Scouting the West Virginia O-Line
 The Mountaineer offensive line is built for speed to propel West Virginia's option attack. Averaging under 300 pounds (a rarity in college football these days), the OL won't blow people off the line but the front five rely on quickness, pulling ability and smarts. WVU employs zone-blocking schemes to open wrinkles for the backfield tandem of quarterback Pat White and running back Steve Slaton. West Virginia ranks fourth in the nation in rushing offense averaging nearly 300 yards per game. Left tackle Ryan Stanchek, a first team All-American by the Football Writers, helped pave the way for the Mountaineer offense to produce two 1,000-yard rushers (White and Slaton) for the second-straight season. Stanchek, a junior, will make his 34th consecutive start for the Mountaineers in the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma. Pitt held the Mountaineers to a season-low 104 yards on the ground in a 13-9 upset in Morgantown in the regular-season finale on December 1. White was knocked out for two quarters and the West Virginia offense sputtered with five fumbles (three lost) and just 183 yards of total offense. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ran an interesting article with Pitt defensive coordinator Paul Rhodes breaking down game tape on how the Panthers stuffed West Virginia's spread-option attack. The only other game WVU was held below 200 rushing yards was at South Florida on September 28 when the Mountaineers gained just 188 on the ground. White absorbed a helmet to the thigh on the final drive of the first half and did not return. Those two games mark West Virginia's only losses on the season. Conversely, the Mountaineers rank 113th in the nation through the air with 157 yards per game. When West Virginia offensive coordinator Calvin Magee does call for a toss, White completes 68% of his throws and ranks 14th in the nation in passing efficiency. But the bread and butter for the Mountaineers is the running game.
Oklahoma's interior linemen must remain disciplined and not allow themselves to be swept to one sideline. If the tackles can disrupt the flow of West Virginia's attack, the Sooner linebackers will get their opportunities at White and Slaton. The corners will be key against the option and Oklahoma standout end Auston English has the quickness to cause problems for the Mountaineers in this theater. A key battle within the battle will be English vs. Stanchek. Fellow defensive ends Alonzo Dotson, Alan Davis and Jeremy Beal (who had six tackles including two for loss in the Big 12 Championship victory against Missouri) figure to see plenty of action. Mountaineer center Mike Dent has had issues with high snaps in the shotgun formation. Forcing Pat White to operate out from under center could promote miscues.
Oklahoma suffocated Texas A&M's option game, allowing the Aggies just 128 yards on the ground in the 42-14 win in Norman on November 3. Auston English and Gerald McCoy each recorded a sack while the Sooner linebackers combined for 20 stops. The OU defense amassed seven tackles for a loss of 29 yards.
No. 3 Oklahoma faces No. 9 West Virginia in the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on January 2 in Glendale, Ariz. It's OU's sixth BCS bowl game in eight seasons and second consecutive trip to the Fiesta Bowl. The Sooners clinched a BCS berth with the program's fifth Big 12 title since 2000 by defeating then-No. 1 Missouri in the Big 12 Championship Game. Complete coverage of the game and an archive of the scouting reports are available at Sooner Fiesta Bowl Central. The OU Athletics Department has a limited amount of tickets in official OU sections of the stadium. Sooner fans can check availability online or call the OU Athletics Ticket Office toll-free at (800) 456-GoOU or locally at (405) 325-2424.   
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