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Has Liberty University become the top Group of 5 football programs in the country? There is certainly an argument to be made with the Flames off their best FBS season in school history.

What to expect in 2024? Liberty is favored to repeat as Conference USA champion.

Expert Prediction: Liberty finishes 10-2 and wins another C-USA title.

To reach Playoff: +400
To win Conference USA: -199
Regular-season win total: 10.5
Odds to Win National Title: +50000

Last Season

Liberty lost excellent head coach Hugh Freeze after the 2022 season to Auburn but hit a grand slam in hiring his replacement in former Coastal Carolina coach Jamey Chadwell.

The Flames rolled to a 13-0 record in the 2023 regular season under Chadwell and routed New Mexico State 49-35 in the Conference USA title game.

Star QB Kaidon Salter was 20 of 25 passing for 319 yards and two scores, while rushing 12 times for 165 yards and another TD. He was named the game’s MVP.

2023 Fiesta Bowl: Liberty vs Oregon

That earned Liberty the Group of 5 spot in a New Year’s Six bowl game – the Flames lost 45-6 in the Fiesta Bowl to a stellar Oregon team. The Ducks put up nearly 600 yards of offense.

Salter, meanwhile, threw for 126 yards with a TD and pick and rushed for 25 yards.

Liberty’s nationally leading rushing attack, which came into the Oregon game averaging 302.9 yards per game, was limited to 168 yards on 28 carries, its lowest output of the season.

Liberty entered the bowl season as one of four undefeated teams in the country, joining Florida State, Washington and eventual national champion Michigan. The Flames finished No. 25 in the AP Top 25.

Liberty Top Players

Salter was the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year and finished the season with program-record totals in touchdown passes (32), touchdowns responsible for (44) and total offense (3,965).

He also set a program record for most rushing yards by a quarterback (1,089), also scoring 12 rushing touchdowns.

The Flames finished fourth in the nation in total offense, ninth in scoring offense, and fourth in third down conversions.

Running back Quinton Cooley was named the C-USA Newcomer of the Year after finishing:

No. 13 nationally in rushing yards per carry (6.34)
No. 7 in rushing yards (1,401)
No. 15 in rushing yards per game (100.1)
No. 14 in total touchdowns (16).

He led C-USA in rushing yards and TDs and also returns.

But leading receiver CJ Daniels transferred to LSU. Why leave? NIL money.

Daniels missed much of 2022 to injury before exploding onto the scene in 2023. He finished with 55 receptions for 1,067 yards and 10 touchdowns. Daniels was one of 11 players nationally to have at least 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

“LSU paid for a car and an apartment and like $300,000. What do you do?” Chadwell claimed. He was chosen as the winner of the 2023 Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach of the Year Award nationally.

The award is given annually to a head coach who demonstrates an exemplary transition during the first year leading a program. In 2021, the trophy was named after Steve Spurrier.

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Offensive of the Flames

Chadwell’s spread option offense allowed Liberty to finish the 2023 season ranked No. 1 in the country in rushing, averaging 293.3 yards per game.

Liberty finished the year rushing for a program-record 4,106 yards and 39 touchdowns.

Additionally, Liberty ranked:

No. 1 in tackles for a loss allowed (2.64 per game)
No. 2 in sacks allowed (0.64 per game)
No. 2 in passing yards per completion (16.19)
No. 3 in winning percentage (92.9)
No. 4 in total offense (499.1 yards per game)
No. 4 in first down offense (348)
No. 8 in time of possession (33:04)
No. 9 scoring offense (38.3 points per game)

Defensive of the Flames

End TJ Bush leads returning starters on defense this year. He was named to several freshman All-American teams in 2024.

Bush started all 14 games for the Flames as a true freshman. He finished with 32 tackles (11 solo, 21 assisted) and ranked third on the team with 7.0 tackles for a loss (22 yards).

The Virginia native also added 2.0 sacks (11 yards), five pass breakups and three quarterback hurries.

Bush helped the Flames have the No. 2 ranked defense in Conference USA by limiting opponents to 372.8 total offensive yards per game.

Liberty’s defense ranked No. 1 in the country in interceptions (21), No. 9 in turnovers gained (25) and No. 24 in rushing defense (116.7 yards allowed per game).

That Liberty D lost top corner Kobe Singleton to Oregon State and safety Preston Hodge to Colorado.

Liberty Flames Favorite

Liberty was chosen by the media and league’s head coaches to repeat as Conference USA champion.

The Flames garnered 18 of the possible 20 first-place votes and totaled 197 votes in the poll, finishing ahead of WKU (173 votes/two first place votes) and Jax State (166 votes).

The Flames open the season against FCS for Campbell on Aug 31 and certainly will win that before opening C-USA play already on Sept. 7 at New Mexico State in a rematch of the 2023 title game.