WVU players, coaches expecting 106th installment of Backyard Brawl to be a dogfight
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Last weekend, violent lightning storms in the Morgantown, W.Va., area brought on a delay of nearly two hours that paused play between the Mountaineers and Duquesne.
By the time the weather calmed to a light drizzle, only a fraction of the 50,037 fans who originally filed into Milan Puskar Stadium remained.
But many of those who did stick around long enough to watch West Virginia cruise to a 56-17 win took special delight when they saw the result of the Pitt-Cincinnati game.
Accompanied by Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” playing on the stadium speakers, Pitt’s 27-21 defeat was displayed prominently on the jumbo screen.
With the Mountaineers sitting pretty against the Dukes, it seemed as if fans had begun turning their attention to the 106th installment of the Backyard Brawl, set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Morgantown. Both teams are 1-1.
“Overall, it’s an exciting week,” Mountaineers coach Neal Brown said. “We won’t have any problem getting our guys ready. It’s an exciting time.”
Brown and his Pitt counterpart, Pat Narduzzi, face off for the second time after the Panthers’ 38-31 win at Acrisure Stadium last year, which was the first meeting between the programs since 2011.
Players who partook in the rivalry’s restart last year gained an appreciation for its intensity, a factor sure to be amplified Saturday on West Virginia’s campus.
“Going over there into Pitt territory, it was kind of surreal,” West Virginia junior offensive lineman Brandon Yates said. “It was a different kind of atmosphere, a different kind of energy. You feel like you’re part of that history. … It was loud, people were screaming. It was crazy.
“I think our fans are going to for sure show out. It’s a close rivalry, and I think our fans are for sure the greatest fans in America. They’re going to show out for this game.”
Despite the Panthers’ loss last week, Brown notably had praise for first-year Pitt QB Phil Jurkovec, who completed just 31.3% (10 of 32) of his passes against the Bearcats.
“The thing that really strikes you is how big he is — he’s a big man,” Brown said. “He’s not a guy — sometimes you see those big guys and they’re just standers in the pocket. They’re going to stand. He’s not. He moves well. They do a good mix of under center and some pro-style looks. … (Jurkovec is) a guy that you can tell is cerebral.”
Against the Dukes, West Virginia allowed 3 total yards rushing. However, Penn State managed 146 yards on 35 attempts — a 4.2 yards-per-carry average — in Week 1.
Pitt’s ground attack, which had just 92 yards against Cincinnati, not counting Jurkovec’s rushes, scrambles and sacks, presents different challenges.
“They’re a run-first team,” Brown said. “Everything they do is set up off their ability to run the football. … They’ve got a good mix of running backs with different skill sets. I really like the big kid (Daniel Carter). He’s a load to tackle.”
On the injury front, the Mountaineers expect to be bolstered at wide receiver by the return of Devin Carter, who had six catches for 90 yards against the Nittany Lions but did not play vs. Duquesne, as well as EJ Horton and Traylon Ray.
Brown expects Pitt to come out swinging.
“This is a team that’s going to challenge us,” Brown said. “… They’re going to play in your face, and we’ve got to be ready for that.”