2008 Fiesta Bowl History & More

2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Profiles, History, Best Bowl Moments & More

West Virginia (10-2) vs. Oklahoma (11-2)

January 2nd, 8:00 p.m. ET, Fox

Fiesta Bowl History
2007	Boise St 43, Oklahoma 42 OT
2006	Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 20
2005	Utah 35, Pitt 7
2004	Ohio State 35, Kansas State 28
2003	Ohio State 31, Miami 24 2OT
2002	Oregon 38, Colorado 16
2001	Oregon State 41, Notre Dame 9
2000	Nebraska 31, Tennessee 21
1999	Tennessee 23, Florida State 16
1997 (Dec.)	Kansas State 35, Syracuse 18
1997 (Jan.)	Penn State 38, Texas 15
1996	Nebraska 62, Florida 24
1995	Colorado 41, Notre Dame 24
1994	Arizona 29, Miami 0
1993	Syracuse 26, Colorado 22
1992	Penn State 42, Tennessee 17
1991	Louisville 34, Alabama 7
1990	Florida State 41, Nebraska 17
1989	Notre Dame 34, West Virginia 21
1988	Florida State 31, Nebraska 28
1987	Penn State 14, Miami 10
1986	Michigan 27, Nebraska 23
1985	UCLA 39, Miami 37
1984	Ohio State 28, Pitt 23
1983	Arizona State 32, Oklahoma 21
1982	Penn State 26, USC 10
1980	Penn State 31, Ohio State 19
1979	Pitt 16, Arizona 10
1978	Arkansas 10, UCLA 10
1977	Penn State 42, Arizona State 30
1976	Oklahoma 41, Wyoming 7
1975	Arizona State 17, Nebraska 14
1974	Oklahoma State 16, BYU 6
1973	Arizona State 28, Pitt 7
1972	Arizona State 49, Missouri 35
1971	Arizona State 45, Florida St 38

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By Richard Cirminiello

Best Sooner Bowl Moment: Although the last three BCS bowl appearances have been eminently forgettable, OU’s 24-15-1 bowl record ranks among the best of any program with at least 15 appearances.  The Sooners, regulars in Miami throughout the years, used the 2001 Orange Bowl as a vehicle to regaining their status as a perennial national title contender.  The Oklahoma defense suffocated high-powered Florida State in a shocking 13-2 win that captured the school’s seventh national championship.

Best Mountaineer Bowl Moment: The postseason had been a horror show for West Virginia…until the 2006 Sugar Bowl.  The same program that had lost 11 of its previous 12 bowl games jumped all over heavily-favored Georgia in the Georgia Dome before holding on for a 38-35 win that ranks among the most important in school history.  Steve Slaton’s 204 yards rushing against a quality Dawg D was surpassed only by Texas’ Vince Young for the best individual effort of the 2006 bowl season.

Oklahoma's best win ... Big 12 Championship, Oklahoma 38 ... Missouri 17
Oklahoma opened up a tight game with a dominant second half outscoring the Tigers 24-3. San Bradford threw two second half touchdown passes with a five-yard scoring toss to Jermaine Gresham coming off a Curtis Lofton interception to open things up. Allen Patrick ran for a four-yard score and Chris Brown added two second quarter scores. Missouri made it interesting at the end of the first half with a four-yard Chase Daniel touchdown run with 14 seconds to play, and a tie going into the locker room, on a reverse pass to Martin Rucker. The two teams combined for 20 penalties for 206 yards.
Player of the game: Oklahoma LB Curtis Lofton made nine tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, and an interception.
Stat Leaders: Oklahoma - Passing: Sam Bradford, 18-26, 209 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Allen Patrick, 13-88, 1 TD. Receiving: Joe Jon Finley, 5-34, 1 TD
Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel, 23-39, 219 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Jeremy Maclin, 4-40. Receiving: Jeremy Maclin, 8-69

