WVU Interim Head Coach Bill Stewart says “adversity is a state of mind” and the 10-2 Mountaineers are in Phoenix to win a football game.

The 33-year coaching veteran was escorted off the team plane Wednesday evening in Phoenix and right before several members of the media to answer questions about the Mountaineers and the Oklahoma Sooners.

Stewart said, “There are just no flaws” in the third-ranked Sooners. He praised their offense, defense and special teams.

“We have our work cut out for us,” he said.

Stewart said the Mountaineers have gotten over Rich Rodriguez’s decision to take over at the University of Michigan. He said they’ve moved on. “Adversity is a state of mind. This team has the best chemistry I’ve ever seen. The players have bonded. I don’t look at it anymore as adversity,” he said.

The coaching staff decided to deal with the situation straight on. “We were just honest, honest with people, honest with ourselves,” he said. “Youngsters are resilient. This was a life altering situation.”  He said it wasn’t the end of the world.

Stewart said the Mountaineers have traveled to Arizona to win the Fiesta Bowl, not just play in the BCS game.  “These guys aren’t going to run the streets of Phoenix I can promise you that. But they will go to work and they know what to do,” he said.

The Mountaineers will hold their first bowl practice in Phoenix Thursday morning at Scottsdale Community College. Team curfew is set for midnight.