In the biggest game of his young career, Tyler Palko didn’t have his best stuff.

But when it… In the biggest game of his young career, Tyler Palko didn’t have his best stuff.

But when it mattered most, in those few key moments that define leadership, he was calm and steady, beaming with confidence as he entered the huddle, with his team trailing 13-9 in the fourth quarter.

“He just told us, ‘Keep blocking, and we’ll get it in there,'” senior tackle Rob Petitti said following the game. “He’s the leader, and he led us.”

After freshman cornerback Darrelle Revis intercepted a pass from West Virginia quarterback Rasheed Marshall, Pitt took over on its own 27-yard line with more than 10 minutes remaining in the game.

Stifled by an aggressive West Virginia defense, Pitt had only managed three field goals to that point. But to pull off this upset, the Panthers needed to get in the end zone. And for that to happen, Palko needed to find his rhythm in a hurry.

In his teammates’ minds, there was never a seed of doubt.

Four times on the drive, Palko converted on third downs of five or longer. First, it was a 10-yard completion to tight end Erik Gill on third and seven. Then, it was a 15-yard pass to Greg Lee, who finished with eight receptions for 124 yards.

Faced with a third and five, Palko again hooked up with Lee for a gain of 15 yards. Then, after an incomplete pass and a five-yard scramble, Palko converted another third and five by hitting Lee for an eight-yard gain that moved Pitt down to the West Virginia 10.

“I thought our quarterback played that drive like he’s going to play the rest of his career,” head coach Walt Harris said. “He probably didn’t have his best game; he’d be the first one to say it. But when he had to get it done, the young man got it done.”

After coming up short on four previous trips into the red zone, Harris tried to catch the Mountaineers’ defense off guard with a gadget play.

On first and goal from the 10, Pitt attempted a halfback pass with Tim Murphy tossing a pass to Gill in the end zone. Gill was surrounded by defenders on the play, but one of the Mountaineers made contact while the ball was in the air and was flagged for pass interference.

“We had planned to use that for a couple weeks,” Harris said. “They’re tough on defense; that’s why we struggled in that red zone area. So we thought we would try something that was a little unusual that would give us a chance, and fortunately we got the penalty.”

That set the Panthers up with first and goal from the two, and after an incomplete pass, Palko trotted into the end zone, giving Pitt its first lead of the game, 16-13.

But this one was far from over.

Marshall looked poised to lead the Mountaineers on a comeback drive of their own, converting on fourth down while moving his team down to the Pitt 32.

The Mountaineers then tried some trickery of their own on third down. Quarterback-turned-receiver Dwayne Thompson got the ball after a double reverse and heaved the ball to Marshall near the goal line. Marshall was nearly able to make a circus catch, but H.B. Blades was there to break up the play, preserving the Panthers’ lead on the way to their seventh victory of the season.

“This is the one I wanted,” Petitti said. “This is the one I circled when our schedule came out. This is the one that I had a bad feeling about from last year.”

The 97th edition of the Backyard Brawl was a sloppy contest fought in the trenches. Unlike last year, Pitt was able to compete physically, racking up 143 yards on the ground.

After tailback Raymond Kirkley was sidelined with an unknown injury early in the game, Murphy handled the bulk of the carries, rushing 20 times for 107 yards.

“It’s my first 100-yard game,” Murphy said. “It feels good. And it couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Although West Virginia (8-3 overall, 4-2 Big East) out-gained Pitt (7-3, 4-2) 358 to 350, the Mountaineers had five times as many penalties. West Virginia penalties led to four Pitt first downs.

“They earned the penalties they got tonight,” defensive tackle Vince Crochunis said. “It’s just that kind of game in the trenches. If you have to get dirty, you will get down and dirty.”

Petitti added, “This is probably one of the most physical games I’ve ever played in. My head hurts, everything hurts, and I have a cough from being out there.”

After falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter, Pitt was able to get on the board with a pair of field goals from kicker Josh Cummings.

J.J. Horne blocked a West Virginia field goal just before half time, and the Panthers entered the break down 10-6.

Early in the second half, the Mountaineers committed two 15-yard penalties that helped Pitt put together a 12-play, 82-yard drive that resulted in a field goal, which brought the Panthers to within a point, 10-9.

The Mountaineers had a first and goal from the three-yard line late in the fourth quarter, but a personal-foul penalty pushed them all the way back to the 18, and they were forced to settle for a field goal that made the score 13-9.

West Virginia committed two more false start penalties on the drive that ended with Revis’ interception, which led to Palko’s game-winning touchdown.

With the win, Pitt has earned itself a share of the Big East title. The No. 21-ranked Panthers close out their regular season Saturday with a make-up game against the South Florida Bulls in Tampa Bay, Fla. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. on ESPN2.