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Here are some quick thoughts on Texas A&M’s 45-37 win against West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl.
What it means: The SEC is pretty darn good. Underdogs in just three of the 12 bowl games, the first two already have won. The Aggies were what they were all season: an offense good enough to take advantage of poor play and a defense hanging on by a thread at best. Texas A&M finished 5-0 outside of the SEC, but collapsed in the second half of the season
What I liked: The Texas A&M run game showed up in a major way, producing its first 100-yard rusher in more than two years. Kyle Allen threw one pick and nearly a few more, but even against a shaky defense played perhaps the best game of his true freshman season. The defense played very well through the entire middle stretch of the game from about three minutes into the second quarter until late in the fourth. This year’s Liberty Bowl didn’t lack for action.
What I didn’t like: The game lasted four long hours, and it was sloppy to boot. There were a ton of unsportsmanlike penalties, and then a student assistant for A&M threw a few cheap shots on the sideline in the first half. The Aggies could’ve turned the ball over at least four other times, but dropped interceptions and recovered fumbles saved them. The defense still allowed 472 total yards despite the absence of starting quarterback Clint Trickett, as the Mountaineers threw up several prayers answered against a sometimes-hapless secondary. Neither team could make a play in kick coverage. Texas A&M lost Howard Matthews early in the game due to a targeting penalty.
Who’s the man: Trey Williams. Yes, Tra Carson led the team with 133 rushing yards. But Williams was everywhere — 86 rushing yards, 46 receiving yards, 103 kickoff return yards and two touchdowns. Williams turned what would’ve been an effective offense into a dominant, balanced attack.
Key play: Allen’s 14-yard dive into the corner of the end zone at the end of the first half. The quarterback did a terrific job getting the ball past the pylon and the play gave Texas A&M a 28-27 halftime lead that set up a dominant third quarter.
What’s next: The Aggies must move quickly to install a defensive coordinator. Then Kevin Sumlin and the staff must decide if Kyle Allen will remain the starting quarterback headed into next season. If Texas A&M doesn’t improve markedly on defense with a new coordinator and maturing personnel, Sumlin, who made $5 million this season to coach the sixth-best SEC West team, won’t have many places to hide. The offensive line also must replace a few pieces, notably OT Cedric Ogbuehi and LG Jarvis Harrison. The team should pull in another strong recruiting class.
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
