Liberty returned to the practice field on Monday and Hugh Freeze met with reporters following practice to discuss preparations for the season as well as provide insights on various Liberty players. Here’s everything he had to say.
“Had a really good, physical practice, our first tackling periods were today and it was exciting to see us get after it. Offense responded from Friday’s lackluster effort and thought competed a lot better today. Running backs really, really had a good day running the football. Positive things to take out of it for sure, obviously when we watch the film here in a little bit we will see a bunch of negatives too, I’m sure. Just out there, I did see some positives.”
Have you had any conversations with schools from the ACC regarding COVID-19 testing?
“I’m sure our athletic director has those conversations. I’m not in those. I would just simply say, I say things sometimes and when you take them in a brief sentence can be taken in a lot of different ways. Anyone that would think that we’re not following our team’s doctors recommendations and that I’m not…I’m a football coach, I’m not a doctor, but anyone that would think we don’t have a set of protocols to follow in this time and that we’re certainly following them, just hasn’t taken the time to research it and to know it. Certainly, I’ve got to say things more properly, but I’m very confident in what our administration and our team doctors have put in place for protocols for us. We actually issued them, I issued them out through Twitter, and, I think, we issued them out. They can take their time and go read them, if they’d like to, but confident in our people.”
What is the status of redshirt-freshman LB Aubrey Williams?
“He is no longer on our roster.”
How difficult is it preparing for a season when you don’t know the exact date and opponent of the season opener?
“That’s a great question and I was going to tell ya’ll today because we’re going to slow down some of these media meetings because we’re so far out. I really just want to focus on our team. Our opener right now is September the 19th at Western Kentucky. We’re still a ways away. That’s why we’re really not even in fall camp so to speak right now, we’re taking on another week this week to treat it sort of like spring ball – a lot of meetings and walk thrus and a few practices here. When we are four weeks out from game time or three weeks, we will definitely ratchet it up some. Currently it is September the 19th at Western Kentucky.”
Have you ever experienced a preseason like this?
“Never have, never experienced it, don’t have the perfect plan for it, for sure. You take it week by week. I think you just communicate with your kids a lot and your staff. I don’t want to practice any more. A normal camp, getting ready for a game, you’re going to have anywhere between 25 and 27 practices, typically. Some may do a few more. I like around 25 as kind of the number. So, we’re still going to get those same numbers, we’re just spreading them out a lot more, and certainly having a few more walk thrus. I think you’ve got to judge the pulse of your team. The last thing you want is your team to look at you after three weeks of doing something and them say, ‘We have three more weeks before we have an opportunity to play?’ I don’t want it to be that way. I really have a group of kids that I bring in and talk to week to week and say what does this look like to you guys because we are kind of going at this in the dark, so to speak. Just communicating with our kids, so far I think they’ve liked the schedule we have.”
What’s transpired between opening Sept. 12 and now opening Sept. 26?
“Ian, I’m sure we’re getting to close to probably putting something out. In his discussions with all the teams, and trying to make sure the schedule doesn’t have three open dates in it if you start this time, and if you move this game to this point, you only have two, which is better and gives you more flexibility. And fitting other people’s schedules so they have games, I think all of that has gone in to where we are today having the 19th as the opener. But, as I told our parents, we currently have a really good 10 game schedule when I look at the schedule on paper. I’m sure we’re getting close to releasing something on that.”
With your losses at linebacker, how is that room?
“Very thin room that we’ve got to address in recruiting, for sure. I’ve been really pleased with Aaron Pierre and Staples. I think Butler’s going to be really solid. Then, beyond that, we’ve got to bring some of those young kids along, like Capers and some of the others. Carl Poole has shown some signs, DJ Humes has shown some signs in early practices that they could possibly add some depth there. It’s definitely a room that’s a work in progress and we’ve got to add some depth soon when we get back to recruiting. You’ve got some other options like Jolly has gotten bigger and stronger, he’s a good physical player. We will look at all options to add depth to it.”
What’s the status of Amarii Jenkins’ injury?
“We’re waiting to hear officially, but the first indication we got was it was an indication that he could possibly be back toward the end of the season. I’m going to have to wait for them to tell me that. I think there’s a possibility he could though.”
You’ve been active on social media talking about your team and other independents should be involved in any sort of playoff, in your eyes, what do you think that playoff landscape does look like this year?
“I don’t want to mislead anyone. I’m not saying that we deserve to be in any playoff or anything at this point in our program. I just think we need to be in the discussions that we want to play. We’re open to playing anyone, any time, any where. I just want to be in those discussions of playing. I’m certainly not saying we measure up. I know people attack me saying you’re not quite ready for that, and we may not be. I don’t know, I just know our kids want to play and we want to coach. I like to be included in any discussions, as I’m sure Army and BYU would also, who want to continue to play.”
“What the playoffs look like, I’m not the one to ask that question to. I have no clue. I think all of us right now that are trying to pull this off are #1 what’s the safest way that makes it possible. We’re hopeful that as we progress to students coming back to campus and things and we follow all the protocols that the doctors for every institution has put in place, we’re hopeful that we can pull it off. I just want us to be in those discussions. Don’t forget we want to play.”
