Kevin Sumlin’s Texas A&M Aggies will take on Dana Holgorsen’s West Virginia Mountaineers in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Monday afternoon. The game should be an offense affair, with both teams putting up a lot of points.
Both teams carry disappointing 7-5 records going into the game in Memphis, Tennessee on Monday. For Texas A&M, there are several coaching concerns. Defensive coordinator, Mark Snyder, was fired shortly after their 23-17 loss to LSU; with the Aggies losing the last two games of their 2014 season and being ranked 102 overall on defense in the NCAA, this was definitely the correct move for A&M going forward. However, without a new defensive coordinator hire as of yet, the Aggies will plug in linebackers coach, Mark Hagan, to take the reins of the defense for the Liberty Bowl. Maybe not a good thing, as the linebacker position was a glaring weakness for A&M this season. Additionally, the Aggies lost two other coaches on their staff, along with Snyder, at the end of the regular season. We shall see how the new coaches will prepare the team, and how the players will respond.
As for WVU, their biggest concern is the loss of quarterback Clint Trickett. Due to sustaining five concussions over the last 14 months, Trickett has decided to retire from football altogether. Based on research that has led to alarming findings when athletes suffer multiple concussions, most people as well as myself think he made the correct decision. So, now coach Holgorsen will have to put the pressure squarely on the shoulders of sophomore quarterback, Skyler Howard.
On the football field in Memphis, A&M will need a strong performance from their running game. As in the regular season, running backs Brandon Williams, Trey Williams and Tra Carson will each get multiple carries. Based on how the season unfolded down the stretch, let us hope that Trey gets the starting nod over Brandon. He has been the Aggies’ best RB, finding openings quickly and decisively, toting the rock for explosive plays.
Freshman quarterback Kyle Allen will get the start over Kenny Hill once again after finishing the year under center. Allen will need plenty of pass protection as well as open wide receivers to get the job done. Speaking of A&M’s wide receivers, the unit led the SEC with total drops on the year. They will need sure hands on Monday for the Aggies to escape Memphis with a bowl victory. Look for wide receiver/kick returner Speedy Noil to showcase his elusive quickness, and for WR Josh Reynolds to be targeted by Allen on a regular basis. On the defensive side of the football, defensive end Myles Garrett will need to lead the charge, scaring Mountaineers QB Howard into making mistakes while in the pocket.
For the powerful West Virginia offense, the pitch and catch relationship between Howard and Biletnikoff finalist, wide receiver Kevin White, will be an enormous key to a Mountaineers bowl victory. As for their running attack, WVU will rely mainly on running back Rushel Shell to rush through A&M’s defensive front and into the secondary. Defensively, defensive ends Noble Nwachukwu and Shaquille Riddick as well as nose tackle Kyle Rose will have to impose their will on A&M’s strong offensive line.
There are a bevy of playmakers on offense for both the Mountaineers and Aggies, yet this year’s Liberty Bowl will be decided in the trenches. Yes, the ever-popular matchup between the offensive and defensive fronts of both squads will make the difference between a win and a loss on Monday afternoon in Memphis.
*Section Photo credit to Jamie Squire, Getty Images; Featured Photo (above) credit to John Reed, USA Today Sports
