LIBERTY REPORT: Liberty at Coastal Carolina game blog

Welcome from sunsplashed Brooks Stadium, which is thankfully far away from the roar of motorcycles in town for Bike Week. As an aside, is every week Bike Week in Myrtle Beach? I never seem to be able to avoid it ...

Some notes and observations about tonight's game, which will kick off in about 90 minutes:

* Liberty OT Josh Weaver (groin) and K Matt Bevins (hip flexor) are both expected to play. Both missed significant practice time this week. LU media communications expert Todd Wetmore tells me that Danny Rocco will watch Bevins in pre-game warm-ups and make an evaluation to whether or not he'll be able to handle kickoffs and field goals.

* According to Coastal Carolina media relations guru John Martin, Chanticleers WR Trent Usher and RB Eric O'Neal, both of whom missed last week's game at North Carolina A&T with ankle injuries, are expected to play tonight. Will Richardson is still listed No. 1 at QB on the depth chart, but I'd be shocked of Zach MacDowall didn't get the start.

* I picked a 35-22 Liberty victory in the blog earlier this week, and this is why I came to that conclusion:

1. Liberty is the more mature, seasoned team and it has already played two tight road games, winning at Western Carolina and Youngstown State by three points each.

2. With the Coastal defense as banged up as it is, I can't see the Chanticleers holding Liberty's run game in check.

3. Coastal enters the game tied for fourth in the Big South in scoring offense at 21.2 points per game and has only scored more than 20 points twice in five games. (Granted, one of those games was Penn State, so that's understandable.) Coastal is probably going to have to score at least 28 points to win this game.

4. Coastal ranks 83rd in the nation in run defense. Liberty ranks ninth nationally in run offense. If that trend continues, it's going to be a long night for Coastal.

Across the board, Liberty has better and more experienced talent this season. Liberty is better at all the skill positions, and with Marrio Norman and Dominique Davenport out for CCU, Liberty has the better players in the secondary. That's not to say Coastal doesn't have a chance to win this game. But Coastal's going to have to play at a higher level than it has in its first five games, and Liberty is going to have to make some mistakes for the Chanticleers to come out on top.

I'll update this post throughout the game. Any questions? Post in the comment section or shoot me an e-mail at clang@newsadvance.com and I'll try to answer.

UPDATE, 7:05 p.m.

A lot of empty seats at Brooks Stadium. Liberty has filled three full sections on the visitor side with fans, and that includes the marching band. Matt Bevins did handle the opening kickoff, but he didn't look great. The kick only reached the Coastal 15.

UPDATE, Halftime -- Liberty 24, Coastal Carolina 14

* Liberty will receive the ball to open the second half.

* Brock Smith has been excellent (11 of 16, 153 yards, 3 TDs). Good poise under pressure and a good job making several reads on each pass. The TD pass to Dominic Bolden looked like it was on his third read, though I could tell up up top that Bolden was probably going to be open just from the way Coastal's DBs were shading him. Also, Rashad Jennings did a great job of picking up the blitz to give Smith a few more seconds to find Bolden.

* Coastal's done a nice job of limiting Jennings' up-the-middle effectiveness. He has 70 yards on 11 carries, but his long is only 13 yards. Jennings has been very effective as a decoy on intermediate pass routes and he's caught two touchdown passes, matching his career total entering the game.

* Wes Cheek is getting most of the snaps at the weak-side linebacker over Pat Bannon. Cheek made a crushing hit on Bolden's long punt return in the first quarter.

* Again, LU has done a nice job of not letting an opponent's run spiral out of control. Coastal looked very strong running and passing the ball in rolling up 14 straight points, but the Flames used a 5:22 drive after the Chants' second touchdown to give the defense a rest and to regain the momentum.

* Justin Durham attempted a 47-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, but it was about three yards short. His career long? 44 yards.

That'll be all for the blog tonight. Need to hit deadlines on the stuff that will go in the paper tomorrow.

EDIT: Actually, one more thing. LU's Zach Terrell appears to be done for the evening. He's on the sideline with a brace on his left knee.