The West Virginia Mountaineers had better be living out the Rich Rodriguez philosophy following their week 2 loss at Ohio.
“Whether you win or lose, after 24 hours, you gotta move on,” Rodriguez said following the team's loss to Ohio in Week 2.
WVU football had a game to forget las Saturday, but the hope is that simultaneously it can be a game that they learn and grow from. It is now Backyard Brawl week. Even for 81 new players, it does not take much for the players to recognize the buzz around Morgantown surrounding the matchup with rival Pitt.
As former Mountaineer and NFL Defensive Back, Adam “Pacman” Jones said as part of narrating the Mountaineers hype video when this rivalry was renewed in 2022 – “they don’t like us, and we don’t like them.”
Now, a week removed from an embarrassing loss in Athens, the Mountaineers have their sights set on a home matchup with the Pitt Panthers.
Here Are The Storylines To Watch For WVU Football In The Backyard Brawl
1. Can The Mountaineers Play With A 'Hard Edge?'
For a coach that preaches mental and physical toughness through his 'hard edge' mantra, the Mountaineers sure didn’t display much of it in Week 2. This raises curiosity as to the type of effort and product that WVU will showcase at home against their bitter rival. Will they bounce back and find a way to win? Will they fold and start the year 1-2 heading into Big 12 Conference play?
Another element of playing with a hard edge is how you handle adversity. Not only did the Mountaineers lose on Saturday afternoon, but on Monday, things went from bad to worse when we learned that Jahiem White (knee) and Jaden Bray (foot) suffered season-ending injuries in week 2. This is a devastating blow to the WVU offense and obviously forces several other players into big roles. Can the team overcome adversity and showcase it against Pitt?
2. West Virginia’s Offensive Line
If you watched the matchup with Ohio, you had to figure this one was coming. As far as position groups are concerned, the performance of the offensive line seems to be garnering the most attention, and not for good reason. West Virginia’s offense managed to score just 10 points against Ohio, and three times in the second half, they were unable to capitalize on great field position created by the defense collecting interceptions. This offense’s struggles start in the trenches. West Virginia was unable to get any push up front, and they struggled to keep a clean pocket for Nicco Marchiol at quarterback.
It is also somewhat puzzling that in spite of these woes, the offensive line unit remained comprised of the same players who were being ineffective. Will Rich Rodriguez mix it up and give others an opportunity, or will it be the same unit once again? If it is the same unit, will they fix their issues by creating running lanes and clean pockets, or will they continue to struggle, leading to a long afternoon for the Mountaineers?
3. Defensive Backs vs Pitt QB Eli Holstein
Holstein threw for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns in Pitt’s comeback victory in the 2024 Backyard Brawl. His 2025 season is off to a great start with a competition rate of over 70%, 519 yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions through two games. Pitt has been dominant in their two wins, with a 61-9 win over Duquesne of the FCS and a 45-17 win in Week 2 over Central Michigan.
While the primary point of concern following Week 2 has been the Mountaineer offensive struggles, there are some things to fix on the defensive side as well. While he threw three interceptions, Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro threw for 247 yards, completing 71% of his passes. The WVU defense also had no answer for his legs as he led his team in rushing with 87 yards on 18 carries.
WVU safety Darrian Lewis had one of the interceptions against Ohio, but he also picked up two pass interference calls. Several of Ohio’s playmakers were wide open on plays in the first half due to poor coverage in the back-end of the defense or miscommunication. While WVU shutout the Ohio offense in the second half, they will be up against stiffer competition when Holstein and Pitt come to Morgantown.