Liberty @ Wake Forest

[SumItUp]

Liberty scores first and leads 7-0 with 8:01 remaining in the 1st quarter. Liberty's defense looks strong early.

[Mr. C]

Mr. C has arrived in the press box late in the first period after a pleasant trip from Greenville, N.C. and the App State-East Carolina game. Liberty is holding its own thus far, leading 7-0 on a rainy night. Both QBs seem to be having trouble gripping the ball on this wet, humid night. Big, huge drops are falling from the sky.

[Mr. C]

End of the first quarter, Liberty 7, Wake Forest 0

[Mr. C]

Bummed that Liberty scored its first TD while I was parking the Toyota Prius. Kevin Foog, the All-American returnman, set up the first score with a nice return to the WF 44 and the Flames needed just three plays to score on a pass from Brian Hudson to Eliott Dutra from 37 yards. Dutra, primarily a fullback last season, was wide open on the play as he made his first career catch a big one.

Liberty has been playing outstanding defense in the early part of the game. But that wasn't a surprise as the Flames should be solid on that side all year.

[Mr. C]

Wake Forest had a third and four from the LU 46 and Marquis Jenkins of Liberty stepped in front of a pass for the interception at the 44. The Flames will start at their own 46.

[Mr. C]

The Flames give the ball right back with a fumble after a reception. Deacon ball at the WF 45.

[Mr. C]

Drop by DeAndre Martin of WF near the LU 20. I have to think the wet ball is a big problem.

[Mr. C]

LU's defense holds again. Another WF punt and a fair catch by Fogg at the nine. 42 yard punt. Fogg saw that the Flames were going to get pinned even deeper. Good decision on the FC.

[Mr. C]

I entertained myself with FCS radio broadcasts as I drove to Groves Stadium. Heard QB Aramis Hillary score an early TD for Coastal Carolina against North Carolina A&T and I also heard North Carolina Central and both the Liberty and Wake Forest pre-game broadcasts.

[theasushow]

what is the crowd like there?

[Mr. C]

Wake Forest just scored on a TD pass. 6 plays, 65 yards. 31 yards from Tanner Price to Michael Campanaro. Liberty 7, Wake Forest 7 with 7:15 left in the half.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Liberty hung with NC State last year before running out of gas in the 2nd half. This game might play out in a similar fashion.

[Mr. C]

what is the crowd like there?

Typical Wake Forest crowd these days, a few more bodies than when ASU used to turn Groves Stadium into a home game (the original Kidd Brewer Stadium East). Stands are about 2/3s full with some folks enjoying the grassy knoll.

As I was coming in, I couldn't believe how many fans were rushing for their cars because of a little rain. Pretty quiet crowd as well in the usual Deacon fashion.

[Mr. C]

Liberty hung with NC State last year before running out of gas in the 2nd half. This game might play out in a similar fashion.

I think Liberty has a better shot with this one, because the defense is so good and the rain is an equalizer. Amazing at how much cooler it is tonight than this afternoon in Greenville. The rain is cutting down the humidity and the cloud cover is cooling things off. It seems to be in the 70s now, after being in the high 90s in Greenville with about 95% humidity, if not more.

[Mr. C]

Wake's defense has reestablished itself since the early Flame score.

[Mr. C]

First down for a driving WF with a run to the LU 44. Under five minutes left in the half and a lot of dropped passes.

[Mr. C]

A chop block is going to probably kill this Deacon drive as the ball is moved back 15 yards to the WF 41. 1st and 25

[Mr. C]

Big 3rd and 8 play upcoming from the LU 42 for WF

[Mr. C]

Demetrius Ward just blew up the third down pass for the Deacons with a speed move around the right end, fourth down after illegal substitution on WF.

[Mr. C]

The referee has forgotten to turn off his mike, so we are getting live, uncensored conversations, including one where he miscounted how many men WF had on the field.

"I counted 12 men," Jerry Magallanes said to Wake coach Jim Grobe. "I counted 12 three times."

I guess that meant Wake Forest had 36 men on the field.

[Mr. C]

Liberty has moved from its own 11 to the 35 with a series of first downs to get out of a hole

[Mr. C]

Near interception for WF on an A.J. Marshall knock down. 3rd and 7 from the 38 for LU.

[Mr. C]

Gabe Henderson with a nice 17-yard catch on a ball thrown behind him and another pass play moves the ball to the WF 38

[Mr. C]

Third and five for the Flames at the 40 after a busted play.

[Mr. C]

Just wide right on a 49-yard field goal from John Lunsford of Liberty on the final play of the half.

Interesting note from Liberty beat writer Chris Lang. Turner Gill-coached teams have never reached double figures in any of his debuts. He won his first game 9-3 in overtime as Buffalo beat Temple and Kansas lost 6-3 to North Dakota State a couple of years ago in one of the worst offensive games I've ever seen.

[theasushow]

Just wide right on a 49-yard field goal from John Lunsford of Liberty on the final play of the half.

Interesting note from Liberty beat writer Chris Lang. Turner Gill-coached teams have never reached double figures in any of his debuts. He won his first game 9-3 in overtime as Buffalo beat Temple and Kansas lost 6-3 to North Dakota State a couple of years ago in one of the worst offensive games I've ever seen.


That KU-NDSU game was worse than watching paint dry.

[SumItUp]

Liberty freshman John Lunsford kicks a 49 year field goal. Wake Forest 20, Liberty 17

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Great game so far!

[SpeedkingATL]

Keep it going Liberty.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Flamers driving, 6:30 left down by 3.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

LMAO at the Backjudge falling over himself.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Another FBS upset? I think Liberty has it in them for a distance drive here...

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Sucks to be that guy.

[SumItUp]

Wake wins 20-17

[bearsfan5]

Great effort by Liberty!

[UNH Fanboi]

Is this close call going to be trumpeted as a reason for ranking Liberty in the top 20? I hope we've all learned in the past 5 years that Liberty is perennially overrated until the inevitable late season collapse.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Is this close call going to be trumpeted as a reason for ranking Liberty in the top 20? I hope we've all learned in the past 5 years that Liberty is perennially overrated until the inevitable late season collapse.

Liberty is at Montana in two weeks then home against Lehigh. Time will tell for sure...i'm still not sold on Gill over the long haul.

[Mr. C]

Sorry about leaving everyone in a lurch, but we lost Internet in the press box in the second half and it just came back as I was packing things up. Liberty made a great effort and was a couple of first downs from being in field goal range at the end and if Lunsford makes that one that just missed at the end of the first half, we have overtime.

Liberty's defense was tremendous, though Wake Forest isn't a team with a lot of playmakers. I think that Brian Hudson laid claim to the starting QB's job tonight, too.

Everyone was upbeat in the post-game interviews and there is a confidence that the Flames can have a great year despite playing their toughest schedule ever.

[Seawolf97]

Good game Flames !

[Mr. C]

LMAO at the Backjudge falling over himself.

Reminds me of another Wake Forest game early last decade where Daryl Skinner of Appalachian State broke open in almost the same exact spot on a deep post and the ball was on the money for a long touchdown pass. The back judge ran into Skinner and broke up the pass to save the Demon Deacons. One of the goofiest officiating plays I've ever seen.

[WataugaDave]

Excellent, excellent game. Good show Flames.

We've already scared Wake away from scheduling App, maybe this close call will jar them enough to keep them away from FCS schools for good.

[Webzy]

Whats the update on Sigmon LU fans?

Defense looks pretty good. Wake is a decent BCS/ACC team thats predicted to finish middle of the pack (6-8 wins).