West Virginia and Pitt ignite the Backyard Brawl rivalry once again in one of the top games for Week 3 in the 2024 college football season. Although most rivalry matchups take place in November, conference realignment has scrambled geographic rivals into different leagues, leaving September and non-conference play as the best chance to see these series again.
West Virginia started its season with a 34-12 loss to Penn State but rebounded in Week 2 with a 49-14 win against Albany. Coach Neal Brown's squad was picked at the bottom of the Big 12 in '23 but exceeded expectations with nine victories. A difficult slate is on tap in conference play, but Brown's team can build early momentum with a win at Pitt.
Low expectations surrounded Pitt in the preseason after a disappointing 3-9 mark last year. However, coach Pat Narduzzi revamped a struggling offense by hiring Kade Bell from Western Carolina to call plays, which has helped this team to a 2-0 start. The Panthers posted 55 points in an easy win against Kent State (55-24) and rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Cincinnati (28-27) last Saturday.
Pitt holds a 62-41-3 series edge over West Virginia. The Mountaineers won last year's meeting 17-6 in Morgantown. The Panthers beat West Virginia 38-31 in '22.
West Virginia at Pitt
Location: Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Kickoff: Saturday, Sept. 14 at 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Spread: West Virginia -1.5
Over/Under: 63.5
Announcers: Mike Monaco, Kirk Morrison, and Dawn Davenport
Why West Virginia Will Win
Just how good is Pitt's revamped defense? With a standout quarterback in Garrett Greene and a deep backfield, West Virginia should be the best test so far for Narduzzi's group.
Greene (32 of 51 for 397 yards and three touchdowns) and receivers Hudson Clement, Rodney Gallagher III, Traylon Ray, Preston Fox, and tight end Kole Taylor, will test a Panthers' secondary allowing 7.3 yards per attempt in '24. Pitt's defensive backs have also allowed five completions of 30-plus yards through two games.
Pitt's rush defense (2.4 yards a carry allowed) has been solid so far, but West Virginia's offensive line and ground game should be able to clear running lanes. Running backs CJ Donaldson (167 yards), Jahiem White (133), and Greene (73) will test the Panthers' front after this unit gave up 151 yards to Cincinnati on the ground in Week 2.
Pitt's new offense has looked sharp (7.2 yards a play) against Kent State and Cincinnati, but if West Virginia's defense can get a few stops, then the combination of Greene, White, and Donaldson can control the pace of the game on the ground and limit the Panthers' possessions.
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Why Pitt Will Win
It's still early in the '24 campaign, but through the first two weeks, Pitt appears to be a better team than the preseason expectations and predictions indicated. Bell's hire has sparked a struggling offense, while Narduzzi has managed to quickly reload a defense that lost a ton of production from last season.
Behind Bell's play-calling and scheme, the Panthers are averaging 41.5 points a game - a significant uptick from last year's 20.2 points per contest. Alabama transfer quarterback Eli Holstein is off to a fast start (638 yards and six touchdowns), and another portal addition Desmond Reid (Western Carolina) has been a dynamic (146.5 total yards a game) playmaker out of the backfield. In addition to Reid, receivers Konata Mumpfield (10 catches for 179 yards and three scores), Kenny Johnson (seven), and tight end Gavin Bartholomew (seven) will test a West Virginia secondary that has been vulnerable in '24 (9.5 yards per attempt allowed).
Pitt's rebuilt defense is vulnerable (4.7 yards per snap allowed in '24), but Narduzzi's group can get enough stops to get the ball back to Holstein and Reid to pull ahead on the scoreboard.
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Final Analysis
West Virginia has won four out of the last five meetings between these two teams, but the Panthers claimed the last matchup in the Steel City. Can the Mountaineers control the line of scrimmage and slow the overall flow down with Greene, White, and Donaldson on the ground? If Pitt gets its tempo going and pulls ahead on the scoreboard, that's a matchup that easily favors Narduzzi's squad. This one is a toss up.
Prediction: West Virginia 31, Pitt 30
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