MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The last time a Rich Rodriguez-coached West Virginia football team faced Pitt in 2007, his Mountaineers were prohibitive favorites.

This year, it's Pat Narduzzi's Panthers who are sitting in the catbird seat following blowout victories over Duquesne and Central Michigan to begin the 2025 campaign.

Pitt barely broke a sweat in its 61-9 season-opening triumph over city foe Duquesne, and last week against Central Michigan, the Panthers poured it on late to down the Chippewas 45-17, including scoring a meaningless touchdown at the end when the outcome was already decided.

Both games were played at Acrisure Stadium.

Today, Pitt is on the road for the first time this year to play in Morgantown one final time before the two schools hit the pause button on series play until 2029.

Narduzzi typically has interesting things to say, and his presser up in Pittsburgh earlier this week didn't disappoint. Among some of his doozies, or duzzis, was him comparing West Virginia's 5-foot-9, 194-pound sophomore running back Clay Ash to former Arizona State star runner Cam Skattebo, now playing in the NFL for the New York Giants.

He called Mountaineer tight end Grayson Barnes a "deep threat," confused Rodriguez football staffer Noel Devine with Steve Slaton and referenced Mountaineer defensive coordinator Zac Alley as Zac Allen after looking down at the notes in front of him.

Later, the 11^th-year coach doubled down on his ACC media day statement of desiring to continue playing the game on an annual basis, despite both teams' schedules being filled until 2029.

"I don't want to speak for (athletic director) Allen (Greene), but I think our athletic director has reached out to them, and they already got it filled up," he said. "Maybe they don't want to play us, I don't know. But they filled it up. But they knew that was going to happen. I know if we knew that was going to happen, (WVU) would be our first call. Whatever; can't do anything about it - just stay in my lane."

Narduzzi is also giving his opponent the edge today because West Virginia is coming off seven-point road defeat at Ohio.  

"We're feeling good at 2-0, and they had a tough loss," he reasoned. "Whether they won or lost, I'm expecting the same thing, but I think we'll probably face an even angrier team and an angrier fan base."

And, of course, Narduzzi couldn't help himself when the topic of Morgantown, West Virginia, Milan Puskar Stadium, the lack of visiting locker room amenities and the Mountaineers' enthusiastic and vocal fans came up.

"I told our guys (Sunday) to be prepared for a lack of space and hospitality down there," he said.

"There are a lot of scars that people have that they haven't gotten over them yet," he added. "But for us, as a football team, what happens in the crowd and in the stands, and when we're driving in on the bus, none of that matters. 

"What happens on that football field is going to matter."

Indeed, beyond everything else, that is what ultimately matters.

The reality today for coach Rich Rodriguez's 1-1 Mountaineer football team is figuring out a way to string together enough first downs on offense to keep a high-powered Panther offense that's averaging 53 points and 462 yards per game off the field.

West Virginia had only 13 of them in last Saturday's 17-10 loss at Ohio.

Compounding matters, Rodriguez's offense must figure out how to get those first downs without two of its top playmakers, running back Jahiem White and wide receiver Jaden Bray, both suffering season-ending injuries last weekend.

"If you don't want them to score and throw the ball all over the place, and (running back) Desmond (Reid) go off on the run plays, then you've got to keep possession of the ball and get first downs," the coach observed. "That's going to be key for us."

West Virginia fans are well aware of Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein's abilities. His passing and running led the Panthers to fourth quarter comeback victory last year at Acrisure Stadium that saw them erase WVU's 10-point lead with less than four minutes remaining.

Holstein finished the game completing 21 of his 30 pass attempts for 301 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran 14 times for 88 yards.

Pitt's other returning playmakers were also factors in last year's affair. Reid, a Western Carolina transfer who is intimately familiar with offensive coordinator Kade Bell's system and a guy Rodriguez once coveted when he was in the transfer portal, caught two touchdown passes and contributed 76 yards from scrimmage.

Wide receiver Kenny Johnson caught five passes for 79 yards and Raphael Williams added three catches for 36 yards.

Up front, Pitt's starting center Lyndon Cooper, right guard BJ Williams and right tackle Ryan Baer started last year's Backyard Brawl, while starting tight end Jake Overman got plenty of snaps as Gavin Bartholomew's backup.

On the other side of the ball, nine of Pitt's 11 starters on this week's two-deep roster made significant contributions in last year's victory over West Virginia.

Star linebacker Kyle Louis led the Panthers with 13 tackles, a tackle for loss and the game-sealing interception, while money linebacker Rasheem Biles had one tackle fewer than Louis to go along with two TFLs, a sack and a pass breakup.

Strong safety Cruce Brookins had Pitt's other interception last season.

Pitt returns 13 starters from the 2024 game, while West Virginia returns only one, wide receiver Preston Fox, who will likely have an expanded role this Saturday with Bray sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Ash, Cyncir Bowers, Tye Edwards and Diore Hubbard are among the candidates to replace White in the backfield.

Linebacker Reid Carrico, who saw action in last year's Backyard Brawl, only got a few snaps at Ohio last Saturday before getting injured. 

Rodriguez mentioned today's game will be the team's first Backyard Brawl together.

"I don't have a lot of meetings and talk about a lot of philosophical stuff, but I'll have one (Tuesday) and it will be a brief one and to the point," he said. "Then, I'll mention it (throughout the week)."

As will his Pittsburgh counterpart.

"There's a lot of hatred in the game," Narduzzi admitted. "I think the fans hate each other, and it goes way, way back."

This afternoon's contest will be the 108^th all-time meeting between these two schools in the longest rivalry among Eastern power conference programs.

Here is today's Countdown to Kickoff:

10 – Six of the last TEN Backyard Brawls have been determined by seven points or less - four points in 2024 (38-34), seven points in 2022 (38-31), one point in 2011 (21-20), three points in 2009 (19-16), four points in 2008 (19-15) and four points in 2007 (13-9).

9 – NINE Mountaineer players have played at least 38 career college football games led by Chattanooga transfer safety Jordan Walker's 45 career appearances.

8 – EIGHT different West Virginia players caught passes from quarterback Nicco Marchiol last Saturday at Ohio, including Jaden Bray's team-leading four catches for 69 yards. Bray was injured during the game and is out for the remainder of the season.

7 – West Virginia has limited SEVEN of its last 15 opponents to less than 130 yards rushing in a game.

6 – The Mountaineer defense has failed to generate multiple sacks in a game just SIX times in its last 20 games dating back to 2023.

5 – WVU ranks FIFTH nationally this week with five turnovers gained so far. The Mountaineers had three interceptions last Saturday at Ohio, the first time that's happened in a game since 2023 versus UCF.

4 – West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez ranks FOURTH among all Power Four coaches with 191 career victories.

3 – The Big 12 has won THREE of its four meetings so far this year against ACC teams. The remaining THREE games versus Power Four opponents are against ACC programs.

2 – Since the Backyard Brawl became a home-and-home series in 1963, West Virginia has TWO more victories than Pitt and boasts a 26-24-2 mark during that period of time.

1 – West Virginia this week ranks FIRST in the country in red zone offense scoring all five times it has entered the opponents' 20-yard line.

The affair will kick off at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN (Mark Jones, Roddy Jones and Quint Kessenich).

Mountaineer Sports Network from Learfield radio coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. with the GoMart Mountaineer Tailgate Show leading into regular network coverage with longtime play-by-play announcer Tony Caridi, analyst Dwight Wallace and sideline reporter Jed Drenning at 2:30 p.m.

The Stripe-the-Stadium game was announced a sellout in August.

Be sure to stop back afterward for complete postgame coverage.