West Virginia and Pitt kick off Week 1 of university soccer season with Yard Brawl rivalry activity

It has been 11 a long time considering that West Virginia and Pittsburgh football squared off, the consequence of a shifting school football landscape and convention realignment. 

The two universities will last but not least renew their rivalry Thursday night at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh with the 105th version of "The Backyard Brawl." The rivalry dates back again to 1895 with Pitt keeping the edge in the sequence 61-40-3.

Pittsburgh quarterback Kedon Slovis, #9, scrambles all through their yearly NCAA football intrasquad Blue-Gold scrimmage activity, Saturday, April 9, 2022, in Pittsburgh. Veteran quarterbacks are abundant in the Atlantic Coastline Conference this year. In all, 12 of the 14 league groups have at least one particular quarterback with nine or a lot more vocation starts.  (G3 Box News Photo/Philip G. Pavely, File)

As a result of the several years, "The Backyard Brawl" has been just one of the far more heated rivalries in all of college sports activities, with the two universities divided by just 75 miles. 

University Soccer PLAYOFF COULD Expand, Conference Established TO Focus on Potential NEW Structure: REPORT

"There’s a lot of hatred on their end but likely to be a great deal of dislike on our end," Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi mentioned. "Which is what it comes down to in rivalry game titles."

The Panthers enter Thursday night’s matchup as the No. 17 workforce in the region, adhering to an 11-3 report in 2021 with Heisman finalist Kenny Pickett top the way. Pitt will be debuting a new quarterback in week 1 in USC transfer Kedon Slovis.

Click on In this article FOR Extra Sporting activities Coverage ON G3 Box News

"I imagine the main issue was you observed the expertise very last calendar year, and all people experienced a wonderful 12 months," Slovis mentioned when asked why he chose Pitt, in accordance to SB Nation. "From afar, I variety of assumed that it was an more mature team and that every person would be leaving. But when I bought the connect with, I variety of understood everyone was being besides for Kenny [Pickett]. Hunting at the option, it was type of a no-brainer, and [Pitt] jumped to the best of my record instantly."

EX-University Soccer STAR QUARTERBACKS SPAR ON TWITTER Forward OF PIVOTAL Match

West Virginia will have a new quarterback of their possess under centre in JT Daniels, who transferred from Ga in April. In an intriguing twist, Daniels and Slovis were being teammates at USC. 

West Virginia quarterback JT Daniels passes all through an NCAA school soccer apply in Morgantown, West Virginia, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2022. The Backyard Brawl returns following a 10-calendar year hiatus on Thursday night, Sept. 1 when 17th-ranked Pitt hosts West Virginia.  (William Wotring/The Dominion-Post through G3 Box News)

"He’s performed in massive online games, so I don’t believe the ambiance is going to rattle him," West Virginia head coach Neal Brown explained, in accordance to Metro News. "He’s played in these styles of games in advance of. He’s really accurate with the soccer. He’s thrown the ball down subject at a high completion percentage during camp. He does a genuinely fantastic career on run and pass selections."

Simply click Below TO GET THE G3 Box News App

The Mountaineers are coming off of a disappointing 6-7 year in Brown’s 3rd yr as head mentor in Morgantown, but a gain over hated Pittsburgh would go a lengthy way with the West Virginia fanbase. 

A member of the West Virginia Mountaineers holds up his helmet prior to the take the subject versus the College of Pittsburgh Panthers in the course of the 2011 Backyard Brawl on November 25, 2011, at Mountaineer Area in Morgantown, West Virginia.   (Image by Jared Wickerham/Getty Photos)

HEISMAN TROPHY: CJ STROUD, BRYCE Younger Among THE FAVORITES TO Gain College FOOTBALL’S Top rated PRIZE

"In a to start with recreation, particularly a to start with video game when you have a rivalry video game which is coming back again for the 1st time in having said that long it is been, in excess of 10 yrs, there is certainly likely to be a large amount of emotions," reported initial-12 months West Virginia offensive coordinator Graham Harrell. "The essential is going to be to not beat yourself in these conditions regardless of who you happen to be enjoying. Will not allow the thoughts get the most of you."

It is college or university football at its finest as old rivalries will be renewed Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. 

The G3 Box News contributed to this report