Pitt is off to a 2-0 start, thanks to a dramatic come from behind 28-27 win over Cincinnati last week. The Panthers will have to keep the intensity up, as they welcome rival West Virginia to Acrisure Stadium for a 3:30 kick in the 107th playing of the historic Backyard Brawl.
The Mountaineers enter this game with a 1-1 record, and will present plenty of challenges for Pat Narduzzi's team. Here is everything you need to know about West Virginia.
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Game details: Saturday September 14, 2024. Acrisure Stadium (68,400)
Current Odds: Pitt +2.5 // O/U 60.5 (DraftKings)
Television: ESPN2 — Mike Monaco (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst), Dawn Davenport (reporter)
Radio: 93.7 The Fan. Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play), Pat Bostick (analyst), Larry Richert and Dorin Dickerson (reporters)
Pat Narduzzi press conference // Pitt game notes
Opponent: West Virginia University (established 1867)
School location: Morgantown, West Virginia
Record: 1-1
Head Coach: Neal Brown, 6th season, 32-30 (67-46 in 10 seasons overall)
Last Meeting: September 16, 2023: West Virginia 17, Pitt 6
All-Time Series: Pitt leads 62-41-3
National ranks
Total Offense: West Virginia 66th (399.5 ypg) // Pitt 12th (534 ypg)
Scoring Offense: West Virginia 72nd (30.5 ppg) // Pitt 25th (41.5 ppg)
Rushing: West Virginia 43rd (195 ypg) // Pitt 38th (198.5 ypg)
Passing: West Virginia 88th (204.5 ypg) // Pitt 11th (335.5 ypg)
Total Defense: West Virginia 113th (415.5 ypg) // Pitt 79th (330.5 ypg)
Scoring Defense: West Virginia 84th (24 ppg) // Pitt 96th (25.5 ppg)
Run Defense: West Virginia 84th (145 ypg) // Pitt 38th (91 ypg)
Pass Defense: Cincinnati 114th (270.5 ypg) // Pitt 97th (239.5 ypg)
Pittsburgh connections
CJ Cole Wide Receiver, McGuffey HS
Ja'Quay Hubbard Offensive Line, Sharpsville HS
Nick Krahe Offensive Line, Harbor Creek HS (took official visit to Pitt)
Tyler Cain Linebacker, Beaver Falls HS
Jason Cross Safety, Bishop Canevin HS
Nick Malone Offensive Line (Former Pitt commit)
Rodney Gallagher Wide Receiver, Laurel Highlands HS
Ric'Darious Farmer Wide Receiver (Former Pitt commit)
Chris Haering, Assistant Special Teams Coordinator (Former Pitt assistant coach)
Rasheed Marshall, Director of Player Relations, Brashear HS (former WVU star)
About WVU: West Virginia is off to a 1-1 start. The season started with a 34-12 defeat to Penn State, before the team bounced back with an easy 49-14 win over Albany over the weekend. The Mountaineers were picked to finish seventh in the 16-team Big 12 Conference in the league's preseason poll, after posting a 9-4 campaign in 2023.
Neal Brown likely started last year on hot seat, but after beating Pitt, he went on to have his beat season in Morgantown to date. West Virginia brought back a lot of key players from last season's team, and the expectation for this year is to have Garrett Greene play his best college season at quarterback, while relying on the durable CJ Donaldson to push the ground game.
In the opener against Penn State, the Mountaineers had a choppy performance. The game featured a lengthy delay, and West Virginia just never seemed to capture any rhythm. West Virginia's rushing attack was held in check, and Greene had a pedestrian performance leading to a 34-12 loss.
Last week, West Virginia played much better, though it was only against an FCS opponent in Albany. Greene was very efficient going 17-of-23 for 236 yards and three touchdowns. Both Donaldson and Jaheim White rushed for 100 yards as well. If there was any letdown, the Mountaineers did yield 300 yards through the air to the Great Danes.
STORYLINES
Numbers and Notes: West Virginia football vs. Albany (WVSports.com)
Neal's deal: Five key items from West Virginia football (WVSports.com)
WVU Places Four Players on PFF's Big 12 Team of the Week (WVSports.com)
WVU Football Interviews: Pitt Week 2024 (WVSports.com)
Cummings and Goings: The WVSports.com: 3-2-1 (WVSports.com)
PFF: Grades from West Virginia vs. Albany (WVSports.com)
Garrett Greene bounces back in win over Albany (WVSports.com)
West Virginia potentially preparing for life without Eddie Vesterinen (WVSports.com)
Throw out the record books, it’s Backyard Brawl week (The Dominion Post)
NOTEBOOK: WVU secondary struggling to stop deep passes (The Dominion Post)
West Virginia offense gets rolling in lopsided win over Albany (The Dominion Post)
WVU preparing for confident Panthers squad, new-look Pitt offense in Backyard Brawl (Tribune-Review)
Brown Wants The Schedule Fixed And “Alabama, That Ain’t Fixed” (The Smoking Musket)
Albany vs. West Virginia Game Highlights | 2024 Big 12 Football (Big 12 Conference)
No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions vs. West Virginia Mountaineers | CFB on FOX (Fox Sports)
NAMES TO KNOW
Greene is 32-of-57 for 397 yards and three touchdowns to no interceptions on the year. The fifth year senior also has 73 rushing yards and one touchdown. Greene threw for 2,406 yards last season and also has over 1,400 career rushing yards, making him a true dual threat the Pitt defense will have to keep in check.
CJ Donaldson was a little known recruit who has turned into a nice find for the Mountaineers. Donaldson has 21 career rushing touchdowns, now in his third season. The powerful back has seven career 100-yard rushing games, with two of those coming against Pitt.
The Mountaineers actually have a pretty potent 1-2 punch at running back. Pennsylvania native Jahiem White rushed for 842 yards as a freshman, and is a key piece to the West Virginia offense now in his second year. White had a 100-yard game last week against Albany.
Hudson Clement was a bit of a surprise contributor as a redshirt freshman, but the former walk-on has been a nice weapon for the Mountaineers. He has six catches for a team-high 73 yards and a touchdown on the season.
Kole Taylor was once a big-time recruit and played two years at LSU, before joining the Mountaineers last season. He was a second team All-Big 12 pick a year ago, and the listed 6-foot-7 tight end can cause matchup problems. He has five catches for 72 yards and a touchdown this season.
Very talented left tackle for the Mountaineers. Milium has started 34 career games for West Virginia and was a second team All-Big 12 pick last year. He looks like a sure-fire NFL prospect.
Anthony Wilson became an immediate starter in 2023 after transferring over from georgia Southern. The athletic safety leads the Mountaineers in tackles this season with 15.
The West Virginia pass rush has only generated two sacks through two games, but Sean Martin has one of them. Martin is a veteran in his fifth year with 23 career starts on the WVU defensive line.
Josiah Trotter obviously comes from come bloodlines. His father Jeremiah Trotter Sr. was a pro bowl linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles, where his brother Jeremiah Jr. currently plays. The younger Trotter redshirted last season, making this his first full year of action. He is currently second on the team with 13 stops.
Aubrey Burks has been a mainstay in the West Virginia secondary for years. He has started 26 games in his career and has seven tackles on the year.