Oklahoma's worst loss ... Colorado 27 ... Oklahoma 24
Kevin Eberhart nailed a 45-yard field goal as time ran out to cap a run of 20 unanswered Colorado points to stun Oklahoma. The Sooner offense came up with two Allen Patrick touchdown runs, from 34 and 17 yards out, and started off the scoring with a 13-yard Juaquin Iglesias grab, but the high-powered attack was held to just 230 yards of total offense with three turnovers. The Buff defense helped give the offense great field position over the final 20 minutes, with scoring drives of just 50, 62, 16 and 23 yards. Cody Hawkins connected with Tyson DeVree for a four-yard score, and Dusty Sprague for a 15-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Player of the game: Colorado LB Jordan Dixon made 7.5 tackles and a sack
Stat Leaders: Colorado - Passing: Cody Hawkins, 22-36, 220 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Hugh Charles, 24-110, 1 TD. Receiving: Hugh Charles, 5-48
Oklahoma - Passing: Sam Bradford, 8-19, 112 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Allen Patrick, 18-96, 2 TD. Receiving: Juaquin Iglesias, 2-15, 1 TD

West Virginia's best win ... West Virginia 31 ... Maryland 14
West Virginia rolled for 353 rushing yards and broke open a 7-7 game with a 24-point run on three Steve Slaton touchdown runs and a 32-yard Pat McAfee field goal. The Mountaineers started off the scoring with a 22-yard Pat White touchdown, but Maryland answered with a long drive culminating in a four-yard Keon Lattimore scoring run. The Terps added a 22-yard Danny Oquendo touchdown catch late in the fourth.
Player of the game ... West Virginia RB/WR Noel Devine ran five times for 136 yards and returned two kickoffs for 52 yards
Stat Leaders: Maryland - Passing: Jordan Steffy, 16-23, 180 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Keon Lattimore, 21-80, 1 TD  Receiving: Keon Lattimore, 4-17
West Virginia - Passing: Patrick White, 8-13, 95 yds
Rushing: Steve Slaton, 26-137, 3 TD  Receiving: Darius Reynaud, 4-55

West Virginia's worst performance ... Pitt 13 ... West Virginia 9
In an all-time stunner that ruined West Virginia's national title dream, Pitt got two Conor Lee field goals and a one-yard Pat Bostick touchdown run for all the points it would need. The defense held the high powered Mountaineer attack to 183 yards and just 104 on the ground. Pat White suffered a dislocated thumb, was in street clothes for a little while, and then came back into the game late. The Mountaineers had their chances, but two missed field goals early, and a throw out of the end zone on a desperation fourth down on their final play, helped the Panthers pull it off. Pitt held on to the ball for 36:19.
Player of the game: Pitt RB LeSean McCoy ran 38 times for 148 yards
Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing: Pat White, 5-10, 50 yds
Rushing: Pat White, 14-41. Receiving: Darius Reynaud, 3-46
Pitt - Passing: Pat Bostick, 10-19, 67 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: LeSean McCoy, 38-148. Receiving: Oderick Turner, 3-29

2007 Fiesta Bowl
Boise State 43 ... Oklahoma 42 OT
In one of the wildest, most exciting finishes in college football history, Boise State ran a trick play in overtime with backup wide receiver Vinny Parretta connecting with Derek Schouman for a five-yard score on fourth down, and then won it on a Statue of Liberty play with Ian Johnson taking the ball from Jared Zabransky for the two-point conversion. Oklahoma had to fight back to tie the game getting a five-yard Quentin Chaney touchdown catch with 1:26 to play. After penalties forced a third two-point conversion try, Paul Thompson found Juaquin Iglesias for the tie. On the next play from scrimmage, Zabransky was picked off by Marcus Walker for a 33-yard interception return for a score. With under a minute to go, Boise State went 78 yards in five plays converting on 4th and 18 for a 35-yard score on a hook-and-lateral with Drisan James catching the ball and pitching it to Jerard Rabb, who took it for the score with seven seconds in regulation. Boise State dominated the first 57 minutes thanks to four OU turnovers with a 27-yard Marty Tadman interception for a score and two first half touchdown grabs from James. OU fought back with 18 straight points including an eight-yard Adrian Peterson touchdown run. Peterson scores in overtime on OU's first play on 25-yard run.
Player of the game ... Boise State QB Jared Zabransky completed 19 of 29 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: Oklahoma - Passing: Paul Thompson, 19-32, 233 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Adrian Peterson, 20-77, 2 TD  Receiving: Juaquin Iglesias, 6-120
Boise State - Passing: Jared Zabransky, 19-29, 262 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ian Johnson, 23-101, 1 TD  Receiving: Derek Schouman, 8-72, 1 TD

