The wait is finally over.

Bill Stewart was named head coach of the Mountaineers less than 24-hours after the team’s amazing 48-28 win over the number 4 nationally ranked Oklahoma Sooners.

The four person committee, which included Ed Pastilong and Mike Garrison, decided last night after talking to Stewart to offer him the head coaching job. Stewart gladly accepted, saying it was the easiest decision of his life to make.

A press conference was held today at the Scottsdale resort where the players have been staying, to announce officially that Stewart will be taking over as the head coach of WVU. Ed Pastilong, Athletic Director at WVU, started the conference, saying that it was his personal honor and privilege to extend the job to Stewart.

Governor Joe Manchin was on hand to congratulate Stewart. ?I couldn?t be more happy (for him). I?ve watched Billy Stewart bring this team together over the past few weeks.?

WVU president Mike Garrison said a few remarks about Stewart’s new position. ?We said that we need a leader who understands the importance of loyalty and who values what it means to be a head coach of the Mountaineers.? Garrison ended his short remarks saying that Stewart was a good pick. ?They (the team) love this guy, and we love him, too.?

Stewart came to the podium, and gave a heart warming speech that had every person in the room on their feet clapping and cheering. He is a honest, real man who is humble, and wants to do the best he can with the team to win games, not to make a lot of money or be famous.

?We had the best team in the country last night. There is a love in West Virginia that I am so proud of,? Stewart said.

Stewart answered a lot of questions about the supporting coaching staff, a lot of whom had job offers with Rich Rodriguez at Michigan. He was adamant about wanting to provide an option for all of the people who currently coaching. ?Every member of this staff who wants to stay will have the opportunity to do so,? he said.

The crowd loved every word that came out of Stewart’s mouth. He ended the conference saying that he planned on this being his last job. ?I?ll never leave, and if I?m not getting it done, they won?t need to tell me, I?ll tell them.?

The room was filled with reporters, WVU administrators, fans, parents, players and players’ families. Every person in that room was moved by what Stewart said. It was a great feeling, watching a crowd of people who have been waiting, watching and worrying about who will take over their team now that Rich Rod is gone, breathe a collective sigh of relief when Stewart was chosen. I think that he was the best choice and the University made an excellent decision in bringing him on as the new head coach of the WVU football team.

I am leaving Arizona this afternoon, and am sad to go. This week has been so amazing and such a great opportunity to meet new people, and experience new things. I know that I will be at the bowl game next year, because it?s a great experience that I know I want to be a part of again. Let?s go ?Eers!

WE WON!!! The Mountaineers are the Fiesta Bowl Champions. This is honestly the most intense and incredible experience that I have ever been a part of. I was a little worried there for a second at the beginning of the second half when it seemed that the team was starting to lose their momentum, but they came back and scored and showed the Oklahoma Sooners who the more elite team was.

I went down on the field at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and was standing at the corner of the Mountaineer end zone, right in front of the band. It was the most incredible feeling, being on the turf and watching the team play, surrounded by all of those fans. The sound of the Mountaineer faithful was deafening, and almost ridiculous. My heart was pounding and my pulse was racing every time I heard the WVU fight song, or heard the crowd erupt into the ?Let?s Go Mountaineers? chant.

When Noel Devine ran for that 65 yard run that put us at 48-28, it looked as if he was running right at me at the end of the field. The band erupted into cheers, the color guard was dancing in the stands, and every Mountaineer fan was jumping up and down, waving signs or pom-poms and cheering for the team.

When the Oklahoma fans started to leave the stadium, I knew in my heart that we had clinched the Fiesta Bowl win. This win is extra sweet because we came in as the underdog, where 84 percent of the country had pitted us to lose, including all three of the sports writers on The Daily Athenaeum staff that are here covering the Fiesta Bowl. As interim head coach Bill Stewart said in his press conference, it feels nice to win this game, especially in light of the circumstances of losing a coach and being an underdog.

