2014 Liberty Bowl results: Texas A&M wins a chippy one!

The Big 12’s awful Monday did not prove why TCU and Baylor didn’t make the College Football Playoff, that Charlie Strong was the wrong hire in Austin, or that Bob Stoops is almost done in Norman. Three games don’t have to be a referendum on anything in particular.

But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a really, really bad day for the 10-team conference with the 12-team name.

The Aggies started the scoring in the first few minutes, but West Virginia quickly hit back and built a 17-7 lead in the first quarter. The two teams traded literal and metaphorical punches, and a wild, two-hour first half ended at 28-27 Aggies.

Eventually, Allen and the A&M offense, aided by West Virginia miscues, created breathing room in the second half. West Virginia quarterback Skyler Howard threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns, but he missed a slew of open receivers who could have given the Mountaineers easy points against an accommodating Texas A&M defense.

GIF credit: ESPN

GIF credit: ESPN

As a nation, we stand as one in appreciation of West Virginia kicker Josh Lambert. The Mountaineers are chasing Texas A&M in the Liberty Bowl, and lined up for a field goal that would have made it a one score game. As Lambert followed through, well, take a look for yourself:

GIF credit: ESPN

West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen after a second quarter series that included a Mountaineers penalty, a questionable Texas A&M hit on his quarterback, and a sack:

Via ESPN

Way to go, Skyler Howard. Johnny Football himself would be proud ... if you weren’t doing his signature taunt at the expense of his alma mater, Texas A&M.

Two of the nation’s best passing offenses will square off in Memphis on Monday, when the West Virginia Mountaineers take on the Texas A&M Aggies. Both teams rank in the top 12 nationally in passing offense.

Texas A&M was considered a playoff contender into October, winning its first five games to shoot up to No. 6 in the AP Poll. It was considerably helped by its opening road win over what was then No. 9 South Carolina, a team that went on to finish 6-6. After that torrid start, the Aggies lost three in a row and five of their final seven games, with a win against Auburn their defining victory of the season.

Trickett, who hasn’t played since suffering a concussion against Kansas State Nov. 18, had just been cleared to practice last week. But Holgorson said during a Friday press conference the quarterback had not been cleared for the bowl game against Texas A&M. Trickett announced his retirement shortly thereafter, telling media members, “In the career I’m entering, I probably need a few brain cells.”

Trickett said he hid two of the five concussions from team trainers, knowing they would have kept him from playing.

Believe it or not, the AutoZone Liberty Bowl has been around since 1959, making it one of the longest running bowl games in the country. After featuring tie-ins with Conference USA and the Mountain West Conference at times over the last 15 years or so, the Liberty Bowl recently struck up a deal to host Big 12 and SEC teams each season. That will certainly make for an exciting game and should lead to a pretty solid crowd turnout given Memphis’ proximity to both conferences.

Here is all you need to know about this year’s game, which will feature a points-filled matchup of West Virginia and Texas A&M: