Rutgers Added to 2006 Schedule

[Sly Fox]

Wake, Rutgers on next year's schedule

Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
October 16, 2005

Liberty University will face two Division I football opponents in 2006, and the Flames will do it in back-to-back weeks.

The Flames will travel to New Brunswick, N.J., Sept. 23 for a game with Rutgers, marking the second straight year LU has played a Big East team. The Flames lost 59-0 to Connecticut this season.

Liberty closes a three-game road trip Sept. 30 at ACC member Wake Forest.

The Flames open the stretch with a Sept. 16 game at Towson.

The other games set are home dates against William & Mary (Oct. 14), Gardner-Webb (Oct. 21), Western Carolina (Nov. 4) and Charleston Southern (Nov. 18). The other road games are at Coastal Carolina (Oct. 28) and VMI (Nov. 18).

That leaves two dates to fill on the schedule. Liberty is looking for a Division II team to play at home Sept. 2 and a Division I-AA foe for Sept. 9, also at home. LU has talked to Norfolk State and Delaware State about filling the second open date.

Familiar face

Towson receiver Demetrius Harrison started his college career just up the road at VMI, though he didn’t have much of an impact at the Lexington school. As a freshman, he caught two passes for seven yards, both in the season finale at The Citadel.

Saturday night, Harrison finally made an impact on a Big South football field. He caught two passes for 18 yards and his first career touchdown in Towson’s 38-17 win over Liberty.

Entering the game, the sophomore had two catches for 25 yards. He played in place of No. 3 receiver Eric Yancey, who was serving a one-game suspension for a violation of team rules.

What bruise?

Towson quarterback Sean Schaefer didn’t participate in the team’s walkthrough Saturday morning at Williams Stadium because of a nasty bruise underneath the elbow on his throwing arm.

He sustained the injury, officially a triceps contusion, at practice Thursday in Baltimore when he got popped by a defender’s helmet on the elbow.

There was some worry that he wouldn’t be able to play, but he started and played well, completing 21 of 32 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for an 11-yard touchdown.

He said the pain in his arm had subsided considerably by the time the game started.

“The adrenaline helped me a bit,” Schaefer said.

Extra points

For the first time since 2001, Liberty has a 1,000-yard passer. Brock Farrel completed 13 of 25 passes for 185 yards and a 46-yard touchdown to Wynton Jackson, giving him 1,043 yards this season. Biff Parson was Liberty’s last 1,000-yard passing, throwing for 1,745 yards in 2001. Gus Condon led the Flames with 892 yards in 2002, ending a string of 16 straight LU seasons with a 1,000-yard passer. … Jackson is the first LU wide receiver to catch a TD pass this season. … Towson hadn’t won back-to-back road games in the same season since opening 2000 with wins at Fordham and Lafayette. The Tigers won at Rhode Island last week. … Ben Beasley started as the Flames’ place kicker Saturday and hit his only field goal attempt from 27 yards out. He had missed from 32, but Towson was penalized for being offsides, giving Beasley another shot. Zac Kolegue handled extra-point duties.

www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=LNA%2FMGArticle%2FLNA_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128767573644&path=!sports

So we're only playing two Division I schools next year? Chris, what classification are we?

This is great news as far as I am concerned. I'm glad we're snatching up these opportunities.

[eddantes]

That's GREAT news. I'm going to go to the Rutgers game.

[Chris Lang]

Sly ... that's my boss' decision. He doesn't like using I-A. He just says I-As are Division Is and I-AAs are Division I-AAs.

I'm not a big fan of it myself, since Division I-AAs are classified as Divison Is. But that's his call.

[Sly Fox]

With all due respect, your boss is an idiot (metaphorically-speaking). Sounds like he has an agenda by having his employees change facts to his preferences.

What does he call what we do in every other sport?

Oh well. At least he's allowing you to treat LU like a real beat. That's a start.

[Stevev]

Looks like a great schedule. Hopefully the schedule will be set without Karcher around.

[Sly Fox]

Let me try to lay this thing out for 2006:

9/2 - TBD (Likely DII at home)
9/9 - TBD (Likely I-AA at Home - Norfolk St or Delaware St?)
9/16 - @ Towson
9/23 - @ Rutgers
9/30 - @ Wake Forest
10/7 - Open
10/14 - William & Mary
10/21 - Gardner-Webb
10/28 - @ Coastal Carolina
11/4 - Western Carolina
11/11 - Open
11/18 - Charleston Southern or VMI

I assume that whichever Big South school we play on the 18th, we'll play the other on the 11th of November. Does this make sense, Chris? Did they mention whether or not we were trying to schedule a full 12 games next fall under the new rules?

