Tony's Take: Nighttime Magic
September 16, 2014 10:30 AM | General, Tony's Take
 Fans pour out onto the field following West Virginia's 17-14 victory over Penn State under the lights at Mountaineer Field in 1984. |
| Jody McKown/Action Sports of America photo |
Those with gray in their hair fondly recall the 1984 defeat of future Heisman winner Doug Flutie in a game that started in the late afternoon before winding up under the lights.
There's the group that cherish the victory lap by the entire team after capping a perfect regular season against Syracuse in 1988.
Others will never forget the amazing triple-overtime thriller over Louisville, another game that began when the sun was still out. That was the occasion Pat White and Steve Slaton blossomed into superstars.
There's a chance you could add to that list this coming Saturday night.
That's because Big Game Bob is coming to town. You know Big Game Bob right? That's Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who over the last 16 years has been one the most consistent winners the college game has seen. He's walked off the field a winner 163 times. Consider that in the 16 seasons prior to his arrival, Oklahoma had won 120 games and you get the picture why Stoops has already stamped his ticket to the hall of fame.
Stoops' Sooners will arrive ranked fourth in the country and feeling quite fresh after slapping Tennessee, 34-10, last Saturday in Norman.
The one common factor all opponents must have to make a night game truly special is an attraction.
Oklahoma has that plus more.
The Sooner mystique is truly special and deserved. They've won seven national championships and 44 conference titles. They have more 11-win seasons and more 10-win seasons than any program in the country. They've also had the fewest losing seasons of any school. You get the picture.
However, it's a safe bet that while they'll respect their opponent, the Mountaineers will not be in awe. The record shows that WVU and Oklahoma have split their last four games and the last two meetings have been decided by a total of 10 points. There's also a real good chance Oklahoma hasn't forgotten that in its last visit WVU rushed for more yards (458) than any school ever against a Sooner defense. That was the night Tavon Austin danced and pranced around Oklahoma for 344 yards.
In short, the Mountaineers haven't flinched when it comes to playing Oklahoma and there's little chance they will on Saturday night. They will respect them, but they will not fear them.
After watching this squad play three games you can clearly see it does not lack for confidence. They have a collective swagger that comes with not blinking against Alabama, shutting out Towson, and avenging a 37-0 loss to Maryland.
It's a team that's bouncy and can't wait to play again, which are two things no one could say about last year's team. The energy this squad is producing is contagious. It will serve as the fuel for Mountaineer Nation as it makes its way into the stadium on Saturday night.
We've seen the Mountaineer nighttime magic before and all indicators seem to be lining up to having another one of those nights this Saturday.
Happy Holidays from WVU Athletics!
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