No. 22 Liberty goes for first perfect regular season in visit to three-win UTEP
No. 22 Liberty (11-0) at UTEP (3-8), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network)
Line: Liberty by 16 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: First meeting.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Liberty is trying to wrap up the first perfect regular season in the program’s six-year history after showing up in the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time at No. 25. The debut of the Flames in Conference USA has already led to a spot in the conference’s championship game, at home against New Mexico State on Dec. 1. Liberty is a victory away from being the first Division I program in Virginia to win 12 games in a season. Virginia Tech has won 11 games several times, including an 11-0 start to the 1999 season before the Hokies lost to Florida State in the BCS championship game.
KEY MATCHUP
Liberty RB Quinton Cooley vs. UTEP LB Tyrice Knight. Cooley enters the week as the only 1,000-yard rusher in C-USA with 1,168 yards and 10 touchdowns. Knight is the FBS leader in solo tackles with 78.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Liberty: Kaidon Salter is one of three FBS quarterbacks to rank in the top 20 nationally in passing touchdowns and rushing TDs. The others are Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams of Southern California and Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel. Salter has 28 TDs through the air and 11 on the ground. He needs two passing TDs and two total TDs to set the school single-season record in both categories.
UTEP: RB Deion Hankins is the biggest threat for the Miners, who are seventh in the nine-team conference in total offense. Hankins has three 100-yard games but was held to 48 in last week’s 34-30 loss to Middle Tennessee State. Liberty is 22nd nationally in run defense.
FACTS & FIGURES
First-year Liberty coach Jamey Chadwell, who came from Coastal Carolina, has a 42-6 record going back to the start of the 2020 season. … UTEP has already clinched a fifth losing record in Dana Dimel’s six seasons as coach. … The Flames lead the nation with an average of 282.2 rushing yards, and with 19 interceptions. … UTEP’s Kanious Vaughn is fourth in the conference with six sacks, and teammate Praise Amaewhule is fifth with five. … Liberty is trying to become the third C-USA team to start a season 12-0.
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