backyard brawl
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The first game of the season allows for much more time to evaluate the teams involved, so when game week actually arrives, many angles of coverage have already been executed.
As always, though, we can find a few more, and when the contest is the Backyard Brawl, that task becomes even easier.
Each week, we’ll look at some of the hidden, and not-so-hidden, confrontations and keys to WVU’s game, and also provide some of the more interesting informational nuggets around the contest.
Backyard Brawl Rewind, Presented By Eqt
Other than getting a transfer QB in the form of Kedon Slovis to replace departed starter Kenny Pickett, one of the biggest stories of the Panther offseason was the replacement of offensive coordinator Mark Whipple with Frank Cignetti, Jr. Back for his third stint on the Pitt staff, Cignetti is expected to execute head coach Pat Narduzzi’s wishes for more running and less passing in the Pitt attack.
It’s hard to figure, on one level, why Narduzzi was so exercised about Whipple’s play selection. Pitt’s passing game produced 4, 723 yards and 44 TDs against eight interceptions and was nearly perfectly balanced with 544 passes against 525 runs. Granted, 97 of those rushes came from Pickett, with many the result of scrambles, but they produce 241 net yards, so it wasn’t like that part of the attack was a disaster either.
With that detailed, just how much more will Pitt run the ball in 2022? Its backfield stable is similar to WVU’s — a group of solid backs that aren’t the flashiest around but look to be dependable. Is that their best method of moving the ball in 2022, or is Narduzzi trying to bend the offense to his will rather than taking advantage of his best players? Keep an eye on Pitt’s playcalling early. If the run game doesn’t get cranked up, will Narduzzi allow more passing?
Country Roads Uniform Builds Anticipation For Backyard Brawl
So indications are that Pitt wants to run the ball, but it’s not going to ignore the passing game either. WVU wants to improve its ability to throw the rock downfield. Both of those items bring us to pass protection, which has been overlooked in the discussion about each team returning all five of its offensive line starters and the automatic assumption that both will be good.
Last year, WVU gave up 38 sacks, which tied for 110th out of 130 teams nationally. That, along with attendant pressure and hurries, was yet another reason contributing to the struggles of the Mountaineer passing game. Pitt wasn’t much better, yielding 34 sacks, albeit on almost 100 more passing attempts than West Virginia had. That ratio might put last year’s sack rate of Panther QBs in the acceptable loss category.
What does that mean for this year? With the caveat that it’s a new season, with new offensive system and points of emphasis for each team, the fact remains that pass rush is one of the more difficult things to evaluate in the preseason. Viewings of full scale 11-on-11 sessions are pretty much non-existent, and QBs usually aren’t live in them in any event. Which team will be able to provide a clean pocket and throwing lanes?
Pitt, Wvu Backyard Brawl At Acrisure A Foul Spectacle, Call It Off
Some of this also is on the other side of the line, and there the Panthers hold a big advantage. Pitt produced 54 sacks last year (third nationally), while the Mountaineers had barely half that total (27 according to the NCAA, 28 by WVU’s numbers). Are there candidates on the Mountaineer front to help Dante Stills (seven sacks) and Taijh Alston (five) put more pressure on Panther QB Kedon Slovis?
WVU is 5-1 in games played on Sept. 1. The Mountaineers have opened the season eight times previously against the Panthers, taking wins of 6-5 in 1900, 17-7 in 1953 and 24-6 in 1903 while absorbing losses of 12-0 in 1901, 14-9 in 1917, 26-13 in 1944, 14-13 in 1956 and 34-3 in 1991.
A fair percentage of WVU fans seem to think that they will be taking over Acrisure Stadium as they did in previous visits to the structure, then known as Heinz Field. That’s probably not going to happen.
Pitt Student Section Sells Out For Backyard Brawl
While WVU fans have bought all of their available tickets to the game, and likely snapped up more through third-party resale sites or via stealth buying practices like shelling out for a cheap season ticket and then flipping the rest back onto the market, this isn’t the mid-2000s, when Pitt support was at low ebb and WVU fans could pretty much snag any seat they liked.
Coming off an ACC title, and with expectations for another run at a top-tier finish in the league, Pitt supporters have been doing their part in purchasing tickets. That’s not to say WVU fans won’t be visible, or heard, but the idea that there will be more Mountaineer than Panther fans in the stadium, as many believe, is likely well off the mark.
WVU will put four assistant coaches in the press box this year, including offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, defensive line coach Andrew Jackson, tight ends coach Sean Reagan and safeties coach Dontae Wright.
Renewal Of Backyard Brawl Among Appealing 2022 College Football Season Opening Non Conference Games
The vagaries of scheduling a strong non-conference slate aren’t working in WVU’s favor. Not only is West Virginia is one of only three Power 5 schools to open the 2021 and 2022 seasons on the road at a Power 5 opponent (Penn State and Notre Dame are the others), WVU also opens the 2023 season on the road at Penn State. That makes it the only school to open three straight years at a Power 5 opponent.
Given the difficulty of trying to build this program back to more than an average level, such tasks probably aren’t advisable. And unfortunately, fans won’t acknowledge that scheduling is more than a small part of achieving success.
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Inside The Match Up: Wvu Pitt Renew Backyard Brawl Rivalry
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/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71293948/1190406688.0.jpg?strip=all "One Of The Best Rivalries In College")
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The football rivalry is the 14th oldest in the United States and is typically shown on national television. In the past, the Backyard Brawl has be se on ABC, CBS, ESPN, and ESPN2. Through the 105 games played betwe these two schools, Pitt leads the series 62–40–3.
Th Annual Backyard Brawl 2 06/16/2023
The football series was first played in 1895, and the game has historically be one of the more intse rivalries in the eastern United States. The rivalry betwe the two schools is due mainly to proximity. WVU's campus in Morgantown, West Virginia is only about 70 miles south of
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