Game Preview: West Virginia football vs. Pitt
West Virginia will host Pittsburgh for the 108th edition of the Backyard Brawl, and WVSports.com breaks down some of the key items of the match-up in our preview.
Kickoff: 3:30 PM ET.
Series: Pitt 63-41-3
Last Meeting: 2024: WVU 34 PITT 38
Television Information: ESPN with Mark Jones (PBP), Roddy Jones (analyst) and Quint Kessenich (sideline)
Odds: Pitt -7 — U/0 57.5
Head Coaches Information:
| West Virginia | Pittsburgh | ||
| Rich Rodriguez | Pat Narduzzi | ||
| Record at West Virginia: | 61-27 | Record at Ohio: | 74-56 |
| Overall Record: | 191-130-2 | Overall Record: | 74-56 |
| 2025 Record: | 1-1 | 2025 Record: | 2-0 |
Numbers of Note:
–The 2025 season marks West Virginia’s 133rd season of football. The Mountaineers are the winningest program in the Big 12 Conference and No. 15 in college football.
–West Virginia Football Coach Rich Rodriguez has 191 career victories, ranking No. 5 among active FBS coaches.
–WVU is 6-2 in games played on Sept. 13, including 2-1 at home. The last time WVU played on that date was against Maryland in 2014 in College Park, Md. (W/40-37).
–The Pitt series is West Virginia’s longest-played rivalry, with the 2025 game being the 108th meeting between the two schools.
–Since 1963, WVU has posted a 26-24-2 mark in the Backyard Brawl. The 1963 contest marked the start of the series being played on a home-and-home basis.
–West Virginia posted a 14-7 record against Pitt while both were members of the Big East Conference and holds a 17-10-1 mark in the last 28 games of the series.
–This year marks the 46th season of competition for West Virginia at Milan Puskar Stadium. WVU has a 201-80-4 (.712) all-time mark at the facility, which opened in 1980.
–WVU is 40-19 in nonconference games since 2010. The Mountaineers are 75-34 since 2000, including 50-8 at home.
–The Mountaineers are No. 1 nationally in red zone offense, No. 25 in rushing offense and No. 43 in total offense so far this season.
–WVU is 104-16 since 2002 when winning the turnover battle.
–West Virginia is 157-180-6 all-time against current members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
–On first down, the Mountaineers have run 60 plays and gained 430 yards for a 7.2 average. On second down, the Mountaineers have run 45 plays for 323 yards and a 7.2 average. On third down, the Mountaineers have run 24 plays for 121 yards and a 5.0 average gain. West Virginia has run three plays on fourth down for one yard and a .33 average.
–WVU’s touchdowns have come five times on first down (4 rush/1 pass), one time on second down (1 rush/0 pass), one time on third down (1 rush/0 pass) and zero times on fourth down (0 rush/0 pass).
–Breaking down the West Virginia offensive numbers for the 2025 season shows that the Mountaineers have run 132 plays, 81 on the ground and 51 through the air.
–The rushing game has totaled 465 yards, an average of 5.7 yards per carry and six touchdowns. The passing attack has totaled 410 yards, one touchdown and an average of 12.4 yards per completion. Combine the two and the Mountaineers have turned in 875 yards of total offense, seven touchdowns, an average of 6.6 yards per play and an average of 27.5 points per game.
–Deeper analysis shows that the Mountaineer offense has gained 22 first downs by the run and 14 via the pass. On average, West Virginia has totaled 232.5 yards per game on the ground, 205.0 yards per game passing and 437.5 yards per game of total offense.
–The Mountaineers added 79 new players to the roster in 2025, including 39 on offense, 37 on defense and three on special teams.
–The 2025 roster consists of 124 players from 23 different states, Washington D.C. and three foreign countries: Australia (1), Finland (1) and Liberia (1).
–The ESPN broadcast of the WVU-Pitt football game on Sept. 13 marks the 338th national television game for WVU. All-time, the Mountaineers are 176-160-1 in nationally televised games.
Pittsburgh
Pitt has started the season 2-0 for the second consecutive season and is looking for their second win in a row over the Mountaineers. This will be the last meeting between the two teams until the series resumes for another four-year slate from 2029-32.
