Morgantown, WV – What a day it was in Morgantown, West Virginia on Saturday! After falling behind 24-14 in the fourth quarter, the West Virginia Mountaineers stormed back to defeat the Pitt Panthers, 31-24, in overtime. The victory completed a full-circle redemption story for Rich Rodriguez, who lost his last Backyard Brawl in 2007 prior to departing for Michigan.
While there is a lot of season left, this was the type of win that could truly catapult the Mountaineer Football program to success in 2025. Today, we are going to give our brief evaluations of what transpired on Mountaineer Field on Saturday – as well as look forward to what is ahead for the WVU program.
- Nicco Marchiol – What a season this kid has had so far. After seemingly losing the majority of the fanbase the week prior, he etched himself into Mountaineer Football history with an instant classic in the Brawl. Should he retain the momentum from such a gutsy performance on Saturday, Nicco Marchiol could easily become a formidable quarterback in the Big 12 performance.
- Defense – To this point of the season, Zac Alley has completely turned around the fortunes of the Mountaineer defense. The unit currently ranks among the nation’s best in several major categories. What is most fascinating about this is that the group has only played three games together. As this unit continues to gel, it’s not far-fetched to believe it will win the program a game or two in 2025.
- Oliver Straw – It’s not often you talk about the punter, but Oliver Straw single-handedly won the game for the Mountaineers on Saturday. Had he not caught the punt in the back of the end zone, that is at least a safety for the Panthers. To top it off, he also consistently got off good kicks, pinning Pitt deep in their territory. Straw deserves Ray Guy recognition.
- Tye Edwards – Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we have found our replacement for Jahiem White. While it is never ideal to lose anyone to a season-ending injury, White’s injury opened the door for anybody behind him to take the opportunity and run with it – and run with it did Tye Edwards. Expect his touches to increase moving forward.
- Rich Rodriguez – It’s hard not to good for the ol’ ball coach! There was so much riding on this game for Rodriguez. Wrongs were made right on Saturday night, and Rodriguez wasn’t shy to wear his emotions on his sleeve. I bet that postgame Applebee’s couldn’t have tasted any damn better!
(Photo by WVU Athletics)
