Noel Devine West Virgina Mountaineers Running Back
West Virginia crushed Oklahoma 48-28 to take the
Fiesta Bowl in Arizona on Wednesday night, thanks to sensational performances from
quarterback Pat White and freshman running back
Noel Devine.
White and Noel Devine rushed for over 200 yards between them as Oklahoma struggled to keep up with the speed of a Mountaineers offence showing no hangovers from the end-of-season loss to Pittsburgh that ruined their National Championship chances.
White, who also threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns in WVU's 525 yard offensive showing, destroyed Oklahoma out of the pocket.
Noel Devine, who recorded 105 yards rushing and two touchdowns, also had 47 yards receiving.
The victory was marred by an injury to star running back Steve Slaton, who had to leave the game in the first quarter with a leg injury.
Another key to West Virginia's victory was the superb performance of their running defence, which limited Oklahoma - formerly one of the best rushing teams in the nation.
The solidity forced Oklahoma's young quarterback Sam Bradford into using his arm much more than usual - he ended up with 245 yards passing with two TDs and an interception.
"It's a great night to be a Mountaineer," West Virginia interim coach Bill Stewart said in an interview with Sky Sports' sister company Fox Sports.
"The University of Oklahoma is a tremendous football power."
The win was West Virginia's first since the departure of head coach Rich Rodriguez, who left Morgantown for the University of Michigan late this year.
