Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze met with the media Monday afternoon for his weekly press conference where he discussed a number of topics following Liberty’s three game win streak.
FREEZE HAPPY WITH WIN BUT FRUSTRATED WITH OFFENSE, SHOULDERS THE BLAME
“We found a way to grind out a win, frustrating part is it shouldn’t have come to that. We did not execute very well in the red zone. I did not call a great game. It starts with me. Trust me, no one is harder on watching the film on themselves than I am. They played us different, I kind of felt they would, but didn’t know exactly what that would look like because of the structure of their defense which is a little bit odd. There’s only a few people in America that run that. It’s the first time I’ve gone against it. I have better answers now, but should have come up with better ones for Buckshot. I didn’t coach him well enough. There’s times he didn’t execute what was called very well, but it starts with me. Offensively, we left a lot of points out there – fumble on the 1 yard line, miss a 30-yard field goal, drop a touchdown pass on what was a good call and a good throw, Any of those plays, the game is over and we’re not having to field an onside kick.”
ABOUT THE ONSIDE KICK
“The onside kick, which by the way, was the best onside kick I’ve seen since they changed the rule. It stayed in the air forever. Damian King, what a phenomenal play he made there because there’s no way you can hold them off of you when it hangs in the air that long after two bounces. It was a phenomenal kick. When they kicked that onside kick it was 40 seconds left on the clock. Looking back at the last possession, there’s so many opportunities where we use those 40 seconds if we just run a little naked bootleg. 4 minute drill is drilled every week. The worst thing that can happen is an interception, the second worst thing that can happen is an incomplete pass. It was incomplete and that’s just unacceptable in 4 minutes because you know just run and lay down we use another 38 seconds. Now, even at the onside kick, it may be 2 seconds left, and that’s used on that kick even if they get it. I want us to learn from that, and I want to learn and our staff to learn because winning and losing is such a small margin at this stage of our program. Fortunately, we won it and we celebrate that, and we want to learn from it and now go and focus on winning another game.”
ON NEW MEXICO STATE
“New Mexico State is a scary team to me. Their record might not reflect it, but look at their schedule they’ve played. It’s been pretty brutal for them. Coach Martin is doing a very nice job with the scheme. It’s a Tony Franklin system, we haven’t defended that before. That’s a little scary to me because you have to do a few different things, and our kids have to have the capacity to change in about three days some different coverages that we would like to do that we think are going to be helpful. That’s a little uncomfortable because we’re playing so many young kids. If we could just stay in the same world every week, I think they would get better and better. We’re going to have to make a few changes this week. We’ve got our work cut out for us defensively again to slow this team down.”
“You see their numbers and they’ve been competitive in a few games that could have gone their way. The schedule they’ve played is a very difficult one. They played very well against Fresno last week. I see improvement from the Alabama game to the Fresno game. You see a lot of improvement the New Mexico game where they scored 50 points two weeks ago. Then they played a Fresno State team that is talented very difficult. I think they will view us as somewhat of a more equal opponent, whether that’s right, wrong, or indifferent. I think that gives them the feeling they have Liberty at home, they played Liberty tough last year, won one of those games, and they’ve shown improvement. I think it’s a scary game. It’s at their place, and they have people that can beat you. It’s a winnable game for both teams. I tell you usually it’s a winnable game or it’s a toss up, those are going to be my two. I think this is one of those games, I believe that when I watch them on film. We’re not at a state right now where we’re deep enough to walk into any game that’s on our schedule, there are some where we’re better, but not many.”
ONE GAME SEASON
“It’s my first real trip on the road. I didn’t feel like Lafayette was real to me, it just didn’t feel right. We have an open week after this. We look at this week as a one week season, that’s the way I approach it, that’s the way I want our kids to approach it. I divide our season up into segments, this is the last game of this season, season one for me. We’ve got one shot, its on the road, I want our kids totally prepared and totally focused on this last game of this season.”
JOSHUA MACK GETTING MORE CARRIES
“It’s due to the fact that he’s learning how to practice, that’s just the truth. He didn’t know how to practice when we got here, and I don’t think he will mind me saying that, I’ve told him that for a long time. As he’s started to learn how to practice, his playing time has increased. It’s not a talent issue. It’s not anything other than you can’t be given anything. You’ve got to practice like the rest of your teammates. Once you start doing that, you’re talented enough to get your shots. He’s made the most of them thus far. This is a new week, I’ll see how he practices. I know how Frankie’s going to practice. I know how Peytton’s going to practice. I think he’s learned that now, hopefully, and he’s seen the success that comes with it. I expect nothing but what he’s done the past few weeks and his carries would continue.”
INJURY REPORT
“(CB) Bejour (Wilson) looks better and better. How far will he come this week, I don’t really know right now. I think (DT Devonte) Lloyd is probably a little further away than Bejour. (CB Emanuel) Dabney looked good yesterday, hopefully we can get him back. If we can get him and Bejour back, it sure will help the secondary rotation.”
BRETT FAVRE PAYS THE TEAM A VISIT
“Brett and I are good friends. We go way back to Southern Miss where we were at school together. Obviously he is a Mississippi boy. We both like hunting and fishing. Well, he likes a lot more hunting. I’m more of fishing. I’ve never gotten into the hunting. It’s always fun when you have some down time to go to hunting camp with the guys, that’s fun. He’s a man’s man. He is what he is. I love that about him, he’s fearless with the way he played. Actually, when Buckshot came off after that last possession where we ran the little bootleg and he threw an incomplete pass, I said to him, ‘I knew I shouldn’t have introduced you to Brett Favre. Brett was so fearless in the way he played, and he’s a Mississippi legend. I’m blessed to call him a friend, thankful he came. He shared with the Liberty students, I think they enjoyed it.”
HIS TRAVEL PLANS THIS WEEK
“I’m not sure. I haven’t talked to our Administration or Jim (Nichols) yet about how to get me there. I will be there one way or another. Am I ready to sit straight up for a 4 hour flight? I don’t know, I haven’t talked to the docs about any of that. I don’t sit down much in the office. I lean over on that walker some when I get tired of sitting. Sitting does not feel good to me yet. I don’t know the plan, I sure would like to fly with the team if at all possible. We will cross that bridge this week.”