After the win, I went onto the field with the rest of the media and celebrated with the team, taking pictures of their embraces and listening to the band play Country Roads and the fans cheer in the stands. It was an amazing feeling to be part of that intense bowl culture and I couldn?t have been more ecstatic. I looked into the stands and people were crying with happiness at the win over number four Oklahoma.

We watched Bill Stewart receive the Fiesta Bowl trophy for the team, and that was an incredible thing to watch. Having his son up there with him sure meant a lot, and it was nice to see the team come together as a large family in their celebration.

I went to both the Oklahoma and the West Virginia press conference to get the real media feel for the event, and even went into the West Virginia locker room. That was something I never thought I would experience, and I bet every Mountaineer fan wishes that they had been able to be there, too. The guys were all in such a great mood and were all celebrating and relaxing and trying to absorb the feeling of a huge win.

I know that all over the Mountain state, and all over the country for that matter, Mountaineer fans are celebrating and cheering for their BCS bowl game win.

I am impressed with the coaching style of Bill Stewart, and I am impressed with the heart and soul that every Mountaineer football member put into the game. I have never been more proud to be a Mountaineer.

Congratulations to the team and to the coaching staff that brought us to this prestigious win. I couldn?t have been happier to be a part of it.

WOW! All I can say is the energy in the stadium is INCREDIBLE. It?s almost the end of the first half, and there is 2 minutes and 17 seconds left. We are up 20 to 6, and I?ve never seen a more excited crowd. The Oklahoma Sooner fans might outnumber us 5 ? 1, but our fans are louder, more energetic and definitely more excited to be here.

Even up in the press box, I can hear the ?Let?s Go Mountaineers? chant just as loudly as if I was in the student section back at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown. The East side of the stadium is full of Mountaineer fans and the waving of gold pom-poms is an unreal sight. The cheerleaders and the Mountaineer, Brady Campbell, are adding some real energy to the crowd. It?s insane watching this all from a bird?s eye view.

The momentum that the team has at the moment is incredible. The faithful Mountaineer fans are cheering as loudly as possible, and are all standing on their feet, cheering and waving their arms in the air. It?s insane to be a part of this.

Going into this game as the underdog sure has put a great amount of momentum in the hands of our players. Even with superstar Steve Slaton out, and Noel Devine filling in, the atmosphere on the field is electrifying and infecting all of the fans in the stadium.

The half is over and the Pride of West Virginia has taken the field to play a great half-time show for the huge crowd that has turned out for the game.

I can?t tell you how exciting it is to be a part of this, and to feel the energy that is part of the stadium. I?ve never been to a bowl game before, and I can?t explain how bad I am going to want to come every year after this.

Let?s Go Mountaineers! I predict a strong second half, with an even stronger finish from the ?Eers!

2nd Half Predictions from the sports staff of The Daily Athenaeum

?I?m surprised that WVU came out as prepared as they have and if they continue to be aggressive on defense, and hold onto the ball on offense, they should keep the lead and win the game.?
-The Daily Athenaeum, Sports Editor, Tony Dobies

?For all the talk about Oklahoma?s speed on defense, West Virginia has looked flat out faster. If it keeps up in the second half, the Mountaineers should be able to control the clock and keep at least a 10 point lead.?
-The Daily Athenaeum, Associate Sports Editor, Dan Stefano

?I don?t see the Mountaineers slowing down or playing conservative. Coach Stewart will keep the offense open and try to go for the killer shot right away.?
-The Daily Athenaeum, Sports Writer, Todd Krise

Today is the big day. Finally! It?s so exciting to be part of such a big event and be able to grasp all of the insanity that is the Bowl Game madness. I was a little nervous this morning when I woke up and was getting ready to head over to the University of Phoenix Stadium, where the Fiesta Bowl will kick off at 6 p.m. our time. This is the first time that I have been to a bowl game, and also the first time that I have been in a press box at a football game.

