Football: Panthers, Mountaineers set for 102nd Backyard Brawl

When the No. 8 Panthers renew acquaintances with the West Virginia Mountaineers tomorrow night,… When the No. 8 Panthers renew acquaintances with the West Virginia Mountaineers tomorrow night, this time it’s Pitt with everything to lose.

The Panthers (9-0, 5-1 Big East) enter the matchup with a BCS bowl game in sight. West Virginia (7-3, 3-2), meanwhile, mathematically eliminated itself from any chance of a conference championship with its 24-21 loss to No. 5 Cincinnati two weeks ago.

If the Panthers lost to the Mountaineers but defeated the Bearcats on Dec. 5, Pitt and Cincinnati would share the Big East title. But for the Panthers to win the conference championship outright, they will have to record consecutive victories to end the seaosn.

Still, Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt knows none of that matters in the 102nd edition of the Backyard Brawl.

“You take the records out,” he said. “I don’t think there needs to be a lot said, from the standpoint of the meaning of this game, the great tradition of this game, the great stories and legends that have surfaced and become household names because of this series, for over 100 years.”

Wannstedt speaks from experience. Two years ago, Pitt upset then-No. 2 West Virginia, 13-9, to spoil the Mountaineers’ hopes of playing for the BCS Championship.

And when the teams meet again in Morgantown on Friday, both sides expect another tough, grind-it-out battle typical of the Backyard Brawl.

“Trick plays will not win this football game,” Mountaineers head coach Bill Stewart said. “What you do in games like this [is] you tie the laces up a little bit tighter, strap the pads down a little bit tighter and you go out there and play to the best of your ability.”

Pitt enters Friday with a six-game win streak on the season and a two-game win streak against West Virginia.

The Mountaineers, though, enter Friday’s game with a vastly different offense than in their last meeting with Pitt. Fleet-footed quarterback Pat White, who had nearly 1,000 yards rushing to go with 21 passing touchdowns last season, left in the offseason for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

Taking the reins under center this season is Jarrett Brown. Brown, who has 11 touchdowns to eight interceptions this year, brings a new playbook with him under center.

“A year ago Pat White was carrying the ball about fifty percent of the time,” Wannstedt said. This year it’s changed…They’ve moved a little bit towards the more conventional offense.”

Mountaineers running back Noel Devine will play in his third Backyard Brawl on Friday. The junior rushed for 88 yards in his team’s loss to Cincinnati despite a nagging left ankle injury, an injury Devine said felt “not good” after the game.

Stewart said little of the running back’s status, only that he “is getting better each day.” Devine has 1,098 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground this year.

Devine may be banged up, but both teams enter the Brawl refreshed from a bye last weekend. The Panthers last played Nov. 14, defeating Notre Dame, 27-22.

Pitt quarterback Bill Stull, who had 236 yards passing in the win over the Fighting Irish, comes into Friday with just four interceptions on the season. Stull, though, struggled in last year’s meeting with West Virginia — his first — throwing two picks and completing just 12 of 23 pass attempts.

In the running game, Dion Lewis this season has all but replaced the void left by LeSean McCoy, but replacing McCoy’s production against West Virginia may prove difficult. In two games against the Mountaineers, the ex-Panther and current Eagle rushed for 331 yards.

A stout West Virginia run defense stands in Lewis’ way. The unit has given up a Big East-low six touchdowns on the ground.

“They play a three-down lineman scheme,” Wannstedt said. “Their defensive scheme is different from anyone else’s that we have seen, so recognition for our offensive players will be as important as anything.”

Pitt enters the game with a 61-37-3 all-time record against the Mountaineers, but, Wannstedt said, his players can’t dwell on the rivalry when the game starts.

“There’s always a fine line when playing West Virginia,” Wannstedt said. “The quickest way to be defeated is to be distracted. You have to go down there and play with a lot of emotion and energy, but at the same time you have to really be focused on the job at hand.”