Coastal picked second in Big South

From staff, wire reports
Published: July 25, 2008

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Liberty is picked to win the Big South Conference title for a second straight season.

Liberty received 12 of 13 first-place votes by the league’s coaches and a media panel, a year after going 8-3 overall and 4-0 in the conference.

Coastal Carolina was picked to finish second, followed by Gardner-Webb, Stony Brook, Charleston Southern and VMI.

Coastal opens the season Aug. 30 at Penn State., its first Division I opponent.

Coastal coach David Bennett told reporters Friday the Chants will play West Virginia in football in 2010. Coastal will play Clemson in 2009 and 2014, Georgia in 2011 and Kent State next season.

Flames running back Rashad Jennings and Gardner-Webb linebacker Mario Brown also were voted the preseason offensive and defensive players of the year at the league’s media event Friday.

Coastal placed five players on the presason all-BSC team — offensive lineman Britt Leggett, tight end Scott Fambrough, defensive back Marrio Norman linebacker D.J. Rice and defensive end Phillip Oboh.