The Panthers feature an offense averaging 53.0 points per game over the first two contests led by redshirt sophomore quarterback Eli Holstein. The Alabama transfer has thrown for 519 yards and 8 touchdowns with 2 interceptions while rushing for 87 more yards. He has a collection of weapons to distribute the ball to including wide receivers Raphael Williams, Kenny Johnson and Cataurus Hicks.
Desmond Reid returns at running back as an all-purpose option that is effective both rushing the ball with 112 yards and catching it with 71 more yards.
The defense is a classic Pat Narduzzi unit that is athletic and aggressive. The Panthers will use their athletic defensive line to create issues as well as their safeties in run support and force teams to try to beat their press coverage on the outside. The Panthers defense is allowing just 13 points per game.
National Statistical Rankings
| Statistic | West Virginia | Pitt |
| Scoring Offense | 72 (27.5) | 8 (53.0) |
| Scoring Defense | 24 (10.0) | 39 (13.0) |
| Rushing Offense | 25 (232.5) | 89 (141.0) |
| Rushing Defense | 63 (117.5) | 6 (38.5) |
| Passing Offense | 80 (205.0) | 16 (321.0) |
| Total Offense | 43 (437.5) | 35 (462.0) |
| Pass Defense | 38 (158.5) | 50 (174.0) |
| Total Defense | 44 (276.0) | 16 (212.5) |
| Third Down Conversions | 114 (29.2) | 42 (47.8) |
| Opponent Third Down | 36 (27.6) | 28 (25.0) |
| Penalties | 113 (17) | 36 (9) |
Coaching Staff Assignments:
Zac Alley (AHC-DC-LB/Field)
Travis Trickett (Senior Offensive Assistant/Press Box)
Jack Bicknell Jr. (OL/Field)
Jeff Casteel (Bandits/Field)
Logan Bradley (IR/Field)
Gabe Franklin (S/Field)
Ryan Garrett (WR/Field)
William Green (DL/Field)
Pat Kirkland (STC-Defensive Assistant/Field)
Michael Nysewander (TE/Field)
Larry Porter (RB/Field)
Rhett Rodriguez (QB/Press Box)
Rod West (CB/Field)
Derek Dressler (Assistant OL/Press Box)
Henry Weinreich (Nickels-Sams/Field)
Pat White (Assistant QB/Field)
Jake Casteel (Asst. Defensive Coach/Press Box)
Ryan Nehlen (Asstant WR/Press Box)
Andrew Warwick (Assistant Defensive Coach/Press Box)
Depth Chart:
OFFENSE:
QB:
| No. | Name | Ht | Wt | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Nicco Marchiol | 6-2 | 226 | r-Jr. |
| -or- | ||||
| 13 | Jaylen Henderson | 6-3 | 223 | r-Sr. |
| -or- | ||||
| 6 | Max Brown | 6-2 | 223 | r-Jr. |
| -or- | ||||
| 15 | Scotty Fox | 6-2 | 213 | Fr. |
| -or- | ||||
| 14 | Khalil Wilkins | 6-3 | 204 | r-Fr. |
RB:
| No. | Name | Ht | Wt | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Clay Ash | 5-9 | 196 | So. |
| -or- | ||||
| 23 | Cyncir Bowers | 5-10 | 191 | So. |
| -or- | ||||
| 20 | Diore Hubbard | 5-10 | 191 | r-Fr. |
WR X:
| No. | Name | Ht | Wt | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Cam Vaughn | 6-2 | 185 | r-So. |
| 11 | Justin Smith-Brown | 5-11 | 190 | r-Sr. |
| -or- | ||||
| 16 | Jeff Weimer | 6-1 | 209 | r-Sr. |
WR Y:
| No. | Name | Ht | Wt | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Rodney Gallagher | 5-10 | 180 | Jr. |
| -or- | ||||
| 3 | Oran Singleton | 5-9 | 159 | Sr. |
| -or- | ||||
| 7 | Jarod Bowie | 5-9 | 162 | Sr. |
WR Z:
| No. | Name | Ht | Wt | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | Preston Fox | 5-10 | 181 | r-Sr. |
| 86 | Cyrus Traugh | 6-0 | 188 | r-So. |
| -or- | ||||
| 88 | Jordan McCants | 5-11 | 178 | r-Jr. |
TE:
| No. | Name | Ht | Wt | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 80 Grayson Barnes | 6-4 | 222 | Sr. |
| -or- | ||||
