West Virginia Mountaineers Triumph Over Pitt Panthers, 17-6

In the showdown we’ve been waiting for since the 2011 season, the West Virginia Mountaineers renewed their age-old rivalry with the Pitt Panthers on Saturday night. The atmosphere at Mountaineer Field reached deafening levels, marking one of the loudest crowds in the Neal Brown era, and the Mountaineers emerged victorious with a final score of 17-6.

The game kicked off with the Mountaineers struggling on their opening drive, resulting in a quick three-and-out. The Pitt Panthers capitalized on their sole successful drive of the evening, primarily leaning on their rushing game. However, this drive ultimately faltered in the red zone, leading to the Panthers settling for a field goal.

The early narrative took a turn when, during the second series of the game for the Mountaineers, starting quarterback Garret Greene suffered an ankle injury and had to exit the game, thrusting redshirt freshman Nicco Marchiol into the spotlight.

Marchiol started with a shaky 0-3 passing record, showing some initial inconsistency in his throws. Fortunately, he regained composure after the early series and finished the game on a high note, completing his final six passes for a total of 60 yards and a touchdown.

West Virginia’s first touchdown was secured by LSU transfer Kole Taylor, who led the team with 21 receiving yards. The Mountaineers’ second touchdown was notched by star running back CJ Donaldson, who concluded the game with 18 carries, 102 yards, and a touchdown to his name.

On the defensive side, Trey Lathan led the charge with eight total tackles. The Mountaineers made the night Hell for Phil Jurkovec, with Beanie Bishop, Aubrey Burks, and Malachi Ruffin all grabbing interceptions. Beanie’s return of 40 yards set up West Virginia for a crucial field goal. To seal the game’s fate, Abilene Christian transfer Tyrin Bradley unleashed a game-changing sack on Phil Jurkovec with just 3:53 remaining, essentially locking in the Mountaineers’ victory. As the dust

Looking ahead, the Mountaineers will be at home again next Saturday, where they’ll face the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The game will be exclusively broadcast on Big 12 Now via ESPN+ and is scheduled to kick off at 3:30 PM EDT. Fans attending the game are encouraged to wear gold attire for a Gold Rush..