Unbeaten Liberty to test Penguins on Saturday

By Pete Mollica

The Flames are on an eight-game winning streak dating back to last season.

YOUNGSTOWN — Liberty University will bring a perfect 3-0 record here Saturday when the Flames take on Youngstown State in a non-conference football matchup at Stambaugh Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

The Flames were idle last week and spent the off week trying to get better, according to third-year coach Danny Rocco. Liberty owns an eight-game winning streak dating back to last season, the second longest active streak in FCS.

Liberty’s three victories this season have come against North Greenville (49-10), Glenville State (44-17) and Western Carolina (19-16).

“Last week I gave the team three days off and then we began working on making ourselves a better football team,” Rocco said. “We spent the last part of the week on Youngstown State.

“We’ve played some good football at times this season, but like I told our kids this week we haven’t played well enough this year to beat a team like Youngstown State,” Rocco added.

“Youngstown State has great tradition,” he added. “I don’t know if we’ve played anyone nearly as good as they’ve played this year, but our kids will be ready and will be a great challenge for our football program.

The Flames are averaging 37.3 points per game and have averaged 410.3 yards of total offense in their three games. Defensively they are allowing just 274.7 yards per game, including only 99 yards rushing.

Offensively, the Flames are guided by senior quarterback Brock Smith, a three-year starter. The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder has completed 37-of-54 passes for 521 yards and five touchdowns while being intercepted twice.

When Smith isn’t throwing the ball he’s handing off to a pair of running backs who both rushed for over 1,000 yards a year ago. They are senior tailback Rashad Jennings (6-1, 230) and senior halfback Zach Terrell (6-0, 200). In three games Terrell leads the team with 231 yards on 40 carries and Jennings has 216 yards on 41 tries. Both have scored two touchdowns.

Smith’s top target is senior wide receiver Jonathan Crawford (6-0, 215) who has 13 catches for 157 yards and two scores, while senior wide receiver Dominic Bolden has nine catches for 214 yards and three touchdowns, one of them a 73-yard bomb from Smith.

Defensively, sophomore linebacker Chad Brown leads the team with 17 tackles, five of them for losses. Junior safety Tim Torrance has made 13 tackles and has one of three interceptions on the year for the Flames.

The Flames have forced six turnovers on the year, but have also given up six.

Liberty also has some talented special teams players.

Bolden and Crawford are both among the nation’s best in kick returns. Bolden is averaging 17.5 yards on eight punt returns and 25.1 yards on seven kickoff returns. Crawford has only run back three kickoffs, but one of those went for a 76-yard touchdown.

The teams haven’t met since 2005 when YSU rolled up a 42-0 victory in Lynchburg, Va. when Tom Zetts tied a school record with four touchdown passes. The last time they played at Stambaugh Stadium was in 2004 when the Penguins pulled out a 27-17 victory.

The Penguins have won four straight in the series and hold a 6-2 advantage dating back to 1988.

mollica@vindy.com