A look back at some memorable moments from the WVU-Pitt football rivalry, which the Panthers lead 61-39-3
A look back at some memorable moments from the WVU-Pitt football rivalry, which the Panthers lead 61-39-3
1895 - The Backyard Brawl is born as West Virginia earns an 8-0 win over the Western University of Pennsylvania (WUP, which would later become the University of Pittsburgh) in a game played in Wheeling. The Mountaineers would win the first three installments of the series.1901 - WUP earns its first win in the series with a 12-0 triumph in Morgantown.1904 - Pitt notches a 53-0 victory at Exposition Park in Pittsburgh, beginning a 10-0-1 stretch over the next 17 years for the Panthers. 1910 - In the first game played on Pittsburgh's campus at new Forbes Field, the Panthers grab a 38-0 win to take a 6-5-1 advantage in the series. Pitt has owned the series advantage since.1917 - Pitt tops WVU 14-9 in Morgantown as legendary Panthers coach Pop Warner earned a victory in his first involvement in the series.1921 - The Backyard Brawl becomes the first college football game to be broadcast over the radio. Pittsburgh defeats West Virginia 21-13 at Forbes Field in a game called by Harold W. Arlin on KDKA.1922 - Armin Mahrt is true on a dropkick field goal as the Mountaineers hang on for a 9-6 win at Pitt as part of WVU's only completely undefeated season in school history. West Virginia finished the 1922 campaign 10-0-1, and beat Gonzaga in the inaugural East-West Bowl.1929 - Pitt begins what will be the most dominant stretch by either team in the rivalry to date with a 27-7 win in Pittsburgh. The Panthers go on to win the next 14 meetings, shutting the Mountaineers out in 10 of those games.1930 - The Brawl is held at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown for the first time as Pitt notches a 16-0 win.1942 - The Brawl is shelved for the third straight year due to a $20,000 debt WVU owes to Pittsburgh for past games played in Morgantown.1947 - The Mountaineers snap a 19-year skid to the Panthers with a 17-2 win at Pitt Stadium. "Voice of the Mountaineers" Jack Fleming, calls his first Backyard Brawl.1952 - West Virginia records its first win over a ranked opponent as the Mountaineers down No. 18 Pitt 16-0 at Pitt Stadium.1953 - The Mountaineers get a second straight win over Pitt, defeating the Panthers 17-7 at Pitt Stadium, the first time WVU had won consecutive games in the series since 1922-23.1955 - Pittsburgh rolls to a 26-7 upset victory over No. 6 West Virginia at Pitt Stadium, prompting Bill Evans of the Fairmont Times to call the Mountaineers trip back to Morgantown "the longest funeral procession in history."1961 - "The Garbage Game." The Mountaineers takes a 20-6 win at Pitt Stadium after a Pittsburgh player is quoted as saying that WVU is rebuilding its football team with "Western Pa. garbage."1963 - Paul Martha scores on a 46-yard run in the fourth quarter, giving the Panthers a 13-10 win in a game televised on CBS. The game also marks the first year of the series alternating location every season.1965 - West Virginia rolls up a 63-48 win at Mountaineer Field as Garrett Ford accumulates 365 all-purpose yards, a school record that still stands.1967 - Ken Juskowich of Bethel Park, Pa., boots five field goals to fuel West Virginia's 15-0 victory at Mountaineer Field.1969 - Eddie Williams and quarterback Mike Sherwood each eclipse 100 yards rushing in a 49-18 WVU win in Morgantown. The win marks West Virginia's first three-game win streak since the first three games of the series.1970 - West Virginia squanders a 27-point halftime advantage and loses 36-35 in Pittsburgh in first-year Mountaineer coach Bobby Bowden's first Backyard Brawl. Pitt's Bill Pilconis hauled in a 5-yard scoring pass from Dave Havern to cap the Panther rally.1973 - The favored Mountaineers fall 35-7 in Morgantown, thanks in large part to three rushing touchdowns from freshman running back Tony Dorsett.1975 - Bill McKenzie