We left the hotel at noon on a charter bus for the media with a police escort. It was a pretty funny experience driving through Arizona with a police escort, who was clearing traffic so that we could get to the stadium as fast as possible.

The stadium itself is gigantic! It has huge retractable roof that allows a lot of natural light to enter the stadium. It?s also the only stadium in North America that has a retractable turf. That means that the people who run the stadium can literally take the turf out of the stadium, making it easier to print the emblems that go on the field, such as the Fiesta Bowl logo at center field.

The air around the stadium is amazing. We arrived a little before 1 p.m., and there were already fans from both the Sooners and the Mountaineers that were tailgating in the parking lot. Vendors were all outside the stadium, selling beads and paraphernalia to support both teams. West Virginia and Oklahoma fans were mingling with each other since the intensity of the game hasn?t officially started yet.

The interior of the stadium itself is amazing. There are approximately 63,400 permanent seats, expandable to 73,000 seats for big games. There are 88 luxury lofts, with three party lofts and there is 7,400 club seats and two 39,000 square foot club lounges. It?s pretty much the most amazing stadium that I have ever been inside. The Stadium was designed to be a multi-purpose facility with the ability to host football, basketball, soccer, concerts, consumer shows, motorsports, rodeos and corporate events. The exterior, which was designed to look like a barrel cactus, is a unique design that truly embodies the state of Arizona.

College Football?s Biggest Party, the pre-gaming event outside of the stadium for both Mountaineer and Sooner fans was honestly, the biggest tailgate that I have ever seen. There were hundreds of food vendors, serving anything from candy apples, to Starbucks, to Taco Bell. When I first entered the area, there was a boxing match going on. Sooner and Mountaineer fans were watching the fight go down. Towards the center of the Tailgate, there was a stage where they were announcing six players who were being inducted into the college hall of fame. Doug Flutie, a former Boston College quarterback and current ABC sports broadcaster was among the list of the men inducted into the hall of fame. Both Sooner and Mountaineer fans were watching the induction, cheering on their favorite inductee.

Thousands of Mountaineer fans filled the tables, and sidewalks throughout the party. Nelson Blake, and his wife Joyce, of Morgantown, have been to four other bowl games besides the Fiesta Bowl, but this is their first time out west. So far, his favorite fan event was the pep rally that was held at Garduno?s Margarita Factory yesterday.
Blake feels that there is so much good energy surrounding the team, even with Rich Rod leaving. ?The whole state was ready to go down South to New Orleans. With the coach leaving, it?s been hard but the real fans are here to support the team,? he said.

Blake didn?t have any predictions for the game, saying that ?with this season, anyone can win. 99 percent of America thought that we would beat Pitt, and we didn?t. I think that we have the advantage going in as the underdog into this one.?

With the type of unpredictable season that has plagued football this year, it?s a shot in the dark as to which team has more momentum coming into this game.

?I think that we are a good team, who gets along well and we have our head in the game. Even if we lose, it will be such a good game that it?s worth the money to come out here, win or lose,? Blake said. ?You obviously don?t want to pay a lot of money to see a blowout, but it should be a great game.?

Even with all of the fans at the event, there didn?t seem to be many safety issues. Troy Passmore, who was working in the Fiesta Bowl First Aid tent, said that it?s been very quiet so far, and there haven?t been any real issues. However, after the game is a different situation.

?We will have 30 or 40 more people working at different areas around the stadium after the game,? Passmore said. Usually most of the issues that the First Aid people deal with are alcohol related fights.
I can barely wait to see us win! LET?S GO ?EERS!

Today was the big alumni association event at Garduno?s Margarita Factory in Scottsdale. The alumni association put the event on as a way for Mountaineer fans to have a gathering place. As part of the festivities, the cheerleading squad came and performed some cheers, the WVU marching band made an appearance and even some of the football players showed up to rally the crowd and get them ready for the big game.

Fans from all over the country were at the event and all of them had stories to tell. Big Cat, who is a famous Mountaineer fan who has been going to the home games since, well, pretty much forever, was on hand helping to cheer on the Mountaineers.