[Chris Lang]

Charleston So. is on the 11th and VMI on the road is on the 18th.

My mistake. Sloppy on my part.

The game on Sept. 9 will probably have to move to Oct. 7. They've scheduled an open date there, but that's homecoming weekend, so I would think they'd like to slot a football game there.

Or maybe not.

[fsn32]

Yea, Oct. 7 is Homecoming, the week before Super Conf. Norfolk State or a D-2 would be nice for the partisans.

[rokamortis]

Two I-A's eh? Is Liberty's new motto 'show me the money'? If you are trying to improve a program i don't think scheduling 2 I-A's really helps. It just means you guys start the season 0-2, and 500-750 K richer. I know CCU wants to start scheduling some I-As as well but 2 in one year is crazy.

[Sly Fox]

Rok - Take a look at the the other thread about our financial deficit in football. We need those paydays to maintain some form of cashflow. Our gate isn't going very far.

I don't mind two I-As on the schedule at all. I'd have it every year if at all possible.

[PAmedic]

rokamortis said:

Two I-A's eh? Is Liberty's new motto 'show me the money'? If you are trying to improve a program i don't think scheduling 2 I-A's really helps. It just means you guys start the season 0-2, and 500-750 K richer. I know CCU wants to start scheduling some I-As as well but 2 in one year is crazy.

And believe me, we've had some knock-down/drag-outs around here on the topic as well. Half think we're crazy and us old guys like the Benjamins!

[PAmedic]

And I think I'll try to make the game in Jersey as well. Still wish we could schedule Lehigh, Villanova, or Temple. (the last one could be a "W"!)

[WCU4Life]

Coming from a Catamount fan, we should not ever play you guys in any sport ever again! Your administration pulled out of a home-and-home deal this past year, leaving an open date that we are unable to fill. If the WCU brass has any guts, they will tell your adminstration, and Jerry to go and shove it. If the game happens, we should spank you by 50, just for pure spite.

[PAmedic]

You're right, that certainly doesn't seem professional in the least- although I certainly don't have the facts of the story. You guys have a pretty good rep, I can't imagine why we wouldn't take the opportunity to play either home OR away.

And thanks for posting- welcome to our site.

CHRIS or anyone else able to dig up what happened here w/ WCU?

[GetRealLU]

WCU4Life said:

Coming from a Catamount fan, we should not ever play you guys in any sport ever again! Your administration pulled out of a home-and-home deal this past year, leaving an open date that we are unable to fill. If the WCU brass has any guts, they will tell your adminstration, and Jerry to go and shove it. If the game happens, we should spank you by 50, just for pure spite.

Sorry to hear that as well. But do you think if we could pass a couple million your way that you could forget the whole thing jump ship and join the Big South for football? Just throwing it out there.

Hey didn't WCU open up Auburns home schedule last season?

[WCU4Life]

GetReady, The point is backing out of a contract that has been signed, sealed, and delivered. I am a firm believer of sticking to your agreements, no matter what comes your way. WCU has played big name teams such as Auburn, LSU, Louisville, NC State, etc, but we didn't back out of an already signed contract to play in these games. Those games were scheduled from the start. IMO, WCU athletics should take legal action for backing out of a contact, no matter how much or little it would get them, it is the principal of the whole matter.

[WCU4Life]

GetReady, The point is backing out of a contract that has been signed, sealed, and delivered. I am a firm believer of sticking to your agreements, no matter what comes your way. WCU has played big name teams such as Auburn, LSU, Louisville, NC State, etc, but we didn't back out of an already signed contract to play in these games. Those games were scheduled from the start. IMO, WCU athletics should take legal action for backing out of a contact, no matter how much or little it would get them, it is the principal of the whole matter. And no, we like ti in the SoCon just fine.

[PAmedic]

Dude- no one's disagreeing with you. GET REAL's point was that you guys have an impressive resume and we'd enjoy the chance to see our guys play you. WE AGREE THE GAME SHOULD BE ON. No excuses here.

Feel free to stick around- you may actually like it here.

[WCU4llIFE]

Sorry man, I simply read it wrong. Sure pass a couple of mil under the table and we'll forget evreything, and we'll even come to lynchburg a few times.

[bigsmooth]

WCU, relax. contracts are broken all the time. yes it is wrong, but it happens. i know your AD chip smith very well, i used to work for him at VMI. i might try to pick his brain about it. dont get me wrong, breaking contracts is wrong and esp for LU being a christian school, but it is fairly common in DI sports IMHO. btw welcome to the firehouse, you are welcome anytime!

