The Other Side of the Wall: Liberty

We all remember where we were the last time out. We all remember Stephen Calvert’s incredible day, which ended with that heartbreaking touchdown.

The Liberty that’s coming to town this weekend is a different flame, much more dangerous than under its previous head coach. Hugh Freeze has the team aiming for another almost-perfect season, and the man under center is capable of even more incredible feats.

To help us find the spark behind this team, we enlisted the help of Brett Jones from A Sea of Red, Liberty’s premier coverage site. His input looks like this.

First things first, Malik Willis is dangerous. He used to be the quarterback of the future right up the road on the Plains. Now, he’s set program records, doing it all in college football’s shortest modern season.

Malik has improved tremendously as a passer since transferring from Auburn – throwing for 2,260 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2020. He also rushed for almost 994 yards and 9 touchdowns – catapulting him into late-season Heisman rumors.

We all remember the last time a ranked team came into the Vet in September with a legitimate Heisman candidate.

Malik can thread needles, throw the deep ball effortlessly, and drop touch passes over defenders. He is prone to forcing throws every now and then, but Willis’s arm strength is so impressive that he can sometimes get away with it.

He didn’t pick up as many yards on the ground, but that’s because the Flames have their own corral of rushers. That list starts with Joshua Mack, a former FCS All-American, having run for almost 800 yards last season, and last week, rushing for 66 yards and a touchdown.

Most of Liberty’s wide receiver and running back production is done by committee. I expect the Flames to go to Mack early and often Saturday.

Utah transfer TJ Green will factor into the mix, as will Shedro Louis: a sophomore with breakaway speed. Louis’s speed gives him big-play ability at running back and as a kick returner, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him break off an explosive play or two against Troy.

The Flames scored five total rushing touchdowns against Campbell, and a different person got into the end zone each time: Willis, Mack, Louis, backup quarterback Jonathan Bennett and wideout CJ Daniels. Ignore the fact that Daniels recovered a fumble, it’s listed as a rushing touchdown.

Daniels is one of three receivers listed as a potential starter in the Z position. Like Troy, the Flames have a deep receiving corps.

Junior receiver Noah Frith is expected to return against Troy, which will give Malik Willis a tall target in a room full of smaller, shifty receivers. Demario Douglas’s speed and route running ability allow him to get behind defenses and score.

On defense, Liberty returns four of the team’s top five tacklers, including clubhouse leader Javon Scruggs, who picked up a nice 69 tackles last season. The safety also picked off two passes.

I’d also keep an eye on defensive end Durrell Johnson. Johnson recorded 9 sacks last year, and if he can rattle Taylor Powell, it could be hard for the Trojans to find an offensive rhythm.

His partner in crime, TreShaun Clark, picked up six sacks last year, and equaled Johnson’s 38 tackles. As a unit, the defense allowed 132.8 rushing yards per game, ranking 12th in the country, and 184.9 yards through the air, good for 29th. Put together, the Flames ranked 11th in the country in total defense.

I think the biggest question mark for the Flames is their kicking game. Senior kicker Alex Barbir is talented – he can hit long field goals, was the hero of Liberty’s overtime victory at Virginia Tech last year, and he came up big in clutch situations throughout the 2020 season.

However, he’s also struggled to find consistency at times. Last week against Campbell, Barbir missed an extra point and his lone field goal attempt. If he can’t shake his nerves against Troy, the Flames could find themselves in trouble.

Still, Liberty is bringing in a Heisman-caliber quarterback and one of the country’s best defenses—who didn’t lose that many players.

Liberty returns about everyone – 95% of their offensive production and 79% of their defensive production from 2020, to be exact. If Liberty has gained anything, it’s much-needed depth on defense.

The Flames bolstered their already-experienced roster over the offseason with transfers: safety Skyler Thomas (Washington State), linebacker Storey Jackson (FCS All-American at Prairie View A&M last year), linebacker Rashaad Harding (former starter at Louisiana-Monroe), defensive back Duron Lowe (UTEP), running back TJ Green (Utah) and others transferred to Liberty prior to this season.

Sound familiar? Troy is staring down a team with as much talent both returning and transferring in on its own roster. There are no guaranteed position wins, and that’s what will make this game so good.

They won’t be on the field at the same time, but I’m really looking forward to Willis and Powell facing off. Malik is an exceptional talent, but he’s prone to forcing throws and being careless when running the ball. Powell’s accuracy and command of the offense are impressive, but there are still quite a few unknowns about him. Ultimately, I think the team whose quarterback plays the best will win the game.

I somewhat disagree with that last line. We all remember when Troy was in this position before. Willis and Powell both have the ability to make plays happen, but like the Southern Miss game, I’m pointing to the line of scrimmage as the key to victory.

I told Brett yesterday that both defenses are excited to be challenged by such explosive offenses. I said the “fewest mistakes will win” cliche is true, and it’s going to be “won in the trenches.” Of course, in Brett’s defense, we will see that play out in the quarterback game as well.

The one thing we know for sure: This will be another game to remember.

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