Pitt set for Backyard Brawl

It’s tough to say who has more at stake this Thursday when the Backyard Brawl kicks off in… It’s tough to say who has more at stake this Thursday when the Backyard Brawl kicks off in Morgantown.

On one side of the ball are Dave Wannstedt’s Pitt Panthers. Ranked No. 23 in the country on the eve of the season, Pitt has tallied just a 5-5 overall record (4-2 in the Big East). The season is now on life support, and the only thing that can keep it alive is a win against West Virginia that would make them bowl-eligible.

On the other side are the Mountaineers (8-1, 5-0). Their only loss came at the hands of Virginia Tech – currently ranked fifth in the nation – and their unblemished conference record includes a 46-44 triple-overtime thriller against Big East preseason favorite Louisville. If they beat Pitt, they clinch their first conference title since 1993 and their first-ever BCS berth.

West Virginia’s offense starts with quarterback Pat White. The freshman sensation has made things happen with his arm and his legs. Throwing the ball, he’s amassed 578 yards and five touchdowns on 45-of-80 passing. His favorite target has been Brandon Myles, who has 456 yards on 28 receptions, good enough for over 16 yards per catch. Three of those completions have gone for touchdowns.

White’s legs have also provided a boost for the Mountaineers. Coming on the heels of mobile threat Rasheed Marshall, he has ensured that people still fear the rushing of West Virginia quarterbacks. White has gained 478 yards on 73 carries, and has also rushed for three touchdowns. He would lead the team in rushing were it not for another freshman standout, Steve Slaton.

Slaton’s 117 carries have tallied 659 yards. He has 11 touchdowns on the year. Four of those came in West Virginia’s last game, a 38-0 dismantling of Cincinnati. Earlier this year, he broke the school record for touchdowns in a game when he ran for five scores and caught another in the Mountaineers’ win over Louisville. He currently ranks second in the conference in scoring.

Pitt’s defense will have their hands full with the rushing attack. The defensive line’s success will likely depend on whether or not Thomas Smith is healthy by game time. Smith, who injured his toe, is the most experienced player on the line and a vital cog in the functioning of the Pitt front four.

“He’s not 100 percent. We’ll see where he’s at as we get closer to game time,” Wannstedt said. “But he’s better today than he was a week ago at this time.”

The offense is only half of the story. West Virginia currently ranks fourth in the nation in total defense, giving up just under 270 yards per game. They rank fifth in rushing defense and 12th in scoring defense.

The rushing attack and rushing defense are two things Wannstedt is paying special attention to.

“If you can’t do those two things, you really are going to struggle, in my opinion,” he said. “They’re leading our conference in both of those categories.”

Wannstedt hasn’t overlooked the secondary of West Virginia’s 3-5-3 defense, either.

“If you look at the statistics, you see their two strong safeties are involved with sacks in a lot of plays,” he pointed out. “The disguise element of rushing people and blitzing people, they do a very good job of that.”

The Mountaineers’ backfield presence clashes badly with Pitt’s offensive attack. The Panthers’ run game is mustering just 116 yards per game. Their rushing yards and total offense both rank in the 90s in Division I-A. LaRod Stephens-Howling leads the team with 389 yards on 86 carries. Despite the struggles, Wannstedt doesn’t plan on shuffling the depth chart in the backfield.

“We don’t expect to change anything,” he said. “We’ll use the same guys that we have in pretty much the same rotation, and we’ll see how the game unfolds.”

The Panthers’ passing game relies on quarterback Tyler Palko, who has spent much of the year behind an offensive line struggling to gel. Palko has made the most of the time he gets, however, and has completed 169 of 298 passes for 2,084 yards and 15 touchdowns.

He has looked mostly for Derek Kinder and Greg Lee. Kinder’s freshman campaign has yielded 32 catches for 330 yards and three touchdowns. Lee is averaging 19.1 yards per reception, and has caught five touchdowns.

The game will be televised nationally on ESPN. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m.