Pitt Comes From Behind to Shock WVU in Backyard Brawl Classic

PITTSBURGH — Just when it looked like Pitt was ready to lie down and die, the Panthers started to make some plays again. For the second straight week, Pitt came back from the dead.

Pitt had just 1:59, with a single timeout, to drive 77 yards for the win — or get in range for a game-tying field goal. Pitt needed just under a minute to do it — Derrick Davis Jr. diving into the end zone from a yard out to take a 38-34 lead with 32 seconds left.

Against all odds, Pitt pulled out a 38-34 win at Acrisure Stadium Saturday afternoon, coming back from 10 points down midway through the fourth quarter.

Eli Holstein threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns, adding 59 yards on the ground, and Pitt managed to do just enough to outweigh a second half in which the Panthers did almost everything possible to give the game away.

It wasn’t easy, and it looked almost impossible at times in the second half, but Pitt pulled off the impossible for the second week in a row — and it was a little bit sweeter in the Backyard Brawl.

But obviously, the Panthers could’ve been sharper. Pitt could’ve entered the halftime break with a lead, maybe as much as 10, 14 points. But a weird 4th-and-1 shovel pass to Kenny Johnson that had no chance to conversion gave WVU a chance to tie the game before the half — or take the lead.

Pitt held fast defensively, forcing a 44-yard goal from WVU kicker Michael Hayes after a 22-yard drive. Still, a 17-17 halftime score felt like a letdown.

Pitt received the second half kickoff with a chance to brush off the mistake. And went three-and-out. It would’ve been a disastrous third quarter (pretty much still was) without Maverick Gracio.

Gracio came up big when Pitt needed a spark. After WVU faked a punt on 4th-and-3 earlier in the drive midway through the third quarter, the Mountaineers set up to punt on 4th-and-11. And WVU punter Oliver Straw wasn’t able to get the punt off as Gracio bore down upon him.

Brandon George scooped the bouncing ball off the turf and raced 24 yards back to the end zone for a critical touchdown. Pitt retook a touchdown lead.

But, as was the case throughout the game, when one team scored, there was a response. And while it looked like the responses from Pitt had stopped, there was a whole lot to come.

WVU brushed off the blocked punt and drove 81 yards to even the game at 24 toward the end of the third quarter, courtesy of a 4-yard touchdown rumble from running back CJ Donaldson. WVU settled for a 23-yard field at the beginning of the fourth quarter, forced by a red zone stand from the Panthers, and Pitt wasn’t able to capitalize. A quick three-and-out gave the ball back to WVU, and the Mountaineers marched downfield on an 85-yard touchdown drive to take a 10-point lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Pitt responded with a 5-play, 75-yard touchdown drive of its own (completed by a 40-yard toss to Daejon Reynolds over three WVU defenders). And when the defense was needed most, it stepped up. A defensive stop allowed Pitt to drive for a game-winning touchdown.

Pat Narduzzi talked about not wanting to let a fast start — or lack thereof — impact the majority of the football game. Both teams failed to convert their first drives, so no harm, no foul there. It truly wasn’t about how the Panthers started, it was how they finished.

Pitt picked up more yards in the first half than it did all of last season’s Brawl, and it wasn’t a perfect performance. Holstein led two touchdown drives, trading scores with West Virginia, but the (at least) 3-point swing at the end of the first half left a bad taste in the Panthers’ mouth. But another second half comeback washed it all away.

Pitt remains at home next weekend, finishing off its non-conference slate with Youngstown State. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium.

With a win against the Penguins, Pitt will exit non-conference play undefeated for the first time ever.