Liberty aims to defend C-USA title as favorite in Year 2, though challenges loom from several teams

Liberty not only proved with coach Jamey Chadwell that it could win as a new arrival to Conference USA last season, but take that success to another level.

An unprecedented 13-0 regular season that included the league championship, its first in FBS. A high-profile New Year’s Six appearance in the Fiesta Bowl, along with numerous accolades for Chadwell and players.

The Flames are overwhelming favorites to repeat this fall, a tall order for potential challengers intent on slowing their roll. At the same time, Chadwell is reminding his team of the daunting tasks they face as the reigning champs with a target on their backs.

“We’ve got a great nucleus returning that has been a part of some big games and won a lot of games,” Chadwell said. “We’re obviously thankful for the season we had, (but) that was last year’s team. Everything we’re getting right now is based off of what happened last year and if we have that mindset, then we’ll get beat in this league really quick because there’s a lot of good teams.”

Liberty welcomes 40 newcomers but returns junior dual threat quarterback Kaidon Salter, who passed for 2,876 of his 3,965 yards from scrimmage and 32 of 44 touchdowns, and several key skill players from a high-powered offense. The Flames led the Bowl Subdivision with 292.3 yards rushing per game and ranked fourth in total offense (499.1), gaudy numbers that didn’t matter in a 45-6 shellacking by Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl.

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Liberty’s defense is determined to atone for the humbling outing that unmasked weaknesses and overshadowed its nation’s-best 21 interceptions. The Flames return CJ Bazile Jr., whose 49 tackles included a team-high 10.5 for loss and three sacks. He was named C-USA preseason defensive player of the year by league coaches.

With Western Kentucky, New Mexico State and Jacksonville State poised to pounce after also reaching bowls last year, the Flames will need everything to avoid a sophomore slump.

Standout quarterbacks

Salter, selected as C-USA preseason offensive player of the year, is on several award watch lists and leads three returning league QBs who ranked top-35 nationally last season.

Salter ranked 22nd, eight spots below Middle Tennessee junior Nicholas Vattiato, who threw for 3,489 yards last fall. WKU features junior TJ Finley, a Texas State transfer who ranked 31st after passing for 3,508 yards last season.

Passing the torch

New Mexico State promoted Tony Sanchez from receivers coach to succeed Jerry Kill, who left to become a consultant to Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea. Sanchez inherits a 10-5 bowl squad that stunned Auburn 31-10 on the road and was 35-all against Liberty through three quarters in the conference championship before falling 49-35.

“We know we’ve got to have a chip on our shoulders,” said Sanchez, a former Aggie receiver. “Our ship has not arrived. We are in rough waters, and we love the hell out of it.”

Tennessee return

Derek Mason is back in the Volunteer State as head coach at Middle Tennessee, located less than an hour east from Nashville and a previous gig as Vanderbilt coach. He spent last season as a broadcast analyst following a year each as defensive coordinator at Auburn and Oklahoma State. Mason replaces Rick Stockstill, who was fired after going 4-8 in his 18th season with the Blue Raiders.

The new MTSU coach praised his predecessor’s offensive prowess and hints at tweaking things for his signal caller rather than changing them.

“We’re taking pieces of that DNA, but we infused some West Coast (offense) principles, multiple use of personnel,” Mason said. “We’re still going to have some tempo to what we do. It’s multiple. It’s fast. It allows our quarterback to be efficient.”

Ascending Owls

Kennesaw State becomes C-USA’s 10th member this season after nine years at the Football Championship Subdivision level with three Big South Conference championships and four playoff appearances.

The Owls were 3-6 last season as an independent, the Georgia school’s only losing campaigns since starting football in 2015. Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw’s only head coach, redshirted nearly three-quarters of his roster to prepare for the move to FBS and is eager to see if it makes them immediately competitive.

“A lot of guys will be excited about the opportunity they have for an extra year that they wouldn’t have had if they played the full year last year,” Bohannon said.

Missouri State and Delaware will join C-USA next year.

Notable matchups

Liberty and New Mexico State will open league play with a title-game rematch on Sept. 7 in Las Cruces. The Aggies will also travel for another SEC matchup against Texas A&M on Nov. 16. Western Kentucky opens at No. 5 Alabama on Aug. 31 and visits ACC member Boston College on Sept. 28. WKU will also host Liberty in a key late-season showdown on Nov. 23.

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