Over the first couple of weeks of practice, is there a guy on either side of the ball that you would be able to highlight as someone that has stood out?
“First two that just pop in my mind from today’s practice are Jon Graham offensive line and Aaron Pierre at linebacker. I had Aaron figured wrong a little bit last year, have been really pleasantly surprised by his work ethic, his determination to get better, and Jon’s got a chance to be a special offensive lineman.”
Talk about Javon Scruggs as a player for your team and your program.
“Leader. He’s one, when I went on the field today…team meetings are very different right now for me. I used to love getting our team in a room together and I can sense ’em, I can see ’em, and I can feel ’em, and I can talk to ’em about here’s our message for the day and now it’s hard to do that because of social distancing. We have to put them in the stadium or somewhere and that’s just a hassle to do that every day. So, now they’re kind of on the field when I get a mic and we space everyone out, but he’s the first one I go to, like today, to kinda judge where we are. He’s a leader. One of the most solid tacklers that I coach, can play every safety position that we have. He’s really, really valuable to us. We need him to be healthy all year long.”
With students returning to campus, what’s the message to your players about keeping them safe?
“There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t remind them – if you truly want to try to pull this off then there are sacrifices we have to make with our time and with things that we would want to do that are normal for a college student, you may not be able to do them this year. I think all of us that are attempting to play from the conferences to the Independents, I think we’re all kinda hinged together there a bit and will be judged based on not just what we do here, but what happens at all the other individual campuses. I know that the coaches I talk to we’re constantly reminding our guys, some campuses they already have but on ours the population is getting ready to change. It’s going to look differently, but we’ve got a plan for academics, we’ve got a plan for tutoring, we’ve got a plan for our eating, we’ve got a plan for the way we practice, we’re living together as roommates. We’re trying our best to form that bubble around them constantly. Can we guarantee that’s a 24 hour deal with every kid? No, but we’re sure hopeful that they’re heeding our warnings and making the sacrificial decisions for the best of our team.”
What position groups are impressing you the most?
“I think our running back room is strong. I think they’ve got a good mixture and all 4, all 5 today in the live period had really good runs. I feel really, really good about those guys. I think our defensive line’s got a chance to be pretty solid too. Not that we can’t be at other places, I just feel some concerns at those others of just live reps and depth at those places.”
How do you personally feel about the 2020 season, are you confident Liberty will have a season?
“I’ve kind of conditioned myself, I have a lot of weaknesses and a lot of strengths, but one of my strengths is I can condition my mind to just worry about what today brings. This week, man we’re blessed and fortunate to practice. In anticipation of getting a chance to represent our great university on the football field. As of today, that is a go, and that is the only thing my mind can condition itself to believe or I’m going to waste some precious moments. I told our team, I was looking at the Fairfield Inn up on the mountain, one of my daughters sent me, I don’t understand it, but something pops up on your phone from a memory or from a day similar to what you’re on, I don’t know, but this time last year I was battling another battler. I am thankful. I’m grateful that we got to practice today together. I’m grateful that as of today we’re pressing forward to try and play the game we all love. Am I the expert on whether or not that should happen when that time comes? No. I’m not, but I just know I’m blessed to be able to try and prepare these guys for that anticipated event whenever it does happen and I’m certainly hopeful today. I’m more hopeful probably today than I was three weeks ago, but again I’m a football coach. There’s a lot of people a lot more prepared that will help us make those decisions.”
You weren’t pleased with the offense Friday, were they better today after film study?
“I think anytime you’re able to go see your mistakes, I believe this in life that there’s a lot more learned from the times you fail than from the times you succeed if it’s handled correctly. I thought the coaches and kids did a nice job of film on Friday and then walk thru and film on Saturday of correcting some of the issues we saw on Friday. They were definitely more improved today in the team periods.”
Is anyone standing out at quarterback yet?
“It’s back and forth, still need more consistency from both of them, particularly in the passing game.”
Did you guys go tempo again today?
“Not against each other, no, but we did do our tempo period individually starting to get ready to ramp that up. Dom has given us a program to make sure we’re where we need to be physically before we get into that. Today, was the first day we did that individual. We will come together with the defense I think on Friday for one of our red ball periods.”
Is it advantageous to have the season pushed back an additional week?
“I’m not the one to comment on testing because I don’t know exactly what’s going on except that we’re going to participate in whatever testing that they recommend for us. Is it advantageous to push the season back? I don’t know that anyone can say that with 100% certainty but it certainly feels right. It feels like the right thing to do, gives us just some more time to not only prepare but to prepare for what is around the corner. Are there curveballs that are coming? Or are there positives that are coming? Or something that is going to come down in a week or two that makes it harder to prepare? I don’t know those. I think it just gives you a little more time to breathe and to not feel like we don’t have some time to prepare adequately for whatever does come.”
How is Demario Douglas with his injury?
“He was in a blue jersey which means non contact but yes he was out there, but he did not go with all the team drills only individual. He will work his way back in this week whatever our trainers say.”
Any other injuries?
“No, we’re blessed. Elisha Mitchell and (Karsen) Perkins are working their way through that acclimation period. Both I think will be ready to go by Friday. Nobody got hurt today that I know of.”
