College football action on Saturday evening and we will see a team from the Independent ranks take on a squad from the Sun Belt Conference as the Liberty Flames duke it out with the Old Dominion Monarchs at S.B Ballard Stadium in Norfolk, Virginia. The Flames enter this game off a 21-12 home win over Akron to move to 3-1 on the year. ODU improved to 2-2 on the year after taking down Arkansas State 29-26 in their last game.
The Liberty Flames were 8-5 last year, which included a 56-20 win over Eastern Michigan in the bowl game, but they were expected to take a step back this year with just 11 starters back, including only four on defense. Well, they didn't get the memo as the Flames have jumped out to a 3-1 start. There is still a long way to go in this season, but so far, they look like a solid team.
In their last game, the Flames took out Akron at home by a score of 21-12, but they did fail to cover the hefty 26-point spread in the contest. Still, it was the defense that stepped up in the game and lead them to victory. the defense had one bad game as they allowed 37 points to Wake forest, but that is one of the best offenses in the nation. Despite having just four starters back on defense, they have allowed just 17.4 ppg in their other three games this year. Liberty did allow 269 yards passing to the Zips, but they have allowed jus t 211.8 ypg through the air this year, which is 54th in the land. The pass defense may not be tested against a weak ODU passing game.
The Flames needed the defense to step up against the Zips as they were held to just 309 ypg of total offense in the contest. The passing game has been nothing like last year when they averaged 255 ypg, but they also don't have Malik Willis this year either. Johnathan Bennett hit just 13 of 27 passes for 152 yards in the win with two TDs and one INT. He has now completed just 41.7% of his passes with two TDs and four INTs on the year. Liberty hopes to have QB Kaidon Salter back, who is nursing an ankle injury. He has thrown for 606 yards with four TDs and three INTs on the year and is listed as questionable. The Flames are now 102nd in the nation in passing, but the running game does rank a solid 38th and ODU has not been great at stopping the run.