Williams sells out vs. BYU

Williams Stadium shattered the program attendance record Oct. 22, welcoming 24,012 fans to its grounds in Liberty’s forceful victory over the BYU Cougars. The previous mark had been held since 2015 when the Flames took on Montana Sept. 19, 2015, hosting 22,551 fans.

“I thought our atmosphere is always good here,” Head Coach Hugh Freeze said. “Obviously, it was another level tonight. Standing there at the gate coming out and seeing the stands full was really, really gratifying. I said on Monday that I came here for moments like this, where hotels were sold out and all the restaurants are full. Hopefully, we can have more nights like that. It was pretty dang special.”

The game was officially announced to be the first sold-out game in Liberty football history just two days prior to the matchup, according to the Liberty Athletics Department. Lines for admission wrapped around the stadium hours before the gates opened, and the stands were packed with red as the game kicked off. 

“When we were about to run out, we were standing there, and somebody said, ‘Look around, take in the moment,’” quarterback Johnathan Bennett said. “And I thought, ‘Man, this place is packed.’ People travel and pay their hard-earned money to see us play. They come from everywhere, so it’s just a blessing to have a fanbase like this and to give them a show to watch.”

The now 7-1 Flames will host their next home game against the Virginia Tech Hokies Nov. 19, which is expected to be another marquee matchup in the Hill City. 

Cory is the sports editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on Twitter