The West Virginia Mountaineers and Pittsburgh Panthers played out the next chapter of the Backyard Brawl with Saturday afternoon kickoff in Pittsburgh. The game is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. ET with TV coverage on ESPN2 and streaming through FuboTV (free trial) and Sling (1st-month discount).
West Virginia makes the short trip north to Pittsburgh as a 2-point favorite after opening as 5.5-point favorites in the initial betting line. That number has been driven down as the Mountaineers go into the Panthers’ house and try to upend a team that improved to 2-0 by overcoming a 21-point deficit with less than 16 minutes to play against Cincinnati. The Panthers won it on a 35-yard Ben Sauls field goal with 17 seconds remaining.
West Virginia got on the board with its first win of the season, defeating UAlbany 49-14 to rebound from a 34-12 loss to Penn State in Week 1. Quarterback Garrett Greene accounted for four touchdowns (one rushing), and running backs C.J. Donaldson (125 yards, TD) and Jahiem White (100 yards, TD) both hit the century mark in the win.
Backyard Brawl: Live Streaming Options
The Mountaineers and Panthers are set for a 3:30 p.m. ET start on ESPN2. Live streams are available from FuboTV (free trial) and SlingTV (low intro rate).
The Backyard Brawl: A Rivalry Renewed
The West Virginia Mountaineers, led by quarterback Garrett Greene, meet the the Pittsburgh Panthers, led by quarterback Eli Holstein on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 (9/14/24) at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Penn.
This marks the 107th meeting of the “Backyard Brawl” rivalry game between the two programs.
How to Watch the Game
Here’s what you need to know:
What: NCAA Football, Week 3
Who: West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh
When: Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 (9/14/24)
Where: Acrisure Stadium
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Live stream: fuboTV (free trial)
Best Streaming Options for College Football in 2024
Here are the best streaming options for college football in 2024:
Fubo TV (free trial): fuboTV carries ESPN, FOX, ABC, NBC and CBS.
DirecTV Stream (free trial): DirecTV Stream carries FOX, NBC and CBS.
Sling TV ($25 off the first month)- Sling TV carries ESPN, FOX, ABC and NBC.
ESPN+ ($9.99 a month): ESPN+ carries college football games each weekend for only $9.99 a month. These games are exclusive to the platform.
Peacock TV ($5.99 a month): Peacock will simulstream all of NBC Sports’ college football games airing on the NBC broadcast network this season, including Big Ten Saturday Night. Peacock will also stream Notre Dame home games. Certain games will be streamed exclusively on Peacock this year as well.
Paramount+ (free trial): Paramount Plus will live stream college football games airing on CBS this year.
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The Pittsburgh Panthers Stage a Comeback for the Ages
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Trailing by 10 and the clock dwindling, there was no panic on the Pittsburgh sideline. No nervousness. No anxiety.
Given the way Eli Holstein is playing, why would there be?
Twice in eight days, the Panthers have been down big late to a longtime rival. And twice in eight days, the quarterback who is a redshirt freshman in name only put together the kind of comeback that has quickly turned a season that began with uncertainty into one suddenly brimming with promise.
“Eli’s done an incredible job,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said. “When he needs to make a play, he makes a play.”
In all kinds of ways.
Holstein threw for 301 yards and three scores and added another 59 yards on the ground, a number that would have been higher if not for five sacks that counted against his total.
The victory was Pitt’s second in three tries against the Mountaineers since a series that dates back to 1895 was revived in 2022. It also marked a second stunning Holstein-led rally in as many weeks.
Pitt trailed by 21 late in the third quarter at Cincinnati before storming back to win by one. The stakes were even higher at a packed Acrisure Stadium and things looked considerably bleaker against the Mountaineers after WVU’s Garrett Greene found Justin Robinson for a 28-yard touchdown with 4:55 to play that put the Mountaineers up 34-24.
Yet on the Panther sideline, the message from the team’s leadership group was simple: get the ball to Holstein and let him go to work.
“He’s a freshman?” senior linebacker Brandon George joked. “He shows a great amount of leadership. That’s something you don’t often see from a freshman quarterback ... I’ll ride through hell for that guy.”
Holstein deflected the praise to his teammates, including Reynolds, who hadn’t been targeted through nearly 12 full quarters this season until Holstein let it fly with Pitt facing 2nd-and-30 at the WVU 40 following a pair of holding penalties.
The 6-foot-2 Reynolds was draped by a defender and flags flew. Holstein figured a pass interference call was coming — and it was — only the Panthers didn’t need to accept it, not with Reynolds cradling the ball in the end zone.
“That’s just a normal catch (for Reynolds),” Pitt wide receiver Kenny Johnson said. “He makes that catch 100 out of 100 times.”
The Panthers held the Mountaineers to a three-and-out and needed just six plays to set up Davis’ clinching dive.
WVU had one last chance but Greene’s final separation toss was picked off by Kyle Louis near midfield with 4 seconds to go to seal it.
“We were up with 5 minutes to go,” said Greene, who threw for 210 yards with two scores and two picks and also ran for 49 yards. “We shouldn’t lose games like that.”
Looking Ahead for Both Teams
The Mountaineers (1-2) committed a handful of self-inflicted wounds along the way. They had a long touchdown pass in the third quarter called back after being flagged for holding then subsequently gave up a blocked punt that George returned 24 yards for a score to Pitt up 24-17.
WVU reeled off the next 17 points and appeared to be firmly in control after Justin Robinson made a leaping one-handed grab at the goal line — with his other hand in the facemask of a Pitt player — only to see the Panthers steal their 63rd all-time victory over the Mountaineers with Holstein in the middle of it all.
“Eli’s not scared, he’s not hesitant,” Louis said. “He’s breaking three 300-pounders off his neck and running for 15 yards ... He’s got that dog mentality.”
WVU: Neal Brown may have trouble backing up last year’s somewhat surprising 9-win campaign. The Mountaineers remain a work in progress on defense and the offense might not be potent enough to overcome it.
Pitt: Holstein has emphatically ended the Panthers’ search for a quarterback and a team that was picked to finish 13th in the expanded ACC looks as if it could be dangerous once conference play begins in October.
WVU: begins Big 12 play next Saturday when Kansas visits Mountaineer Field.
Pitt: finishes up nonconference play next Saturday at home against Youngstown State.
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