Pitt beats West Virginia 38-31

Pitt is hosting West Virginia at Acrisure Stadium for the 2022 season opener. Here’s the latest from the game.

FIRST QUARTER
Pitt opened the season by winning the coin toss and deferring. The Mountaineers converted a pair of first downs, including a 22-yard pass from JT Daniels to Bryce Ford-Wheaton that moved the ball into Pitt territory, but the Panthers’ defense stepped up. First, Erick Hallett dropped WVU running back Tony Mathis for a one-yard loss on a screen pass. Two plays - and a false start - later, a bad snap led to a two-yard loss and a WVU punt.

Pitt’s first drive of the game started at the Panthers’ 11 and didn’t move much beyond that. A three-yard run by Israel Abanikanda and a three-yard screen pass to Konata Mumpfield gave Pitt a manageable third-and-4, but Kedon Slovis was dropped for a sack on pressure up the middle, leading to a fourth-and-13 and a 37-yard punt from Sam Vander Haar.

Pitt’s defense forced a three-and-out of its own on the next WVU possession, which started in Pitt territory at the 45. Daniels missed on a first-down deep shot and a second-down run gained just two yards to set up third-and-8. After a swing pass only gained four yards, WVU was set up to attempt a fourth down, but a false start pushed the Mountaineers back and forced a punt.

WVU downed the punt at the Pitt 3 and the Panthers seemed to be in trouble after a false start and a pair of short and negative-gain plays resulted in third-and-9 from the 4. But Slovis recorded the first completion of his Pitt career with a 20-yard shot down the middle to Jared Wayne. Slovis made plays on the next two snaps, too, hitting Konata Mumpfield for 15 yards and then scrambling for 14 yards to get the ball across midfield.

Slovis kept things moving two plays later when he hit Bub Means for 15 yards over the middle, but the offense stalled after that and the Panthers had to settle for a 42-yard field goal.

Ben Sauls converted the kick, and Pitt took a 3-0 lead into the second quarter.

Pitt 3, West Virginia 0 - 0:37, 1st quarter

SECOND QUARTER
West Virginia held the ball in its own territory to open the second quarter, but Pitt had the Mountaineers in a third-and-3 at the WVU 32. Before the ball was snapped, though, a delay of game penalty was called on Pitt defensive tackle Devin Danielson, which gave the Mountaineers a fresh set of downs.

The Panthers had WVU back to a third-and-1 three plays later at the WVU 36, but CJ Donaldson found a hole through the left side and took off for a 44-yard run to the Pitt 10. Two plays later, Daniels connected with Ford-Wheaton on a fade pass over A.J. Woods, and WVU took its first lead of the game.

West Virginia 7, Pitt 3 - 12:45, 2nd quarter

Pitt couldn’t answer the WVU touchdown on the next possession. After picking up a first down at the 41 on a run by Rodney Hammond, Slovis was nearly picked off and then fell short of the lead stick on a third-and-10 scramble, leading to another punt.

This time, Vander Haar’s punt was well-executed and downed at the 1. An unsportsmanlike penalty on Habakkuk Baldonado gave WVU a fresh set of downs at the 16, but the defense stepped up to force a trio of incomplete passes and another punt from the Mountaineers.

Pitt’s next drive started strong when Hammond took off for 13 yards on a run outside to the right. And while a false start penalty on Owen Drexel cost the Panthers five yards, they appeared to make up the difference with a pass to Means, who made a nice move to avoid WVU defenders. But Means lost the ball and the Mountaineers recovered at their own 32.

Two plays later, Pitt recorded a turnover of its own. On second-and-5 from the 37, Daniels threw a screen pass to Kaden Prather, but Pitt cornerback Marquis Williams reached out and dislodged the ball. Erick Hallett recovered to give the Panthers possession at the WVU 35.

The Panthers’ offense picked up the momentum when Slovis ran play-action and threw a perfect pass to Mumpfield on the sideline, who made the high degree-of-difficulty catch for 15 yards. Hammond moved the sticks again with a 12-yard run on the next snap to get inside the 10, and the sophomore back capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown run on third-and-goal from the 4 to put Pitt back on top.

Pitt 10, West Virginia 7 - 3:23, 2nd quarter

West Virginia took the ball with 3:37 left in the first half and got in trouble immediately when John Morgan blew up a screen pass for a six-yard loss. After a three-yard run, Daniels dropped back to throw on third-and-13, but his throw was deflected, sending the ball floating into the middle of the field for a sure interception.

Except Ford-Wheaton got there first, out-jumping multiple Pitt defenders to make a 15-yard reception.

Three plays later, Mathis busted an 18-yard run to get into Pitt territory, and a screen pass to Prather picked up 23 yards to get inside the 20. The Panthers managed to make a stop on third-and-3 from the 9, but WVU turned the drive into points with a field goal, sending the teams to halftime tied.

