Meet Your Insider
Well, praise the Lord and pass the program! I'm Gideon Fairweather, your Liberty insider at The Cover Window. I grew up in Lynchburg, and I'm a youth pastor who coaches middle-school football on the side. That means I've given a halftime speech about perseverance to eleven 12-year-olds who were mostly worried about Gatorade flavors. I'm ready for anything.
You'll hear a big laugh from me, and a lot of encouragement. When I look at a roster, I see a hundred-some young men who are each somebody's son, and I'll write about them that way. I'll also tell you the truth. Every number here is sourced. If we play poorly, I'll say so gently. If I don't know something, I'll admit it. Lynchburg on game day feels like a family reunion with a marching band. Our guys play hard, play fair, and you can see the joy on their faces.
The School in 60 Seconds
Liberty University is a private Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia. Its football program announced the move from FCS to FBS in July 2017, became a provisional FBS member in 2018, and became a full member with bowl eligibility in 2019. In 2020 the Flames entered the AP poll for the first time, at No. 25. They joined Conference USA for the 2023 season.
Home is Williams Stadium, which CFBD lists as built in 1989 with a capacity of 25,000. The last five seasons: 8-5, 8-5, a magnificent 13-1 in 2023, 8-4, and then a humbling 4-8 in 2025. That makes a 5-1 start this year a joyful sight.
The Coach and the Scheme
Jamey Chadwell has led Liberty since the 2023 season. CFBD lists his hire date as Dec. 4, 2022. Before Lynchburg, he was head coach at North Greenville (2009-11), Delta State (2012), Charleston Southern (2013-16) and Coastal Carolina, first as interim in 2017 and then from 2019 to 2022. He played quarterback at East Tennessee State. (One AP recap credited Liberty's record to a different coach. CFBD and Wikipedia both list Chadwell, so I treat that as an error.)
The 2026 Flames run the ball and play defense. They average 223.0 rushing yards per game (15th in FBS) at 5.27 yards per carry, and they have 254 rushing attempts to 129 passes. The defense allows 291.7 yards (19th) and 15.3 points (15th) per game, and opponents convert just 28.4% of third downs (8th). The area for growth is penalties, at 85.8 yards per game, 137th in FBS.
Players to Know
QB Deshawn Purdie: 1,050 yards, 8 TD, 0 INT, 61.4%. Zero interceptions! Against Sam Houston he went 10 of 14 for 114 yards and a touchdown, and ran seven times for 57 yards.
RB Kam Davis: 524 yards on 74 carries, 4 TD.
RB Jaylon Coleman: 92 yards on just seven carries against Sam Houston. Ethan Vasko scored two rushing touchdowns in that game.
WR Makai Jackson: 22 catches, 515 yards, 5 TD. That's more than 23 yards a catch.
DB Brenton Williams: 2.5 sacks. LB Derrell Farrar: a team-high 33 tackles.
The Conference Picture
Liberty is 5-1 overall and 2-0 in Conference USA. The Flames are 3-0 at home and 2-1 on the road. They are not ranked. The only loss was the opener at James Madison, 20-13. Liberty has won five straight, including road wins at Coastal Carolina and Delaware. A win Thursday would make the Flames 3-0 in league play.
This Week: Game Preview from Both Sides
Liberty (5-1) at Kennesaw State (1-5) · Thursday, Oct. 22, 7:00 p.m. ET · Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium, Kennesaw, Ga. · CBS Sports Network
Last time out. Liberty beat Sam Houston 35-3 on Oct. 8, piling up 297 rushing yards. Kennesaw State lost 24-21 at Missouri State on Oct. 14 on a field goal as time expired. That's the Owls' fifth straight loss since a 47-0 opening win over West Georgia.
Liberty's offense vs. KSU's defense. The Owls allow 143.0 rushing yards per game (74th) and 376.3 total yards (94th). Our ground game is the plan, with Davis, Coleman and Purdie's legs. Kennesaw State ranks 132nd in red-zone defense, allowing scores on 95.5% of trips, and our red-zone offense scores 88.5% of the time (45th). Jackson against a pass defense allowing 233.3 yards per game (102nd) could produce a big play or two.
KSU's offense vs. Liberty's defense. Rickie Collins is a dual threat. He's completed 70.1% of his passes and leads the Owls in rushing, with 271 yards and five touchdowns. Against Missouri State, Dylan Gary caught 10 passes for 135 yards. Our defense allows 167.5 passing yards per game (15th), and slowing Collins on third down, where KSU converts 40.3% (74th), is the job.
Series. I won't sugarcoat it. Kennesaw State has won the last three meetings, including 48-42 in double overtime in Lynchburg on Nov. 29, 2025. A search summary of the schools' records puts KSU ahead 3-2 all-time, and CFBD shows the Owls 3-1 against us from 2016 to 2025. My youth group calls this a "growth opportunity."
Availability. No official conference availability report as of Oct. 18, 2026. I found no confirmed injury news for either team, so all statuses are unknown.
Kennesaw State is debuting its own insider, and I hear she's keeping notes on a young program's story. I'll pray for her keyboard, and for our tackling.
Three questions that decide it:
1. Can Liberty clean up the penalties (85.8 yards a game) on the road?
2. Can the Flames contain Collins as a passer and runner?
3. Can the run game control the clock the way it has all year, with a 33:26 average possession time (12th)?
Local Flavor
I'll share Kennesaw spots once I've confirmed them. Our youth group's packing PB&Js anyway. Not an ad.
My call: Liberty Flames 29, Kennesaw State Owls 18.