Liberty Coaches Break Down Wake Forest Offense
The Liberty Flames enter Week 3 with a 2-0 record, set to face their toughest matchup thus far against No. 19 Wake Forest. Head coach Hugh Freeze addressed the media Monday, discussing the prowess of the Deacons’ offense - one that is averaging 44.5 points per game so far this season.
“Offensively, they're a problem,” Freeze said. “Their tempo — everything about it — they’re averaging a lot of points against a lot of good defenses.”
Freeze also touched on the Deacons’ versatility, mentioning the different ways Wake Forest can move the ball.
“They have a trigger guy like Sam Hartman and two receivers like A.T. Perry and Donavon Greene, who are as good as you're gonna see,” he said. “The running backs are really shifty and they have a veteran offensive line.”
READ: AP Top 25: Where Wake Forest and Other ACC Teams Stand
Co-defensive coordinator Josh Aldridge agreed with Freeze’s summation of the Deacons on offense.
“They have some big long dudes on the outside, but there’s more to them than that,” Aldridge added. “They hardly ever give up tackles for loss. They always get the ball back to the line of scrimmage. We have to find ways to stop that and, at a minimum, make it incomplete when they start throwing the ball.”
When Freeze looked at film of Wake Forest’s offense, Hartman’s ability to lead the slow-mesh RPO really stood out to him.
“What they do offensively is a little different,” he said. “You don't see it a whole lot and that gives you problems. I'm really intrigued by it, truthfully, and kind of jealous that I haven't studied it more. They’re patient on the line of scrimmage, letting the running backs, who are very shifty, make the linebackers miss. They throw the ball one yard from where the quarterback takes the snap. It’s going to be a challenge for us.”
Aldridge had high praise for Hartman’s play. To him, the redshirt junior’s performance against Vanderbilt was a microcosm of what makes him a high caliber quarterback.
“He's easily the best quarterback we've played since I've worked here,” Aldridge said. “What's most impressive is how efficient he is with his command of the offense. He's got a great arm and quick release. He’s seen every look you could possibly give him, but we’re going to give him our best shot.”
Freeze mentioned that the team had begun their preparation for the Wake Forest offense Monday morning — and it hadn’t gone well. When facing the slow-mesh, the defense had trouble making stops, which Freeze believes is a testament to its effectiveness. After what he saw today, he said it was difficult to be confident.
“It's hard for me to feel great sitting here on Monday and think that we're going to do a great job in preparing properly for [the offense],” Freeze said. “We’re not going to stop them. Hopefully we can be stingy in the red zone and make them settle for some field goals and try not to give up too many explosive plays. But, they're creating those [explosive] plays against almost everybody they play, so it's going to be difficult.”
While Freeze and Rutledge were complimentary of the slow-mesh offense, senior defensive lineman Dennis Osagiede thought otherwise.
"Every quarterback folds under pressure," he said. "They have that RPO and that's cute and all, but if you put pressure in a guy's face, he's going to make some indecisive mistake."
Wake Forest hosts Liberty at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
