the time of his injury, Horn led the Big South in tackles for a loss and sacks as the senior had recorded 7.5 tackles for a loss (44 yards) and 5.0 sacks (40 yards) over the first five games of the year. Also at the time of the injury, the defensive lineman ranked fifth nationally in sacks (1.00 per game) and sixth in tackles for a loss (1.70 per game). Horn has recorded a tackle for a loss in four out of five games this year (no TFL against Savannah State) and a sack in three out of five games (two against St. Paul's and Glenville State and one against Wake Forest). Needing Just A Few More Liberty enters the Charleston Southern game this weekend needing just 49 fans to break the school's record for home attendance in a season. Liberty drew 55,990 fans for seven home games during the 1990 campaign. Catamounts Succumb To Flames Defense The Flames held Western Carolina to 273 total offensive yards last Saturday, marking the second-fewest offensive yards that Liberty has allowed this season. Liberty held St. Paul's to just 57 yards in the Flames' season-opener on August 31. Liberty currently leads the Big South and ranks 38th in the nation as the Flames are holding their opponents to yards per game. New Faces On The Sidelines First-year head coach Danny Rocco has added four new faces to the Flames' coaching staff since taking over the program last December. Rocco has brought in a new offensive coordinator in Scott Wachenheim and a new defensive coordinator in Tom Clark. Rocco also added a new quarterbacks coach in Brandon Streeter and a new defensive line/special teams coach in Chad Wilt. Remaining from last year's staff are Pete Sundheim (assistant head coach/tight ends), Frank Hickson (running backs), Marshall Roberts (defensive backs), Charlie Skalaski (wide receivers/recruiting coordinator) and Robert Wimberly (linebackers).