Backyard plan
PITTSBURGH — Their rivalries with Louisville and Rutgers may come and go, important one season and insignificant the next. With West Virginia and Pittsburgh, there's never a game that doesn't matter.
For the No. 8 Mountaineers and Panthers, the Backyard Brawl is forever. The two schools are so close, so competitive, so intermingled in recruiting that every game is a big deal. Their campuses are separated by only 79 miles of highway — fittingly, most of it Interstate 79 — and the rivals count fans of both teams along every mile.
Penn State once was a big game for both, the biggest for Pitt, until the Big Ten changed all that. But nothing could break up the Brawl. The schools, coaches, players and fans care too much, partly because it's not uncommon for former high school teammates to find themselves on opposing sides in college, wearing differing shades of blue and gold.
"We will not have a bigger rival. Ever," West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said.
"There's going to be passion and rage, fire and intensity," Pitt cornerback Darrelle Revis said of Thursday night's game at Heinz Field.
In this game, the coaches once were players themselves. Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt was a Panthers lineman blocking for Tony Dorsett in the 1970s. Rodriguez was a Mountaineers defensive back defending against Dan Marino's throwing arm in the early 1980s.
The bordering state universities will meet for the 99th time, with the Mountaineers (8-1, 3-1) looking to run all over the slumping Panthers (6-4, 2-3) much like they did in rushing for 451 yards in a 45-13 rout last season.
The Panthers lacked the speed and personnel to defend against quarterback Pat White (220 yards, 2 touchdowns) and running back Steve Slaton (179 yards, 2 touchdowns), and there is nothing to suggest they will this season, either. West Virginia is No. 2 nationally in rushing offense and Pitt is No. 90 in rushing defense.
After starting 6-1 against soft opposition, the Panthers have lost to No. 7 Rutgers, South Florida and Connecticut, mostly because they couldn't stop the run. Rutgers' Ray Rice ran for 225 yards against them and Connecticut running back Donald Brown (205 yards) and quarterback D.J. Hernandez (130 yards) combined for 335 yards rushing on Saturday.
With those numbers, it's no wonder West Virginia probably couldn't wait even the five short days since its 42-24 victory over Cincinnati to get at the Panthers.
"If we do what we do, it should not matter what they do," White said.
Rodriguez displayed the temperament of the rivalry last year when he made several snippy comments about Pitt's recruiting. Wannstedt said he felt Pitt owned Western Pennsylvania recruiting, and Rodriguez politely disagreed. Or not so politely.
Rodriguez apologized because his staff couldn't recruit as hard in the Pittsburgh area as Pitt's staff could in the weeks after last season's game.
"We have to worry about a bowl game while other teams don't have to worry about that," Rodriguez said.
That might be a pleasant problem for West Virginia this season, too. Despite losing to Louisville 44-34, West Virginia could find itself in a BCS bowl game if it beats Pitt and Rutgers on Dec. 2.
Wannstedt and the Panthers tried not to supply any bulletin-board material leading up to this game, perhaps because it's difficult to talk big following three consecutive losses.
Still, strange things have happened in a rivalry where the favorite is never too secure and few leads are truly safe — in 1989, Pitt was down 31-9 in the fourth quarter in Morgantown and came back for a 31-all tie.
Pitt quarterback Tyler Palko led Pitt's 16-13 upset victory two years ago by directing a 75-yard drive in the closing minutes. He's not about to write off this game, even though Pitt must beat West Virginia or No. 10 Louisville to keep from finishing .500.
"I know we can win this game," said Palko, whose 22 touchdown passes are 10 more than any other Big East quarterback. "We need to get back on track, and a win can do that. We're not going to lay down for anybody. West Virginia is a pride game. That's the way we're looking at it, and I'm sure it's the way they look at it."
