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Fiesta Bowl 2008
West Virginia 48 Oklahoma 28 |
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By Mickey Furfari For the Times West Virginian
In posting a totally unexpected 48-28 victory, the Mountaineers proved they could win without departed head coach Rich Rodriguez and All-America tailback Steve Slaton.
Rodriguez now is the gridmaster at the University of Michigan and Slaton was lost to an injury on WVU’s third offensive play of this game.
A sellout crowd of 70,016 at the University of Phoenix and a national television on Fox saw the contest in which the underdog Mountaineers never trailed.
West Virginia became only the second of eight bowl teams with coach transitions to win postseason. Ironically, Michigan was the other.
This has to be a most rewarding achievement for Bill Stewart, WVU’s interim head coach, as well as the assistants who helped him.
“This team has the greatest chemistry, the best character, and is very disciplined,” Stewart said. “They never quit.
“It’s a great honor to accept this championship trophy for you West Virginia fans and all the Mountain State people.”
Patrick White, named the game’s offensive MVP, said Coach Stewart stepped in when Rodriguez departed and did a heck of a job.
“People have doubted us all the time,” he said.
“I think I speak for all the players,” White added. “He needs to be the head coach at West Virginia.”
WVU linebacker Reed Williams, the defensive MVP, also praised Stewart.
“He came in and did a great job,” he said. “We came into this game with a great game plan.
“We came together and prepared well.”
OU coach Bob Stoops said, “I congratulate Coach Stewart, his staff and team. They outcoached us, outplayed us and were more physical and more disciplined.”
WVU had only 17 first downs to 25, but rolled up 525 yards to 419 in total offense.
White, who rushed for 150 yards and passed for 176, threw to Darius Reynaud 21 yards for one touchdown and a WVU bowl-record 79 yards to Tito Gonzales for another score.
Fullback Owen Schmitt had run 57 yards for the Mountaineers’ first touchdown of the night (video).
Schmitt fought back tears after WVU’s 11th win of the season.
“I’ll tell you what. I was watching ESPN today. They showed a little thing about our game tonight, a poll. The whole U.S. was covered in red, and the only state, the greatest state in the nation, was covered in blue. That’s West Virginia, and that’s why we won this game,” Schmitt said.
“We overcame adversity, came together as a team, and that’s why we won.”
As the tears flowed, he added, “I love this state. I got a chance to play here. This is awesome. This is the way I pictured it. I asked the guys yesterday in our team meeting, and said, ‘Boys, I ain’t leaving without that $1.3 million trophy.’ They promised me. I can’t thank these guys enough. After what happened, this is awesome.”
Freshman Noel Devine, who replaced Slaton, scored twice on runs of 65 and 17 yards.
Pat McAfee kicked two field goals, giving WVU an early 6-0 lead, and also added an extra point after each touchdown.
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma’s redshirt freshman quarterback, passed to Juaquim Iglesias for one touchdown and to Quentin Chaney for another.
Chris Brown scored on a one-yard run for the Sooners’ other touchdown.
Garett Hartley kicked three field goals.
West Virginia drove from its 28 to the Oklahoma 33 on its first possession of the game before stalling. But Pat McAfee was wide-right on his 50-yard field-goal attempt.
After WVU held the Sooners for three downs, Vaughn Rivers returned the ensuing punt 51 yards to OU’s 22. This time McAfee made a 38-yarder for a 3-0 lead with 5:40 left in the first quarter.
Allen Patrick returned the next kickoff 73 yards to the WVU 9. But Quinton Andrews intercepted Bradford’s third-down pass in the end zone to kill that scoring threat.
Then the Mountaineers, taking possession at their 20, drove 55 yards in 11 plays. But they had to settle for McAfee’s 42-yard field goal.
That made the score 6-0 at period’s end.
It was midway of the second quarter before Oklahoma finally scored. That was on Hartley’s 37-yard field goal, trimming WVU’s lead to 6-3.
The Sooners benefited from a pair of back-to-back major penalties on that drive.
Rivers ran back the next kickoff 19 yards to the 22. Four plays later Schmitt shook loose and galloped 57 yards for the game’s first touchdown.
