Pitt vs. West Virginia final score, results: Panthers prevail in wild Backyard Brawl

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The first big game of the Week 1 college football slate turned out to be a wild ride.

Thursday’s Backyard Brawl between No. 17 Pitt and West Virginia went down to the final seconds, with the Panthers needing a video review to hold on for a 38-31 victory at Acrisure Stadium.

Pitt took the lead by scoring 14 points in 43 seconds late in the fourth quarter, capped by a 56-yard pick-six by M.J. Devonshire off a tipped pass off receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton. That ultimately proved to be the difference-maker in a worthy renewal of this rivalry.

Credit to JT Daniels, who attempted to engineer a last-minute, game-tying scoring drive. But his last pass of the day — a fourth-and-16 attempt to Reese Smith — was ruled incomplete after officials initially ruled it a catch at the Purdue 2-yard line.

MORE: The night the most epic Backyard Brawl altered college football history

In all, West Virginia outgained Pitt 404 yards to 384, but the extra turnover (WVU’s two to Pitt’s one) was the ultimate difference. The Panthers scored touchdowns off both turnovers, including off a fumble recovery that set up a 35-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter.

Pitt’s Kedon Slovis completed 16 of 24 passes for 308 yards and a touchdown, while his West Virginia counterpart (and former USC teammate) completed 23 of 39 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns to one interception.

Mountaineers freshman running back CJ Donaldson led all rushers with 125 yards off a mere seven carries. Ford-Wheaton led all receivers in receptions (nine); receiving yards (97); and receiving touchdowns (two).

The Sporting News tracked live updates and highlights throughout the 2022 Backyard Brawl. Follow below for complete coverage:

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Pitt vs. West Virginia score

  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 F
Pitt 3 7 14 14 31
West Virginia 0 10 7 14 38

Pitt vs. West Virginia live updates, highlights

All times Eastern

FINAL: Pitt 38, West Virginia 31

11:15 p.m.: The Panthers’ defense bends but doesn’t break after a long pass puts the Mountaineers near the red zone. Two sacks of Daniels in the final minute push West Virginia to a must-make fourth-and-16. Daniels’ underthrown pass down to the goal line hits the turf but is initially ruled a completion. Video review overturns the ruling and the Panthers run out the clock to secure the win.

11 p.m.: Ford-Wheaton is shaken up after a catch with under two minutes to play. He was hit in the head and neck area by Pitt’s SirVocea Dennis, who was called for targeting. Video review overturned the call. Ford-Wheaton returned shortly afterward.

10:55 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, Pitt. The Panthers take the lead on the very next series. A drop by Ford-Wheaton lands in the hands of M.J. Devonshire, who takes it to the house for a pick-six. With 2:58 left, it’s Pitt 38, West Virginia 31.

10:50 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, Pitt. Slovis drives the Panthers down the field for the tying score, capped by a 24-yard catch-and-run by Israel Abanikanda. The completion puts Slovis over 300 yards passing for the game. It’s Pitt 31, West Virginia 31 with 3:41 to go in regulation.

10:41 p.m.: Wesley McCormick called for a no-doubt targeting penalty after hitting Hammond’s helmet and leading with the crown of his helmet. Had him stopped short of the line to gain and that’ll be a 15-yard penalty. Dumb play on all accounts.

10:36 p.m.: Ford-Wheaton grabbed Mumpfield under the chinstrap on the punt, and the hometown crowd wants a flag. The officials don’t oblige, and the play is marked as a 3-yard return from the 5-yard line. Panthers take over at their 8.

10:35 p.m.: WVU just trying to make Pitt jump offsides, but the Panthers don’t bite. Mountaineers take the delay of game, setting up the punt.

10:35 p.m.: Donaldson is tripped up and falls a yard short of the line to gain, bringing up fourth-and-1. Brown keeps the offense out on fourth-and-inches from the Pitt 47.

10:34 p.m.: Mathis gets 7 yards on the second-down run, opening up the playbook a bit for this conversion attempt.

10:33 p.m.: Pitt still sending guys at Daniels who climbs the pocket and is a little off with his throw. Second-and-19 from the 43 upcoming.

10:32 p.m.: Mathis is stopped at the line for no gain but the flags are out. … An illegal block below the waist on defensive back Marquis Williams. That gives WVU a fresh set of downs and erases the penalty yardage on the punt.

