Where: Williams Stadium, Lynchburg, Virginia

When: 4 p.m. Saturday

Television/Streaming: ESPN+

All-time series: This is the third meeting between these teams. Maine beat Liberty, 42-20, in 1992, when both played at the Football Championship Subdivision level. Liberty took a 59-44 win over Maine in 2019.

Key stat: 66.56, the completion percentage of Maine quarterback Carter Peevy last season. Peevy returns under center for the Black Bears.

Outlook: Maine had a third consecutive losing season in 2024 but did improve its win total from two to five and showed improvement. Building on that improvement will be tough in an opener against Liberty, which has high expectations coming off last year’s eight-win season in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Liberty received votes in the AP preseason top 25 poll and is the favorite to win Conference USA. Slowing down Liberty’s strong running game will be key for the Black Bears. The Flames ranked fourth nationally in rushing yards a year ago, averaging just over 250 yards per game. Julian Gray and Vaughn Blue, who saw limited time last season, have moved into starting roles in Liberty’s backfield. The Black Bears’ inexperienced defensive line will be tested. Maine’s defense is led by linebacker Christian Thomas, free safety Devin Vaught and cornerback Jamaree Gibson. All three were named honorable mention in the Coastal Athletic Association preseason poll. Thomas is Maine’s leading returning tackler, with 63 stops last season. Vaught had three interceptions, while Gibson had one interception and nine pass breakups.

The return of Peevy is vital for the Black Bears, who are inexperienced at running back and receiver. Mo Irefin (19 catches for 302 yards, one touchdown) and Trevin Ewing (10 catches for 182 yards) are the top returning wideouts. Graduate transfer Scott Woods, and all-Ivy League selection at Harvard last season, should be a key addition to Maine’s offense. Ewing and Woods give the Black Bears a pair of strong options in the kick return game. With the top three rushers from 2024 gone, the Black Bears look to transfers Sincere Baines and Sivert Klefsaas as options, along with sophomore Rashawn Marshall.

Of note: Maine is earning $350,000 for this game, which is the first of two against FBS opponents. Maine will play at Georgia Southern on Sept. 20. … This is the first of back-to-back games in Virginia for Maine. Next Saturday, the Black Bears play their Coastal Athletic Association opener at William and Mary. … Just one of Maine’s first four games is at home, Sept. 13 against Stonehill. … Since making the jump to FBS in 2019, Liberty is 9-0 against FCS opponents. … Cape Elizabeth’s Nick Laughlin, projected to be a key player in Maine’s running game, will miss this game because of an injury. … Maine’s captains are Peevy and linebacker Latrell Couchman.