Pitt players focused on the Brawl

The Backyard Brawl returned to the college football landscape in 2022 like it never left. The hatred between Pitt and West Virginia runs deep and even following a ten-year hiatus, one of the sport’s most storied rivalries returned to the national spotlight last year and will get that same treatment on Saturday night with a 7:30 nationally televised kickoff on ABC.

The Brawl may have always resonated between the two fan bases, but the actual teams got an up close look at it last year for the first time. Pitt escaped with a thrilling come-from-behind 38-31 win thanks to a late interception return from MJ Devonshire, a Western Pennsylvania native who was recruited by both schools.

“Being there on visits, it was always crazy,” Devonshire said of returning to Morgantown after being recruited by West Virginia. “Being able to play there this time is going to be fun. I love playing in environments where it seems like they don’t like you, so you get to compete.”

The crowd should live up to the hype. Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium has a listed capacity of 60,000 and if history is any indication, there will be an overflow on hand Saturday night. Three of the five largest crowds in stadium history, which opened back in 1980, have been Backyard Brawls.

Konata Mumpfield caught five passes for 71 yards in last year’s Brawl in his first game in a Pitt uniform after transferring in from Akron. Mumpfield is also coming off a two-touchdown game last week against Cincinnati. The junior wide receiver isn’t worried about the West Virginia crowd, but is rather excited to compete in front of a raucous atmosphere.

“I take it as a blessing being able to play in those environments,” Mumpfield said. “A lot of people wish they can play in those environments and coming from Akron, there was nobody at our games. It’s definitely a blessing being able to go into a hostile place and be able to play the game that you love.”

The Pitt team likely got a taste of what the rivalry really meant to the region last year. The 2022 game broke a Pittsburgh city attendance record with 70,622 on hand at Acrisure Stadium, and it was an eye-opening experience for a player like Gavin Bartholomew.

“Last year I was a little cloudy on what it really what it is was,” he explained, “but this year after playing in it last year, I really understand what the true meaning is and what it means to everyone on the team as well as the community. It means a lot to them and the alumni.”

The crowd aspect will certainly be a factor on Saturday night in Morgantown, but the game has an important meaning for this Pitt team beyond what a rivalry usually entails. The Panthers sustained a 27-21 loss to Cincinnati last week, and with a ranked North Carolina team coming to Pittsburgh on the horizon, the Brawl is a game the Panthers really need.

Devonshire, the hero from last year’s game, is trying to instill that message on his teammates.

“If you’re having a bad day, they don’t care,” the Pitt cornerback said of West Virginia’s mindset. "If you won or lost last week, they really don’t care. They’re trying to beat you whether you won by 100 or lost by 100 the week before, because that’s the type of team they are and that’s the game they are preparing to play.”

The Mountaineers, or certainly West Virginia head coach Neal Brown, may feel a similar type of pressure to win on Saturday. Brown is now in his fifth season as head coach of West Virginia, and has posted a losing record in three of his first four years. A second loss to Pitt likely wouldn’t sit well with the West Virginia faithful. Because of that sense of urgency on the other side, the Pitt players have an idea of what they may be walking into tonight.

“We know we’re going into a hostile environment, coming off of a tough one last week,” said Bartholomew. "All the guys are ready to go, so it will be interesting.”

Despite the ten year break, the two teams got reacquainted rather quickly last year. The experience of surviving a close, back-and-forth game, which the Brawl typically been known for, may be an edge for the Panthers.

It’s probably hard to say ‘Backyard Brawl experience’ means a ton when predicting this year’s game, but Pitt does at least have some of that. Four of the five touchdowns Pitt scored in last year’s game came from players on this year’s roster. Rodney Hammond rushed for two, Daniel Carter scored one, and of course Devonshire’s late defensive score.

While some Pitt players experienced last year’s game, others will be suiting up in the rivalry for the first time. Donovan McMillon is a transfer from Florida, but is of course a Western Pennsylvania native. Even without the benefit of playing last year, the junior safety kind of understands what the game will be after growing up so close to both programs.

“It’s going to be a brawl, obviously, that’s why the name is like that,” McMillon said. “It’s going to be all four quarters and it’s going to be physical.”

Both teams have equal reasons why this game is so important, as neither wants to slip to 1-2 on the year with conference play fast approaching. The desperation factor of avoiding that second loss could provide for an even more spirited game.

“You’ve got to be prepared for that, you’ve got to know they don’t care about what you’re going through off the field or anything,” said Devonshire. “Yhey’re trying to win this football game and it’s not their problem. I think we’ve adapted to that and we know that. It is what it is, the sun came up and we’ve got another opportunity to play football.”