Tennessee just finished one of its worst regular seasons in program history. The Vols lost 7 of 10 games. Each defeat was by double digits.

But there’s more fun on deck! Because this is 2020 and nothing is normal.

On Sunday night the 3-7 Vols accepted a bid to the Liberty Bowl, a bowl game they have not played in since 1986, when they beat Minnesota 21-14.

The Vols will play 5-4 West Virginia, in a rematch of the 2018 season-opener. A lot has changed for both programs since the Mountaineers’ 40-14 romp.

To make sure that you are the most well-versed person at your Liberty Bowl party, here are 5 things to know about West Virginia.

1. Woeful against good teams, too

You already know Tennessee has struggled against ranked opponents. This season the Vols were 0-4 in those games, outscored 157-91 in losses to Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Texas A&M.

The West Virginia Mountaineers have had similar futility. They are 0-3 against ranked opponents, outscored 86-32 against Oklahoma State, Texas and Iowa State. (They did beat Oklahoma State when the Cowboys were ranked, but that’s a little like Mississippi State beating LSU when the Tigers were ranked. The Cowboys finished 4-6.) Things were the worst against the Cyclones, when they fell 42-6 in Ames in their regular-season finale on Dec. 5.

Now, obviously and fortunately, neither team is ranked heading into the Liberty Bowl, but those numbers help explain why the Vols and Mountaineers might be a bit closer than their records seem to suggest. West Virginia is only favored by about a field goal.

2. Steady at quarterback

While Tennessee’s quarterback situation has been uneven, to say the least, the Mountaineers have not had those concerns. Redshirt junior Jarret Doege (pronounced DAY-ghee) has started all 9 games. He’s thrown for 2428 yards, averaging nearly 270 yards per contest. He’s completed 64% of his passes, including 13 touchdowns to go with only 3 interceptions.

The Bowling Green transfer is at the helm of the 26th-best passing offense in the nation. As a point of comparison, Tennessee is 85th in that category. Expect the Mountaineers to wing the football around the field early and often with Doege running the show.

3. Running game takes a back seat

With passing numbers like those, you’d assume that means that the running game isn’t as much of a priority for West Virginia. And you’d be right. The Mountaineers are 81st in the country in rushing, averaging just over 145 yards a game.

When they do go to the ground, junior Leddie Brown is their first choice. Brown has run for 945 yards this season, for an average of 105 yards per game. He’s also rushed for 9 touchdowns, adding 2 more as a receiver.

Yes, these team and individual rushing numbers are better than Tennessee’s. The Vols are 86th in the nation on the ground, averaging 141.5 yards per game, with Eric Gray their top option (but his status for the bowl game is unknown after he was held out of the Texas A&M game on Dec. 19).

4. Defensive emphasis

So even though we’ve mentioned those good offensive numbers, the defense is what stands out for the Mountaineers.

Yes they gave up a lot of points in the regular-season finale against a pretty good Iowa State team, but overall they’ve had a solid season. West Virginia is allowing less than 300 yards a game, which is 5th in the nation. They are also 26th in the country against the run.

Senior linebacker Tony Fields II leads the ‘Neers with 88 tackles, including a sack and an interception.

5. Neal Brown rumors

West Virginia head coach Neal Brown is finishing his 2nd season in Morgantown, sporting a 10-11 record. He’s best known in the coaching ranks for his time at Troy, when he won 35 games from 2015-2018. Brown is only 40 years old and has a bright future.

This past weekend, his name popped up in connection with the opening at Auburn. Brown knows the state of Alabama very well from his time at Troy. Brown has yet to publicly comment on those rumors.

Should the Auburn coaching search remain unsettled in the days to come, the Liberty Bowl might take a back seat in the minds of West Virginia fans.