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Week 3 of the NCAA season sees the 107th meeting between the West Virginia Mountaineers (1-1) and the Pitt Panthers (2-0) in one of the most underrated rivalries in all of sports: the Backyard Brawl. This year, the game takes place at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh at 2:30 p.m. EST on Sept. 14 and will be aired live on ESPN. Pitt looks to not only beat its oldest rival, but also to remain undefeated this season. In contrast, West Virginia looks to capitalize on last year’s 17-6 win and improve their record this year to 2-1 before a long stretch of Big 12 Conference play. Pitt leads the all-time series 62-41-3.
Mountaineers' Tough Stretch Looms
After West Virginia's disappointing 34-12 loss to then No.8 Penn State (2-0) on Aug. 21, coach Neil Brown’s Mountaineers bounced back with a 49-14 win over Albany (1-1) on Sept. 7. The Mountaineers hope to continue the upward trend as they face their longtime rivals in the last nonconference game they have this season. Beginning in Week 4, the remainder of West Virginia’s schedule is a verifiable murderer’s row, including four games against top-25 ranked teams. The Mountaineers also would like to build a winning streak against Pitt, as they beat the Panthers in the 106th Backyard Brawl last year with a final score of 17-6.
Panthers Look to Build on Momentum
The Panthers are looking to extend their perfect start to the 2024 season with a third consecutive victory as they head into the Backyard Brawl this weekend. Following a dominant 55-24 win over Kent State (0-2) on Aug.31 and a thrilling last-minute comeback against Cincinnati (1-1), the Panthers have shown resilience on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Eli Holstein has led a high-powered offense, while their defense has made key stops in critical moments. With momentum building, Pitt aims to stay undefeated against their oldest rivals.
Key Players: Pitt
Offense: Eli Holstein, QB
The freshmen quarterback for the Panthers is making his first Backyard Brawl start, and he has looked impressive this year passing for 635 yards and 6 touchdowns while throwing just 2 interceptions. Critics thought that coach Pat Narduzzi was making a mistake by starting Holstein over veteran quarterback Nate Yarnell, but so far Narduzzi and Holstein both have proven the critics wrong. Both look to continue that trend this weekend.
Defense: Donovan McMillon, DB
McMillon, a senior, is playing in his second Backyard Brawl, after transferring from Florida before the beginning of the 2023 season. Last year against the Mountaineers, he recorded 18 total tackles, and he looks to bump those numbers up and maybe add an interception against Garrett Greene and the West Virginia offense.
Key Players: West Virginia
Offense: Garrett Green, QB
Greene looks to build momentum off his impressive showing against Albany, where he went 17-of-23 with 233 passing yards and 4 total TDs (3 passing, 1 rushing). Last year against Pitt, Greene had to leave the game early due to injury, so he definitely looks to be making an impact this year.
Defense: Aubrey Burks, Safety
Burks has played against Pittsburgh twice in his time as a Mountaineer and is looking to end his college career with a winning record against the Panthers. Last year, Burks had 2 tackles and an interception against Pitt and is looking for ways to bump those numbers up in the rivalry game this weekend.
Trends to Watch
While West Virginia is looking to capitalize on momentum gained last week before conference play begins in the Big 12, Pitt is looking to play spoiler once again to the Mountaineers’ hopes of a great season. At the same time, the Panthers are looking to continue their hot streak before Atlantic Coast Conference play begins. Bottom line is the Backyard Brawl once again has major stakes for both teams involved and shows why it is one of the most underrated rivalries in all of college sports.
Broadcast Information
Date: Sept. 14
Time: 3:30 p.m. EST
Where: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh
TV: ESPN
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