‘It was incredible’: Backyard Brawl recap from the stands

The 107th edition of the Backyard Brawl took place last Saturday, Sept. 14 at Acrisure Stadium when Pitt football took on longtime rival West Virginia. In case you missed it — the Panthers won 38-34 over the Mountaineers. 

Junior Dylan Garagozzo, who studies biochemistry, recalled the riveting atmosphere of the first half of the brawl.

“It was kind of one of those moments where you’re on the edge of your seat the entire time,” Garagozzo said. “I remember in the first half, it was like, Pitt would be up and then West Virginia would be up. So I was just, like, in such anticipation the entire time. Really fun.”

The rivalry never simmered down, with fierce banter on social media prior to the game that carried into the stadium. 

“I was very shocked [when Pitt won],” junior mechanical engineering major Patrick Schneider said. “My brother was there as well, and he went to West Virginia, so the entire game, he’s texting me about how we were going to lose, so it was really nice to see us win.”

The game was sophomore environmental engineering major Helen Hickey’s first Backyard Brawl, and the game — and tailgate — lived up to any expectations she might have had. 

“It was amazing,” Hickey said. “I think it’s definitely the best football game I’ve ever been to. The tailgate was insane. There were so many people there.”

For juniors and seniors on campus, this is likely the second Backyard Brawl they’ve attended after the last home brawl in 2022 when Pitt won 38-31. 

Garagozzo, who attended as a first-year, compared the 2022 Backyard Brawl to 2024’s installment.

“I actually went my freshman fall [as] my first ever [Pitt] game,” Garagozzo said. “And I remember, it was like a Thursday night, it was like 8 p.m., and the stadium was packed. And it’s such a cool moment to be a first-year and experience that, so to be able to relive that a little bit was really fun and reminiscent.”

After tying in the third quarter 24-24, Pitt came back in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 points to get ahead for the final score of 38-34.

“We were definitely jumping up and down a lot,” Hickey said. “I did not think it was going to happen. It was incredible.”

The Backyard Brawl was all-around an exciting atmosphere with a rocking student section. For now, Pitt has bragging rights until they meet the Mountaineers again in 2025.