Football
BACKYARD FIGHT 2022 PRESENTED BY HOPE GAS
#17/16 PITT (0-0, 0-0 ACC) vs. WEST VIRGINIA (0-0, 0-0 BIG 12)
September 1, 2022 • 7 pm ET
Acrisure Stadium (68,400) • Pittsburgh, Pa.
ESPN • 93.7 The Fan • Pitt Panthers Radio Network
game plots
• Pitt and West Virginia collide for the first time in 11 years as Backyard Brawl gets a makeover in front of an ESPN television audience and a sellout crowd at Acrisure Stadium.
• This will be the 105th all-time meeting between the Panthers and Mountaineers in a series dating back to 1895. Pitt leads the series, 61-40-3, but enters this year’s meeting having lost the last three.
• This will be the first Backyard Brawl for the respective head coaches, Pitt’s pat narduzzi and Neal Brown of West Virginia.
• The father of Pitt’s offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. (Frank Sr.) served as a head coach at West Virginia from 1976 to 1979. Additionally, Frank Jr.’s brother Curt was a quarterback on WVU’s 1981 Peach Bowl and 1982 Gator Bowl teams.
• Pitt and West Virginia will play in eight of the next 11 years (2022-25 and 2029-32).
• kedon slovis has been named Pitt’s starting quarterback. Slovis played the previous three seasons at USC, where he threw for 7,576 yards and 58 touchdowns in 27 games.
• Pitt annually hosts one of the largest pass races in the country. The Panthers have compiled an FBS-best 151 sacks over the past three seasons (2019-21).
• Pitt enters his season opener as a ranked team for the first time since the 2010 campaign. The Panthers rank 16th in USA TODAY’s AFCA coaches’ poll and 17th in the Associated Press.
• Pitt is 86-44-2 (.659) all-time in starts. Since the 2000 season, Pitt is 16-6 (.727) in his opening game, including 6-1 (.857) under Narduzzi.
Series in Brief
Series started: 1895
Overall series: Pitt leads 61-40-3
At Pittsburgh: Pitt leads 41-22
At WVU: Pitt leads 20-17-3
At neutral sites: WVU leads 1-0
OT Games: Pitt wins 1-0
Last meeting (at WVU): November 25, 2011 (West Virginia 21, Pitt 20)
Last meeting in Pitt: November 26, 2010 (West Virginia 35, Pitt 10)
Current series streak: WVU has won 3 (2009–11)
Longest winning streak in the Pitt series: 15 games (1929-46)
Longest WVU series win streak: 5 games (1992-96)
Pitt’s largest margin of victory: 53 points (53-0, 1904)
WVU’s largest margin of victory: 38 points (twice, last: 52-14, 1998)
Trainer Matchup
Chris Bickell ’97, Pitt football coach pat narduzzi
Overall (season): 53-37 (8th)
At Pitt (season): same
Alma Mater: Rhode Island, 1990
Record vs. West Virginia: 0-0
West Virginia coach Neal Brown
Overall (season): 52-34 (8th)
At WVU (Season): 17-18 (4th)
alma mater: Massachusetts, 2002
Record vs. Pitt: 0-0
transmission information
Television • ESPN
Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (analyst), Harry Lyles Jr. (reporter)
Pregame • ESPN College GameDay • 6 pm on ESPN
Rece Davis (host), Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and David Pollack (analysts)
Pitt Radio • 93.7 The Fan & Pitt Panthers Radio Network
Bill Hillgrove (play by play), Pat Bostick (analyst), Larry Richert and Dorin Dickerson (reporters)
SiriusXM Satellite Radio
SiriusXM Channel 81, SXM App Channel 81
WPTS Radio (Pitt Student Station) • 92.1 FM
audio online
937thefan.radio.com
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