Flames Ready to Open 2016 Home Slate against Dolphins
9/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Game Day Central
Liberty Football Game Day Information
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Following Liberty's final full practice of the week, Head Coach Turner Gill met with the media to discuss his team's preparation for their matchup against Jacksonville on Saturday.
Saturday's game will mark a number of "firsts," as it will be Liberty's first home game of the season, first-ever meeting with Jacksonville and first matchup against a member of the Pioneer Football League. The Dolphins will be kicking off their 2016 season, following an extremely early bye week.
For the second straight week, Liberty is facing a head coach making his debut with a new team. Ian Shields takes the helm at Jacksonville after serving as head coach at Lenoir-Rhyne the last two years. He inherits a team coming off of back-to-back 9-2 seasons and featuring two Preseason All-Pioneer Football league picks in RB Ulysses Bryant and LB Grady Redding.
Jacksonville is the second of three straight first-time opponents Liberty is facing to start the 2016 season. The Dolphins will be the third Florida-based opponent the Flames have met on the gridiron, along with UCF and USF.
Although Liberty has never played a Pioneer Football League opponent, Jacksonville will become the fourth league member with whom the Flames are acquainted. Liberty went 1-1 versus Dayton and 5-3 against Morehead State prior to the Pioneer Football League's first season of competition (1993). Meanwhile, league member Campbell is coached by former Liberty assistant Mike Minter.
The Liberty Flames Sports Network (LFSN) will provide radio coverage for the contest, with the Flames Pregame Tailgate Show scheduled to go on the air at 5:30 p.m. The LFSN TV will televise the game through its various outlets, including the ESPN3, the Big South Network and The Walk Network. For more information about where to watch and/or listen to the game, check out the Game Day Central page for this Saturday's contest.
