Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze met with the media Monday afternoon to recap the team’s win at UMass and preview this week’s game at BYU. Here are some of his main takeaways:
ON THE UMASS GAME
“I thought our kids really responded well after a disappointing outing at Rutgers and bounced back last week with really good work. Our coaches did a great job of simplifying things, defensively especially, particularly with the kind of depth we were taking into the game. Isaac Steele really played well. The only drive they had really sustained for points was they tempoed us a bit we had one guy that didnt get lined up three straight plays and it cost us. Thought the second half the (defense) was as good as we’ve been. Hopefully, we can build upon that. Offensively, we were very efficient, put up some really, really good numbers.”
ON BYU
“It’s a different ball game this week. It’s a tall task, one we are excited about having, but it’s a whole different scheme, whole different world for our defense. To match the physicality of this football team is going to be a tall task on both sides. They are big and very physical offensive and defensive lines that will test us for sure. Their length defensively at linebacker is probably as long as I’ve ever seen.”
“The task is tall for sure, you’re going to play a team that has beaten USC, Tennessee, Boise State. That’s pretty good football. They’ve had some disappointing losses that I’m sure they would say they didn’t play their best in. I hope that’s the case Saturday night that they don’t play their best, but it is a tall task for our first season of FBS to go and play a team that just beat the likes of the teams I just mentioned. That’s a tall task. I just want us to continue to improve and play well and manage the game correctly and have a chance at it.”
ON THE OPPORTUNITY IN FRONT OF THE TEAM THIS WEEK
“It’s going to be a great test for us. We should be fairly healthy for this time of the year. It’s going to be a great challenge for us to be on national TB and have a chance to elevate our brand. It’s a huge opportunity, one that we talked about yesterday, and we will embrace it. I think we’ve got to put our self into a position where we can get on national TV and play some of the traditional powers that be in college football and be competitive. This is probably our first one that is really on national TV, I guess. What a great opportunity, i think our kids understand that. We’ve got difficult games (remaining). Sure would be nice to find a way to win a couple of them.”
FREEZE WAS ASKED ABOUT THE FSU OPENING & HIS INTERVIEW WITH CLAY TRAVIS
“The world today is just a different world. Willie Taggart is a good man. I hate to see anyone…I’ve gone through the public loss of a job, and it’s not fun on your family, your kids. There’s so many people involved there. I’ve come to grips that my name just floats around a lot for anything that creates a story, it sounds like, most of which is never true. I’m so excited to have the opportunity to do what I do here, that’s it.”
(His next question was about Buckshot) – “That’s what the Clay Travis show should have been about the whole entire time, that’s what it was scheduled for, and I’m thankful for Clay for that, I am, to highlight what’s going on here.”
INJURY REPORT
“(Safety) Ben (Alexander) has a sprain of a shoulder. We don’t think it’s anything that will keep him out this week. He was moving around pretty good yesterday. That was the only one that got dinged up in Saturday’s game.”
“(WR/KR) Shedro (Louis) could have gone probably, but in warmups I just didn’t think he was full speed. Let’s rest him another week, same thing with D.K. Damian King would have gone too, but we didn’t have to. We played DeMario (Douglas), obviously. I think both will be really ready to go this week.”
(Javon Scruggs & Austin Lewis both recovering from concussions suffered at Rutgers) – “They were both back out yesterday. They will be in non-contact, I think, for Tuesday, and then should be full go after that.”
NG HENRY CHIBUEZE MAKES HIS DEBUT
“First play he fell on the ground, and then after that he did good. I’m happy for him. We’re going to need him this week. We started referring to him as the U.S.S. Chibueze. We need him this week. He’s going to have to play some. It was one of the things in the Rutgers (game) you noticed is Ralfs (Rusins) and Vince (Elefante) had to play way too many snaps, and we were convinced last week to rotating Devin (Pearson) and Chibueze in there. We will need them this week.”
ON BACKUP TACKLE COOPER MCCAW
“Really impressed with Cooper McCaw Saturday. He’s one of the kids that needs to develop for us. I used him as an example yesterday because he’s paid attention to what coach Dom (Studzinski) in the weight room and Danielle (Gillen) in the nutrition because he couldn’t play at 270. He’s up to 292 now. He’s doing the things you have to do to be ready to play at this level, and it was good to see him have success in the game he’s played the most in.”
ON THE DEFENSE’S IMPROVEMENT
“We matched up better with what UMass does, in all honesty, than what we witnessed at Rutgers. Our kids were not happy with the way we played at Rutgers nor the previous game against Maine. They wanted to get their swagger back. We just went back to day one install stuff, and said this is what we’re going to do. I don’t get heavily involved in game planning on the defensive side, but I was in all of those meetings last week. Not to tell them what to run, but I wanted to hear it and say, ‘No, that’s too much. We don’t need that. (DC) Scott (Symons) was awesome because all of us coaches – me, them – when you’re planning, this is a good idea and this is a good idea and I’ve got another great idea over here. They’re all great ideas, but if your kids don’t understand them…Our kids are not ready to do the whole gamut of offense or defense. So, I stayed in there quite a bit last week, and another reason I knew exactly what they were going to run because it’s the exact same stuff we run. I know what gives us problems, and I just wanted to be a resource. Scott called a great game. His staff did a great job. I don’t call defenses, but we just worked hard at carrying a simple plan and letting our kids play. They played better, with more confidence.”
