For the first time in a long time, the Backyard Brawl will be played in Morgantown, W.Va. today.
With both Pitt and West Virginia sitting at 1-1, with wins over FCS opponents in Wofford and Duquesne, respectively, and it almost feels like a must-win game for both teams — even at this point in the season.
It promises to be a loud, rowdy night at Milan Puskar Stadium in front of a sell-out crowd. It may not be the location of College GameDay, but it’s one of the most anticipated games of the week.
Pitt unveiled its uniforms for the Backyard Brawl against West Virginia this weekend, wearing gold helmets, white jerseys and gold jerseys — with the blue Pitt script throughout. It’s a classic look. And it’s just the start of the excitement.
That sky-high level of excitement surrounding the first Backyard Brawl in Morgantown since 2011 has been building throughout the week, and after last season, Pitt is eager to build a winning streak against WVU.
Pitt, of course, would go on to win the first Backyard Brawl in over a decade, setting the foundation for a much-anticipated series that will continue (with an intermission in the mid-2020s) into the early 2030s.
And as the game shifts to Morgantown, this season, there isn’t any level of anxiety. Only excitement.
“I told them after last, it’s another rivalry,” M.J. Devonshire said. “I’ll be walking around saying, ‘West Virginia doesn’t care. If you’re having a bad day, they don’t care. If you won or lost last week, they don’t care.’ They’re trying to beat you whether you won by 100 or lost by 100 the week before. That’s the type of team they are, and that’s the type of game they’re preparing to play. And you gotta be prepared for that.
“We’ve adapted to that, and we know that it is what it is, you gotta move on. The sun came up, and we got another opportunity to play football.”
Pitt is 55-35-2 all-time against West Virginia, dating back to when Pitt Athletics first tracks the games in 1917, but the game has been played since the 1800s. It’s one of the oldest rivalries in all of college football.
The Backyard Brawl is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. Saturday under the lights at Milan Puskar Stadium, and it will be broadcast nationally on ABC — with multiple radio options, too.
Television — ABC (WTAE-TV, Channel 4 in Pittsburgh)
Sean McDonough (play-by-play)
Greg McElroy (analyst)
Molly McGrath (sideline reporter)
Radio — 93.7 The Fan, Pitt Panthers Radio Network
Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play)
Pat Bostick (analyst)
Larry Richert and Dorin Dickerson (reporters)
Leaderfield Radio
Chris Hassel (play-by-play)
Mike Golic Jr. (analyst)
SiriusXM Satellite Radio
SiriusXM channel 391 or on the SiriusXM app
WPTS Radio (Pitt Student Station) — 92.1 FM
