Memphis, Tennessee:

We’re officially 24 hours away until the 62nd Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl matchup between West Virginia and Army. The excitement levels are through the roof around the city of Memphis and in the national spotlight as well. However, as we inch closer to the kickoff of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl game, the question remains, what do both teams have to do to win the game?

For West Virginia: 

1. The Mountaineers have got to find a way to get penetration on defense. If West Virginia wants any shot at a victory over Army, they have got to close the gaps on defense and contain the Army triple option. 
2. The WVU defense needs to be ready to adjust on the fly. When facing an offensive unit like Army, a defense needs to adjust on the fly to keep up. The Triple Option is hard to defend, but it’s possible. The Mountaineer defense needs to communicate on every possession and force the Black Knights to play at an up-tempo rushed style of offense. 
3. Lastly, West Virginia needs to ” Trust The Climb” and play their brand of football. If WVU can find a way to open the game with their foot on the throttle, it will likely lead to a game entirely controlled by West Virginia. 

For Army: 

1. Control the clock. This one is simple. The Army Black Knights are notorious for using the Triple-Option to melt an entire game clock away. The key here is to keep the West Virginia offense off the field and to wear down the Mountaineer defense. 
2. Make the most out of every opportunity. In the last two games against Air Force and Navy, the Black Knights have combined for 25 points, which won’t be enough to beat WVU. With that, the Black Knights have got to jump on every scoring opportunity that the Mountaineers give to them. There can’t be any squandered possessions if Army wants to win the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Thursday afternoon. 
3. Force West Virginia to adjust on the fly. Army has one of the best defensives units in the country and will likely throw West Virginia curve balls all game. It’s up to the WVU offense to adjust to what the Black Knights throw their way on Thursday. I fully expect for Army to throw the Mountaineers one curveball after another on both sides of the ball. 

The excitement levels are through the roof as the College Football world awaits the 62nd annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl between West Virginia and Army! Thursday’s matchup between the two programs will be a game that will be talked about for years to come. 

The 62nd annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl will get underway on Thursday, December 31st, at 3:00 PM central time. For those unable to attend the game on Thursday, you will be able to catch all the action on ESPN.