Delaware State Revisited: News and Notes
9/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
No. 15/14 Liberty opened its season at Williams Stadium for the first time since 2008 and thrilled fans with a 32-13 win over visiting Delaware State, Saturday night.
Included with today's news and notes are audio highlights from yesterday's home victory over the Hornets. The audio package also includes interviews with Head Coach Turner Gill, highlighting the Flames' season-opening win over the Hornets.
Throughout the season, LibertyFlames.com will run a similar feature online each Sunday, spotlighting the notable accomplishments and numbers from the previous day's gridiron battle.
Series with Delaware State:
• Following the game, Liberty now leads the overall series, 10-5
• The contest marked the first game in the series since the Hornets' visit to Lynchburg in 2001
• Liberty has won nine of the last 11 matchups between the two teams
• With the win, Liberty moves to 21-12 all-time against MEAC opponents
• The Flames are 3-1 against MEAC foes under Head Coach Turner Gill
Season/Home Opening Notes:
• The win over the Hornets marked Liberty's first season-opening victory since 2010
• Liberty's previous four season-opening losses each were to FBS opponents
• Following the win, Liberty is now 20-23 all-time in season-opening games
• Liberty is 18-7 all-time when opening the season at home
• The Flames have won their last seven consecutive season openers played at home, since a season-opening loss to Western Carolina in 2002
• Liberty played its first season opener at Williams Stadium since 2008 on Saturday and moved to 12-2 all-time in season openers at their home facility
Attendance Notes:
• Liberty played its home opener in front of 18,803 fans at Williams Stadium
• The Liberty vs. Delaware State matchup was the fifth-highest attended FCS game in the country this past weekend
• The attendance figure of 18,803 was the seventh best in Williams Stadium history
Team Talking Points:
• Liberty finished the game with 417 total offensive yards after surpassing the 400-yard mark seven times in 2014
• The Flames finished the game with 26 first downs, their highest first down total the 2013 season finale against Charleston Southern (29 on Nov. 23)
• 15 of Liberty's 26 first downs came on rushing plays, the team's highest first down total since finishing with 17 rushing first downs against Brevard on No. 16, 2013
• Following the game, Liberty now ranks tied for No. 14 in the country in first down offense
• Liberty finished the game with 229 rushing yards after posting 200-plus rushing performances four times during the 2014 season
• The Flames averaged 5.7 yards per carry against the Hornets after finishing four games in 2014 averaging more than 5.0 rushing yards per attempt
• The Flames were penalized 11 times for 110 yards against Delaware State, Liberty's highest penalty total since finishing last year's Gardner-Webb game with 11 penalties for 105 yards (Oct. 25)
• Liberty's 110 penalty yards were the most by the Flames in four seasons under Head Coach Turner Gill
• The Flames surpassed the 10-penality mark for fourth time in 38 games under Head Coach Turner Gill
• Liberty finished the game with a 13:28 time of possession advantage, marking the sixth time in the last nine games the Flames have finished a game with a 10-minute plus time of possession edge over their opponent (dating back to the 2014 season)
• The Flames finished the game converting on 7-of-14 third-down plays, a mark Liberty only reached once during the first six games of the 2014 season (conversion rate during first six games of 2014 – 27.0 percent/17-of-63)
• After ranking No. 10 in the country in fourth down conversion rate in 2014 (68.2 percent/15-of-22), the Flames converted on both of their fourth down attempts against Delaware State
• The Flames finished the Delaware State game with five sacks, which was tied for the fourth best sack performance in the country during the opening week of the season
• Liberty is +1 in the turnover battle in 2015, finishing with two interceptions against Delaware State
• Liberty was one of 23 FCS teams in the country to finish the opening weekend of the year with two or more interceptions
• After ranking No. 78 in the country in tackles for a loss in 2014 (5.6 per game), Liberty finished the Delaware State game with nine tackles for a loss (51 yards)
Notable Player Points:
• In his first game back since missing the 2014 season with an injury, RB Desmond Rice led the Flames with 139 rushing yards and two touchdowns
• RB Desmond Rice posted his third career 100-yard game against Delaware State
• With his two rushing touchdowns against Delaware State, RB Desmond Rice now has 20 career rushing touchdowns
• Both RB Desmond Rice (6.9) and D.J. Abnar (6.2) finished the game averaging more than 6.0 rushing yards per carry
• RB D.J. Abnar finished the game with 13 carries for 80 yards, giving him 15 consecutive games with 10 or more carries
• QB Josh Woodrum continued to add to his career numbers during the Delaware State game, completing 19-of-32 pass attempts for 188 yards and two touchdowns
• Following the game, QB Josh Woodrum now ranks second in program history in career touchdown passes (51) and total offense (8,091 yards)
• QB Josh Woodrum is currently the active career leader in passing yards among FCS quarterbacks (7,682 yards) and ranks No. 3 in passing yards per game (213.4) and No. 5 in total offense (8,091 yards)
• WR Darrin Peterson picked up right where he left off in 2014, as the All-American led the Flames with eight receptions for 83 yards and two touchdowns
• With two touchdown receptions, WR Darrin Peterson is now tied for second in program history with 22 career touchdown receptions (tied with Kelvin Edwards) and fifth in Big South history
• WR Darrin Peterson was one of 15 FCS players in the country to finish the first week of the season with multiple touchdown receptions
• WR Darrin Peterson currently ranks No. 3 in the country among active FCS wide receivers in career receiving yards (2,347) and No. 4 in receptions (155)
• WR Zac Parker doubled his career reception total in one game, finishing the Delaware State game with six receptions for 41 yards (had three receptions for 16 yards in 13 games last year)
• WR B.J. Farrow (20 yards) and TE Will Johnson (seven yards) each finished the game with their first career receptions
• After finishing 2014 as the leading freshman punter in the country (41.5 yards per punt), P Trey Turner started off 2015 by averaging 47.7 yards per punt against Delaware State (three punts, 143 yards)
• If P Trey Turner was eligible for national rankings (3.5 punts per game), he would currently rank No. 5 in the country in punting (47.7 yards per punt)
• P Trey Turner posted his 10th game in 15 career outings as a Flame with a punting average above 40.0 yards per punt (47.7)
• One of P Trey Turner's three punts sailed 61 yards downfield, the longest punt of his career (previous long was 59 yards against Monmouth on Nov. 8, 2014)
• K John Lunsford connected on 1-of-2 field goal attempts against Delaware State, knocking down a 52 yarder late in the second quarter
• K John Lunsford's 52 yard field goal was the ninth 50-plus yard field goal of his career (64.3 percent from 50-plus yards – 9-of-14)
• Following the game, K John Lunsford currently ranks No. 2 in the country among active FCS kickers with 36 career field goals
• LB Dexter Robbins led the Flames with five tackles, his fourth highest single-game career total
• DE Chima Uzowihe finished the contest with 4.0 tackles, including 2.5 sacks and his fifth career forced fumble
• DE Chima Uzowihe's tackle total against Delaware State made him Liberty's active career tackles leader with 102 career stops (53 solo, 49 assisted)
• Following his effort against Delaware State, DE Chima Uzowihe ranks third in program history and second in Big South history with 19.5 career sacks
• In his first career collegiate contest, SPUR Corbin Jackson tied for second on the team with four tackles (2 solo, 2 assisted)
• CB Wesley Scott finished the game with three solo tackles and his second career interception
• LB Nick Newman finished the game with three tackles (2 solo, 1 assisted), including a sack in the end zone that resulted in a safety
• CB Chris Turner finished his first collegiate game with two solo tackles and one of Liberty's two interceptions in the contest
