WKU Football: Liberty Q&A with A Sea of Red
We’re just three days away from WKU’s home opener against Liberty. The Hilltoppers are looking to bounceback from a humbling debut against Louisville and get their season back on track against a well-coached Liberty squad. With those important stakes, we thought that we’d get a Liberty perspective on the game. Luckily for us, we got Jon Manson from A Sea of Red to give us his thoughts on the Liberty program, the game, and his predictions. Without further adieu, here is our conversation with Jon.
Liberty is in year 3 of FBS football, how has the transition gone thus far?
It’s been an interesting time as Liberty has gone through a coaching change and now the COVID-19 pandemic. Hugh Freeze also missed nearly all of training camp last August dealing with a severe staph infection in his back. So, the beginning of each of the past two seasons has been unique. Still, to come through with a 14–11 mark during those two seasons with a trip to a bowl game and a win in the bowl game in the program’s first season eligible is certainly something to be proud of.
Hugh Freeze went 8–5 in his debut season in Lynchburg, how confident are Liberty fans that they can keep him for an extended period of time?
Define “extended.” When he was first hired, I felt keeping him for 3 seasons would be a win for the program, but it’s hard to really say. I don’t see him jumping to another G5 program. He can go to the P5 straight from Liberty, and the Flames have shown they are committed to him and the football program. If the right P5 job presented itself at any time, I could see him leaving.
As an independent, Liberty has done a great job of putting together an appealing schedule for the foreseeable future. What are the expectations for the program over the next decade?
Right now, the goal is to continue to build a competitive G5 caliber team that is competing for bowl games each and every season. The program has only had two full recruiting classes at the FBS level and one of those was in the middle of a coaching change. There’s a lot of potential with the football program though. Liberty has AAC level facilities and resources and a P5 level coach.
now onto the game…
Liberty must replace three really productive seniors in quarterback Stephen Calvert, running back Frankie Hickson & receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden, how big of an offensive drop off is expected in 2019?
Most aren’t really expecting much of a drop-off. The running backs shouldn’t have any drop off at all. Breaking in a new quarterback is always a question mark, but Malik Willis could be a much better fit for this offense. The Flames will not be able to replace AGG, he was too good. It will be a receiver room by committee.
Malik Willis was recently named as the replacement for Calvert. What kind of player is he?
He’s a dual-threat quarterback. Transfer from Auburn who joined the program last summer and had to sit out the 2019 season. He’s very athletic and has the ability to affect the game with big-play capability with his legs. The question marks come around his decision making and passing accuracy. If he’s able to protect the football and throw accuracy, he could be very dynamic.
Which skill players do Hilltopper fans have to worry about on Saturday?
RB Joshua Mack is the first name that jumps out. Last year was his first season on the field at Liberty after transferring from Maine where he was the FCS’ leading rusher in 2017. He ran for about 800 yards as a 2nd-string running back last year.
Last season Liberty finished 86th in defensive SP+. How much did they lose and do you expect the unit to improve in 2020?
On paper, the defense lost a lot. Four defensive players signed as UDFA in the NFL with two sticking on practice squads. But the coaching staff is also very high on all the newcomers. Liberty brings in a talented group of JUCO transfers and freshmen who are expected to provide depth immediately. At the end of the season, I think we will look back and see significant improvement from the defense, and it all starts upfront. The defensive line is much improved from where it was just two years ago. Freeze and his staff have brought in 12 scholarship defensive line players in the past two recruiting classes.
Who are some players that could make an impact against the Hilltopper offense?
TreShaun Clark is one of those 12 DL players who have come in. As a true freshman last season, Clark proved that he has the ability to be an impact defensive end and wreak havoc on opposing backfields. He’s expected to take a huge leap forward as a sophomore, but how will he react to being at the top of the scouting report?
Javon Scruggs is a name to watch in the secondary. The safety is the leader of the defensive backs and is one of the top returning tacklers on the team.
How do you see Saturday’s game playing out? What’s your prediction?
The first few series are critical to Liberty. It’s the Flames first game of the season with a lot of unproven pieces. If WKU jumps out to an early lead, it could get ugly. If Liberty starts off strong, it will be a close game that is decided in the 4th quarter. I’ll say WKU 27, LU 14.
I want to thank Jon for taking the time to do this q&a with us. You can read his work on A Sea of Red and follow his twitter account @ASeaofRed for fun analysis and reaction to Saturday’s matchup.
