TODAY’S GAME

STORYLINES

1) Following a bye week, Liberty (7-3) returns home for a battle against No. 21/22 Louisiana (9-1, 7-0 Sun Belt), the second FBS Top 25 opponent ever to visit Williams Stadium.

2) After falling 27-14 at No. 15/15 Ole Miss on Nov. 6, Liberty is facing back-to-back FBS Top 25 foes for the first time in program history. The Flames’ lone win over an FBS Top 25 came at the expense of a Sun Belt opponent, No. 9/11 Coastal Carolina in the 2020 Cure Bowl on Dec. 26, 2020.

3) Liberty is 7-2 all-time against Sun Belt opponents, including 2-0 at Williams Stadium and 1-1 this season.

4) The Flames have won a program-record 15 straight home games at Williams Stadium, fourth nationally among active streaks. Liberty, which has scored at least 40 points in each of its last eight home tilts, is in search of its first-ever home win over an FBS Top 25 foe.

5) Liberty QB Malik Willis has accounted for 31 TDs (21 passing/10 rushing) and leads FBS QBs with 755 rushing yards this season. He and Matt Corral (Ole Miss) are the only two FBS QBs ranked among the top 40 nationally for both passing TDs and rushing TDs.

“4 DOWNS” WITH THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS

1 - Liberty will seek its first win over Louisiana and its first-ever victory over an FBS Top 25 opponent at Williams Stadium. The Flames’ lone FBS Top 25 triumph to date came against a Sun Belt opponent, when Liberty topped No. 9/11 Coastal Carolina in the 2020 Cure Bowl (Dec. 26, 2020). Only one visiting team (North Texas in 2018) has ever won at Williams Stadium when traveling 1,000+ miles.

2 – Today’s game matches two of the nation’s stingiest defenses. Liberty ranks No. 13 nationally in fewest points allowed (18.7 ppg), with Louisiana right behind the Flames at No. 14 (18.9 ppg). Also, Liberty (21-13 win on Sept. 11) and Louisiana (35-21 win on Nov. 13) are the only two visiting teams to win at Troy in 2021. 3 - Liberty is facing its third and final Sun Belt opponent of the regular season, marking the most Sun Belt foes the Flames have ever faced in a single year. Louisiana will be the third Sun Belt team ever to visit Williams Stadium. Liberty is 2-0 when hosting Sun Belt foes, including wins over Troy (2018) and ULM (2020).

4 - Liberty’s program-record 15-game home winning streak ranks No. 4 nationally among active streaks. Two of the three teams ahead of the Flames also have challenging home games on Saturday, including Clemson (vs. Wake Forest) and Cincinnati (vs. SMU). The last visiting team to win at Liberty was No. 22/22 Syracuse (Aug. 31, 2019).

MILESTONE WATCH

4: QB Malik Willis needs four TDs to break his own Liberty single season record for most touchdowns responsible for. He was responsible for a Liberty single season record of 34 TDs (20 passing/14 rushing) in 2020 and has 31 TDs (21 passing/10 rushing) so far in 2021.

10/14: DL Elijah James is 10 tackles away from joining teammates Javon Scruggs, Ralfs Rusins, and TreShaun Clark as members of the 100-tackle club for their careers. Scruggs needs 14 stops to reach 200.

190/245: QB Malik Willis needs 190 rushing yards to break his Liberty QB single season rushing record of 944 yards from last season. He is 245 rushing yards away from becoming the first Liberty QB to record 1,000 yards in a single season

CLEAR BAG POLICY

In an effort to enhance fan safety and expedite entrance to Williams Stadium, Liberty University has implemented a security screening process. This includes a clear bag policy that limits the size and type of bag that can be brought into the stadium by fans. The implementation of this measure is intended to enhance public safety while minimizing time spent searching bags at gate security checkpoints, thus easing access into the stadium.

Liberty’s clear bag policy has been in effect since 2016 and will be strictly enforced during the 2021 football season. The policy is consistent with the NFL’s current model. Only clear tote bags that do not exceed 12” x 6” x 12” or one-gallon plastic freezer bags will be allowed in Williams Stadium. In addition, small handheld clutch purses no larger than 4.5” x 6.5” will be permitted. Spectators will also be able to carry other items into the stadium, such as binoculars, cameras, and smartphones.

ACCEPTABLE BAGS

12”

6” 12” 6.5”

4.5”