Updated

Weber State's Jody Sears and Liberty's Turner Gill are the only first-year FCS head coaches without victories this season, but both hope to change that fact this weekend.

Part of the blame for Weber State's 0-5 start can be related to a very tough schedule. The Wildcats' first two games were on the road at FBS Fresno State and BYU, and they also have lost against nationally ranked McNeese State and Eastern Washington.

In all, WSU has been outscored 110-12 in the first half of its five losses this season. It doesn't get much easier this week as the Wildcats host No. 20 Cal Poly in a Big Sky Conference game Friday night.

In a very similar situation, Liberty (0-4) also has fallen victim to playing difficult opponents. The Flames, perennial powers in the Big South Conference, lost a heartbreaker to open the season at Wake Forest, 20-17, then faced Norfolk State, Montana and Lehigh.

Gill has had to deal with plenty of injuries to key players, including having to start redshirt freshman quarterback Josh Woodrum at then-No. 12 Montana in Missoula.

With a 28-26 loss to Lehigh on Sept. 22, Liberty fell to 0-4 for the first time since 1982. The Flames have had two weeks to prepare for Saturday's home game against Gardner-Webb.