Mountaineer fullback Dick Leftridge carries the football down the field, during a game from his time on WVU's team, from 1963-1965. Courtesy photo

MORGANTOWN — There are many similarities between the two heated rivals. West Virginia University (WVU) and the University of Pittsburgh don’t bow and exchange pleasantries when they see each other on the football field. They may not be in the same conference. They may not play each other in every season. Their two fan bases aren’t on the friendliest of terms. They’ve played over 100 times. And still little has been settled.

Pitt owns the most wins. The Mountaineers will counter with the wildly entertaining 63-48 win over the bruised Panthers in 1965. In that game, the Mountaineers heaped 624 yards of total offense on the heads of the Panther defense. Garrett Ford rushed for 192 yards and scored twice. Dick Leftridge had 129 ground yards. Allen McCune threw for 320 yards and five touchdowns. Dick Rader caught three scoring passes and amassed 101 yards in receptions.

Pitt will dredge up the 1970 game where WVU held a 35-8 lead at halftime only to lose, 36-35, at the end.

Mountaineer people will blanch when any historians point to the 2007 game. It was played on a gnarly December night when a mostly moribund Pitt team defeated an unbeaten WVU bunch that was just a win away from playing in the national championship game.

Rich Rodriguez coached that frigid night in Morgantown and in short order was off to coach at Michigan. He has returned and has brought his son with him to coach the quarterbacks.

These two 2025 teams had better be 2-0, when they see each other. Pitchforks, effigies hung by ropes and earthquake-like rumblings will be heard if WVU doesn’t handle Robert Morris and Ohio and the Panthers don’t beat both Duquesne and Central Michigan.

Pitt won the national championship in 1976. Its all-time list of players includes Heisman Trophy recipient Tony Dorsett, Hugh Green, Bill Fralic and Mike Ditka. WVU has no Heisman recipients but scads of All-Americans and pro football dignitaries.

PItt’s more famous coaches are Johnny Majors, Jackie Sherrill, Pop Warner, Jock Sutherland and John Michelosen. Sherrill succeeded Majors and went 50-9-1. Warner was a brilliant 60-12-4.

West Virginia tips the scales when it trots out Don Nehlen, Greasy Neale, Clarence Spears, Ira Rodgers, Gene Corum, Jim Carlen, Pappy Lewis and Bobby Bowden. While Rodriguez was in town the first time his record was 60-26.

The Panthers won 38-34 last season and then the Mountaineers changed coaches.

Little else has changed.

The schools are in close proximity. Both are located on the Monongahela River. Just a short ride on an Interstate divides the two. Both had older stadiums that were revered for the memories they housed. Old Mountaineer Field was demolished in 1987. Old Pitt Stadium in the Oakland section of the city is no more.

Glory days have been toasted and celebrated in both places.

On Sept. 13, they’ll see each other again.

Emotions will once again rise to the surface.

West Virginia and Pitt will lose no love between them — if ever there was any!