McAfee’s extra point boosted the lead to 13-3 with 6:29 left in the first half.
The Sooners charged back to reach the WVU 7-yard line. However, they again had to call on Hartley to kick a 24-yard field goal.
Taking the next kickoff at their 22, the Mountaineers marched 78 yards in seven plays for their second touchdown. It came on a 21-yard pass to a wide-open Reynaud in the end zone.
That was the senior wideout’s 12th touchdown reception of the season, tying the school record set by Chris Henry.
The Mountaineers regained possession by holding OU for downs at its 45. But McAfee’s 44-yard field goal attempt was blocked, and the half ended with WVU surprisingly in front by 20-6.
Statistics at intermission were as startling as the score.
West Virginia held an 11-6 edge in first downs and had netted 255 yards in total offense while limiting OU to a mere 100 yards.
White, the game’s dominating player up to that juncture, had rushed for 80 yards and passed for 96.
And McAfee’s only punt of the half carried 54 yards. Another in the third quarter covered 66 yards.
Hartley kicked a third field goal from 42 yards with 9:39 remaining in the third quarter. That cut OU’s deficit to 20-9.
Tailback Chris Brown plunged one yard for a touchdown, capping the Sooners’ 80-yard, seven-play drive. But Bradford’s pass for a two-point conversion failed.
That left the score 20-15 with 6:23 left in the quarter.
OU’s ensuing onside kick backfired, giving WVU the ball at the Sooners’ 39. Devine scored on a 17-yard run, making the score 27-15 with 3:34 left in the period.
The Mountaineers required just three plays to go 75 yards for a touchdown. Devine had three yards, White 42 and Reynaud 30 on a reverse and the six points (video).
McAfee’s PAT made it 34-15 with 20 seconds left in quarter.
Bradford passed 18 yards to Quentin Chaney for a touchdown with 1:39 gone in the fourth quarter. But a try for two-point conversion again failed.
The Mountaineers, however, blasted back. On the first play from scrimmage, White passed to Gonzales for 79 yards and a touchdown.
Bradford passed 15 yards to Iglesias for OU’s third touchdown, and Hartley’s PAT made the score 41-28 with 10:20 left.
Taking the next kickoff at its 30, White gained five yards, then handed off to Devine who raced 65 yards to the end zone (video).
That made the score 48-28 with 9:21 to go.
Then came the WVU celebration.
How did WVU win in its underdog role following the season-ending loss to Pitt and Rodriguez’s defection?
“They have the greatest chemistry, the best character, the best coaching staff and most importantly the best group of fans in America that never, ever, ever quit believing,” Stewart said. “Thank you one and all, to all you West Virginians.”
He deflected credit from himself to the Mountaineer players and his fellow coaches.
“I’d follow them anywhere against anybody,” Stewart said. “We beat a tremendous football team. ... The University of Oklahoma is a tremendous football power. To be mentioned in the same breath with them, we must come in and knock out the champs.”
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Owen Schmitt's big run set the tone for the night. |
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Pat White led the Mountaineers to victory. |
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OU Fresman Bradford threw for two fourth quarter touchdowns. |
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Darius Reynaud dives into the endzone following 30 yard third quarter run. |
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Slaton's replacement was just Devine. |
Bill Stewart |
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After their collapse against Pitt in the regular season finale, there really weren't many believers. |
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Attendance: 70,016
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
WV– McAfee 38 FG Second Quarter
OU – Hartley 37 FG
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Individual Statistics
Rushing WV- White 20-150, Devine 13-108, Schmitt 3-64, Reynaud 1-30 OU- Patrick 14-82, Brown 16-50, Madu 5-43
Passing WV- White 10-19-176 UO- Bradford 21-33-242
Receiving WV- Reynaud 5-42, Devine 2-47, Gonzales 1-79 OU- Iglesias 8-53, Chaney 4-129, Johnson 4-25, Gresham 3-34
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GLENDALE,
Ariz.- West Virginia shocked favored Oklahoma on Wednesday night in the
37th annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
Now
the score stood 41-21 with 13:02 still on the clock.
