MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The WVU football team will face Texas A&M in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn., at 2 p.m. Dec. 29. The Mountaineers, who finished the regular season tied for fifth place in the Big 12, accepted their bowl invitation Sunday afternoon.
“We faced a very challenging schedule this season with five Top 12 teams and playing a tough opponent like Texas A&M in the Liberty Bowl will be yet another challenge this year,” WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen said. “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.”
While WVU (7-5,-5-4 Big 12) has never played the Aggies (7-5, 3-5 SEC), the teams share some history, as Holgorsen served as an assistant under A&M’s Kevin Sumlin, at Houston, in 2008 and 2009. Aggies offensive coordinator Jake Spavital worked as Holgorsen’s quarterbacks coach at WVU, in 2011 and 2012, before leaving to join Sumlin’s staff at A&M.
The Mountaineers have history with the Liberty Bowl, too.
WVU last played in the Liberty Bowl in 1964 and this year’s game will mark the 50th anniversary of that appearance…