Governor Joe Manchin and his wife Gail were also there, along with West Virginia University President Mike Garrison. Everyone was cheering and rallying around the team. Five minutes didn?t go by when someone would start a ?Let?s Go Mountaineers? chant that rang throughout the restaurant.

My favorite fan from the event by far was Cole Baumgarner. He is a six-year-old Mountaineer fan from Hurricane, West Virginia, and he has been to everyone home game, except one, since he was born. The Fiesta Bowl is his second bowl game that he has attended with his family, who takes the trip every year as a big vacation. His father John, who is a season ticket holder, said that he knows his son will go to WVU when he is older because he is the biggest Mountaineer fan there is.

Cole even went so far as to re-tell me the score of the Gator Bowl from 2007, and tell me that Steve Slaton was his favorite player.

At the event there were many alumni association members who were helping to keep the event running smoothly. At the entrance to the building, there were tables set up where people could get free posters, free pom-poms and WVU football pens. Stephanie Master, who is a 1986 alumnus of WVU, is part of the alumni association network out West. She is thrilled to have the Bowl game on the West Coast, but she was ?excited to see it in New Orleans. I wish we were having a national championship, but it?s not a big deal.?

She also thinks that even though Rich Rodriguez did a good job coaching before he left, ?if Michigan wants to pay the $4 million to take him away, well then they can take it.?

Two of the most interesting fans I met were not even fans at all. Jeff Heil and Greg Rooney are from Dayton, Ohio and are Buckeye fans, but flew down to Arizona to support one of their friend?s sons, Jeremy Kash, who is a holder for the Mountaineers. Heil has never been to a Buckeye bowl game, but imagined that the fan base would be bigger there. ?Its fun here, and we?re here to support a friend.?

Mickey Morgan, mother to Ashley Morgan, a junior at WVU and the captain of the WVU cheerleading squad, was on hand with two of her relatives, Karen Graham and Sandy Marinacci, to cheer on Ashley and the Mountaineers in their fight against the Sooners. This was Morgan?s first bowl game, and she couldn?t be more thrilled for her daughter. ?All of the fans and the enthusiasm is my favorite part so far,? she said. ?I wish there was more people here, but we support WVU and the team, especially after what happened to them recently,? Morgan said.

Marinacci had a few choice words to say about the loss of our coach, and how WVU can survive without him. ?It?s unfortunate that he left, but we?re WVU, we can rise above it. We always have to overcome things,? she said.

Newly instated WVU Student Body President Jason Parsons was at the event, along with fellow governor Whitney Rae Peters and Mountaineer Maniac president Jeremy Hatcher. Parsons was happy with the amount of students that were at the event. ?It?s important to have students here to support the team. We need them to know that we are in their corner.?

As for Parsons, he had no idea who the new head coach at WVU might be, and he had no real first choice. ?I trust the head of the athletic department and President Mike Garrison to make a good decision. We need someone who can continue to send us on our path to national greatness, and I trust them to make that decision.?

A mariachi band was playing in the restaurant, to authenticate the Mexican feel. The real musical entertainment showed up when the band arrived to play some music for the fans. The band performed some favorites, including the WVU fight song, and of course, Country Roads. The entire crowd of Mountaineer fans cheered and sang along with the band, whose short performance was the highlight of many people?s trip to Garduno?s.

The event was a ton of fun, and it was interesting to meet all of the different types of people who came out to celebrate. I?m sure that the largest pre-game party tomorrow, and all of the other WVU Mountaineer events before the game will be just as exciting, with just as many interesting people.

