Gardner-Webb at Liberty
Fan take
Liberty fans
How they got here
Last two games
Gardner-Webb · 0-2
Picked #220 in the preseason · now #198 — better than expected.
Two straight losses.
L 13–17 @ Wofford #203 of 669
lost by 4 as a 8.5-point underdog
L 17–35 @ Austin Peay #103 of 669
lost by 18 as a 14.5-point underdog
Last three games · 2025 season
Liberty · 4-8
Picked #81 in the preseason · now #91.
Three straight losses.
L 42–48 vs Kennesaw State #107 of 668
lost by 6 as a 2.5-point underdog
L 28–34 @ Louisiana Tech #115 of 668
lost by 6 as a 1-point favorite
L 27–34 @ Florida International #106 of 668
lost by 7 as a 4.5-point favorite
L 17–21 vs Missouri State #140 of 668
lost by 4 as a 7.5-point favorite
W 59–30 vs Delaware #145 of 668
won by 29 as a 3.5-point favorite
W 30–27 vs New Mexico State #198 of 668
won by 3 as a 10.5-point favorite
W 19–8 @ UTEP #163 of 668
won by 11 as a 2-point favorite
L 7–21 @ Old Dominion #44 of 668
lost by 14 as a 14.5-point underdog
L 13–31 vs James MadisonTop 25 #39 of 668
lost by 18 as a 7.5-point underdog
L 13–23 @ Bowling Green #116 of 668
lost by 10 as a 6.5-point favorite
L 24–34 @ Jacksonville State #55 of 668
lost by 10 as a 6.5-point favorite
W 28–7 vs Maine #132 of 668
won by 21 as a 25.5-point favorite
What’s at stake
Gardner-Webb
- Gardner-Webb needs 6 more wins in the final 9 to reach bowl eligibility.
- A win would be one of Gardner-Webb’s biggest of the season — a 107-spot gap in the power ratings.
Liberty
- Jamey Chadwell is behind Hugh Freeze’s year-4 pace (1-1 vs. 2-0) — a win tonight widens the gap, a loss narrows it.
The series
Liberty leads the series 11-4
15 meetings since 2003 · Liberty has won the last 4
- 2026Liberty 24–23
- 2022Liberty 21–20
- 2017Liberty 33–17
- 2016Liberty 23–20
- 2015Gardner-Webb 34–20
Best players
Liberty
- Derrell Farrar (LB) · 12 tackles
- Makai Jackson (WR) · 142 receiving yards
- D-Icey Hopkins (S) · 11 tackles
The line, and the room
The model and the market don’t fully agree on Liberty’s chances here.
Home −28.5 · O/U 55.5
Conditions
79°F · 6 mph wind · Light Rain
Liberty is worth +4.2 points (±4.0) more at home than on the road since 2018 — middle of FBS, 54th percentile.
75% at home, 49% on the road against FBS opponents (30–10 home, 22–23 away).
Our model gives every stadium the same flat 2.3-point home edge (why); the books use about 3. Against the closing line this stadium reads +0.2 at home vs. away over 72 games — inside the ±7.6 noise, so the flat number is the honest one here.
The visitors travel about 201 miles to get here.
Gardner-Webb 23 – Liberty 24
Called it — picked Liberty to win.
Recent games
Liberty
- Wk 1Lat James Madison13-20
Gardner-Webb
- Wk 1Lat Austin Peay17-35
- Wk 1Lat Wofford13-17
Trajectory
Liberty handled Gardner-Webb 24-23, matching the pregame favorite.