Rocco has Flames focused on Charleston Southern

The pictures are undeniable. When Liberty’s players look at the video from the Flames’ last two games against Charleston Southern, all they see is the Flames taking the Buccaneers to the woodshed. Liberty beat the Buccaneers 42-0 last October at home, and two years ago in South Carolina, the Flames blasted CSU 50-10.

With the Flames coming off the high of a 58-13 whipping of Coastal Carolina, it’s easy to see how Liberty could be overconfident heading into Saturday’s game in North Charleston. But Flames coach Danny Rocco has a plan to make sure that CSU has his team’s full attention.

“We have an in-depth course of action to make sure that we don’t stub our toe,” Rocco said. “It all really comes down to focus and intensity.”

To whit, Rocco and has staff have invoked the “P” word this week in discussing Charleston Southern. “P,” of course, standing for “Presbyterian.”

Liberty’s loss last year in Clinton, S.C., to a 4-8 Blue Hose team ultimately eliminated the Flames from FCS playoff contention. If the Flames have any hope of entering the playoff conversation this year, they must run the table in the Big South. So in essence, every remaining game on Liberty’s schedule must be treated as a playoff game.

When Rocco thinks back to the hour before the PC game last season, he remembers that his team clearly lacked energy and focus. And by the time he tried to rouse the team shortly before kickoff, it was too late.

“We experienced a game in the state of South Carolina last year where it was apparent to me that 10 minutes before kickoff that my team was not ready to play,” Rocco said. “So I found myself in the locker room giving them an in-depth, heart-felt, enthusiastic, emotional pep talk. I knew deep down that wasn’t a good time to be giving them a pep talk. … So I’m addressing that today. I actually addressed it yesterday. I’m going to re-address it today in case somebody missed the highlights.

“I expect our kids to be in the locker room, before the game, ready to bust the door down. I’m not going to give a pep talk on Saturday afternoon.”

The message seems to be getting through to Liberty’s players.

“They’ve played Florida and South Florida, so their record really doesn’t show what kind of team they are,” LU receiver Chris Summers said. “We’ve got to go out there and treat it like a real big game, another conference game that we’re trying not to lose. We’ve got to be focused and execute.”

If anything, Rocco hopes the light turned on for his team at halftime of last week’s game. Liberty led Coastal Carolina 16-6 at the break and after an impassioned halftime speech in which Rocco said the second half could be the Flames’ “defining moment,” Liberty blitzed the Chanticleers for 42 straight points.

Rocco remembers another great second half, the one in Charleston two Octobers ago. Liberty was coming off a loss at Toledo and led 20-10 at the break at CSU before rattling off 30 straight points for an easy victory, jumpstarting an 11-game Liberty win streak.

“That was a defining moment in this program,” Rocco said. “Winning on the road in a conference game, a tight game at the half. We got the thing turned, and we never turned back. I’m hopeful that this locker room setting this week, the postgame celebration, can be looked at in the same vein.”

NOTE: Tailback B.J. Hayes is doubtful for Saturday’s game. He injured his left shoulder against Coastal Carolina on his only carry of the game. Aldreakis Allen will be the featured tailback Saturday, with Danny Broggin and SirChauncey Holloway splitting carries in the No. 2 role.