EL PASO, Texas – Bowl Game number 13 proved unlucky for West Virginia as the Mountaineers lost a heartbreaker to Oklahoma State 35-33 in the snowy, bitter cold Sun Bowl before a crowd of 43,240 and a CBS national television audience on Christmas Day.
 
The Cowboys and Mountaineers dazzled the shivering crowd with plenty of offensive fireworks and a last ditch WVU effort to tie the game, falling inches short of the goal line on a two-point conversion attempt.
 
The Mountaineers used a devastating ground game which accounted for 331 yards, and mixed in a few passes for 54 more yards, but the Cowboys answered with 185 yards rushing, 157 by All-America back Thurman Thomas, and 161 yards passing, courtesy of quarterback Mike Gundy.
 
West Virginia's offensive machine was led by junior running back Anthony Brown, who accounted for 167 yards rushing and two touchdowns to give the Mountaineers a 24-14 halftime lead. Freshman quarterback Major Harris kept the Cowboy defense guessing as he rushed for 103 yards and passed for 54 more.
 
On defense, the Mountaineers were led by linebacker Darnell Warren, who returned a second-quarter interception 23 yards for a touchdown and was named the Sun Bowl's most valuable lineman.
 

	1	2	3	4	Final
Oklahoma State	14	0	14	7	35
West Virginia	7	17	3	6	33

OSU - Thurman Thomas 5 run (Cary Blanchard kick)
WVU - Anthony Brown 1 run (Charlie Baumann kick)
OSU - Thomas 9 run (Blanchard kick)
WVU - Brown 5 run (Baumann kick)
WVU - Baumann 33 field goal
WVU - Darnell Warren 23 interception (Baumann kick)
OSU - Thomas 4 run (Blanchard kick)
WVU - Baumann 38 field goal
OSU - J.R. Dillard 6 pass from Mike Gundy (Blanchard kick)
OSU - Thomas 4 run (Blanchard kick)
WVU - Craig Taylor 6 run (pass fail)

Attendance - 43,240