Box Score MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia's defense forced three Phil Jurkovec interceptions and held Pitt to just 211 total yards in a 17-6 victory over the Panthers Saturday night at Milan Puskar Stadium.
 
The WVU pass defense, which came into tonight's game allowing 281 yards per game through the air, limited Jurkovec to just 8 of 20 for 81 yards with constant pressure, much like Cincinnati did last Saturday in its 27-21 win over the Panthers.
 
"They call this game a brawl for a reason," West Virginia coach Neal Brown said afterwards. "This loss stuck with us for 54 weeks. We were in this same situation with a lead in the fourth quarter last year and didn't get it done. This year we did."
 
After its opening drive of the game, Pitt managed just 144 yards on its remaining 45 plays. Its longest play of the game was tight end Gavin Bartholomew's 27-yard reception late in the fourth quarter.
 
Brown was complimentary of the 61,106 who showed up for tonight's game.
 
"It was definitely the most intense and biggest crowd we've had, and they made a difference tonight," Brown said, pointing out Pitt's nine penalties for 65 yards.
 
The defense was especially impressive in the second half, forcing Pitt to a three-and-out possession to begin the third quarter and then coming up big midway through the fourth quarter after Oliver Straw's roll punt was deflected by Rasheem Briles and recovered by Braylan Lovelace at the WVU 48.
 
Four runs got the ball to the WVU 36, and then Jurkovec flipped a short pass to Bub Means for 5 yards, moving the ball to the 31. An incomplete Jurkovec pass down the middle of the field that could have easily been picked off, and a short hookup to Malcolm Epps made it fourth and 1 at the WVU 27.
 
Jurkovec then tried a quarterback sneak but was stopped short.
 
Pitt (1-2) got the ball back at its 5 with 3:53 to play, but again the Mountaineer defense was stout. A pair of incomplete passes set up a fourth and 20, and instead of dropping back into coverage, WVU defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley dialed up pressure and Tyrin Bradley sacked Jurkovec for a 9-yard loss.
 
After WVU turned it over on downs, Pitt's final possession of the game ended on Jurkovec's third turnover when a diving Malachi Ruffin intercepted a pass that was tipped by Marcis Floyd.
 
West Virginia, playing most of the game with backup quarterback Nicco Marchiol behind center, played things conservatively on offense with the defense performing so well.
 
Marchiol attempted only 9 passes, completing 6 for 60 yards and a touchdown. CJ Donaldson carried 18 times for 102 yards and scored the other touchdown. He ran for 125 yards and a TD in last year's loss at Pitt.
 
"We preached all week the battles up front were going to win this game, and I'll take my five against anybody in the country," Marchiol said.
 
After forcing West Virginia three-and-out on the game's initial possession, Pitt marched 67 yards to the West Virginia 3, using all runs, before Hammond Russell IV and Trey Lathan combined to stop Rodney Hammond Jr. for no gain on third and goal, requiring Ben Sauls to kick a 21-yard field goal. 
 
Sauls also scored the final points of the first half, culminating a 12-play, 57-yard Panther march with his 36-yarder.
 
The only touchdown of the first half was set up by Aubrey Burks' 26-yard interception return to the Pitt 7. Two plays prior, Pitt stopped West Virginia at its 14 when Marchiol dropped Zach Frazier's snap and Bam Brima recovered it at the Pitt 18.
 
Following Burks' pick, Marchiol flipped a short pass to tight end Kole Taylor, and he carried it into the end zone from the 7.
 
Pitt called 12 straight runs before Jurkovec completed his first pass, a 6-yarder to Konota Mumpfield.
 
Marchiol, who came into the game after starting quarterback Garrett Greene was injured on West Virginia's sixth offensive play of the game, misfired on his first three passes before completing a 13-yarder to Taylor. He also hooked up with Devin Carter on third down for a 15-yard gainer on the offensive possession that ended with Marchiol's fumble.
 
"On that first drive, I happened to mess up a few things," Marchiol said. "Every snap that passed I felt more comfortable out there."
 
The longest play from scrimmage for either team in the first half was a 20-yard Jurkovec pass to Means.
 
West Virginia (2-1) forced a punt on Pitt's opening possession of the third quarter and then used 11 runs on its 13-play, 67-yard drive that ended with C.J. Donaldson Jr.'s 1-yard touchdown run. Donaldson carried the ball eight times for 47 yards and Marchiol completed a 10-yard pass to Hudson Clement on the drive.
 
Cornerback Beanie Bishop put West Virginia back in business when Jurkovec's poorly thrown ball down the far side of the field in the general direction of Konata Mumpfield sailed into Bishop's arms. He caught the ball at the WVU 30 and made a nifty return of 40 yards to the Panther 30.
 
Two Marchiol runs and another run by Jaylen Anderson netted just 6 yards, forcing Michael Hayes to kick a 42-yard field goal. His kick snuck inside the right upright to give WVU a 17-6 lead with 1:57 left in the third quarter.
 
"The biggest thing for me coming out of this was believing in myself," Marchiol said.
 
Brown said afterward that he was not sure of Green's condition.
 
"Y'all saw him in the boot," he said. "He would have liked to come back, but we didn't think he could have performed."
 
Defensively, Lathan was credited with a team-high eight tackles. Strong safety Donovan McMillon logged 18 total tackles for the Panthers.
 
Pitt is now 3-8 in its last 11 games at Milan Puskar Stadium.
 
West Virginia completes its three-game homestand next Saturday against Texas Tech, the Big 12 opener for both teams.
 
"We play a game next week, and we need the crowd for those guys from West Texas," Brown said.

Texas Tech (1-2) won earlier tonight and has won the last four games against the Mountaineers.