10:28 p.m.: An illegal blindside block by Jaylon Shelton costs WVU 15 yards, moving the ball back to the Mountaineers’ 27. Neal Brown’s not going to like that.

10:27 p.m.: Mountaineers fair catch at their 42-yard line but there’s a penalty.

10:26 p.m.: Martin gets West Virginia’s fifth sack of the night. That’s a coverage sack all night, as the Mountaineers only rushed three. It’s fourth-and-30.

10:25 p.m.: Ensuing play, Slovis tries to extend the play but is hit for a big loss by Stills. That brings up second-and-24 at the Pitt 26-yard line.

10:24 p.m.: Slovis gets a big connection with Means, who highpoints the ball for a 15-yard gain to the 40-yard line.

10:18 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, WEST VIRGINIA. Officials credit Daniels with a 1-yard touchdown on the QB sneak. That makes it 31-24 West Virginia with 10:37 left in the game.

10:17 p.m.: And now Mathis gets in on the action! He breaks a 24-yard gain down the left sideline to make it first-and-goal from the 1. Mountaineers are knocking.

10:16 p.m.: Donaldson again! Another huge run up the gut goes for 39 yards to the Pitt 33-yard line. The freshman has 109 yards on five carries — 22 yards per carry.

10:12 p.m.: West Virginia gets a short return on the ensuing punt and officials decline to call a block in the back (ruling it legal after a brief huddle). Mountaineers to take over at the 28.

10:11 p.m.: Some great pressure by Dante Stills and Edward Vesterinen force a throw-away by Slovis. Big defensive stand by the Mountaineers after giving up big plays on each of their last two defensive outings.

10:10 p.m.: Panthers face third-and-10 after an overthrow by Slovis on first down and rush for no gain on second.

10:09 p.m.: Hammond gets 4 yards on third-and-2. Pitt gets a new set of downs at its 37.

10:07 p.m.: Pitt takes over at its 25 following the touchback.

10:05 p.m.: The call stands! It’s 24-24 following the point-after attempt with 14:52 left in the fourth quarter.

10:03 p.m.: The play is under review. It looks pretty cut-and-dry from here.

10:02 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, WEST VIRGINIA. Well that didn’t take long. Daniels hits Ford-Wheaton with a back-shoulder throw in the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter.

9:59 p.m.: Donaldson, by the way, has 70 yards on four carries.

Third quarter: Pitt 24, West Virginia 17

9:56 p.m.: WVU’s continued insistence on the run softens up the front: Donaldson breaks a 16-yard gain up the gut. Hill, who had the targeting call overturned, is called for a face mask on the tackle. That makes it first-and-10 West Virginia at the Pitt 17-yard line.

9:56 p.m.: Mathis gets a tough 3 yards to make it first-and-10 from the WVU 48.

9:55 p.m.: Daniels takes a deep shot at his receiver, who drops it. But Pitt had an illegal substitution so the Mountaineers get an extra down for third-and-3.

9:54 p.m.: Again with two quick runs by West Virginia to set up a third-and-long situation.

9:53 p.m.: Either way, first-and-10 West Virginia at its 38.

9:53 p.m.: And the review confirms: no targeting.

9:51 p.m.: Daniels hits Ford-Wheaton on a short gain to convert on third down. But Brandon Hill is called for targeting on the call after launching into the defenseless receiver. He doesn’t make contact with his head and hits Ford-Wheaton in the lower back, however. Might be overturned.

9:50 p.m.: Two straight runs by WVU make it third-and-3 from its 32-yard line. Too early to call this a must-score drive?

9:47 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, PITT. The Panthers simply overpower the Mountaineers, with Hammond powering through multiple defenders with a little help from his lineman for an 11-yard run. That makes it 24-17 Pitt with 3:42 left in the third quarter.

9:46 p.m.: Looks like West Virginia missed an assignment there; defenders rush upfield and Slovis finds Hammond all by himself as an outlet receiver. He takes it 49 yards downfield — sprung by a nice block by Means — down to the WVU 11-yard line.

9:43 p.m.: Daniels’ pass to Ford-Wheaton falls incomplete with M.J. Devonshire in great coverage of the receiver. Pitt takes over at its 38-yard line following a second-straight WVU punt.

9:42 p.m.: Timeout for trainers to look at right guard Jordan White. He’s getting helped off the field.

