By Darin December 1, 2007, was supposed to be a coronation in Morgantown. The No. 2 West Virginia Mountaineers, led by the prolific duo of quarterback Pat White and running back Steve Slaton, were riding an incredible wave of momentum. With a win over their historic rivals, the Pittsburgh Panthers, the heavily favored Mountaineers would secure a trip to the BCS National Championship game. West Virginia was favored by a massive 28 points—the largest spread in the 100th edition of the “Backyard Brawl.”
But what unfolded was a legendary upset that college football fans still discuss with disbelief. The Panthers, who entered the game at a dismal 4-7, delivered a defensive masterclass.
From the start, nothing went right for the Mountaineers. Their high-powered offense sputtered, unable to generate any rhythm against Pitt’s tenacious defense. The pivotal moment came when quarterback Pat White was knocked out of the game in the second quarter. Without their leader, the Mountaineer offense collapsed, committing five crushing turnovers throughout the contest.
The game was an ugly, gritty affair defined by defense, mistakes, and field position. Pitt managed just enough offense to scratch across a few scores, relying on a short touchdown run and two field goals. The final score, a shocking 13-9 victory for the Pittsburgh Panthers, immediately detonated the national championship picture. The Mountaineers finished the night with a measly 183 total yards—an embarrassing output for a team on the cusp of playing for the crystal ball.
In the aftermath, the pain was palpable. The loss paved the way for LSU to claim the national title spot. Coach Rich Rodriguez, visibly shaken, summed up the monumental defeat perfectly: “It was just a nightmare. The whole thing was a nightmare.”
The 2007 Backyard Brawl remains a painful legend in West Virginia history and a glorious touchstone for Pitt fans—a stark reminder that in college football rivalries, rankings and point spreads mean nothing when tradition, heart, and defense collide.
White mangled 2007 02 Dec 2007, Sun Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.com
