By Jimmy Kirby
Courier Sports

jkirby@thepccourier.com

PICKENS — The first two games of the 2015 season have been a struggle

John Bolton/BoltonPhoto.com
A trio of Pickens defenders closes in on Liberty quarterback Austin Hughey on Friday night. The Red Devils have yet to find the end zone through the first two games of the season, including Friday’s 30-0 loss to the Blue Flame.

offensively for the Liberty Red Devils, as they have yet to score a point during regulation play, including a 30-0 loss at the hands of county rival Pickens on Friday night.

The team’s only points came in overtime in the opener against Crescent on a 20-yard Dylan McCall field goal.

The Red Devils have struggled with consistency in moving the football. Six fumbles and one interception in two games have contributed to the offensive inconsistency.

Austin Hughey was forced into the starting quarterback role with the departure of two-year starter Tyler Burgess and a summer football injury to Nick Reeves, who had been the anticipated starter. Reeves should return sometime soon, but Liberty coach Kyle Stewart has announced no specific timetable. The learning curve for Hughey has been tough being thrust into varsity play for the first time.

Against the Blue Flame, the Red Devils had a total of 10 possessions in the game, and half of them resulted in turnovers.

They had four possessions that resulted in three-and-out drives and just one possession that was longer than three plays. The longest drive was 12 plays, and the Red Devils gained 46 yards on the possession. That was the only time the Red Devils crossed into Pickens territory. It is very difficult to score when you are playing on your own side of the field all night. The Red Devils would certainly love to see someone break a long one to shift field position and provide an opportunity to put points on the board.

The longest gain from scrimmage on the night for the Red Devils was a 19-yard run by Hughey that came late in the fourth quarter, but it also resulted in a turnover to give the ball back to the Blue Flame.

The Red Devils were also forced to start each possession deep in their own territory by the booming leg of Pickens kicker Matt Gravely. Liberty’s average starting field position was its own 21-yard line. Gravely accounted for five touchbacks on seven kickoff attempts on the evening.

The Red Devils managed only 89 total yards of offense on the evening, all coming on the ground. Eddy Mathis led the way for the Red Devils with 31 yards on 10 carries. Hughey was 0-for-4 through the air with one interception.

The Red Devil defense held the Blue Flame rushing attack in check for most of the evening, as the Blue Flame gained just 105 yards on the ground. Gunner Covey gained 69 yards on 15 carries to lead Pickens.

The spread formation Blue Flame coach John Boggs decided to go with against the Red Devils made the difference. Sophomore quarterback Tanner Stegall finished the game 12-for-20 on the night for 188 passing yards and one touchdown. He completed passes to six different receivers in the game. The Blue Flame had previously used the power run game in the first two games of the season in losses to Easley and Pendleton.

Stewart will continue to work his squad on fundamentals to develop the run game, using the clock to his advantage as the Devils head into a home matchup with Walhalla this Friday night. Liberty will also have to do a better job of holding onto the football in order to gain the consistency Stewart is seeking in order to nab the first win of the season.

There is an end zone on both ends of the field, and the Red Devils are determined to get there sooner than later.

Kickoff for Friday night’s game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.