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Oklahoma Bowl History (23-14-1)

2007	Fiesta	Boise St 43, Oklahoma 42 OT
2005	Holiday	Oklahoma 17, Oregon 14
2004	Orange	USC 55, Oklahoma 19
2003	Sugar	LSU 21, Oklahoma 14
2002	Rose	Oklahoma 34, Washington State 14
2001	Cotton	Oklahoma 10, Arkansas 3
2000	Orange	Oklahoma 13, Florida State 2
1999	Independence	Mississippi 27, Oklahoma 25
1994	Copper	Brigham Young 31, Oklahoma 6
1993	Hancock	Oklahoma 41, Texas Tech 10
1991	Gator	Oklahoma 48, Virginia 14
1988	Citrus	Clemson 13, Oklahoma 6
1987	Orange	Miami 20, Oklahoma 14
1986	Orange	Oklahoma 42, Arkansas 8
1985	Orange	Oklahoma 25, Penn State 10
1984	Orange	Washington 28, Oklahoma 17
1982	Fiesta	Arizona State 32, Oklahoma 21
1981	Sun	Oklahoma 40, Houston 14
1980	Orange	Oklahoma 18, Florida State 17
1979	Orange	Oklahoma 24, Florida State 7
1978	Orange	Oklahoma 31, Nebraska 24
1977	Orange	Arkansas 31, Oklahoma 6
1976	Fiesta	Oklahoma 41, Wyoming 7
1975	Orange	Oklahoma 14, Michigan 6
1972	Sugar	Oklahoma 14, Penn State 0
1971	Sugar	Oklahoma 42, Auburn 22
1970	Astro-Bluebonnet	Oklahoma 24, Alabama 24
1968	Astro-Bluebonnet	SMU 28, Oklahoma 27
1967	Orange	Oklahoma 26, Tennessee 24
1964	Gator	Florida State 36, Oklahoma 19
1962	Orange	Alabama 17, Oklahoma 0
1958	Orange	Oklahoma 21, Syracuse 6
1957	Orange	Oklahoma 48, Duke 21
1955	Orange	Oklahoma 20, Maryland 6
1953	Orange	Oklahoma 7, Maryland 0
1950	Sugar	Kentucky 13, Oklahoma 7
1949	Sugar	Oklahoma 35, LSU 0
1948	Sugar	Oklahoma 14, North Carolina 6
1946	Gator	Oklahoma 34, NC State 13
1938	Orange	Tennessee 17, Oklahoma 0

West Virginia Bowl History (12-16)

2007	Gator	West Virginia 38, Georgia Tech 35
2006	Sugar	West Virginia 38, Georgia 35
2004	Gator	Florida State 30, West Virginia 18
2003	Gator	Maryland 41, West Virginia 7
2002	Continental Tire	Virginia 48, West Virginia 22
2000	Music City	West Virginia 49, Mississippi 38
1998	Insight.com	Missouri 34, West Virginia 31
1997	Carquest	Georgia Tech 35, West Virginia 30
1996	Gator	North Carolina 20, West Virginia 13
1994	Carquest	South Carolina 24, West Virginia 21
1993	Sugar	Florida 41, West Virginia 7
1989	Gator	Clemson 27, West Virginia 7
1988	Fiesta	Notre Dame 34, West Virginia 21
1987	Sun	Oklahoma State 35, West Virginia 33
1984	Bluebonnet	West Virginia 31, TCU 14
1983	Hall of Fame	West Virginia 20, Kentucky 16
1982	Gator	Florida State 31, West Virginia 12
1981	Peach	West Virginia 26, Florida 6
1975	Peach	West Virginia 13, North Carolina State 10
1972	Peach	North Carolina State 49, West Virginia 13
1969	Peach	West Virginia 14, South Carolina 3
1964	Liberty	Utah 32, West Virginia 6
1953	Sugar	Georgia Tech 42, West Virginia 19
1948	Sun	West Virginia 21, Texas Western 12
1937	Sun	West Virginia 7, Texas Tech 6
1922	East-West	West Virginia 21, Gonzaga 13