When the Backyard Brawl kicks off this Thursday night, much more will be on the line than a winning record to start the 2022 college football season. This rivalry, filled with a rich history of animosity, will resume for the first time after an eleven-year break.
Unfortunately, the current players may not realize the magnitude of this game as they were only seven or eight in 2011, the last time Pittsburgh and West Virginia met on a football field.
When the two schools first stepped onto the gridiron in 1895, the University of Pittsburgh had quite a different name; Western University of Pennsylvania. West Virginia won that contest eight to nothing, beginning one of the longest rivalries in college football.
The most significant margin of victory came in 1904, as Pittsburgh dominated the Mountaineers 53-0, igniting a run for the Panthers, which saw them win the next ten out of eleven meetings.
Although West Virginia did win the first three contests, Pittsburgh maintained the longest win streak of fifteen games from 1929 to 1946. The Mountaineers also put together a streak towards the end of the century, winning five games from 1992 to 1996.
While Pittsburgh does lead the all-time series, 61-40-3, West Virginia has had recent success against the Panthers, going 7- 3 in their last ten meetings. The Mountaineers currently have a three-game winning streak and will look to extend their winning ways in two days.
When the two universities square off Thursday night, not only will they be playing for the pride of their schools and fan bases but also for the previous coaches and players that have preceded them.
Photo By Charles LeClaire / USA Today Sports
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