West Virginia (1-1) at Pittsburgh (2-0), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
BetMGM College Football Odds: West Virginia by 2 1/2.
Series record: Pitt leads 62-41-3.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
The 107th edition of “The Backyard Brawl” could define the rest of the season for both teams. The Mountaineers shut down the Panthers in a 17-6 victory a year ago, setting the table for a season in which WVU finished 9-4 while Pitt slumped to 3-9, its worst record in Pat Narduzzi’s now decade-long tenure. The Panthers’ new-look offense showed signs of life last week against Cincinnati, reeling off the game’s final 22 points to slip past the Bearcats. WVU bounced back from a sluggish opening loss to Penn State by throttling overmatched Albany.
KEY MATCHUP
West Virginia’s linebackers vs. Pitt running back Desmond Reid. The 5-foot-8, 175-pound Reid has been a revelation through two games. He racked up 254 total yards against Cincinnati. His quickness presents a matchup problem if he gets to the second level. The Mountaineers gave up 222 yards rushing while getting thumped by the Nittany Lions. If Reid gets going WVU could be in for a long afternoon.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
West Virginia: RB CJ Donaldson. The junior tied a career high by running for 125 yards last week against Albany. Donaldson and backfield mate Jahiem White need to be effective to free up some room for dual threat quarterback Garrett Greene.
Pitt: QB Eli Holstein. The Alabama transfer showed some remarkable resilience against the Bearcats, fighting off a first-half interception to become the first Panthers freshman quarterback to throw for over 300 yards in consecutive games since Alex Van Pelt did it in 1989. Holstein’s continued development is vital if Pitt wants to exceed modest expectations.
FACTS & FIGURES
The schools separated by 75 miles have split two games since the series was renewed in 2022 following an 11-year layoff, with each program winning at home. … The Panthers are 2-0 for the first time since 2021 when they won the ACC title. … Reid leads the nation in all-purpose yards (244.0 per game) and ranks fifth in rushing (146.5 per game). … Pitt senior WR Konata Mumpfield posted a career-high 123 yards receiving and two touchdowns against the Bearcats. … While Pitt still has a huge lead in the rivalry, it’s essentially been even since even over the last 60 years. WVU is 26-23-2 against the Panthers since 1963.
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