Memorable moments from college football’s greatest rivalry.
So many of us Mountaineer fans have missed the annual Backyard Brawl with Pitt. The exciting games, the memorable players—and those nasty sayings on our T-shirts! Before tonight’s game finally starts, we wanted to remember some of the great moments from games of the past in this incredible rivalry.
1895: West Virginia 8–Western University of Pennsylvania 0 In the schools’ first meeting, Western has not yet changed its name to the University of Pittsburgh.
1921: Pitt 21–West Virginia 13 The Backyard Brawl is the first college football game broadcast on the radio when Harold W. Arlin announces the game on KDKA.
1965: West Virginia 63–Pitt 48 This is the highest-scoring major college game ever played up to this time. Watch now
1970: Pitt 36–West Virginia 35 In Bobby Bowden’s rookie coaching season, West Virginia leads 35–8 at halftime, but Pitt rallies with four touchdowns in the second half. West Virginia fans beat on the dressing room door, screaming in anger at the rookie head coach. Watch now
1975: West Virginia 17–Pitt 14 Walk-on kicker Bill McKenzie’s game-winning field goal in the closing seconds leads to one of the longest post-game celebrations ever at old Mountaineer Field. This writer attended this game with his father. Watch now
1983: West Virginia 24–Pitt 21 Jeff Hostetler drives the Mountaineers 90 yards in the final two minutes for their first victory over Pitt since 1975. This is head coach Don Nehlen’s first victory in the series. Watch now
1994: West Virginia 47–Pitt 41 Pitt comes back from a 31–6 deficit to take a 41–40 lead in the final minute. WVU quarterback Chad Johnston hits Zach Abraham on a winning 60-yard touchdown pass with 15 seconds left in the game. Watch now
2007: Pitt 13–West Virginia 9 WVU is ranked No. 2 in the country before the Panthers shock the Mountaineers with one of the biggest upsets in college football history, knocking them out of the national championship game. Watch now
2010: West Virginia 35–Pitt 10 The Mountaineers and the Panthers wear Nike Pro Combat System of Dress, uniforms designed to pay respect to Pittsburgh’s steel industry and West Virginia’s coal mining industry. Watch now
2022: TBD The Backyard Brawl returns and ESPN College Game Day broadcasts from Pittsburgh prior to the game.
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