9:41 p.m.: Really quickly, West Virginia finds itself facing third-and-10. Incomplete pass and 1-yard gain by Donaldson in quick succession.

9:40 p.m.: Timeout, West Virginia (5:51).

9:40 p.m.: Seems to have been some miscommunication by both teams as WVU was held up from snapping the ball by the official.

9:38 p.m.: Squib kick pins West Virginia deep. James again has a short return and West Virginia will take over at its 16-yard line.

9:36 p.m.: Following the play, WVU’s Sean Martin is called for unsportsmanlike conduct, which will be enforced on the ensuing kick. Curious to see how Pitt plays the kickoff to take advantage of that.

9:36 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, PITT. The Panthers go with fullback Daniel Carter, who goes over the top and gets the ball over the plane. That ties the game at 17-17 with 5:54 left in the third quarter.

9:35 p.m.: Touchdown’s off the board; officials ruled Hammond was down at the half-yard line.

9:32 p.m.: Hammond is credited with a 1-yard touchdown run — his second of the game — but it’s under review. One line judge ruled him down and another gave him credit for the score.

9:31 p.m.: There’s a huge gain by Pitt! Slovis hits Wayne on the post; he breaks a tackle, makes another defender miss and takes it 64 yards down to the West Virginia 1-yard line.

9:25 p.m.: Appears to be miscommunication between Daniels and the receiver. That brings up fourth-and-10 from the 26-yard line, and WVU will punt it away. Pitt takes over at its 35.

9:24 p.m.: Daniels again making plays under pressure. He hits James with defenders in his face for a 21-yard gain to the 26-yard line. It was third-and-12 from the 5.

9:22 p.m.: Pitt keeps bringing the pressure on Daniels, and keeps hitting him. John Morgan III gets the strip-sack on the QB and the Mountaineers are lucky to recover it. That brings it to second-and-17 from about the 2-yard line.

9:19 p.m.: Not much better for Pitt in the second drive of the half, but at least the Panthers’ punt gets off without a hitch. West Virginia takes over at its 8 looking to make it a two-possession game.

9:14 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, WEST VIRGINIA. One play later, Donaldson is rewarded for the special teams play with a 5-yard touchdown. It’s 17-10 West Virginia with 13:13 in the third quarter.

9:11 p.m.: Blocked punt, West Virginia. The Mountaineers have a huge special teams play, as Sam Vander Haar’s punt is blocked by CJ Donaldson. Hershey McLaurin picks up the ball and returns it 14 yards to the Pitt 5. Huge momentum swing here!

9:10 p.m.: Nothing doing for Pitt, which goes three-and-out to open the second half.

Halftime: Pitt 10, West Virginia 10

Stats at halftime:

  West Virginia Pitt
First downs 9 8
Third downs 3-7 3-6
Fourth downs N/A N/A
Total yards 187 154
Passing 14-20 (106 yards) 6-8 (84 yards)
Rushing 81 (6.2 ypc) 70 (3.7 ypc)
Penalties 3 for 12 yards 4 for 26 yards
Turnovers 1 (lost fumble) 1 (lost fumble)
Time of possession 13:15 16:45

8:43 p.m.: 24-YARD FIELD GOAL, West Virginia. Casey Legg’s field goal try is straight and true, giving the game a 10-10 tie as the teams head into halftime.

8:42 p.m.: Timeout, West Virginia (0:02).

8:41 p.m.: Daniels hits Ford-Wheaton on the slant, but Rashad Battle does a good job of stopping him at the line to gain. That brings up fourth-and-1, and Neal Brown is gonna let the clock run to 2 seconds. Field goal try incoming.

8:39 p.m.: OK, West Virginia. Daniels hits Prather on the tunnel screen and he takes it 24 yards to the Pitt 16-yard line. First down with just over a minute left.

8:37 p.m.: Timeout, West Virginia (1:27).

8:36 p.m.: Now here comes the tempo. West Virginia runs the ball with Mathis, and he gets 18 yards to the Pitt 39-yard line. He then takes a loss of 5 to make it second-and-15 from the Pitt 44.

8:35 p.m.: Daniels is taking a ton of pressure from Pitt, but he stands in the pocket and hits Ford-Wheaton on the tunnel screen for a 10-yard gain and another first down to the 41.

8:34 p.m.: Deslin Alexandre, who helped cause the poor throw by Daniels, is exiting the field after appearing to injure his right wrist.