All photography by Kendal Montgomery

On New Year?s Eve we spent the whole day exploring the hotel and talking to some of the other media professionals that are in Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl. We met some of the West Virginia media personnel, along with the Oklahoma student television station. I talked to them about what they thought of the match-up between the Sooners and the Mountaineers and it was pretty interesting. They are a little worried about our offense and our ability to run the ball (which they should be!) and are a little bummed that so many of their players had to go home before the big game. Their defensive back, Marcus DeGranger had to go home because he stole a t-shirt. Who comes to a bowl game with a once in a lifetime chance to play in a great football game, and steals a t-shirt? As a member of the football team, they are allowed to get up to $500 worth of merchandise, according to NCAA regulations, yet he still stole a t-shirt. The Oklahoma boys were a little embarrassed, but still thought that they will beat us on January 2nd. I told them that their defense didn?t stand a chance against our offense, and that with interim head coach Bill Stewart in charge, we were going to run the ball like crazy and have a hugely high scoring game.

Last night was the Insight Fiesta Bowl Block Party, which was held in the Miller Avenue District and Tempe Beach Park, near Arizona State University. It?s a big block party thrown in celebration of New Years Eve. When we got there, I didn?t realize how big the actual event would be. When they said Block Party, they literally meant five blocks of nothing but food vendors selling delicious food that you could smell miles away, bars with lines out the door and both Insight Bowl and Fiesta Bowl fans everywhere. There were tons of local bands playing, some of them were even cover bands for AC/DC and Tom Petty. At almost every center of every block, there was a band playing. People were walking all over the streets, wearing the colors of the team they supported, and were decked out in 2008 party gear.

At the center of the block party, there was a huge carnival, with a Ferris wheel and tons of rides for the partygoers to catch a few thrills on.

There was also a rock-climbing wall that was in the middle of the street, with people walking past participants who were suspended in the air trying to climb to the top. The energy at the block party was incredible, with people celebrating the Oklahoma State win in the Insight Bowl over Indiana, and Fiesta Bowl fans walking down the street cheering for their team. We kept hearing the faithful ?Let?s Go? Mountaineers!? cheer as we walked down the streets, with fans joining in when they saw each other. The bowl culture has really swept people out here, and they are embracing it with all they?ve got.

I was lucky enough to talk to a few of the Mountaineer fans as they were walking around the block party. Most of the fans at the party didn?t have a lot of plans other than prepare and pre-game for the actual event; expect some ?good old-fashioned tailgating.? The one thing that I consistently heard from all of the Mountaineer faithful that I spoke to was their disappointment in the University not having a fan center this year. The fan center is a place where WVU fans from all over the country come together and meet other fans, catch up with friends they might not have seen since their days at WVU and to celebrate with the rest of the Mountaineer loyal who attended the game. The University canceled their fan tent because of the small amount of Mountaineers who were actually able to travel to the game, but all of the fans that I have spoken to seem disappointed that there was no central place for them to gather. Nonetheless, they were excited to be there and the have the Mountaineer experience with the friends and family that they traveled with.

With the University only selling 8,500 tickets to the game, there were not as many Mountaineer fans as I would have liked, but the ones that came were true fans, who were so excited for the game, and for the opportunity to play in the Fiesta Bowl that it made up for the less than exciting number of people who were there. Michael Smith, a Mountaineer fan who traveled down here with four other faithful ?Eers fans, said that he was ?disappointed with there being no fan center, because it?s a time for people to get together to talk with other fans,? but he wasn?t going to let the lack of a fan center stop him from having a good time. Smith and his friends are season ticket holders who traveled down here to support the ?Eers. So far, the trip has been worth it for them, even if some of them lost $600 when they anticipated that we would be traveling to New Orleans for the National Championship game, instead of the Fiesta Bowl. Even with the disappointing loss to Pittsburgh that prevented us from going to the National Championship game, Smith and his friends were not disappointed to be in Arizona.

Most importantly, they were not disappointed or worried about the team, even in sight of the loss of former head coach Rich Rodriguez. ?We are here to support the team, not the coach,? Smith said, ?We want to see the kids do well.?

For me, that was the most important thing to hear from a faithful fan. It seemed to these Mountaineer fans that it wasn?t the coach who won the game, but the players, and our new coach, whoever he may be, will surely lead us to football glory because of the players that he will be working with.

