This weekend in Morgantown will be the 10^th time that Oklahoma and West Virginia tangle as Big 12 opponents.
 
The Sooners currently dominate the series in league play, winning nine straight, but fans would argue the Mountaineers have the most memorable non-conference win in a matchup that at the time seemed unlikely to happen.
 
West Virginia entered its final game of the 2007 season ranked No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings. A win against Big East Conference rival Pitt would almost guarantee the Mountaineers a berth in the BCS National Championship Game. But the Panthers held the high-powered WVU offense to less than 200 yards and recovered five Mountaineers fumbles en route to a 13-9 upset win.
 
After the loss, West Virginia accepted a bid to the Fiesta Bowl to face Big 12 Champion Oklahoma. The Sooners, coached by Bob Stoops, finished the regular season 10-2 before downing Missouri in the conference championship game. It would be Oklahoma's second straight Fiesta Bowl appearance, after the memorable one-point loss to Boise State the year prior.
 
Oklahoma entered the game as a more-than-touchdown favorite. The Sooners were led by redshirt freshman QB Sam Bradford who had thrown for 34 touchdowns and close to 3,000 yards. Bradford won the 2008 Heisman Trophy and became the top overall pick by the then-St. Louis Rams in the 2010 NFL Draft.
 
The Mountaineers averaged close to 40 points per game led by QB Pat White and RB Steve Slaton. They were just as stingy on the defensive side, giving up fewer than 20 points per game.
 
Interim Head Coach Bill Stewart gave an inspired pregame speech that started out with this excerpt:
 
"We got a great opportunity. We got a dandy out there waiting for us. Offense: Play fast. Defense: Swarm. Swarm and tackle. Punch that ball any chance you get and keep busting them. Special teams: Lay it on the line and attack your responsibility." (courtesy: The Register-Herald, Beckley, WV)
 
The Mountaineers started strong, gaining close to 100 yards of total offense in the opening quarter, but they settled for two Pat McAfee field goals to jump to a 6-0 lead. The defense also prevented the explosive Sooner offense from getting anything started by forcing two punts and a turnover deep in WVU territory.
 
Oklahoma cut the lead to 6-3 with a second quarter field goal by Garrett Hartley, but that would be the closest the Sooners would get to WVU.
 
West Virginia continued its dominance on the ground when FB Owen Schmitt capped off a four-play, 78-yard drive with a 57-yard touchdown run for a 13-3 lead.
 
Continuing to trade touchdowns for field goals worked to the Mountaineers' advantage as Pat White hit Darius Reynaud with a 21-yard TD pass to extend the lead to 14 at halftime.
 
The Sooners defense stiffened, forcing the Mountaineers to punt on their first two drives of the second half. Oklahoma took advantage first with another Hartley field goal followed by Chris Brown's 1-yard TD run to cut the lead to five.
 
Sensing the Mountaineers might be on their heels, the Sooners attempted an onside kick. The ball did not travel 10 yards, giving West Virginia outstanding field position in Oklahoma territory.
 
"We had the momentum, so if you get the onside kick, you have the chance to really give them a blow," Oklahoma Head Coach Bob Stoops said after the game. "I thought we had the momentum. The opportunity was there. We just didn't execute."
 
West Virginia capitalized on the short field when freshman Noel Devine raced 17 yards for a TD and a 27-15 lead. The Mountaineers closed out the third quarter scoring when Reynaud added a 30-yard touchdown on a reverse for a 34-15 lead.
 
West Virginia capped the 48-28 upset victory when Devine raced 65 yards for his second touchdown of the day.
 
"It's a great night to be a Mountaineer," said Stewart. "I never had a Gatorade bath. It was special."
 
The next morning, West Virginia rewarded Stewart by removing the interim tag and naming him Head Coach.