On August 4, 2007, the Mountaineers opened up their first practice of the season at Milan Puskar Stadium. Devine was spotted wearing his high school number, #7. West Virginia quarterback Pat White said of Devine after the practice, "He looks good now. We'll see what happens when the pads are on."

Devine got his first chance to play in the 4th quarter of West Virginia's first game of the season against Western Michigan. Devine's first touch was a carry off the left side that resulted in a one-yard gain, and drew a loud ovation from the crowd at Mountaineer Field. Devine later showed his speed as he beat the defense to the corner as he went 23 yards after spinning off of a defender. Devine scored his first collegiate touchdown on an 8-yard run to score WVU's final score, as the #3 ranked Mountaineers beat Western Michigan 62-24. Devine finished the game with 7 carries for 44 yards and a reception for 19 yards. In the second game of the season, Devine looked brilliant as he helped the WVU seal a 4th quarter win over in-state rival Marshall. Devine only had 5 carries but had 76 yards and 2 touchdowns to help the third ranked Mountaineers beat the Thundering Herd 48-23. Devine also had two kickoff returns for 40 yards and his longest run of the day was for 39 yards.

Against #25 Rutgers, Devine had only 6 carries for 40 yards. Against Louisville, Devine had two rushes for 11 yards, one reception for four yards, but he had four kick returns for 97 yards, including a 41-yard return. After the 38-31 Louisville win, rumors appeared that Devine was mad about lack of playing time and had supposedly "torn up his locker" in a fit of anger. In an article with Rivals.com, Devine dismissed the rumors. "If I really wanted to play I would have gone to a sorry team...I didn't expect a lot of playing time." Devine also said, "I think I have played fairly. There's people that are not playing and they're on the team and they're happy. You got a great running back ahead of you. Really, I'm not expecting a lot..."

In the 28-23 victory on the road against #22 Cincinnati, Devine only had two carries but managed to get 23 yards, including a 17-yard rush, but had four kick returns for 86 yards, an average of 21.5 yards per return. In the Big East Championship-clinching 66-21 win over #20 Connecticut, Devine rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, second-best on the team behind quarterback Patrick White. The #2 Mountaineers then lost to 13-9 Pittsburgh in the 100th edition of the Backyard Brawl. In the upset loss, Devine carried the ball seven times for eleven yards, only a 1.6 yards per carry average. However, Devine returned a kickoff for 48 yards late in the 4th quarter, down 13-7. However, the Mountaineers were stopped on fourth down to end the game.

Devine would finish his freshman season with a stellar performance in West Virginia's Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma. After losing Steve Slaton to a leg injury in the first quarter, Devine filled in for WVU with 105 yards on 12 carries and 2 touchdowns, including a 65 yard run which would provide the final score of the game.

Devine was given honorable mention for the Freshman All-American team by various accounts, including SportingNews, and was awarded the team's Danny Van Etten Award by head coach Rich Rodriguez. After Rodriguez left West Virginia to announce his decision to accept the head coaching job at the University of Michigan, Devine began to consider transferring. However, Devine decided he would finish his career at West Virginia.

Fiesta Bowl Notes
Devine scored on a 17-yard touchdown run in the third quarter of the 48-28 Fiesta Bowl victory against Oklahoma ... and then fell flat on his back.

"I was a little too excited. I didn't know what I was going to do. I had people back home watching. I wanted to take a knee for my friend and for my mother up above watching, but I slipped and never got a chance to," said Devine, who lost both parents to AIDS by the time he was 11 years old and later watched a friend get shot and killed.

Devine ran for 108 yards and two scores on a career-high 13 carries, improbably rendering meaningless the fact starter Steve Slaton left the game with a hamstring injury in the first quarter.

There was no panic, perhaps because the Mountaineers (11-2) are used to these things. Slaton was injured in preparations for last season's Gator Bowl against Georgia Tech and carried just three times for 11 yards and never after the first quarter.

The backup that day was fullback Owen Schmitt, whose line was strangely similar to Devine's: 13 carries, 109 yards and two scores.

"It was Noel's turn to step up," Schmitt said.

He wasted no time. After Slaton was helped off the field, Pat McAfee kicked a 38-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead and Devine ran 9 yards on the first play of the following drive.

"I knew I had to step up for my team and carry them and make them feel comfortable with me in there," he said. "I wanted to go out and make plays."

His first touchdown run came after Oklahoma (11-3) botched an attempted onside kick and gave WVU the ball at the 39-yard line. Devine bounced outside and split blocks by right tackle Ryan Stanchek and fullback Owen Schmitt.

Devine didn't have as much help on the second run, but he didn't need it, either, as he weaved through the Sooners defense.

"I saw a lot of open area inside, so I cut back across the field," he said. "From there, it was a race."

The 5-foot-8, 170-pound Devine doesn't lose many races, particularly when he's moving in multiple directions and leaves defenders spinning.

"He has quicker lateral movement than I do," Slaton said. "When he makes up his mind, he can stop on a dime -- he can stop on pennies -- and then he's gone."

Slaton laughed when asked about his future plans and said he didn't want to dilute the victory and talk about the NFL. Should he leave and skip his senior season, Devine showed he was a capable replacement.

He finished his first season with 658 yards and six touchdowns and averaged more than 9 yards over his 73 carries.

"Coming from someone like myself and the freshman year I had, to see him come here and do what he is did amazing," said Slaton, who had 1,128 yards and 17 touchdowns as a freshman in 2005 and was MVP of the Sugar Bowl with 204 yards and three touchdowns. "He learned even faster than I did."

For more check out Noel Devine Jersey and Noel Devine Card.