Liberty opens up Midweek on the Mountain with a Conference USA game on Thursday, October 5 against Sam Houston. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, Virginia.
To help us get prepared for the game against the Bearkats, we are pleased to have Benjamin Sorrells provide some insight on this year’s Sam Houston team. Find Sorrells on social media at Sports of SHSU and he also is part of March 2 the Pod, a podcast focused on Sam Houston athletics.
ASOR: What is the overall feeling surrounding this season within the program thus far coming into the season and after a couple games?
Benjamin Sorrells: I think it has been a mixed bag of feelings and emotions through 4 games so far. While it is exciting to finally be an FBS team, losing is not something Sam Houston has had to endure for 15-20 years and it has been a tough transition having to face the quality of opponents they have had to face so far. It hasn’t been easy but I think we have seen flashes that have shown the program will eventually be able to succeed at this level which I think is what the team and fans are trying to hang on to right now. We have yet to completely put it together but the hope is they can with the back half of the schedule being much easier.
ASOR: What has been your feeling/evaluation of Keegan Shoemaker going into the season and what is the expectation for his production in this game/the rest of the season?
BS: Keegan took great strides this offseason after a mixed bag of results in his limited number of starts the previous two years. The offensive line has struggled mightily so far this year along with losing your top three of your top four weapons which has made things extremely difficult on Keegan. I think he has started to find his footing after a good performance against Jacksonville State and the hope is he can build on it going forward. We all know he is a guy who won’t set the world on fire but when he is on he can keep you in game and give you a chance to win which what have to hope for as a Sam Houston fan.
ASOR: Who do you consider to be the biggest X factor on the Sam Houston offense besides the quarterback? How about for the defense?
BS: I think the biggest X factor right now is Noah Smith and John Gentry. They are the only two established weapons that are still healthy and are going to be heavily relied upon like they were last week against Jax St.
Defensively, Trevor Williams is the X factor. A 4 time captain at linebacker who can do it all and is on pace right now for 144 tackles. Every single play he seems to find a way to be involved it seems like. He can stop the run, drop in coverage, make a chase down tackle and truly do it all.
ASOR: What do you expect the ending record for this team to look like and what would make for a successful season?
BS: I think there are still very winnable games on the schedule for Sam Houston and the back half of the schedule is where we all thought the majority of wins would come from when we first saw the schedule. I think a 3-9 record would be a reasonable guess as to how the season finishes.
ASOR: What player has broken out this year or do you think has a good chance to?
BS: With the absence of 3 of your top weapons, John Gentry has really come on strong the last two weeks. At Utah State the last few years he saw limited reps and performed well but with the injury to Zach Hrbacek he now finally has his chance to shine. In his first start against Jax St he touched the ball nearly 40 times for almost 200 yards and a TD. Look for Gentry to be a workhouse and breakout player the rest of this season.
ASOR: Where do you think the Flames will struggle the most against this team?
BS: I think where each team outside of Houston has struggled with all game or for parts of game is with the Sam Houston front 7. The DL and LB have FBS ready depth and have played well through the first month. If the front 7 plays well it has the ability to keep the team in the game. Players like Markel Perry, Meatball Smith, Jevon Leon, Trevor Williams and Kavian Gaither are names to watch.
ASOR: What is your final score prediction for this game?
BS: 34-20 Liberty