8:32 p.m.: Un-be-lievable. Daniels is hit in the backfield, causing him to throw an absolute duck. It should have been an easy interception by Hallett, but Ford-Wheaton makes an incredible grab and gets the Mountaineers a must-have first down at the 31-yard line.

8:31 p.m.: Timeout, Pitt (2:25).

8:30 p.m.: West Virginia tries a swing pass to running back Tony Mathis Jr., but he’s taken down for a 6-yard loss. Mountaineers then hand the ball off to Mathis for a 3-yard gain off left tackle, bringing up third-and-13 from the 16.

8:29 p.m.: WVU takes over at the 19-yard line after a short return from the goal line by James.

8:26 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, PITT. On third-and-goal, the Panthers went back to Hammond. It was perfectly defended, but he simply ran through linebacker Lance Dickson for the 5-yard touchdown. That makes it 10-7 Pitt with 3:23 in the second quarter.

8:22 p.m. Timeout, West Virginia (3:28).

8:20 p.m.: And there’s more of Hammond, who takes it up the gut for 11 yards to the 7-yard line. That brings up first-and-goal.

8:19 p.m.: Beautiful corner route by Konata Mumpfield, who makes a toe-tapping grab on the sideline at the WVU 18, good for a 15-yard gain.

8:18 p.m.: Fumble recovery, Pitt. And now a fumble by West Virginia! Kaden Prather takes the short pass but has it knocked loose behind the line of scrimmage by Marquis Williams. Erick Hallett II recovers the ball at the WVU 35.

8:16 p.m.: Fumble recovery, West Virginia. Slovis gets the ball off after facing pressure from Taijh Alston; the rusher gets to Slovis, but the QB does a great job of getting the ball to Means; he makes a nifty move but loses the ball in the process. WVU’s Lee Kpogba recovers the ball at the Mountaineers 32.

8:14 p.m.: Rodney Hammond Jr. gets a nice 14-yard gain off the right to the West Virginia 41.

8:10 p.m.: Dead-ball personal fouls for each team on the Mountaineers’ next drive. And the call against Pitt, for taunting, bails out WVU big time. The Mountaineers were looking at a third down from their 1. They wind up punting three plays later.

8:05 p.m.: Pitt twice avoids disaster on the ensuing drive before punting. Slovis was almost intercepted but the defender came down out of bounds, and then the Panthers fumbled on a run play but recovered.

7:50 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, West Virginia. The Mountaineers get on the board after a six-play, 75-yard drive. Daniels connects with Bryce Ford-Wheaton on a 10-yard scoring pass one play after a 44-yard run by CJ Donaldson on third-and-1 puts WVU into the red zone. West Virginia leads for the first time, 7-3, with 12:45 to play in the half.

First quarter: Pitt 3, West Virginia 0

7:42 p.m.: West Virginia is content to run out the clock after a 2-yard gain.

7:40 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, Pitt: The Panthers elect to take the “easy” points with a 42-yard field goal by Ben Sauls. He sends it right down the middle, giving Pitt a 3-0 lead with 37 seconds left in the first quarter.

7:39 p.m.: West Virginia defense bends but doesn’t break, forcing Slovis to pass short to avoid the pressure. He connects with Israel Abanikanda for a 5-yard gain to the WVU 29, bringing up fourth-and-3.

7:37 p.m.: Charles Woods for West Virginia is down on the field. Trainers are looking at his left ankle.

7:36 p.m.: Mountaineers finally slow down the Panthers drive with a 3-yard sack by safety Davis Mallinger. That makes it second-and-13 from the West Virginia 34.

7:35 p.m.: Slovis connects with Bub Means in the middle of the zone for another 15-yard gain to the WVU 31.

7:33 p.m.: Slovis then hits Konata Mumpfield on a comeback route for a 15-yard gain, followed by a 14-yard scramble out of the pocket to the West Virginia 47. Three plays, all first downs, have absolutely shifted the momentum toward the Panthers.

7:32 p.m.: Bold move by Pitt to drop back and go for the pass on third-and-9 from the 4. Slovis hits Jared Wayne in the zone for a 20-yard gain to the Pitt 24.

7:30 p.m.: Officials keep the ball at the 3, and now left tackle Carter Warren is called for false start. Backs the Panthers up even further.

7:26 p.m.: Officials are reviewing exactly where the WVU punt defense team touched the ball. For now the ball is placed at the 3.

