This is a matchup between two teams who started the season strongly and found themselves in the Top 25 before falling to a run of defeats that saw them slip to 7-5 seasons. For Texas A&M, the promise of a 5-0 start quickly dissipated as they lost five of their final six conference games with only a shock win against Auburn on the road. For West Virginia, they lost three straight to start November before finishing the season with a road win over Iowa State.
The game promises to be a shootout with both teams running the highly successful Air Raid offense whilst having numerous problems on defense. The Aggies are continuing with Kyle Allen at quarterback over Kenny Hill who started the season in such emphatic fashion beating South Carolina 52-28. He showed glimpses of his potential in the win at Auburn and on a few key passes against LSU. The run game has also been given more opportunities since Allen took over under center as well and has impressed.
The AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Texas A&M Aggies v West Virginia Mountaineers
For West Virginia, they have Clint Trickett at quarterback for the last time before he graduates as a senior. Trickett did miss the regular season finale with a concussion but should be fine after plenty of time off since that game. He leads an offense full of weapons with Kevin White at wide receiver who finished sixth in the nation in receiving yards and will be a real concern for the porous Aggies pass defense. The Mountaineers also have a prolific running back duo in Rushel Shell and Wendell Smallwood to lean on as well.
Both the coaching staffs for these teams are well acquainted with West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen having worked for Kevin Sumlin when he was at Houston. Texas A&M offensive coordinator Jake Spavital was an assistant under Holgorsen at WVU two seasons ago as well. So both teams will be incredibly familiar with the offensive philosophies of the other which should help the defenses as they’ll facing an opponent very similar to the one they see in practice every day.
One of the key aspects of the game will be the pass rush. The Mountaineers forced just 18 sacks during the regular season and now go up against one of the better offensive lines in the nation. If they can’t get pressure on Kyle Allen then it will be a long day for the defense as they can’t rely on their secondary to cover the likes of Speedy Noil and Malcome Kennedy consistently. The same is true for the Aggies defense so it’s crucial that freshman Myles Garrett is able to get into the backfield to disrupt the passing game. Whichever defense is able to make big plays by forcing sacks or turnovers will be the team that wins this game.
Prediction: A shootout with both teams putting up some big scores but I think the Aggies defense will force a key turnover to come away with a win.
Texas A&M 41-35 West Virginia
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