Right before midnight, the Barenaked Ladies were still performing, and were giving a ten minute countdown to new years. They were pumping up the crowd, and it will probably be the only time that Sooner and Mountaineer fans alike will be cheering for the same end, a happy New Year and good start to 2008. When the ten second countdown began, everyone was yelling and counting down. At midnight, cheers erupted and everyone was shouting ?Happy New Year!? Right over our heads at the pavilion, fireworks were sent up and the whole crowd cheered and started talking about the New Year being brought in right. It was a crazy night, full of tons of college football fans, and a great way to ring in 2008 with style.

All photography by Kendal Montgomery

Tonight, New Years Eve, is my first night in Arizona, and already I?ve caught the bowl game bug. This afternoon I went to the media box to get my press credentials (and free press gift!). This morning was the media day and interviews with the head coaches of WVU and Oklahoma. We missed the event due to the time that our flight arrived in Arizona, but I was still able to find out what happened at the event.

As usual, Bill Stewart is excited to be coaching the Mountaineers, and couldn?t be happier to see them in the Fiesta Bowl. With all of the turmoil and commotion that has been caused since Rich Rodriguez left the team, one would think that Stewart would crack under the pressure. Instead, he has remained optimistic. ?It has been a great, blessed two weeks. We’ve had tremendous intensity and preparation by our football players, first and foremost. I can only congratulate these players on how they have conducted themselves, first of all, as a team and football family and a group of brothers. I can say that with every ounce of fiber in my body,? Stewart said in a press release.

Stewart was not only congratulatory of the players, but also the remaining coaching staff. ?More importantly, I am pleased with our staff. Our football staff. We won four championships in five years and you first of all have to do that with players, as we just talked about, the players and how they have done. Our staff has represented the Mountain State of West Virginia with more professionalism than even imaginable. This group of men and their brides that allow them to be coaches have jumped front and center. They deserve all the credit,? he said.

Recently, Oklahoma had to send one of their key players, DeMarcus Granger, home and they team is also missing many of their key defensive players. Even with the team missing some of their strongest players, Stewart is not about to admit that he feels totally ?comfortable? playing the Sooners. He said ?I would like for about ten more to go home and half their coaches, and I would feel real good. I didn’t even know that and I thank you very much. But I can tell you this: Bob Stoops and Kevin Wilson, whom I’ve worked with, I think a lot of people know that and Brett Venables and their staff, they have done a tremendous job. They’ve won 11 games seven of the last nine years. They have played for and won national championships. We’re just very gracious and very humble to be able to play these guys in such a nice game.?

It seems like the match-up between the two teams should be an exciting one. There is so much energy going into this game, from both sides, that whatever the outcome may be, I am sure it will be an incredibly high scoring game. I?m excited to see our fast offense take on the strong defense of Oklahoma?s Sooners. I can?t wait to be there in the thick of the action with all of the loyal Mountaineer fans around me.

Greetings from Arizona!! It?s so nice to finally be out West. My trip to the Fiesta Bowl started early this morning, with a 7:30 a.m. flight to Phoenix. That five-hour flight seemed a whole lot longer than I originally thought. When we walked onto the plane, the first people we saw were Governor Joe Manchin and his wife, Gail. It was nice to see the leaders of West Virginia on the plane, heading out to the big bowl game. I know that it will mean a lot to the team, and the fans, to have someone like Manchin at the game.

The plane was full of WVU fans, all decked out in their gold and blue gear and wearing their flying WV?s with pride. The pilot came on the overhead speaker to announce that we were going to be running a little late in our arrival to Phoenix, and ended his message with ?And let?s go ?Eers!? The whole plane erupted into cheers when the Mountaineer fans clapped and cheered for their team and for a game that is just a few days away. Fans from all over the plane were talking to people they didn?t even know about the bowl game, about the loss of Rich Rodriguez, and just about anything else that a Mountaineer fan could talk about a few days before the big game.

