Cure Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. Liberty preview and pick

Two programs that are relatively new to major college football will face off December 21 in Orlando for the Cure Bowl. Liberty is 7-5 straight up and 6-6 against the spread, while Georgia Southern who is also 7-5 straight up but 5-7 against the spread.

Georgia Southern vs. Liberty, Saturday, 2:30 p.m. ET, CBSSN

Calvert and Handy-Golden are a dynamic duo

This game features teams that have very different offensive styles. Liberty is led by former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze, and his offensive background comes through with his quarterback, Stephen Calvert. Calvert averages 33 passing attempts per game, and has thrown for 3,393 yards and 26 touchdowns on the season. His 8.6 yards per attempt is an impressive number for a team that has faced some stout competition relative to its weight class.

Liberty’s best receiver by far is Antonio Gandy-Golden, who has 1,333 receiving yards and nine touchdowns this season. His 18 yards per catch makes him Calvert’s No. 1 target and weapon on the outside. Calvert has three other receivers with at least 20 catches this season, but shutting down Gandy-Golden is the key to slowing down the Liberty offense.

Georgia Southern's ground game has been fierce

Georgia Southern plays a different brand of football on offense. Quarterback Shai Werts only has 108 attempts and 704 yards through the air this season, as Georgia Southern relies on a strong running game to move the ball down the field. The Ealges have five players with more than 50 rushing attempts, with running back J.D. King at the top of the list with 776 yards. Running back Wesley Kennedy isn’t far behind with 760 rush yards, and leads the team with 10 touchdowns. Werts has 676 and five touchdowns on the ground.

The Eagles honed their rushing attack as the season progressed, won six of their last eight games and really haven’t been shut down by any of the defenses they’ve faced (other than LSU in their opener).

Liberty has a fun offense, but power-option rushing attacks tend to get better as the season goes on. With the extra time to prepare, I expect Georgia Southern to plan their defense around stopping Gandy-Golden, which will force other options to beat them. Georgia Southern comes into this game with stronger recent results and a more reliable offense, so I like them to cover.

NCAAF free pick: Georgia Southern -5

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