Preview: Q&A with Liberty Beat Writer Damien Sordelett

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — After a huge upset as a home underdog last weekend against Marshall, the Blue Raiders are staring down perhaps their biggest challenge of the season as they take to the skies once again for their latest road game, a showdown with Liberty at 2:30 p.m. central on ESPN3.

The 4-1 Flames are also coming off a big win over a C-USA foe, a 36-12 trouncing of UAB in the Blazers' inaugural game at Protective Stadium. Led by NFL draft prospect Malik Willis, a dual threat quarterback who has thrown for 1,105 yards and 11 touchdowns and ran for 418 yards and six touchdowns through the team's first five games.

"I believe he's a pass first guy," safety Reed Blankenship said. "He's got a great arm on him, he likes to go downfield. They've got great receivers and they like to take shots."

With four receivers having a catch of at least 30 yards against UAB, the Blue Raider secondary will be tasked with limiting Willis' big play threat with his arm, while a likely QB spy in the front seven will hope to contain his legs.

"We've got to stay on top," cornerbacks coach Kenneth Gilstrap said. "His receivers, when he puts it there, they make the play. If you give them something, they're going to take it."

Defensively, the Flames have only had one game where they've given up more than 17 points, a 24-21 loss on the road to Syracuse. Head coach Rick Stockstill highlighted the unit's speed in this week's press conference, and the stats bare out the benefits of a fast unit. The Flames rank in the Top 15 in the country in Team Sacks and in the Top 25 in Team Tackles for Loss.

A challenge, to be sure, for the Blue Raider offensive line, but quarterback Chase Cunningham is confident the offense will be able to respond with their Xs and Os.

"Schematically, I think it's the same thing that Marshall did," Cunningham said. "So we'll be prepared for it."

To get an insider's look at the Flames, GoBlueRaiders.com staff writer Sam Doughton traded emails this week with the Lynchburg News & Advance's beat writer Damien Sordelett. He breaks down Willis' journey to Liberty, the standouts on the Flames' defense, and much more below.

1) Liberty is coming off their best season in program history, with the Flames going 10-1 and finishing the year inside the Top 20 of both the AP and Coaches poll. The 2021 season has gotten off to a good start as well. In Hugh Freeze's third year at the helm, where do you think internal expectations are for the rest of the Flames' season?

The internal expectations mirror what Freeze tells us on a near weekly basis -- become bowl eligible and go to the best bowl game possible. Freeze, as a former Power Five coach at Ole Miss, has a keen understanding of how the system works. Unless your team is vying for a College Football Playoff spot (usually between five or six teams) or a New Year's Six bid, a bowl game is the logical expectation every season.

Whether or not anyone within the program will admit it, there are slightly higher expectations than just becoming bowl eligible. Freeze speaks of this season's schedule being much more difficult than the 2020 slate, but it actually sets up for the Flames to potentially reach 10 wins for the second straight season. Liberty will be favored over the next four weeks (including this weekend against Middle Tennessee) and has a chance to enter a highly anticipated matchup with Ole Miss on Nov. 6 with an 8-1 record. The Flames have been exceptional against Group of Five conference teams under Freeze. They have won 11 straight against programs from Conference USA, the Sun Belt, the MAC and the Mountain West, and the lone setback came in the second week of the 2019 season at Louisiana when Freeze's surgically repaired back was still on the mend and he needed to sit in a medical chair in the coaches' box.

Regardless of what happens against the Rebels, the final two games are especially daunting (both at home against Louisiana and Army), but certainly winnable.

2) Malik Willis has, rightfully, earned a lot of praise from opponents and scouts alike this season, including all of the Blue Raiders that were available in Monday's press conference. Looking outside of the eye popping numbers the Auburn transfer has put up so far, what are some of his traits on and off the field that have made him into one of the top quarterbacks in the country so far?

The one thing that immediately pops out about Willis isn't his jaw-dropping, highlight-reel plays on the field. It is his humility off the field. The quarterback, in wins and losses, would rather glorify God than focus on his individual achievements. He praises his teammates for their play in wins, and he is the first to take the blame in his two losses as a starter at N.C. State in 2020 and at Syracuse in 2021. He would rather discuss his teammates' accomplishments than his own.

His mindset stems from how his transfer from Auburn unfolded. Willis entered the 2019 spring practices as the heir apparent to Jarrett Stidham, but he did not prepare like he should for the 15 practices. It was reflected in his play and the fact he was third on the Tigers' depth chart behind a true freshman (Bo Nix) and a redshirt freshman (Joey Gatewood).

Willis has admitted the humbling experience changed him, and it has been for the good. He constantly says preparation is the key to his success. When he is not in class or playing Call of Duty with his teammates, Willis is either in the film room or on the practice field getting in extra work.

Now, that isn't to take away what he has done on the field. He entered the 2020 season with the knock of not being a passing threat. Willis answered those critics by completing more than 64% of his passes for 20 touchdowns to only six interceptions, and scouts drooled over his arm strength and ability to throw deep balls on a rope.

