LU focusing on special teams

The game film alone should be enough to grab the attention of Liberty’s players.

First, there’s the film of last year’s Liberty-Lafayette game in Lynchburg. The usually unflappable Flames’ special teams unit unraveled that day, as Lafayette used a long punt return to set up an easy touchdown and blocked a punt for a touchdown.

Not surprisingly, the Leopards won by 14 points.

The reason the Flames trailed by 10 points at home last week against North Carolina Central was special teams breakdowns, so the LU coaching staff has a common thread to present to players in practice this week.

“I’m starting (Tuesday’s) team meeting with five special teams play from last year’s game (against Lafayette) that led to our demise,” Liberty coach Danny Rocco said. “It’s certainly being brought to the team’s attention. I have a special teams alert on here this week. Every time we go to a special teams period, you’re going to hear a siren going on the field until I feel like I can stop blowing the siren.

“It will get their attention. All eyes, all ears. During the game Saturday, I certainly expect to have the same mentality out there playing in the kicking game, where we have total focus and attention. Everybody on the bus making the trip has got to be involved in that, as if the siren is blowing.”

The attention to detail is necessary thanks to a poor special teams showing in the first quarter and a half Saturday. Liberty muffed a punt and got called for two fourth-down penalties that extended North Carolina Central drives. Flames freshman kick returner Aldreakis Allen made a dubious decision to field a kickoff that was on its way out of bounds, costing Liberty 28 yards of field positions.

“I tell you what was disappointing. We made some mental errors that were uncharacteristic of us,” Liberty special teams coordinator Marshall Roberts said. “Those are some things we attribute to, you know, we had made some big stops on ‘D.’ They can’t relax when you make big stops on ‘D.’ They have to continue that focus all the way through. Some guys relaxed when they shouldn’t have.”

It was a surprising turn of events, considering what happened in Liberty’s opener at West Virginia. Liberty’s kick return team played a huge role in getting the Flames great field position on two of their scoring drives.

The other concern is Lafayette’s special teams. The Leopards were clearly prepared to exploit some holes in the Flames’ coverage teams last season, and though some key personnel are gone from both sides, the schemes remain mostly unchanged.

In last year’s game, Liberty fumbled on a punt return, leading to Lafayette’s first score. A 63-yard punt return set up Lafayette’s second score. With Liberty trailing 28-14 in the second half, LC’s Andy Romans blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown. And Romans broke free on a fake punt near the end of the game to sap Liberty’s hopes for a comeback.

“I tell you what, they’re a bunch of really smart kids,” Roberts said. “Their coaches put together plans and the kids execute. That’s the biggest thing they do. They really execute what they are taught to do very well, and they execute it with passion, speed and intensity.”