GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Sure, West Virginia will be without its head coach and secondary coach tomorrow night, but Oklahoma keeps on losing starters from its ballyhooed defense.

Oklahoma run-stuffing defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger was sent packing Sunday after admitting to arresting police that he shoplifted from a nearby Tempe mall.

The exit of Granger, who is tied for second on the No. 3 Sooners with 3¹/₂ sacks and topped Oklahoma's defensive linemen with 35 tackles, brings the number to three defensive starters missing for the Fiesta Bowl against 11th-ranked West Virginia. Also absent will be cornerback Lendy Holmes, ruled academically ineligible before Oklahoma left for the Valley of the Sun, and fellow cornerback Reggie Smith, who broke the big toe on his right foot in the Big 12 championship game Dec. 1.

The absence of the 6-foot-3, 307-pound Granger could prove something of a double-edged loss: Oklahoma's rushing defense ranked seventh among major-college teams by allowing just 91.9 yards per game, and West Virginia's rushing offense ranked fourth with 293 yards per game.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops tersely addressed the Granger situation at media day yesterday at University of Phoenix Stadium: "He was sent home [Sunday]. He will not play. And we'll deal with his situation when we get back. If there is anything further, we'll see."

Stoops said Granger, a starter in 11 of 13 games this year, will be replaced by fellow starter Gerald McCoy plus regulars Cory Bennett and Adrian Taylor, three fellows with 39 tackles and 4¹/₂ sacks combined.

Tempe police said Granger, 21, was arrested Saturday at a Burlington Coat Factory after he removed the anti-theft device from a coat and attempted to conceal the garment in a bag.

The record-setting, redshirt freshman quarterback for Oklahoma, son of a former Sooners offensive lineman from the halcyon 1970s, nearly chucked it all and left his native state to play ... hockey?

"I was pretty good," Sam Bradford said earlier this week, referring to his pre-high school days as a center at the AA youth-amateur level. "I thought about moving away and taking hockey seriously for a while. Like to Dallas or somewhere."

He owned a Pavel Bure Vancouver jersey and an affinity for those Canucks, 1,500 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. By eighth grade, though, the power of football in Oklahoma and the Sooners pedigree inherited from his father, Kent, caused him to focus on that sport. "It's been a long time since I've skated," he added.

The 6-5, 213-pound Bradford certainly seemed to glide through his first college football season. He established an NCAA freshman record with 34 touchdowns, while throwing only seven interceptions. His 180.53 passing efficiency topped all major-college quarterbacks.

"He puts it on the money all the time," West Virginia noseguard Keilen Dykes said.

"I thought he was a senior at first," safety Eric Wicks added of his Oklahoma film study.

Penguins followers, take note: "I like Sidney Crosby," Bradford responded when asked to name the NHL's best.

Mountaineers players had an 11 p.m. curfew yesterday, but aimed to enjoy New Year's Eve festivities at the Tempe block party that has attracted 150,000 revelers in years past. ... Kicker-punter Pat McAfee of Plum, a communications major, joined the media for media day by grabbing a microphone for Clarksburg, W.Va.'s WBOY-TV and comically interviewing select Mountaineers. ... Defensive end Johnny Dingle, joining the Southwestern spirit, brought a colorful sombrero to the stadium. ... The media day silly question du jour: What is a Sooner?/What is a Mountaineer? Hey, Glendale and the stadium are holding Super Bowl XLII in little more than a month, so it's time to prepare.