NCAA Division I Football Championship Second Round Turner Gill Bio
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Table of Contents NCAA Division I Football Championship Second Round Turner Gill Bio .............2 Weekly Schedule ........2 December 6, 2014 Quick Facts .................3 Matchup Info ..............3 Big South Conference .4 Milestone Watch ........4 No. 20/23 Liberty Flames at No. 5/5 Villanova Wildcats A LU Win Would .........4 (9-4, 4-1 Big South) (10-2, 7-1 CAA) Quick Hitters ...............4 Uniform Tracker ..........4 Villanova, Pa. (Villanova Stadium - 12,500) - 4:30 p.m. - ESPN3 On This Date ...............4 First and 10 - Today’s Top Storylines Top 25 Polls .................5 1) No. 20/23 Liberty will face a CAA opponent on the road for the second straight week, as the Flames Team Notes .................5 travel to No. 5/5 Villanova for a second round matchup in the NCAA FCS playoffs. The winner will Individual Honors .......6 move on to the quarterfinals to face either No. 3/2 Jacksonville State or No. 19/19 Sam Houston State. Off. Player Notes .........6 Team Players of Week 7 2) Liberty and Villanova will be squaring off for the first time in 20 years. The Wildcats own a 3-1 advan- tage in the head-to-head series, as seen on page 21. Def. Player Notes ........7 All-Big South ...............8 3) Something will have to give at Villanova Stadium, as Liberty has won four straight road games while Attendance Records ...9 Villanova is 6-0 at home this season. See page 3 for more matchup notes. Player Career Highs ....9 Team Captains ..........10 4) Liberty made history at James Madison, recording the Flames’ first playoff win, first road win over a CAA opponent and first victory over a Top 25 CAA foe. See page 3 for more related notes. Pronunciation Guide 10 Injury Update .......... 10 5) QB Josh Woodrum, who made a successful return to the lineup at James Madison, needs 235 yards to Record Chase ............10 become the Flames’ first 3,000-yard passer since 1991. See page 4 for more milestones within reach. Big Games .................12 NCAA/BSC Stats ........13 6) If Liberty is victorious on Saturday, the Flames would tie the 2008 squad’s program record of 10 wins. Depth Chart ............. 14 See page 4 for what a win would mean for the Flames. Start Chart ................15 7) One key to the Flames’ victory at James Madison was a 39:01-20:59 edge in time of possession. See Radio/TV Info............16 page 5 for more information on Liberty’s recent success at controlling the pace of play. Numerical Roster ..... 17 Coaching Staff ......... 19 8) RB D.J. Abnar rushed for two TDs at James Madison, giving him 15 for the season. He needs two more Opp. Sched./Results .20 scores to tie Rashad Jennings’ (2008) program single-season record. See page 6 for more on Abnar. Series History ............21 9) K John Lunsford made a 56-yard FG during the second half at James Madison and has now made the Overtime History ......21 three longest FGs of any FCS kicker in 2014 (56, 57 & 60). See page 7 for more Lunsford notes. The Last Time ...........22 Flames in the NFL .....23 10) Led by S Jacob Hagen’s eight picks, Liberty ranks No. 9 nationally with 17 interceptions in 2014. See FCS Playoff Bracket ...24 page 13 for the Flames’ national and conference statistical rankings. 2014 Liberty Flames Football Schedule Date Opponent Time/Result TV Series Note Aug. 30 at No. 23/23 North Carolina L, 29-56 ESPN3 UNC leads, 1-0 Liberty led 22-21 in 3rd Q before UNC scored 28 pts. in 3:49 Sept. 6 at Norfolk State W, 17-0 LFSN/ESPN3 LU leads, 4-2 Flames’ 1st road win over in-state non-conf. DI foe since 1997 Sept. 13 Brevard W, 56-31 LFSN/ESPN3 LU leads, 2-0 Liberty racked up 625 yards in home-opening victory Sept. 20 No. RV/25 Bryant (Hall of Fame) W, 38-21 LFSN/ESPN3 LU leads, 1-0 Flames jumped out to 24-0 lead against unbeaten Bryant Sept. 27 at Indiana State L, 19-38 LFSN/ESPN3 ISU leads, 2-0 Indiana State forced four Liberty turnovers, passed for 340 yds. Oct. 4 No. 20/21 Richmond (Homecoming) L, 39-46 (2OT) LFSN/ESPN3 UR leads, 2-0 Liberty’s 2nd straight double OT loss on Homecoming Oct. 11 at Appalachian State W, 55-48 (OT) ESPN3 ASU leads, 7-3 Flames’ 3rd victory over an FBS opponent all-time Oct. 25 Gardner-Webb* (Family Weekend) W, 34-0 ESPN3 LU leads, 12-8-1 Liberty held GWU to 56 total yards in shutout win Nov. 1 at Presbyterian* W, 28-7 LFSN/ESPN3 LU leads, 8-4 Flames picked off 4 PC passes to win in snowy Clinton Nov. 8 