7:24 p.m.: Silver lining: The Mountaineers down the ball inside the 1-yard line. That’s where Pitt will take over.

7:23 p.m.: Scratch that. WVU has its second procedural penalty of the game — illegal motion — making it fourth-and-9. Mountaineers punt team coming out to punt from the Pitt 44.

7:23 p.m.: Tunnel screen to James on third-and-9 goes for 5 yards, setting up fourth-and-4 from the Pitt 39. Looks like they’re going for it.

7:21 p.m.: Daniels takes a deep shot on to Ford-Wheaton; he has him and leads him well, but the receiver is tangled up with the defensive back, resulting in an incompletion.

7:17 p.m.: West Virginia brings the rush and gets to Slovis! Jared Bartlett is credited with the 10-yard sack. WVU is going to take over at the Pitt 45 after a 37-yard punt.

7:15 p.m.: Pitt starts with a 3-yard rush. Here we go.

7:11 p.m.: Pitt takes the fair catch at its 11, where Kedon Slovis and Co. will take over.

7:10 p.m.: A false start brings up third-and-16, backing WVU up to the Pitt 46 … Daniels again bobbles the snap, which was high. Running back C’Bo Flemister just dives on it, bringing up fourth-and-18 after what looked like a promising drive.

7:09 p.m.: Daniels has his first incompletion of the game on a shallow crosser to James. WVU facing its first third down on third-and-11 from the Pitt 41.

7:08 p.m.: Daniels bobbles the snap, recovers the ball and throws a wobbler down the sideline to Bryce Ford-Wheaton for a 22-yard gain! Nice, heads-up play.

7:08 p.m.: Daniels’ first pass of the year goes for 10 yards to Sam James. First down Mountaineers.

7:06 p.m.: And we’re off! West Virginia takes a fair catch, leaving JT Daniels and Co. to lead the first offensive drive.

What channel is Pitt vs. West Virginia on tonight?

  • TV channel: ESPN
  • Live stream: ESPN app, fuboTV

The Backyard Brawl will get the prime-time treatment on ESPN, starting at 7 p.m. ET.

MORE: Pitt vs. West Virginia odds, prediction, betting trends for CFP championship

What time does the Backyard Brawl start?

  • Date: Thursday, Sept. 1
  • Time: 7 p.m. ET | 4 p.m. PT

The Backyard Brawl between Pitt and West Virginia is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 1.

MORE: Why the Backyard Brawl doesn’t happen more often

Pitt vs. West Virginia odds

Spread: Pitt -7.5
Over/under: 52
Moneyline: Pitt -320 | West Virginia +250

Pitt heads into the Backyard Brawl as a 7.5-point favorite over West Virginia, with an over/under of 52 points, per Caesars Sportsbook.

Pitt schedule 2022

Date Opponent Result
Sept. 1 (Thu.) vs. West Virginia Pitt 38, West Virginia 31
Sept. 10 vs. Tennessee TBD
Sept. 17 at Western Michigan TBD
Sept. 24 vs. Rhode Island TBD
Oct. 1 vs. Georgia Tech* TBD
Oct. 8 at Virginia Tech* TBD
Oct. 15 Bye N/A
Oct. 22 at Louisville* TBD
Oct. 29 at North Carolina* TBD
Nov. 5 vs. Syracuse* TBD
Nov. 12 at Virginia* TBD
Nov. 19 vs. Duke* TBD
Nov. 26 at Miami (Fla.)* TBD

* ACC game

West Virginia schedule 2022

Date Opponent Result
Sept. 1 (Thu.) at No. 17 Pitt Pitt 38, West Virginia 31
Sept. 10 vs. Kansas* TBD
Sept. 17 vs. Towson TBD
Sept. 22 (Thu.) at Virginia Tech TBD
Oct. 1 at Texas* TBD
Oct. 8 Bye N/A
Oct. 13 (Thu.) vs. No. 10 Baylor* TBD
Oct. 22 at Texas Tech* TBD
Oct. 29 vs. TCU* TBD
Nov. 5 at Iowa State* TBD
Nov. 12 vs. No. 9 Oklahoma* TBD
Nov. 19 vs. Kansas State* TBD
Nov. 26 at No. 12 Oklahoma State* TBD

* Big 12 Conference game

TSN’s Tom Gatto contributed to this report.

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