Auburn Football: Game-by-game predictions for Tigers in 2018
The Liberty Flames might be considered an FBS team on paper, but they’re not much more than an FCS squad athletically speaking. Liberty made the jump to FBS as an independent and head coach Turner Gil has posted a 41-29 record at Liberty. The Flames enter the season as the 115th ranked team per the S&P+ and should be made light work of as a tune-up game before the Iron Bowl.
Related Story. 2018 Liberty Flames season preview. light
The Liberty offense does return nine starters for cohesion on that side of the ball. Quarterback Stephen Calvert threw for 3,363 yards and 29 touchdowns in predominantly FCS play last season. His leading wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden caught ten touchdowns last year and will be someone Auburn will have to focus on.
Liberty returns six starters on defense with defensive end Juwan Wells as the leading returning player. Wells made 74 tackles and sacked the quarterback 4.5 times in 2017. He will be greatly outmatched by the Tigers offensive line. I see this as a game where Malik Willis and Joey Gatewood get playing time, especially Gatewood with the new redshirt rule in effect. This is a “don’t get injured” contest before the Tigers head to Tuscaloosa to face the Crimson Tide.