There are few things better than college football. And little is better about the sport than some of the intense rivalries it produces.
The West Virginia Mountaineers are no stranger to such rivalries. From The Backyard Brawl to the Battle for the Black Diamond Trophy, from Penn State to Syracuse: there are plenty of storied rivalries that WVU football fans can celebrate.
And nothing tops the feeling of watching your favorite team capture a hard-fought victory against a bitter rival, particularly when there are other, season-altering stakes on the line. So let's take a look at a few of biggest wins for the Mountaineers in rivalry games on the gridiron.
2009 Backyard Brawl: West Virginia 19, No. 8 Pittsburgh 16
Two years prior, the Mountaineers were one win away from securing a bid to the BCS National Championship Game win the Panthers defeated them 13-9 at Milan Puskar Stadium. This was West Virginia's chance to even the score.
In one of ESPN2's most-watched football games in history, the Mountaineers took the eighth-ranked Panthers down to the wire before Tyler Bitancurt drilled a game-winning, walk-off field goal to knock the Panthers out of the top 10 and inevitably eliminate them from BCS contention.
2003 Battle for the Black Diamond Trophy: West Virginia 28, No. 3 Virginia Tech 7
The Hokies made the trip to Morgantown for this showdown sitting 6-0 and ranked No. 3 in the nation, but the Mountaineers were not going to be intimidated. Quincy Wilson ran the ball for 178 yards and one touchdown, and Rasheed Marshall connected on a 93-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to help propel the Mountaineers to a massive upset win.
1977: West Virginia 24, No. 11 Maryland 16
The Mountaineers marched onto No. 11 Maryland's home field, with the Terrapins entering on a 15-game regular season win streak and en route to a second consecutive undefeated regular season. But West Virginia would smack Maryland in the face on the way to a 24-0 halftime lead, with one score coming on busted coverage by Maryland coach Jerry Claiborne's son. The Terrapins attempted a comeback, but were stopped short.
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