Liberty head football coach Hugh Freeze met with the media Monday afternoon to discuss Liberty’s matchup with Georgia Southern in the Cure Bowl this weekend. Here are some of his main takeaways:
IT’S BEEN A HECTIC WEEK
“I’ts been a chaotic week. This is my first experience with managing being on the road recruiting, official visits coming in on the weekend, home visits, and doing a bowl itinerary and planning a bowl practice schedule. Trying to just manage all those parts, it’s my first experience with it, which I don’t like doing things I haven’t done before and know what works and what doesn’t. I haven’t slept much until last night after all the recruits left. We had our third practice yesterday. I sent everybody home, we got some rest, and then got back up here early on bowl prep for practice 4 today.”
“Recruiting is the priority. Friday was our first practice. Normally you start a game week on Sunday. We will get probably three extra really good practices than what is normal for a normal week, but we did not get any more due to the recruiting calendar and just the fact that we felt like we had to be on the road in the homes of the kids and families we’re trying to convince to come here.”
WEDNESDAY IS SIGNING DAY
“Looking forward to signing day Wednesday. I think our coaches have done a really nice job of finding kids that fit with us and will meet needs we have. Hopefully we can get them across the finish line Wednesday at signing day, and at the same time be at a bowl sight in Orlando which hopefully is a little warmer than it’s been here.”
PREPARING FOR GEORGIA SOUTHERN
“Getting ready to play in our first ever bowl game here at Liberty which is really exciting to our kids. Their energy has been great at practice. We had a very physical day yesterday and need to have another really physical day today to get ready for a very, very difficult opponent. Chad Lunsford has done a really nice job of building that in a few short years. Offensively, they present to you a challenge that you don’t face much. Every single play they’re making you fit the triple option, in your mind anyway. Their quarterback Werts is one of the best athletes we’ve seen all year. It’s going to be a great challenge to slow them down and stop them.”
“They are the one loss to an App State team that’s in the top 25. They are really a fluke away from beating Minnesota. They should have won that game up at Minnesota. Facing a great opponent, I like that, really I wish their offense was a little different, to test where we are at this juncture, playing in a bowl, and seeing where we are in measuring up against one of the Sun Belt’s best teams. It’s exciting, you want to play a really quality opponent at this juncture. It’s a good measuring stick for where we are going into spring ball.”
offensively no theres noone weve faced that is like this none not even close defensively yes they are like virginia and byu they are odd front mix it up pretty well with where those overhangs are going to be very similar to those two teams
INJURY UPDATE
“We are as good as we’ve been other than the ones who have been out for the year. (LB Brandon) Tillmon is cleared to play. He will have a big cast on his hand, but he is cleared to play. He has been at practice since Friday. He will go contact today for the first time. So, he is cleared to play. Bejour (Wilson) has looked very good this week, as has Dabney. (Isaac) Steele is probably 80%, but he’s playing and practicing. I feel very good about where we are health wise.”
“Damian King is not able to play in this game. He’s going to stay and be with his family. We pull for him in the next phase of his life.”
“Khaleb Coleman had shoulder surgery. He was our best special teams player, but he had shoulder surgery again so he is out.”
WILL HE RIDE ANY ROLLER COASTERS THIS WEEK?
“That’s an easy one – absolutely not. I’ve done them all, everyone of them I have ridden. Depends on which one you put me on. I see no benefit in doing something, what would I get out of that? My kids, they love them. I have taken them down there multiple times, and I did it all with them on two of the occasions, and then I said I’ve done my duty, I’m pretty much done. One you for sure will not see me on is Tower of Terror. I’m not into heights and dropping me and all of that. Roller coasters I can do and be fine, but really it would take some persuading for me to do those this go around.”