[bigsmooth]

do we want to be like troy university when they jumped to I-A and take a beating every week??? i understand we need money, but already we are 0-2 next year, and we have clearly shown we lack talent. if we were the georgia southern's and Mc Neese St.'s of the world, i can see it, but to continually take a beating like this year and a few years back when we got punked by the MAC teams, i just do not see it. increase revenues=talent on the field= in state teams wanting to play us=a quality gate.

[lufbfan3]

I have said it before and I'll say it again--I think we need to be competitive at the level we're at-and even with the better I-AA teams (i.e. W & M, JMU, etc.) before we dive into lots of I-A programs. (and get drowned) The money is great and the prestige is great-but I don't know how much prestige you gain when you get your butts handed to you week after week.

Maybe if we can get a new coach in here before recruiting is finished we can get some new life-but we are losing some significant starters this year (think most of the starting defense, and a lot of the O-line) and if we are getting slaughtered like we have been with the experienced players that we have...just imagine next year.

[SCAR]

I don't have a problem with playing 2 games against 1A teams for money at least for next year. With that money you can start to recruit better, pay bills and build for the future. I wouldn't want to do it every year but what else does the football team have to play for the next couple of years. It would be nice to make the playoffs but if we are to get this program where we all think it should be, getting some big money games is a part of that process.

[ATrain]

I'm not too miserable about Rutgers, since I think Villanova has beaten them in the recent past...but then again, we're definitely no Villanova. I doubt either game will be a 59-0 blowout though like UConn was.

[GetRealLU]

rokamortis said:

Two I-A's eh? Is Liberty's new motto 'show me the money'? If you are trying to improve a program i don't think scheduling 2 I-A's really helps. It just means you guys start the season 0-2, and 500-750 K richer. I know CCU wants to start scheduling some I-As as well but 2 in one year is crazy.

Does that mean Coastal is willing to give up hosting one of the schools like Savannah St, Newberry, North Greenville for the almighty dollar? But with the Big South strength as low as it is you guys probably should play Clemson or USC to make up for it. You guys would be even higher in the polls this season if you did.

Liberty has a history of dumb scheduling for football. LU had a three year stretch from 2001-2003 where they scheduled 2 I-A's UCF & South Florida, UCF & Akron, Bowling Green & Toledo.

I was impressed with LU's schedule last season with only one I-A , only one DII, and several ranked I-AA opponents. LU needs to stick to schedules like that.

[Stevev]

There is nothing wrong with tough scheduling. We need to build for the future and a good place to starts is by playing some ACC, Big East, and MAC teams and some ranked 1AA's. We can't afford to pattern our schedule to the Big South level of competition. It doesn't make good sense. If we can't compete with this type of schedule bring in a coach who is capable of bringing us there.

[eddantes]

I probably don't speak for the rest of the board, but I'd rather see us play the 11 worst teams in Division I-A than the 11 best teams from Division II.

[lufbfan3]

I agree with Stevev that we should bring in a coach that can step up our playing capabilities.

Although I don't want to play 11 D-II schools, I don't think the other extreme is for us either. I'd say somewhere along the middle of the road is where we should be at this point. I'd say no more than 1 D-II school per season, but I'd say that 2 D-IA's or QUALITY I-AA programs are probably the max we can handle right now, because we are getting beaten by the VMI's of the world still. I actually don't have a huge problem with the scheduling we have--it looks like they are playing "up" next season and trying to make that dollar in the process.

[Chris Lang]

GetReal: A quick note on Coastal's scheduling. They're not allowed to play I-As until 2007, I believe, because that's when they'll have the full complement of scholarships available. I think that's the same reason that the Patriot schools never play I-As and Gardner-Webb doesn't play a I-A.

Coastal folk, please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

[eddantes]

:::Dream Schedule:::

CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
1. Gardner-Webb
2. Virginia Military
3. Coastal Carolina
4. Charleston Southern

WE WANT MONEY / EXPOSURE / I-A COMPETITION
5. Rutgers University (I grew up near Rutgers)
6. Duke University

OUT OF CONFERENCE (I wanted to get two from VA and no two playing in the same confernence)
7. Richmond
8. Hampton
9. Lehigh (thank me later, PAMedic)
10. Jacksonville State (only to see if it will entice a Florida recruit to come)
11. Harvard, Yale or Princeton (it has to happen).