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3 Keys to a West Virginia Victory in the Backyard Brawl

By Troy Van Camp

West Virginia Mountaineers Jaylen Anderson (0) exchange's words with Pittsburgh Panthers Donovan McMillon (3) during the first half at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, WV on September 16, 2023.
West Virginia Mountaineers Jaylen Anderson (0) exchange's words with Pittsburgh Panthers Donovan McMillon (3) during the first half at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, WV on September 16, 2023. / Michael Longo/For USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Eli Holstein
Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Eli Holstein (10) leads the band in the playing of the PITT Alma Mater after defeating the Kent State Golden Flashes at Acrisure Stadium. Pittsburgh won 55-24. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

1. Limit the Pitt passing attack 

It’s only fitting that the first key to a WVU victory is found in fixing something that has been an issue in the early going of this season. Below are the stat lines for the opposing quarterback in West Virginia's first two games of the season:

Drew Allar (Penn State) - 11/17, 216 yards, 3 touchdowns

Myles Burkett (Albany) - 18/39, 306 yards, 1 touchdown 

That WVU gave up over 300 yards through the air to an FCS opponent was not lost on fans, and defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley said 'we’re not executing very, very simple things' in pass coverage. Meanwhile, Pitt’s freshman QB Eli Holstein has helped lead the Panthers to a 2-0 start.  Below is a look at Holstein's stat lines for his first two games:

vs. Kent State - 30/40, 333 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception 

@ Cincinnati - 20/35, 302 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception 

Pitt was trailing Cincinnati 27-6 late in the 3rd quarter before storming back to win the game 28-27. Holstein engineered 3 long drives resulting in touchdown passes to help lead Pitt to the comeback win. 

The expectation for this year’s Backyard Brawl is that it will not have many similarities to the game played a season ago where neither QB eclipsed 100+ yards. 

With some concerns regarding the WVU secondary, the question is whether or not WVU can allow Holstein to go for 300+ yards and 3 touchdowns for his third straight game to start the 2024 season. Ideally, West Virginia’s defense shapes up and is able to get Holstein off of the rhythm he was on in the second half of the win against Cincinnati. While West Virginia is capable of scoring some points of their own, a major focus on defense is limiting Pitt’s passing game thuslimiting their scoring output. 

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