| 81 | Jacob Barrick | 6-3 | 231 | Sr. |
LT:
| No. | Name | Ht | Wt | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | Nick Krahe | 6-6 | 305 | r-So. |
| 79 | Mickel Clay | 6-4 | 300 | Sr. |
LG:
| No. | Name | Ht | Wt | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | Walter Young Bear | 6-3 | 306 | r-Sr. |
| 57 | Donovan Haslam | 6-3 | 341 | r-Jr. |
C:
| No. | Name | Ht | Wt | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | Landen Livingston | 6-4 | 294 | r-Jr. |
| 55 | Carson Lee | 6-2 | 327 | r-Sr. |
RG:
| No. | Name | Ht | Wt | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 | Kimo Makane’ole | 6-4 | 300 | r-Sr. |
| 59 | Josh Aisosa | 6-3 | 321 | r-So. |
RT:
| No. | Name | Ht | Wt | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 74 | Ty’Kieast Crawford | 6-5 | 305 | r-Sr. |
| 65 | Malik Agbo | 6-4 | 280 | r-Jr. |
DEFENSE:
DE:
| No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eddie Kelly | 6-5 | 286 | Sr. |
| 91 | Devin Grant | 6-2 | 267 | r-Sr. |
DT:
| No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96 | Edward Vesterinen | 6-3 | 284 | r-Sr. |
| 92 | Asani Redwood | 6-3 | 294 | r-Jr. |
NG:
| No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99 | Hammond Russell | 6-3 | 308 | r-Sr. |
| 69 | Nate Gabriel | 6-3 | 315 | So. |
BANDIT:
| No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Braden Siders | 6-2 | 243 | r-Sr. |
| 18 | Curtis Jones | 6-4 | 231 | So. |
MIKE:
| No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Reid Carrico | 6-2 | 229 | r-Sr. |
| 32 | Ben Bogle | 6-1 | 225 | r-Jr. |
| -or- | ||||
| 33 | Ashton Woods | 6-3 | 226 | r-Fr. |
WILL:
| No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Chase Wilson | 6-1 | 230 | r-Sr. |
| 15 | Ben Cutter | 6-0 | 225 | Jr. |
NICKEL:
| No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Fred Perry | 5-9 | 206 | Sr. |
| 34 | Chris Fileppo | 6-2 | 211 | Fr. |
FS:
| No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Israel Boyce | 5-11 | 190 | So. |
| 14 | Kekoura Tarnue | 6-0 | 199 | Sr. |
| -or- | ||||
| 13 | Derek Carter | 5-10 | 181 | r-Sr. |
BS:
| No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Darrian Lewis | 5-9 | 198 | r-Sr. |
| 8 | Justin Harrington | 6-3 | 217 | r-Sr. |
| -or- | ||||
| 4 | Jordan Walker | 6-0 | 194 | r-Sr. |
LCB:
| No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Michael Coats | 5-11 | 183 | Sr. |
| 6 | Jordan Scruggs | 5-10 | 172 | r-Sr. |
RCB:
| No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Jason Chambers | 5-11 | 193 | Sr. |
| 2 | Devonte Golden-Nelson | 5-11 | 184 | r-Sr. |
SPECIAL TEAMS:
K:
| No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Kade Hensley | 5-10 | 190 | r-Sr. |
| 99 | Ethan Head | 6-1 | 185 | So. |
KO:
| No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99 | Ethan Head | 6-1 | 185 | So. |
| 48 | Nate Flower | 6-2 | 184 | r-So. |
H:
| No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Oliver Straw | 6-2 | 215 | Sr. |
| 42 | RJ Kocan | 5-10 | 233 | r-Jr. |
P:
| No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Oliver Straw | 6-2 | 215 | Sr. |
| 47 | Aidan Stire | 6-0 | 198 | Fr. |
LS:
| No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | Macguire Moss | 6-1 | 225 | r-Jr. |
| 53 | Kaden Seller | 6-2 | 256 | r-Fr. |
KR/PR:
| No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | Preston Fox | 5-10 | 188 | r-Sr. |
| 7 | Jarod Bowie | 5-8 | 164 | r-Sr. |
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