Getting off the airplane was an adventure in itself. Traveling with seven people is a lot, and it took us a while to get our situation sorted out. When we were waiting downstairs in the baggage claim area by the carousel, a woman who was pushing a baby carriage, and was holding the hand of a girl who couldn?t have been older than three, was wearing an Oklahoma t-shirt. Seeing all of the blue and gold of the people who have just de-boarded our plane, she whispered to her daughter ?say let?s go Sooners!? and ?Let?s go Oklahoma!? I thought this was very funny. Here is a little girl, a small child, who knows nothing about football or where she is, or the big bowl game culture that she was becoming a part of, and she is listening to her mom and saying ?Let?s go Sooners? anytime a blue and gold clad person walked past. The idea of the bowl culture and all that it entails was finally dawning on me.

I am staying at the media hotel in Scottsdale, which is separate from both the OU team?s hotel, the WVU band?s hotel, and the WVU football team?s hotel. I guess they don?t want us hounding the players before the big game. The scenery here is absolutely breathtaking. There are cacti and plants everywhere, and they seem to be growing in rocks and dirt, as opposed to the grass that I am used to seeing plants grow out of. The sky is a crystal, clear blue with not one cloud in sight. The backdrop of the whole city is rolling mountains that look the color of red sandstone. There are homes that are built right into the sides of the cliffs that must have an amazing view of the city, and landscape below.

Tonight there is a huge block party, which is supposed to be one of the best in the nation. There are tons of local bands playing, along with the Barenaked Ladies headlining the event. It should be a real blast to meet Mountaineer fans from all over the country at this event. It looks like it should be a really good time. The bowl game culture has already started to sink into my skin, and I?ve only been here for a few hours now. I can?t wait until I get to experience some real Arizona scenery, complete with Mountaineer colors spread throughout the backdrop.

All photography by Kendal Montgomery

So the countdown is at an end. Today is my last day in Morgantown and I leave for Arizona on a 7:30 a.m. flight tomorrow. I?m so excited to be traveling to the West Coast to cheer on my ?Eers. It?s going to be an intense few days, but I can barely contain my excitement at being able to be a part of the bowl game culture. I know that it?s going to be a different atmosphere on the West Coast, then if the game was on the East Coast, but I?m excited nonetheless.

The University has 7,500 tickets to the Fiesta Bowl that haven?t been sold yet, but they are holding onto them for ?last minute? purchases from fans. If tickets aren?t bought, then the University will have to pay around $1 million dollars for the unused tickets. So far, about 8,500 tickets have been bought from the allotted 17,500 for the University. That is a large fan base for the Mountaineers, but not as large as they are used to. I guess that just means we have to be extra loud and support and cheer on our Mountaineers just a little harder than normal.

The Mountaineers can expect to receive between $14 million and $17 million for participating in the Fiesta Bowl, the larger amount if we win (and I have a feeling we will!)

The team has been in Arizona for a few days so far, and the team seems to be handling practices well. Full back Owen Schmitt said that practices have been short, yet sweet all week, with the team working on fine tuning all of their play executions. Schmitt understands that Oklahoma is a formidable opponent, but is optimistic about the outcome. ?Obviously, they are the best team we?ve played all year. I don?t know if there is anyone we can compare them to. They just have so many great athletes on defense. We are definitely expecting them to load up the box. Obviously, they know we are a running team. What we are going to have to do is make sure we can win the one-on-one battles outside,? he said in a press release.

Quarter back Pat White said that the practices have been a little looser, but the intensity is still there. With all of the excitement involving a new head coach coming to West Virginia, many of the players, including White, have been hearing names being thrown around, but they are trying to ignore the hype for the moment. ?I just hear things. I?m not focusing on who is going to be the coach at West Virginia right now. I?m preparing for a big bowl game,? he said.

