On Xbox, that is.
The Sooners will face the Mountaineers for real in the Fiesta Bowl next month, but long before they learned their postseason opponent, Lofton and English knew a thing or two about the Mountaineers. The defensive stars and off-campus roommates are big-time gamers, not only for the Sooners but also where video games are concerned.
The competition is fierce when they play NCAA Football '08, so they know the best teams to pick.
West Virginia is a popular choice.
"They're really hard to stop,” English explained. "The quarterback's fast, and then, the running back's fast, too.”
Ditto for real life.
Quarterback Pat White and running back Steve Slaton form one of the most dangerous backfields in the country. White has thrown for 1,548 yards and run for another 1,185. Slaton has rushed for 1,053 yards.
Talk about video-game numbers.
Together, they accounted for 43 touchdowns.
That's as many or more touchdowns than 67 teams in Division I-A scored this season. As many as Illinois, Cal and Texas A&M. More than Michigan (40), Miami (30) and Florida State (28) and several other teams that finished the regular season ranked in the BCS Top 25.
As stout as the video-game versions of White and Slaton are, the real-life ones are darn good, too.
"Those two guys are pretty special,” Lofton said.
White was a serious Heisman Trophy contender before hurting his thumb early in West Virginia's loss to Pitt. It was the second time this season that the Mountaineers had to play most of a game after injury knocked out White.
The other: South Florida.
The outcome: a loss.
Needless to say, White is crucial to the Mounta
