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After a month layoff, Texas A&M gets back to action against West Virginia on Monday, Dec. 29 in the Liberty Bowl. The Mountaineers (7-5, 5-4 Big 12) bring an up-tempo attack that will certainly challenge the Aggies defense.
With just a few days until kickoff, we take a look at some of the numbers that could influence the matchup.
The Good
- 28. West Virginia is one of the most turnover-prone teams in the country, with 28 giveaways on the season. They also have a minus-13 differential, good news for Texas A&M. The Aggies only won the turnover battle twice all season, and were 4-4 when they had a negative turnover margin.
- 5. The Aggies are not good at stopping the run, giving up more than 6 yards per carry, but they’re 5-1 when they hold teams under 5 yards per carry, their average for the season. West Virginia has two runners with more than 600 yards this season, but the team is only averaging 4.2 yards per carry and has been held to 5.0 yards or fewer 10 times this year.
- 18. The Mountaineers have a dangerous kick returner in Mario Alford, who has averaged 26.7 yards per runback and broken free for two touchdowns. Texas A&M has been strong on special teams, thanks in part to a strong kickoff specialist, and have only allowed 18 yards per kickoff return this season.
The Bad
- 85. The Mountaineers run an astounding 85 plays per game, 14 more than the Aggies. Their fast pace will likely cause problems for an inexperienced Texas A&M defense currently without a coordinator and slow down the Aggies pass rush.
- 13.5: WVU star receivers Kevin White and Mario Alford combined to averaged 13.5 yards per catch in 2014. White’s phsyical dominance and Alford’s ability to operate in space will severely test an Aggies defense that allowed 12.2 yards per reception this year.
- 7.9. Texas A&M is at its most balanced and efficient when it can jump out to an early lead. That will be a tough task against WVU, currently 31st in the nation with 7.9 points per first quarter. The Aggies aren’t too far behind at 7.2, giving this the makings of a shootout.
A former freelance journalist from Philadelphia, Brett has made the trek down to SEC country to cover the greatest conference in college football.