His biggest improvement this season is his accuracy. His completion percentage is nearly 7 points higher at 71% through five games and he has not thrown an interception. The strength is still there for his downfield passes, but he is displaying more touch on short and intermediate routes, and his throws outside the numbers have been described by ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. as "NFL throws."

3) While Willis is the team's leading rusher, there's obviously a strong supporting cast of skill guys to help make use of his skillset. Who are some of the top supporting players that have caught your eye on offense this season, how have they helped Liberty put together an efficient scoring offense thus far, and what's the key, if any, to slowing them down defensively?

Liberty has three talented running backs in Joshua Mack, T.J. Green and Shedro Louis, but none have established themselves as go-to options. They are combining for 102.8 yards per game, which on the surface doesn't sound bad at all. However, the trio of Mack, Louis and Peytton Pickett averaged 192.4 yards and they had a combined five 100-yard outings over the first five games of 2020. (Mack, Green and Louis have zero 100-yard games this season.)

The production has been made up through the passing attack. Slot receiver DeMario Douglas showed glimpses of his potential in a fairly limited role in 2019, and he had what many considered a breakout season in 2020 with 32 catches for 363 yards and three touchdowns. This is actually his breakout campaign. Through five games, he has 27 catches for 370 yards and three scores. Douglas served as DJ Stubbs' backup in 2020 and has taken on a much larger role with Stubbs working his way back from a foot injury.

CJ Daniels, recruited as a taller slot receiver, has moved to the outside out of necessity and has flourished over the last three weeks. He has recorded 11 catches for 225 yards and four touchdowns against Old Dominion, Syracuse and UAB after posting two receptions for 21 yards in the first two weeks. Daniels is becoming more comfortable playing outside the numbers and creating separation, which he didn't need to do while working in the slot.

N.C. State in 2020 and Troy this season have provided blueprints for slowing down Liberty's offense. The Wolfpack and Trojans both collapsed the pocket and used stellar coverage to ensure Willis couldn't scramble for big gains or find receivers downfield when plays break down.

There is a big difference, however, in how those games played out. Willis threw three interceptions in the one-point loss at N.C. State. He did not commit a turnover at Troy and helped manage an eight-point victory.

See a trend? Force turnovers to create a chance to beat Liberty.

4) The offense has gotten a lot of the national and visiting press headlines, but I think the Liberty defense might have a case as the better of the two units given their production through five games, holding opponents to just 14.6 points a game, with the team's tackles for loss in particular jump off the stat sheet. Rick Stockstill praised the overall speed of the defense in this week's press conference as well. Who are some of the Liberty names Blue Raider fans should know pregame to keep an eye on when MT has the ball?

The Liberty defense certainly gets lost with the attention Willis, a potential first-round pick next spring, receives. The unit has been particularly stout in the second half of games, especially in the third quarter. The Flames have forced nine three-and-outs in 16 defensive series. Syracuse scored on its opening drive of the second half, and Liberty has responded by forcing six straight three-and-outs. UAB in the third quarter last week had four three-and-outs and netted minus-1 yard. (By the way, Syracuse's seven points are the only third-quarter points Liberty has allowed so far this season.)

Linebacker Storey Jackson has made an immediate impact after transferring in the summer from Prairie View A&M. Jackson was a first-team FCS All-American in the spring season, and he has picked up that level of play with the Flames. He leads the team with 38 tackles (24 solo) and has contributed with tackles for a loss (4.5), sacks (2.5) and interceptions (one).

A second defensive player to keep an eye on is rover JaVon Scruggs. He is undersized (5-11, 185) for his position, but plays much more physical and faster than his stature. He led the team with 69 tackles and two interceptions last season, and he has 24 stops and three pass breakups through five games. Scruggs has played all three safety positions (rover, free safety and strong safety) and undoubtedly the most snaps of any safety on Liberty's roster since the start of 2019, and he knows where he needs to be on most every play.

5) Middle Tennessee enters Saturday heavy underdogs as the visitors for Liberty's homecoming game, despite both teams coming off solid wins against C-USA foes. What do you think will be keys for Liberty to avoid the upset on their own field and continue to build on the season's strong start?

Liberty has done a better job of protecting the ball under Freeze, particularly this season. The Flames have turned the ball over only twice through five weeks, and one was considered controversial because Mack was ruled to have fumbled the ball while crossing the goal line. Liberty's ability to maintain possession allows the offense to build momentum and string together successful drives, and it does not force the defense into sudden change situations.

A key stat to keep an eye on during Saturday's game is which team wins the running game. Liberty is 18-0 under Freeze when outrushing its opponent (in its lone loss this season, Syracuse outrushed Liberty 228-150), and being able to establish the line of scrimmage typically allows the Flames to win the time of possession battle and control the game.

Speaking of the running game, someone other than Willis needs to take control and be able to pick up significant yards. For as many highlight-reel runs Willis has, he has taken nearly as many shots being brought down in the open field. Mack, Green and Louis need to pick up 5 to 6 yards per carry so Willis isn't asked to run around as much as he has needed to over the past two weeks.

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Players Mentioned

Reed Blankenship

Chase Cunningham

Middle Tennessee State University Athletics