Phoenix, AZ – Liberty had quite the travel ordeal Wednesday, trying to get to Phoenix to begin its Fiesta Bowl preparations.
The Flames football squad was unable to leave Lynchburg Wednesday afternoon due to a fogged-in airport. As the story goes, the University gathered up some buses and headed for Richmond, where they were able to fly out of the Commonwealth. The delay put the team behind schedule, to say the least. They arrived in Phoenix at 10 p.m. MST, midnight EST.
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It was a long day for the Flames ahead of the school’s first-ever New Year’s six-bowl game opportunity. It will be the biggest game in program history when the undefeated Conference USA champs face off against 8th-ranked Oregon.
And despite the late arrival, coach Jamey Chadwell told those press members waiting in Phoenix for the team--the focus doesn’t change.
”They’ll be ready to go. I think today(Wednesday) was a short practice knowing that we’re getting on the plane with the opportunity to come out here -- but our guys know why we’re out here. We’re obviously going to enjoy the festivities that are planned, but we’re also coming out here to win a football game and play our best.
“We obviously have to get used to the time change that’s gonna be - to me --the biggest challenge. The first day is to get used to the two-hour time change. We had to do that when we played UTEP earlier in the year, so it’s not something that we’re not used to. This is our fifth year of FBS football and when they made the choice, you know five years ago to make that jump and within a five-year period to be able to play in a New Year’s Six bowl is arguably unprecedented,” Liberty coach Chadwell says.
The Flames stepped through an afternoon practice on Thursday as well as having the offensive players meet the media.