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Painful loss to Pitt leads Mountaineers into Big 12 schedule

By Bob Madison - For the Chronicle | Sep 20, 2024

Two Pitt defenders tackle WVU tight end Kole Taylor to the ground at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday. David Pennock

MORGANTOWN — West Virginia University fans will rehash the painful, 38-34, loss last Saturday to despised University of Pittsburgh for too many moons to come.

The Mountaineers led by 10 points with 4:54 to play before the Panthers tallied the game’s final 14 points to sadden the many thousands among the 66,087 shoehorned into Acrisure Stadium hard by the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pa. and the thousands more that were crushed back in the Mountain State.

With the “coulda, woulda, shoulda” loss, WVU is left staring at a 1-2 record and must win at least five more games on its solidly packed Big 12 schedule to possibly qualify for another bowl adventure.

The schedule has nine games — all conference matchups — remaining. At least five of them are in Morgantown, beginning this week against well-regarded Kansas at noon.

The other home games are against Iowa State, Kansas State, Baylor and Central Florida.

WVU football team members T.J. Jackson and Tyrin Bradley close in on Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein for a sack, at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday. David Pennock

To be played on the road are Oklahoma State, Arizona, Cincinnati and Texas Tech.

It was a mostly uncomfortable 85 degrees in the packed stadium for the back-and-forth renewal of the game most people always circle on their fall calendars.

Pitt, which skated to a 3-0 record with the pull-it-out win, was penalized 12 times for 112 yards but controlled the ball for 36:17 as compared with WVU’s measly 23:43 of possession time.

After a halftime break which saw the two combative teams tied at 17-17, West Virginia managed to get ahead, 34-24, with its last points coming at the 4:54 mark of the fourth period.

But then Pitt scored two touchdowns as any possible victory was snatched from West Virginia’s arms.

WVU senior quartback Garrett Greene releases a pass in the first half of the 2024 Backyard Brawl on Saturday. David Pennock

The Pitt offense, mostly generated by a redshirt freshman quarterback, threw for 301 yards. West Virginia on the other hand rushed for 188 yards.

West Virginians won’t soon forget the humidity-soured afternoon. But with a solid Kansas team parading into Morgantown this weekend, the team and the coaches must prepare for another competent opponent.

Arizona is the only one of the newest conference members on the schedule. Cincinnati and Central Florida came in before the 2023 football season.

Any week after a dogfight with Pitt is bound to be something of an emotional letdown. But after the first exchange of contact or trashtalk between the teams there should be a full afternoon of football on view.

The Mountaineers might be in for a whole season of near-wins or near-loses. They should be ready for trouble around ever conference team’s corner. Little, if anything, is going to come easily. So, winning five more times will be lively and heated as the close games follow on the heels of the Pitt loss.

Mountaineer running back Jahiem White takes advantage of a block by Mountaineer tight end Treylan Davis on a run against the Pitt Panthers at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday. David Pennock