boots a 38-yard field goal to give WVU a 17-14 win at Mountaineer Field in a game televised on ABC Regional, the first televised Brawl since 1963. The game marked the only time Dorsett lost to the Mountaineers in his four years at Pitt.1977 - Pitt scores a 44-3 win at Mountaineer Field, marking the Panthers' most lopsided win in Morgantown.1979 - In the final game played at old Mountaineer Field, Pittsburgh quarterback Dan Marino leads the Panthers to a 24-17 win.1980 - First-year West Virginia coach Don Nehlen loses 42-14 to the No. 2 Panthers at Pitt Stadium.1982 - Marino leads the Panthers to 16 unanswered fourth-quarter points to rally Pitt to a 16-13 win in Pittsburgh.1983 - Nehlen gets his first win in the rivalry as the Mountaineers rallied for a 24-21 victory.1987 - In the last Backyard Brawl without a touchdown, Pitt's Jeff VanHorne boots two field goals to preserve a 6-3 win for the Panthers at Mountaineer Field.1989 - Pittsburgh's Eddie Frazier is good on a 42-yard field goal as time expired, as the Panthers erased a 31-9 fourth-quarter deficit to salvage a 31-31 tie in Morgantown. It was also the first night game of the series.1991 - The Panthers roll to a 34-3 win at Mountaineer Field in the teams' first meeting as members of the Big East Conference.1994 - Quarterback Chad Johnston connects with Zach Abraham on a 60-yard touchdown strike with just 15 seconds remaining as West Virginia steals a 47-41 win in Pittsburgh.1996 - Freshman West Virginia running back Amos Zereoue takes his first collegiate carry 69 yards for a score and WVU earned a 34-0 win in the season opener at Pitt Stadium.1997 - Pittsburgh survives a 41-38 triple-overtime win in Morgantown to become bowl eligible for the first time since 1989. It's the only game in the rivalry to reach overtime.1998 - WVU blasts Pittsburgh 52-14 at Three Rivers Stadium in the first game hosted by the Panthers at a venue other than Pitt Stadium since 1982.1999 - Marc Bulger throws for 331 yards and Avon Cobourne runs for 210 as the Mountaineers earn a 52-21 win in Bulger's final game as a Mountaineer.2000 - Kevan Barlow runs for a Brawl record 272 yards in a 38-28 Pitt win, marking the final college football game played at Three Rivers Stadium.2002 - Pittsburgh native Rasheed Marshall connects on a 74-yard strike to Phil Braxton of Connelsville, Pa., for the deciding score in a 24-17 win for the Mountaineers at Heinz Field.2003 -Weir High School product Quincy Wilson rolls up 208 yards on the ground, besting Pitt quarterback Rod Rutherford's 419 passing yards as West Virginia won a 52-31 game in Morgantown.2004 - Pitt quarterback Tyler Palko scores on a fourth-quarter run and gives the Panthers a 16-13 win at Heinz Field on Thanksgiving night.2005 - With temperatures in the negative numbers, WVU quarterback Pat White carved up the Pitt defense for 220 rushing yards in a 45-13 win for the host Mountaineers.2006 - White and running back Steve Slaton become only the third teammates in NCAA history to rush for 200 yards apiece as visiting West Virginia runs away with a 45-27 win. Slaton became the first player in West Virginia history to have more than 100 (215) yards rushing and 100 (130) yards receiving while White threw for 204 yards. All told, the Mountaineers racked up 641 yards in total offense.2007 - In one of the most painful losses in WVU history, Pittsburgh upsets the No. 2 Mountaineers 13-9 in the regular-season finale at Milan Puskar Stadium, ending the Mountaineers' national championship aspirations. The game also turned out to be Rich Rodriguez's last game as coach at West Virginia as he accepted an offer to take over at the University of Michigan. 2009 - Tyler Bitancurt nails a field goal as time expires, propelling the Mountaineers to a 19-16 win at Mountaineer Field.2010 - With both teams decked out in new Nike Pro Combat uniforms, the Mountaineers steamroll to a 35-10 win at Heinz Field.
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