Mountaineers run over Sooners, run away with Fiesta Bowl
Anyone remember that Rodriguez guy that used to patrol the sidelines for West Virginia? Chances are you haven’t completely forgotten about him, but after seeing the performance Pat White and the Mountaineers turned in against Oklahoma, I’m certain there’s a large contingent in Morgantown saying ‘Rich who’? This night belonged to Pat White and interim coach Bill Stewart.
Stewart became the first of six interim coaches this bowl season to get a win and White ran for 150 yards and threw for 176 and two touchdowns as No.9 West Virginia walloped No.4 Oklahoma 48-28 in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Wednesday night. Freshman running back Noel Devine had a huge coming out party, rushing for 108 yards and two touchdowns. In all, the Mountaineers totaled a whopping 349 yards on the ground and four scores on 39 carries.
This was a heck of a game for West Virginia to come into after losing the Backyard Brawl in the season finale to Pittsburgh, their head coach, and a chance to play for the national title. Their reward for their recent struggles: ringing in 2008 against Big 12 champions Oklahoma. You could argue the Sooners were national championship worthy. Or so we all thought.
It was surely a heck of way to rebound from all that as well. Early in the game, West Virginia lost running back Steve Slaton to a leg injury, but Devine stepped right in and filled in nicely for the departed Slaton. The Mountaineers played with a focus and a high level of emotion that engulfed the Sooners. Bottom line: West Virginia was hungry, they wanted this one in the worst way. Oklahoma did not.
Oklahoma returned to the Fiesta Bowl looking to avenge their overtime shocking loss to Boise State 43-42 a year ago. The Sooners have now dropped four straight BCS Bowl games. Since 2004, Bob Stoops and the Sooners have lost to LSU, USC, Boise State, and West Virginia in BCS bowls.
Oklahoma had zero answers for the spread, high-octane offense West Virginia sported. Of their six touchdowns scored, five of them came from at least 20 yards. The Mountaineers had touchdown scores of 57, 21, 17, 30, 79, and 65.
Trailing 20-6 at the half, Oklahoma cut the lead to 20-15 on a one-yard run by Chris Brown halfway through the third. A couple of shall we say, curious moves by Stoops followed. A two-point conversation attempt that failed, then an on-side kick that also field. West Virginia recovered the onside attempt and needed only six plays to score, a 17-yard run by Devine. Darius Reynaud’s 30-yard touchdown run had the Sooners in a deep hole, trailing 34-15 to start the fourth quarter.
After Oklahoma scored on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Sam Bradford to Quentin Chaney, White put the Sooners on ice with a 79-yard pass to Tito Gonzales, the lead now 41-21 for WVU. Noel Devine came calling one final time, slamming the final nail in the coffin for Oklahoma with a 65-yard scamper into the endzone. Game, set, match for the Mountaineers.
It was a game the Sooners would like to forget, but since 2000, one begs the question in Sooner country: what have you done for me lately? The defense was shredded by the vaunted rushing attack of West Virginia. They couldn’t consistently allow time for Same Bradford to get comfortable in the pocket. Take into account the Sooners had 6 penalties in the first half to match their six first downs. A very undisciplined by Oklahoma, committing a total of 13 penalties for 113 yards.
For the Sooners, Bradford was 21-of-33 for 242 yards and two scores, while Quentin Chaney hauled in four catches for 129 yards and one touchdown. The 349 rushing yards allowed by the Sooners were the most Oklahoma has allowed under Bob Stoops.
The Sooners were humiliated and the Mountaineers were elated. Many thought Oklahoma would be the victors 48-28. Unfortunately for Stoops and company, games aren’t based off of opinions and the consensus of what people think. West Virginia still had Pat White and they still had each other to rally around leading up the Fiesta Bowl. Mission accomplished.
Tags: Big East Football, NCAA Football, Noel Devine, Oklahoma Sooners, Pat White, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, West Virginia Mountaineers