This is Schmitt?s last game as a Mountaineer, and he is starting to feel the emotions. ?Our last game against Pittsburgh stings a little bit. Hopefully we?ve prepared well enough and we just hang with Oklahoma and see what happens at the end of the game,? he said. White is sad to see Schmitt leave, and has enjoyed playing with him over the past few years. ?On the field, he?s a monster. He loves contact. I think he loves contact more than anybody I?ve ever seen. He?s not a selfish player at all. As you can see, he didn?t touch the ball that many times this year. In previous years he did. Off the field, sometimes he?s wild and crazy. He?s a great friend. He?s fun to be around,? White said.

I?m so excited to be heading out to Arizona tomorrow. I?ll be blogging twice a day from Scottsdale about all of the fan events and media events that are going to be happening surrounding the Fiesta Bowl. Be sure to read for constant updates via stories, photos and video.

The Mountaineers have descended upon Arizona and suited up for their first practice today at Scottsdale Community College. Interim head coach Bill Stewart said that practices at home had been going well and that practice in Arizona is going to help the team ?shake off the rust? since the team has been off the field for a while to spend time with their families over the recent holiday.

Bill Stewart has a very positive outlook for the team and has a good outlook for the game against the Sooners. ?As I said last week, we have a few bullets in our gun. I know this: the holsters will be empty when we leave the field. We call them race cars. Nos. 2, 5, 10 and 35 must touch the ball. If those guys get a chance to touch the ball then we should have a fine time. But we are going up against a very fast and formidable opponent,? he said in a press release.

Keilen Dykes, defensive linemen for the Mountaineers, said that the welcome to Arizona was really nice, including a red carpet awaiting their arrival and a mariachi band that greeted them at the airport. Dykes said that the team has been in high spirits, even in light of the loss of their former head coach, Rich Rodriguez. A turning point in the lifting of their spirits was when former coach Don Nehlen and Governor Joe Manchin came and spoke to the team shortly after Rich Rod announced he was leaving WVU.

?Don Nehlen came and talked to the team last Wednesday. He talked about distractions. Coach Nehlen told our players that he thought his team was distracted 20 years ago. He cautioned them on that. He said, ?Guys, don?t let distractions eat at you the rest of your life.? It hit me hard,? Stewart said.

Stewart watched tapes of Oklahoma?s practice and had a few words to say regarding their program and how he, and the rest of the Mountaineers, might prepare for the Fiesta Bowl. ?I see a lot of speed. I see a lot of size. And a lot of strength. They are ranked nationally in every category on offense and defense. They hit on all three phases. They are really good. And they should be. They?re Oklahoma. It?s a great tradition and a great football power. They?re pretty special and we?re not too bad ourselves,? he said in the press release.

Sooners Head Coach Bob Stoops watched a tape of the Mountaineers practice and had some interesting words about the variances between the two teams? defensive tactics. ?It can create some uncertainty on where they are going to be. It still comes down to being physical and getting off blocks, covering people. And us being able to sustain blocks, finish blocks. Running backs have to have some patience and wait for it to happen. There are no magical defenses or offenses. It just gets down to who can fundamentally be physical and tackle and do things necessary to execute their defense,? Stoops said in a press release.

From what I can tell, it seems like the team, and interim coach Stewart, have the right attitude for the game on the 2nd. Hopefully the morale of Mountaineers fans has begun to turn around since the announcement of Rich Rod?s departure to Michigan. All the controversy surrounding Rich Rod?s departure from WVU has placed the Mountaineers in the national spot light. Coverage of the events surrounding Rodriguez?s decision to leave WVU has been all over EPSN. In a lot of people?s minds, Rodriguez is seen as a leader who left his team and followers when he was needed most. Subsequently, the Mountaineers have gained a lot of support from college football fans who may have otherwise been indifferent to the outcome of the Fiesta Bowl. People across the country will now be tuning in and rooting for a team that has more than a nationally ranked offense to stop and a nationally ranked defense to penetrate. We may be carrying the weight of a loss on our shoulders, but the entire nation will be watching, and the coaches and players have more than just the Morgantown faithful in their corner.