Game Day: James Madison – Liberty College

Liberty (1-2, 0-1 CUSA) will host James Madison (1-1, 0-0 Sun Belt) on Saturday within the Battle of the Blue Ridge, the primary of 10 matchups between the Commonwealth foes over the following 16 seasons.

Broadcast Information:
TV: ESPNU

• Broadcast workforce: Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Rene Ingoglia (analyst)

Radio: LFSN Radio (Local: 88.3 FM | Liberty Flames Mobile App | LibertyFlames.com)

 
Game Day Information:
Location: Lynchburg, Va.
Stadium: Williams Stadium
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET

 
News and Notes:

• The Flames are 6-12 all-time towards the Dukes in a sequence which dates again to 1980. Liberty’s final assembly with JMU resulted within the Flames’ first-ever FCS Playoffs victory, a 26-21 win in Harrisonburg on Nov. 29, 2014.
• Liberty is 10-3 all-time towards Sun Belt Conference opponents, successful every of its final three Sun Belt conferences.
• Jamey Chadwell is 22-7 in his third 12 months at Liberty and owns a 53-13 teaching file relationship again to the beginning of 2020. The Flames are 14-1 at Williams Stadium beneath Chadwell.
• QB Ethan Vasko ranks No. 2 in CUSA for passing effectivity (146.26) after finishing 59.3 % of his passes and throwing for six TDs throughout his first three video games as a Flame. Vasko began video games at QB for Coastal Carolina towards JMU every of the previous two years.
• RB Evan Dickens paces the Flames with 244 dashing yards this season and has scored a TD throughout every of the primary three video games (two dashing, one receiving).
• Liberty’s chief in receiving yards (187) and yards per catch (23.4), WR Donte Lee, Jr. has snagged a TD reception in all three of Liberty’s video games this season.

More Game Notes vs. James Madison
 
“4 Downs” with James Madison
 
#1 Liberty and JMU will meet within the Battle of the Blue Ridge, the primary of 10 matchups between the Virginia foes over the following 16 years. Saturday’s recreation will mark their first conflict as FBS foes. The Flames are seeking their first-ever victory over the Dukes inside Williams Stadium. Liberty’s final house win over JMU got here on Sept. 30, 1989, lower than a month earlier than Williams Stadium opened.
 
#2 Both Liberty and James Madison opened the season with house wins over FCS opponents. Both squads are seeking their first FBS triumph of 2025. It has been two years since Liberty confronted an in-state opponent (Old Dominion on Nov. 11, 2023), however the Flames will tackle Commonwealth foes (JMU and Old Dominion) in back-to-back weeks. Liberty has solely confronted two opponents (Charleston Southern and Gardner-Webb) extra usually than JMU.
 
#3 James Madison is the third straight Liberty opponent heading into its matchup with the Flames off a loss. Flames Evan Dickens and Donte Lee, Jr. have every scored TDs in all three of Liberty’s video games to start out the season. Lee, Jr. will attempt to turn out to be the primary Flames WR with receiving TDs in 4 straight contests since CJ Daniels in 2023.
 
#4 Following Liberty vs. JMU, there might be 4 different CUSA vs. Sun Belt contests on Saturday (Kennesaw State vs. Arkansas State, Middle Tennessee vs. Marshall, LA Tech vs. Southern Miss and UTEP vs. ULM). All 5 CUSA-Sun Belt conferences this week might be hosted by the CUSA squad. CUSA groups are 1-1 vs. the Sun Belt to this point in 2025.
 
A LIBERTY WIN WOULD…

• Boost the Flames’ all-time file towards James Madison to 7-12, giving Liberty back-to-back wins within the sequence for the primary time since 1989 and 1990.
• Be the Flames’ fourth consecutive win over a Sun Belt opponent, enhancing the workforce’s all-time file towards Sun Belt foes to 11-3.
• Mark the Flames’ first victory over JMU at Williams Stadium, snapping a four-game house shedding streak to the Dukes.
• Extend the Flames’ house successful streak to 3 and push Liberty’s file at Williams Stadium beneath Jamey Chadwell to 15-1.
• Improve the Flames’ all-time file versus Commonwealth opponents to 47-39, giving them a fifth win of their final six conferences with in-state foes.
• Keep the Flames unbeaten (6-0) all-time when enjoying on Sept. 20, together with a 2-0 mark towards James Madison on this date.

 
BOUNCE BACK
Liberty is 3-3 in video games instantly following a loss beneath Jamey Chadwell, who’s 22-7 total on the helm.
 
After shedding the ultimate two video games of the 2024 season, the Flames responded by successful the 2025 season opener towards Maine.
 
The Flames haven’t sustained three straight losses at any level beneath Chadwell.
 
FLAMES QUARTER
Liberty Head Coach Jamey Chadwell calls the fourth quarter Flames Quarter, and the Flames have dominated the ultimate quarter-hour.
 
Last 12 months, Liberty outscored opponents 124-69 within the fourth quarter. So far this season, the Flames maintain a 41-20 benefit in fourth-quarter scoring.
 
The Flames scored 21 unanswered factors within the fourth quarter to beat Maine 28-7 of their season opener.
 
Liberty is 16-0 when main after three quarters beneath Jamey Chadwell.
 
Chadwell’s workforce has closed out the sport with a win every of the final 45 instances it took a lead into the fourth quarter, since giving up a 31-25 benefit in a 39-38 Coastal Carolina loss at Arkansas, Nov. 4, 2017.
 
BOWL OPPONENTS
James Madison is the third of 4 groups on Liberty’s schedule (additionally Jax State, Bowling Green, Louisiana Tech) who competed in bowl video games in 2024.
 
The Dukes beat Western Kentucky 27-17 within the 2024 Boca Raton Bowl.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
Liberty is 38-7 at Williams Stadium since becoming a member of the FBS in 2018 and 151-56 all-time on the facility.
 
The Flames have posted a 5-1 house file towards Virginia opponents of their FBS period, with their solely in-state house loss throughout that stretch approaching Nov. 19, 2022, a 23-22 setback to Virginia Tech.
 
Liberty is 12-0 in its final 12 September house video games. The final workforce to beat Liberty in September at Williams Stadium was North Texas, 47-7 on Sept. 8, 2018.
 
COMEBACK KIDS
Liberty has trailed in some unspecified time in the future in every of its final 17 video games, going 10-7 in that stretch. The final time Liberty led wire to wire was Nov. 25, 2023 at UTEP, a 42-28 victory over the Miners.
 
Liberty was the one FBS workforce to beat deficits of 13 factors or extra in three video games final season. The final time an FBS workforce overcame 13-point or extra deficits in three video games was 2022 (Houston and LSU).
 
The Flames’ eight come-from-behind wins final 12 months have been essentially the most by any FBS workforce.