Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell met with the media on Wednesday as he recaps the game against Jacksonville State as well as look ahead to the upcoming contest against Middle Tennessee. Check out the full video and transcript from his press conference below.
“We’ve not had anything really normal a lot this year with a lot of changes. I think our team is excited about being back on Saturday and having a routine. We’ll be able to do that for the next, at least, three weeks. Hopefully it’s something that stabilizes us a little bit. We’ve obviously had some ups and downs, but our practices and things, our preparation, getting ready, has been good. I think they’re maybe relieved to be back on a normal schedule.”
How was the schedule over the last week with the extra days since a Wednesday game?
“We brought the team in Thursday, we watched the video, cleaned that up, practiced Friday, a lot of fundamentals came off. Saturday, practice, Sunday and Monday. We had to give off yesterday because we had some intensive classes where guys were there 8-5, all day long. We decided we couldn’t make it work. I think, from a fundamental standpoint, obviously, get a little jump start on your opponent. One of the things that we needed to clean up, not only from last week, but past couple weeks. It’s been good, and so now we’ve got to hopefully, this extra time, we’ll be able to fix those things where Liberty’s not beating Liberty.”
What’s the health at receiver look like this week?
“We’re hoping Tyson Mobley will be back. He’d be the only one. Sibley potentially, a game time, Thursday, potential decision. Whether he goes or not we will have to see, but Mobley has practiced some, just got to make sure he gets completely cleared. Reese will be out.”
What are some things you’ve seen about Middle Tennessee on tape?
“I think they are really good defensively. If you look at most of their scores, they’re really good. Obviously, he’s a defensive coach. They do a great job. They play hard. They’re very physical. The quarterback’s a really good player. They got a great tight end who’s been out, but he’ll be back for us, is our assumption. They got a really good receiver. They’ve struggled to score consistently, but as we’ve seen with the quarterback, he lit us up last year. I think they’ve got some good players. They’re young, but they play hard, they’re hungry and the thing that I’ve noticed is that they necessarily don’t beat themselves, which is opposite of us. We’ve got to go play a clean game and play it well to have a chance to come out of there with a victory because they’re going to play really hard, and we need to build off of the four quarters that we just played.”
You said you felt things were headed in the right direction after Jax State, how has the last few days been at practice and do you think things are continuing on that trajectory?
“Obviously the team is disappointed, and coaches are about, not last week, but just the last couple. Truth be told, it was coming. As a coach, even when you’re 5-0, you saw it coming, because we just weren’t maybe playing together the way we needed to, in all phases. I thought last week, I was encouraged, because we did play hard. We encouraged each other. We were pulling for each other. It didn’t work out. When you go back and look, we had two 4th and 1s that we easily could have made both inside the 20, from opportunities there. We had a couple third downs right out at halftime, makeable third downs, and we just didn’t do some things that we needed to. That, in my opinion, is because when you’ve not played the game the right way all year long. When you’ve only been halfway, I don’t want to say halfway in, but played a quarter here, two quarters here, three quarters here, when you really need to make those plays, you not done them in pressure situations. That showed up. But our guys have learned from that, and I know they want to go out and become bowl eligibility. That’s a big deal for us and continue to hopefully play well.”
What kind of response have you seen from Salter?
“I think he understands that he maybe has not played the best that he needs to. Also, some guys around him haven’t played the way they’re capable of as well. It’s been just one of those things where we’ve just not played well together offensively in certain ways. I think he realizes that. I think he wants to be better, and he’s working hard to be better there, as far as making the plays that he can make that we’ve not made. But also, just being more of an encourager leading those guys there. I thought he did a really good job, better at that last week than he has in a while. But now you gotta do it again. You didn’t get the result you wanted. So, do we give up or do we keep saying, hey, now this is who we are going to be? He’s had a good week so far at that.”
The passing game has been a little inconsistent throughout the year, you think that is due to his inconsistent play or just a revolving door at receiver due to injuries?
“I think there’s a little bit of both of that. If you go back and look, there’s some plays he’ll tell you he missed. There’s some throws that he easily makes, typically, and he’s not made, whether that’s him rushing, whether that’s maybe feeling some stuff in the pocket, whatever it may be. Some of the throws that we know that he can make, he’s not made. Other things is, we’ve got guys at certain places the coaches put them in position, maybe we run the wrong route, maybe we don’t run the right depth. It happened to us, on a third down we run the route the wrong way, and it’s a first down. Then on the interception there at the end, we run the route short. Little things that add up. Quarterback maybe not making the throws necessary, but when he’s ready to make them, we don’t run the right route. There’s just a lot that happens. Part of that has been because of injuries, I bet you we’ve had maybe three weeks all year where we’ve had guys that have actually practiced and been able to play. Receiving and passing is such a timing thing. When the guys are there, the guys are open. We feel like we’re scheming things to give us an opportunity on those things. It’s frustrating because they’re there to be made. Make some of those, this conversation might be a lot different.”
Have you noticed the attention to detail needed during practice this week?
“I’ve noticed more people over in the building, which has been good. Technology is a great thing, but we can watch video at home. I’ve noticed more guys over here doing some things together, which is good to see. Wanting to holding each other accountable, making sure that their job and what they do, they can do it to the best of their best ability. So, that’s been a positive. The only way whether that’s going to work or not, we got to do it when it matters in the game on Saturday, but I have seen an increase in more guys through the building, as far as after practicing in morning, on their off day, more guys over watching doing some things. So that’s been encouraging.”
Are you encouraged that this team will finish the season out the right way?
“Well, I definitely believe we can, and that obviously gives me hope that we will. But also, I think guys are disappointed and like, ‘Hey, that’s not what we’ve been able to put on the field.’ They know we’re better than that, and for whatever reason, we’ve not been able to clean that up. I think our guys are tired of that. I think they’re ready to, ‘Hey, we know we can play at a higher level.’ We know we got a lot out still to play for, out there. But also, I know they realize that with where we’re at, man, we just gotta make sure we give our best this Saturday and give us a chance to get that sixth win, get that bowl eligibility, and then we’ll take the next one as they come. But they are hungry, and, I think, want to prove that we’re better than what we’ve shown.”