Pitt 10, West Virginia 10 - Halftime

THIRD QUARTER
Pitt took the ball to open the second half and immediately tried to attack, with Slovis dropping back and firing a deep shot to Mumpfield, but the sophomore receiver tripped and couldn’t make the catch. A second-down run and third-down sack left the Panthers facing fourth-and-15, which brought Vander Haar out to punt.

WVU blocked the punt, though, and the Mountaineers cashed in with a five-yard touchdown run on the first play of the ensuing drive to take the lead.

West Virginia 17, Pitt 10 - 13:08, 3rd quarter

Pitt moved the ball a little on its next drive, picking up one first down and getting close to midfield. But on fourth-and-2 from the WVU 49, Pat Narduzzi opted to punt and pin the Mountaineers inside their own 10. WVU got out of the shadow of the end zone, but the Pitt defense kept up the pressure and forced a punt from the WVU 26.

On the second play of the Panthers’ next drive, Slovis hit his first big play with a throw to Wayne, who broke a tackle and took off for 64 yards to the WVU 1. Two plays later, Daniel Carter cashed it in to tie the score.

Pitt 17, West Virginia 17 - 5:54, 3rd quarter

West Virginia needed an answer to the Pitt touchdown, but two incomplete passes and a one-yard run didn’t get it done, giving the ball back to the Panthers’ offense. That unit carried its momentum over from the previous drive: after Hammond ran for two yards, the sophomore back took a swing pass, ran up the right sideline, caught a key block from Means and went 49 yards to the 11. On the next snap, Hammond pushed his way into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.

Pitt 24, West Virginia 17 - 3:42, 3rd quarter

With the third quarter winding down, WVU’s offense took the field at its 25 and started driving. The Mountaineers converted a third-and-3 with a six-yard pass, converted a third-and-2 - that benefited from a defensive substitution penalty on Pitt - with a two-yard run and then got a big chunk with a 20-yard run and subsequent facemask penalty to get from the WVU 48 to the Pitt 17.

FOURTH QUARTER
On second-and-9 from the 16, Daniels threw to Ford-Wheaton in the end zone for a touchdown to tie the game again.

Pitt 24, West Virginia 24 - 14:52, 4th quarter

With the third quarter winding down, WVU’s offense took the field at its 25 and started driving. The Mountaineers converted a third-and-3 with a six-yard pass, converted a third-and-2 - that benefited from a defensive substitution penalty on Pitt - with a two-yard run and then got a big chunk with a 20-yard run and subsequent facemask penalty to get from the WVU 48 to the Pitt 17.

On second-and-9 from the 16, Daniels threw to Ford-Wheaton in the end zone for a touchdown to tie the game again.

Pitt 24, West Virginia 24 - 14:52, 4th quarter

Pitt picked up one first down on the next drive but had to punt from its own 37, and WVU answered right away with a 39-yard run by Donaldson. Then, Mathis picked up 23 on a third-and-1 from the 24 and Daniels closed the drive with a one-yard dive into the end zone.

West Virginia 31, Pitt 24 - 10:37, 4th quarter

Pitt needed an answer on the next drive but didn’t get it. Slovis and Means connected for 15 yards on the first play of the drive, but Slovis held onto the ball too long on two of the next three plays and took 20 yards in sacks to force a punt at fourth-and-30.

The Panthers’ defense came back to force a punt, and this time, the home team found the end zone. Pitt’s drive started at its own 8, but a targeting penalty on second-and-8 from the 10 moved the ball out to the 31. A 20-yard pass to Mumpfield took Pitt into WVU territory; then, on first-and-10 from the 25, Slovis threw to Abanikanda on a crossing route and the junior running back dodged WVU defenders to get in for the touchdown.

Pitt 31, West Virginia 31 - 3:41, 4th quarter

WVU opened the next drive with a 14-yard run by Donaldson, but on first down from the 39, Daniels’ pass went off Ford-Wheaton’s hands and Pitt cornerback M.J. Devonshire picked it off for a 56-yard interception return touchdown.

Pitt 38, West Virginia 31 - 2:58, 4th quarter

West Virginia’s final drive started at the 25, and the Mountaineers combined a third-and-4 conversion and a pass interference penalty to get close to midfield. From there, Daniels scrambled to complete a 32-yard pass. SirVocea Dennis sacked Daniels for a 10-yard loss on first down from the 22, and another sack pushed it back to the 23. On fourth-and-11 from the 28, Daniels fired down the middle for what was ruled a 27-yard gain to the 1, but replay overturned the catch and Pitt took a knee to end the game and win its first Backyard Brawl since 2008.

Pitt 38, West Virginia 31 - Final