The 2025 Backyard Brawl belongs to WVU football, and so do bragging rights until the schools meet again in 2029. In a game that had ups and downs, the Mountaineers were able to prevail over Pitt in overtime 31-24. Milan Puskar Stadium drew 62,108 attendees for the thrilling, instant classic game on Saturday. While things looked bleak well into the 4th quarter, the West Virginia Mountaineers showed resilience and a hard edge in what was truly a team win. But the season is far from over, and here are five things we saw in The Backyard Brawl that the team can build on as they begin conference play.
The Running Back Situation
Tye Edwards will forever be remembered for his incredible performance in the Backyard Brawl. After having zero carries through the first two weeks, Edwards had 141 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries.
With star running back Jahiem White being ruled out for the season after his injury sustained against Ohio, WVU was searching for answers regarding their running back room. In what has been a hot topic of conversation as far as who should get carries in place of White, there may not be much to talk about in that regard after Edwards’ massive performance. Generally speaking, West Virginia was in need of a running back to step up and earn the top spot. Specifically to the Brawl, Edwards proved to put forth a performance that the Mountaineers had to have in order to get the victory.
A Strong Defense
How about Zac Alley and the Mountaineers' defense? After pitching a shutout in the second half against Ohio, they nearly held Pitt scoreless in the first half, with the Panthers’ first 3 points coming with 1:37 left in the half. Even through the second half, the defense continued to step up, make plays, and pick up stops when WVU needed them the most. There are numerous big time plays that we can highlight, but overall, we learned that the success of this defense on the young season is no fluke. And it might just be something that can carry them into success in Big 12 play.
WVU Defense National Rankings:
— Jed Drenning (@TheSignalCaller) September 14, 2025
Sacks: #2 (Tie)
3rd Down D: #19
Opp Red Zone TD Pct: #14
Takeaways: #14 (Tie) pic.twitter.com/SRBCOJWDtm
Nicco Marchiol's Leadership
Nicco Marchiol got benched and then brought back into the game for the second consecutive week, this time with the Mountaineers trailing by ten points in the fourth quarter. But Marchiol remained poised and led WVU to three consecutive scoring drives. It takes a notable level of mental toughness to be able to pull off what Nicco Marchiol just did against Pitt.
Marchiol (who subbed in for an injured Garrett Greene in the 2023 matchup with Pitt) has now defeated Pitt twice while at WVU, etching his name into the Backyard Brawl history books. His performance was not perfect, and while we certainly may not have seen the last of Scotty Fox Jr. or Jaylen Henderson this season, Marchiol showed that he is the leader of this football team.
“You don’t pick and choose when you want to be a leader and when you don’t want to be a leader," Marchiol said after the game.
A (Somewhat) Better Offensive Line Performance
While they may not be the 1975 Buffalo Bills blocking for O.J. Simpson, the Mountaineers' offensive line also put in an effort that can be built upon. Through the early part of the season, no position group has been more negatively discussed than the offensive line.
But against Pitt, West Virginia righted a lot of wrongs offensively en route to 434 yards of total offense, and that starts. Again, they weren’t without their struggles, but pass blocking looked much better in the second half than it did in the first half, which saw Marchiol face a lot of pressure and get hit numerous times. And for the offense to score on its final three possessions to secure an overtime win, the offensive line must’ve been doing something right near the end.
A Hard Edge Mentality
The Mountaineer players got a major glimpse into what it looks like to play with a 'hard edge' on Saturday. There has been plenty of adversity this season already, and the Brawl was no exception. Trailing by two scores late in the 4th quarter to your biggest rival is not an ideal situation, and the offense struggled to get moving all day long. But with their backs against the wall, West Virginia’s defense earned stops and the offense found ways to score points. They displayed grit, toughness, and poise in the comeback victory. It's something that wasn't needed against Robert Morris and was absent against Ohio, and West Virginia players and staff need to find a way to bottle that hard edge and keep it going as they head into Big 12 Conference play.