Monmouth* (Military Appreciation) W, 34-24 ASN LU leads, 2-0 Liberty scored 10 unanswered 4th-quarter pts. to pull out win Nov. 15 Charleston Southern* (Senior Day) L, 36-38 LFSN/ESPN3 LU leads, 19-3 CSU ran for 359 yds., 4 TDs and held off Liberty’s late rally Nov. 22 at No. 2/1 Coastal Carolina* W, 15-14 ESPN3 Series tied, 6-6 Liberty blocked FG to clinch 7th Big South title, 1st playoff berth Nov. 29 at No. 15/15 James Madison W, 26-21 ESPN3 JMU leads, 12-6 Flames outscored JMU 16-0 in 2nd half of 1st-ever FCS playoff win Dec. 6 at No. 5/5 Villanova 4:30 p.m. ESPN3 VU leads, 3-1 First meeting between Liberty and Villanova since 1994 * - Big South Conference game Rankings listed are AP/USA Today for FBS opponents and Sports Network/FCS Coaches Poll for FCS opponents ASN - American Sports Network LFSN - Liberty Flames Sports Network 2 2014 LIBERTY FOOTBALL GAME NOTES Flames Head Coach Turner Gill Third Year at Liberty Career Coaching Record: 48-62 - Record at Liberty: 23-13 (13-3 Big South) Year-by-Year Head Coaching Record: • Signed free agent contract with the Cleveland Buffalo 2006-09 20-30 (14-18 MAC) Indians in 1986 2006 2-10 1-7 MAC - 6th/East • Played for A Waterloo Indians in 1986 2007 5-7 5-3 MAC - T1st/East • Played for AA Williamsport Bills in 1987-88 2008 8-6 5-3 MAC - 1st/East Football Turner Gill 2009 5-7 3-5 MAC - 5th/East • Played two seasons in the CFL for the Montreal Coaching Career Kansas 2010-11 5-19 (1-16 Big 12) Concordes 2012-14 – Liberty 2010 3-9 1-7 Big 12 - 6th/North • Career passing – 411-of-727 (56.5 comp. %), • Head Coach 2011 2-10 0-9 Big 12 - 10th 4,928 yds., 23 TDs, 24 INTs 2010-11 – Kansas Liberty 2012-14 23-13 (13-3 Big South) • Career rushing – 173 carries, 826 yds. (4.8 avg.), • Head Coach 2012 6-5 5-1 Big South - T1st 7 TDs 2006-09 – Buffalo 2013 8-4 4-1 Big South - T1st • Head Coach 2014 9-4 4-1 Big South - T1st Career Coaching Highlights: 2005 – NFL Green Bay Total 48-62 28-37 (Conference) Nebraska (Asst. Coach) • Director of Player • QB Coach (1992-03); WR Coach (2004) Development/Off. Asst.) College Career Highlights: • 13-straight bowl appearances 1992-04 – Nebraska • Nebraska – 1980-83 • Three national championships (1994, 1995, • Asst. HC, QB, WR • Three-time All-Big Eight selection 1997) 1991 – SMU • 1983 Heisman Trophy finalist (finished fourth) • Coached All-America QBs Tommy Frazier (1995) • Wide Receivers • 1983 Nebraska Co-Captain and Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch (2001) 1990 – Nebraska • 1983 Novak Trophy Winner • 2002 Frank Broyles Award finalist (national Asst. • Graduate Asst. • Career passing – 231-of-428 (54.0 comp. %), Coach of the Year) 1989 – North Texas 3,317 yds., 34 TDs, 11 INTs Buffalo (Head Coach) • Graduate Asst. • Career rushing – 290 carries, 1,593 yds. (4.5 • 2007 MAC Coach of the Year avg.), 18 TDs • 2008 MAC Champions/International Bowl Education: • Record as starting quarterback – 28-2 Kansas (Head Coach) • B.A., Behavior Analysis • Big Eight record as starting quarterback – 20-0 • Coached 10 All-Big 12 honorees (North Texas, ’90) • Three-straight Orange Bowl appearances • Defeated No. 15 Georgia Tech, 28-25, for his first Hometown: • Nebraska Football Hall of Fame inductee (1989) win at Kansas • Fort Worth, Texas • Orange Bowl Hall of Fame inductee (2006) Liberty (Head Coach) Wife: • Played baseball for Nebraska in 1983 • Big South Conference Champions in 2012 and • Gayle • All-Big Eight selection at shortstop 2013 Children: • Defeated No. 6/8 Stony Brook, 28-14, on Nov. • Jordan and Margaux Post Collegiate Playing Career Highlights: 10, 2012 for Liberty’s first-ever win over a Top 10 Birthday: Baseball program • Aug. 13, 1962 (Age 52) • Selected in the MLB Draft by the Chicago White • Coached 29 total All-Big South honorees in 2012 Sox in 1979 and by the New York Yankees in and 2013 1983 Liberty Flames Football Weekly Schedule Sunday Tuesday Wednesday Friday 3 p.m. 10:40 - 10:50 a.m. 2:45 p.m. Home Game Schedule • Team Meeting • Big South Weekly Teleconference (Call-In/ • Team Meeting 3:30 p.m. 5:25 - 6:25 p.m. Media Only) 4 - 6:15 p.m. • Team Meeting • Practice (Closed to Public/Media) 12:30 - 1 p.m. • Practice 4:30 - 5 p.m. • Turner Gill Weekly Press Conference • Coach Gill, Asst. Coach & Players available • Walk Thru Practice Monday • Location: Donor Room (Williams Football for interviews following practice (Meet on • Closed to Media Practice: Ops Center) field at 5:45 p.m.) Road Game Schedule • No practice - Players’ Day Off 1 - 2:15 p.m.