Halfway through the third quarter of the Liberty Bowl, West Virginia was in dangerous territory. The Black Knights have just hit a solid mark: 13 plays for 75 yards. It took exactly eight minutes of the clock before Army went up 21-10. It was the kind of drive that almost every opponent would call it a day and pack it. If he is 11 points lower, it is not the end of the world, but to limit against the army, with his slow and methodical triple option, limits the riding opportunities. . And what opportunities West Virginia has had up to that point have been squandered with revenue, declines, and general missed opportunities. But when West Kurtall switched to the one-time starter Austin Kendall, West Virginia were able to begin his return, giving a 24-21 nail-biter.
Kendall replaces Jarret Doege, who was ineffective in the first half and turned the ball over twice. His second turnover, a whisper late in the second quarter, immediately led to an attack by the army two plays later. Kendall came off the bench in the second half and led the Mountaineers on a 10-play 80-yard score to reduce the deficit to 21-16.
Knowing that the Army could tap the clock again, West Virginia coach Neal Brown opted for a surprise kick on the side, which repaired the mountaineers. The resulting driving force did nothing, but it stole a precious possession of the army.
The West Virginia defense has done about as good a job against the Army’s triple option as anyone could have asked. Of Army’s ten possessions, only two were long, sustained points. The rest never presented more than six plays. And while the West Virginia offense didn’t fare much better – drops were a big issue, and running back Leddie Brown never really got going at 3.3 yards per rush – but Kendall hit TJ Simmons for a 20-yard goal in the field the fourth quarter.
The army only shoots its fourth ten victory in the history of the school. West Virginia finished 2020 with a 6-4 record, not bad for Year 0.5 for Brown. During the defense for the entire season, the mountaineers will have to show major improvements in 2021.