Liberty’s football team is five weeks into the season and the Hurricanes are still searching for the consistency it has yet to find.

The Hurricanes committed four turnovers, had a punt blocked and saw two extra-point attempts blocked in a 41-19 loss at Whitehall, dropping their mark to 1-4 on the season.

For head coach Shawn Daignault, the frustrating part was that his group continued to show flashes of what it is capable of doing, only to have mistakes derail those opportunities.

“It honestly wasn’t that much different in the sense that we had moments where we do some great stuff,” Daignault said. “We have capabilities that shine through at moments, but we lack consistency. We lack consistency on the practice field, and it shows when you come out here on Thursday night.”

Liberty appeared poised to turn the game in its favor after falling behind 13-0. The Hurricanes rallied to tie the game at 13 with 6:44 remaining in the first half, following a one-yard rushing score by quarterback Alsaiah Gross. It was the second rushing score of the quarter for Gross, but that’s where the momentum ended for Liberty. Whitehall responded by scoring 21 consecutive points and eventually pulled away.

The Hurricanes had opportunities to stay within striking distance, but turnovers repeatedly ended promising drives.

“Every time we did, we throw a pick in the end zone, we fumble, another kickoff that could have gone the other way,” Daignault said. “Our special teams are the first place you see problems in practice. Your special teams start to erode, and we can’t protect an extra point right now.”

Whitehall quarterback Tanner Dogmanits threw for 129 yards and two touchdowns, while senior running back Jeziah Gregory rushed for 172 yards and three touchdowns. Gregory’s 50-yard touchdown run provided the final points of the night.

The Zephyrs, who improved to 4-1 and won their third straight, also received a strong defensive effort from junior Rocco Fonzone, who intercepted two passes. His second interception came in the end zone to stop a Liberty scoring opportunity.

Whitehall also turned a special-teams mistake into points when senior Iskander Blanco blocked a punt that sophomore Clifford Murray recovered for a touchdown in the first quarter.

Gross also found Carmelo Griffin on a 37-yard score in the fourth quarter, but the Hurricanes could not overcome the turnovers and special teams breakdowns over the course of the night.

Sophomore Treyce Whitlow provided a bright spot on the ground, rushing for 93 yards on 12 carries. Freshman Cole Pukszyn also contributed five receptions for 79 yards.

The loss continued a difficult stretch for a Liberty team that hoped to build off last year’s district playoff appearance.

Daignault said the lack of experience throughout the roster has contributed to the growing pains, but he doesn’t view it as an excuse.

“When you have a strong group of leaders and veterans, it’s a little easier for them to get it,” he said. “There’s very few guys on our team right now that have a whole lot of playing experience before this year. But it’s not an excuse.”

The Hurricanes have been together since May, and Daignault said he believes the team should have made more progress by this point in the season.

“It’s the end of week five and the season’s halfway over,” he said. “We should have grown more by now. Again, I’d start with me and the rest of the coaches. We need to do a better job.”

Liberty will have an opportunity to regroup next week when they travel to Pocono Mountain West, who are 4-1 to start the season.

Despite the frustration, Daignault believes there is still enough talent on the roster for Liberty to turn things around.

“There’s enough talent in the room that if we decide to do things different on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, there’s no reason we can’t play a very good game next Friday night,” Daignault said. “There’s enough talent in the room, and we’re close on a lot of things. But close doesn’t win games.”