Coastal Carolina University
Liberty
Football Renews Rivalry With Liberty Thursday Night
9/23/2026 12:05:00 PM | Football
CONWAY, S.C. - Coastal Carolina returns to Brooks Stadium Thursday night to renew its rivalry with Liberty. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, and the game will air nationally on ESPN.
The Chanticleers enter the matchup at 1-2 following a 22-14 setback at Delaware, while the Flames improved to 2-1 with a 51-15 victory over Ball State. Thursday's contest will also serve as Coastal Carolina's annual Teal Out game.
How To Follow
| Television / Stream | ESPN |
| Radio | Chanticleer Sports Network |
| Live Stats | StatBroadcast |
| Game Notes | Coastal Carolina | Liberty |
| coastalfootball | |
| X | @CoastalFootball |
| YouTube | Coastal Carolina Athletics |
Matchup Comparison
| Category | Coastal Carolina | Liberty |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Record | 1-2 | 2-1 |
| Head Coach | Ryan Beard | Jamey Chadwell |
| Career Record | 20-18 (4th year) | 126-71 (17th year) |
| Record at School | 1-2 (1st year) | 27-14 (4th year) |
| Scoring Offense | 27.7 | 29.3 |
| Scoring Defense | 20.0 | 19.3 |
| Rushing Offense | 146.0 | 165.3 |
| Passing Offense | 277.3 | 221.3 |
| Total Offense | 423.3 | 386.7 |
| Total Defense | 341.0 | 285.3 |
| First Downs | 66 | 60 |
| Time of Possession | 28:17 | 32:48 |
Statistics are from the 2026 season. Offense and defense figures are per game unless otherwise noted.
Streaks, Storylines, Sidebars
A RIVALRY RENEWED: Coastal Carolina and Liberty will meet for the 16th time and the first since the 2020 Cure Bowl. Liberty holds an 8-7 advantage in a series that began during Coastal's inaugural 2003 season.
HOME COOKING: Coastal owns a 5-2 home record against Liberty and has outscored the Flames 236-140 in seven meetings at Brooks Stadium. The Chanticleers earned a 42-7 victory in Liberty's most recent trip to Conway in 2016.
SEPARATED BY 12: Only 12 points separate the teams through the first 15 meetings. Liberty has outscored Coastal 470-458, with seven games decided by one possession and three requiring overtime.
FAMILIAR FACE: Former Coastal Carolina head coach Jamey Chadwell will face the Chanticleers for the first time since leaving the program after the 2022 season. Chadwell led Coastal to a 39-22 record during five seasons as head coach, including a 31-6 mark and three consecutive Sun Belt East Division titles from 2020-22.
SHORT TURNAROUND: The Chanticleers will play five days after traveling to Delaware. Thursday's contest will be Coastal's fourth game in 20 days to open the season.
THROWBACK THURSDAY: The 2006 Coastal Carolina team will be honored during Thursday night's game. Led by head coach David Bennett and Big South Offensive Player of the Year Tyler Thigpen, the Chanticleers became the first team in program history to reach the FCS playoffs.
SPORTSCENTER ON CAMPUS: ESPN's SportsCenter On Campus will air live from Teal Town at 5 p.m. Thursday. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN and serve as Coastal's designated Teal Out game.
AIRING IT OUT: Deuce Bailey has thrown eight touchdown passes without an interception through his first three games as a Chanticleer. Bailey has completed 49-of-88 passes for 826 yards and thrown at least two touchdown passes in each game.
TWO OF THREE: Colton Hinton and Clayton Coppock Jr. are tied for the Sun Belt lead with three touchdown receptions apiece. Hinton has caught a touchdown pass in each of Coastal's first three games.
DIAWARA DELIVERS: Ibrahim Diawara is tied for second in the Sun Belt with three sacks. He also leads Coastal with four tackles for loss and ranks third on the team with 17 tackles.
SCOUTING THE FLAMES: Liberty has won two straight after opening the season with a 20-13 loss at James Madison. Deshawn Purdie has passed for 563 yards and five touchdowns without an interception, while Makai Jackson leads the Flames with nine receptions for 230 yards and three scores. Liberty is allowing 132.3 passing yards per game.
Up Next
Coastal Carolina remains at home to open Sun Belt Conference play against Georgia Southern on Saturday, Oct. 3. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Brooks Stadium, with the game streaming on ESPN+.
