LYNCHBURG, Va. – What was once a coveted in-state FCS battle returns with new stakes. JMU and Liberty will square off in Lynchburg for the Battle of the Blue Ridge, their first meeting as FBS opponents.
The last time these two met was in 2014 in the FCS playoffs, when Liberty pulled off a late comeback to secure its first-ever playoff victory.
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Eleven years later, the Flames are trying to turn their fourth-quarter fight into a full 60 minutes. Liberty has dropped its last two games, both despite late comeback attempts. To keep up with JMU’s high-flying offense, Flames head coach Jamey Chadwell put it simply:
“The best players have to play the best... Little detail things are hurting us from having some explosive plays. … They’re very physical and aggressive, probably the most talented team we’ve played in my time here outside of the Fiesta Bowl.”
JMU enters at 1–1 in head coach Bob Chesney’s second season. The Dukes’ only loss came on the road at Louisville, where they kept the game close until the fourth quarter. After a bye week, JMU knows staying disciplined late will be key against a Liberty team notorious for fourth-quarter comebacks.
“They’re coming off two losses, so I know the taste in their mouth is bitter,” Chesney said. “They’ll throw whatever they can at us.”
“They’ve got a lot of eye candy in their run schemes, and we just have to be even more locked in to prevent the big explosive plays,” Dukes’ linebacker DJ Barksdale said. “It’s really just situational and we’re just gonna be even more locked in so we can prevent those from happening.”
Kickoff is set for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Williams Stadium.