Liberty Bowl 2014: Preview, Predictions for Texas A&M vs. West Virginia

Texas A&M will face West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl on December 29 in Memphis, Tennessee. The game will make for an intriguing matchup between two big-name programs.

The Aggies finished the 2014 regular season with a 7-5 record overall and a 3-5 record in the Southeastern Conference. The Mountaineers finished their regular season with a similar 7-5 record.

This is the sixth year in a row that the Aggies have qualified for a bowl game. The Aggies are starting four true freshmen and have 11 true freshmen listed on the depth chart.  

The Texas A&M coaches can use the extra practices for the bowl to get another look at the freshmen and to get them important reps to help expedite their progress as players. 

This bowl game represents the first step in the process of the Aggies becoming a conference and a national title contender in 2015. This following is a complete preview of the 2014 Liberty Bowl. 

Texas A&M Keys to Victory

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

The formula to winning football games has never really changed. If Texas A&M protects the football, runs the ball and is able to stop the run, then it will win the Liberty Bowl. 

The Aggies have struggled to stop the run the entire season. They will need Otaro Alaka, Shawn Washington and the other linebackers to step up and have a big game against West Virginia. 

Freshman defensive end Myles Garrett set an SEC record with 11 sacks in 2014. He will need to have a big game against WVU in order to pressure Clint Trickett into making mistakes. 

Trickett has thrown 10 interceptions in 2014. If the Aggies can get consistent pressure on him then they will be able to force turnovers which can create a lot of momentum.

On offense, the Aggies need to play their style. They need to go no-huddle and spread the field against the West Virginia defense. With almost a month to prepare, the Aggies offense should play one of their more complete games of the 2014 season. 

The Aggies need to score points and put pressure on the Mountaineers to keep up. They are not going to win the game by playing keep away from WVU. The Aggies do not have the kind of defense that can support that kind of strategy. 

West Virginia Keys to Victory

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

West Virginia will need to be prepared to face the Aggies' uptempo offense because it sees a similar offense in practice every day. If the Aggies are able to get out to a lead of 10 or more points early, then West Virginia may become discouraged and go through the motions for the rest of the game. 

The Aggies have a very poor defense, and West Virginia has an explosive offense that averages 33.2 points and 502.1 yards per game. That is not a good matchup for the Aggies. 

West Virginia needs to try to get the ball out quickly and get it into the hands of wide receiver Kevin White. He is its best offensive player and a threat to score any time he touches the ball. 

If WVU can find a way to get the ball into the hands of its skill-position players, it should be able to put points on the board against the Aggies defense. 

On defense, the Mountaineers need to be able to put consistent pressure on Texas A&M quarterback Kyle Allen. The WVU defense has only registered 18 sacks on the season. If it can get consistent pressure on Allen then it should be able to force incomplete passes and turnovers. 

Texas A&M Players to Watch

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Texas A&M fans will get an early preview of what the 2015 offense will look like under Allen. With multiple weeks to prepare, Aggie fans should expect Allen to come out confident and throwing darts all over the field. 

The freshman quarterback should have a big day against the Mountaineers defense. Do not be surprised to see him pass for over 300 yards and compete for the bowl game MVP award. 

Garrett is the best player on the Texas A&M football team. It is one thing to try and prepare to face him in practice and another to line up against his size and speed in person. He should have a major impact against the West Virginia passing game. 

Do not be surprised to see Garrett have a big game from his defensive end position and put himself in the conversation for preseason All-American honors in 2015, along with a Heisman mention. 

Junior running back Trey Williams is an explosive playmaker on offense and on special teams. He has scored touchdowns in the two bowl games in which he has appeared. Do not be surprised if WVU has trouble dealing with his speed out of the backfield. 

West Virginia Players to Watch

Chris Jackson/Associated Press

The Mountaineers have a very talented football team. White is one of the best offensive players in the nation. He has caught 102 passes for 1,318 yards and nine touchdowns in 2014. 

Wide receiver Mario Alford has caught 62 passes for 888 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also averages 27.7 yards per kick return and has returned two for touchdowns. 

Trickett has completed 67.1 percent of his passes for 3,285 yards with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. 

On defense, WVU is led by defensive end Shaquille Riddick who leads the team with 10 tackles for loss and seven sacks. 

What Are They Saying?

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Here's Sumlin on getting the chance to play West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl, per 12thman.com:

"

It’s a great honor to be selected to play in the Liberty Bowl against a great opponent in West Virginia. It’s a huge opportunity for our team to win a bowl game in four consecutive seasons, which is something we’ve never done in 119 seasons of football at Texas A&M. I’m excited for our team to get a chance to experience Memphis and I’m sure it will be a popular destination for our fans.

"

Texas A&M athletic director Eric Hyman said the following on the Liberty Bowl invite, per 12thman.com: "It’s a great accomplishment and reward for our program. I know it’s a big goal for Coach Sumlin and our team to become the first Texas A&M team to win a bowl game in four straight seasons. Memphis is a great destination for the 12^th Man and I’m sure our fans will be there to support the team."

West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen said that the bowl game is a reward for the players after a good season, per Mike Montoro of WVUSports.com: "We had a good season and getting to play in a bowl game is a great way to reward our players, especially our seniors. We will prepare hard for this bowl game and try to finish this season on a strong note."

Prediction

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Texas A&M and West Virginia run virtually identical offenses. The Aggies defense will be facing a mirror image of what it sees in practice every day.

Texas A&M offensive coordinator Jake Spavital was an assistant under Holgorsen at WVU two seasons ago. In theory, the Aggies' familiarity with this offense should help the defense.

This looks like it will be a shootout on paper. West Virginia has an explosive offense, and the Aggies offense should be very formidable after three weeks of bowl practices.

The Aggies will make one more play on defense than the Mountaineers and will outscore WVU 38-36.