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Great Moments From 100 Games Of The Backyard Brawl

MORGANTOWN (KDKA) ― This evening in Morgantown, the Pittsburgh Panthers and the West Virginia Mountaineers meet for the 100th edition of the "Backyard Brawl."

The rivalry has had a lot of exciting plays and incredible back stories, which has made the rivalry into what it is today.

Here is a brief time-line of all the memorable moments of the blue-collared Backyard Brawl.

1895 - West Virginia won the first Backyard Brawl, 8-0, in Morgantown.

1921 - KDKA Radio aired the Backyard Brawl as a commercially sponsored event. Pittsburgh won, 21-14 and the integration of radio and football began.

1928 - Pitt coach Jock Sutherland dominated the Mountaineers, posting a 14-1 record. That one loss came this year when WVU defeated Pitt 9-6. Pitt had a commanding 52-22-1 record in the series until 1983 because...

1929-1946 - ...the Panthers won 15 straight games in the series from 1929 to 1946. However, it should be noted that most of the games were played in Pittsburgh. They didn't start alternating game sites until 1962.

1954 - A mediocre Pitt team took West Virginia out of the national title race with a 13-10 upset, the Mountaineers' only loss that season.

1955 - Sugar Bowl representatives were on hand to invite the Mountaineers to the New Year's Day Game. But faster than you can say "Happy New Year," they changed their mind and chose Pitt instead. To rub salt on the wound, Panther's fans tore down the goalposts, before the game finished. When WVU scored a late TD, Pitt gave the Mountaineers the point. I guess it was for consolation.

1961 - West Virginia started recruiting in western Pennsylvania. A Pitt player said the Mountaineers were rebuilding "with western Pennsylvania garbage." West Virginia made it first unofficial bulletin board material and beat Pitt 20-6 at Pitt Stadium.

1962 - The Mountaineers proved 1961 was no fluke; they beat Pitt again, 15-8.

1965 - West Virginia's 63-48 win at old Mountaineer Field was the highest scoring game in major college football until then.

1970 - With Bobby Bowden's Mountaineers manhandling Pitt 35-8 at halftime at Pitt Stadium, Bowden sat on the lead. Pitt surged back for a 36-35 victory.

1975 - With Bowden soon to leave for Florida State, walk-on kicker Bill McKenzie gave the Mountaineers an upset 17-14 win.

1976 - The 1976 Pitt Panthers, led by Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett won the National Championship. But West Virginia gave them all they could handle, as Pitt won a tight game 24-16.

1983 - For the first time in seven years, West Virginia defeated Pitt, 24-21. QB Jeff Hostetler lifted the Mountaineers to #7 in the polls. Since this game, WVU has dominated Pitt 15-7-2, under head coaches Don Nehlen and Rich Rodriguez.

1989 - West Virginia squandered a 31-9 in the last 17 minutes as Pitt came back to tie the game 31-31, the last Brawl tie. It was also the last Brawl in which both teams were ranked in the Top 10.

1994 - Another West Virginia walk-on, WR Zach Abraham, caught the decisive 60-yard TD pass to give West Virginia a 47-41 win at Pitt Stadium. The game featured 3 TDs in the final 1:32 and four TDs, on blocked kicks and interceptions.

1997 - Underdog Pitt landed a surprise bowl bid by defeating WVU in Morgantown, 41-38, in 3 OTs. QB Pete Gonzalez completed a 20-yard pass on a 4th and 17 play in overtime.

2003 - West Virginia asserted itself as a Big East contender in the BCS era by knocking off #16 Pittsburgh, 52-31, at Mountaineer stadium. Don't worry, police and officials were ready for WVU's traditionally unruly celebrations.  West Virginia went on to play in the more prestigious Gator Bowl while Pitt fell to the Continental Tire Bowl, now the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

2004 - Pitt snatched the Big East Title from the hands of the Mountaineers with a 16-13 upset victory. QB Tyler Palko capped off the deciding 73-yard drive with a 2-yd TD run.

2006 - While security got ready for a whole day of tailgating by West Virginia and Pitt fans, Pitt CB Darrelle Revis ended his Pitt career with a bang.  Revis returned a punt 73 yards, aided by a vicious block on two WVU players by Derek Kinder. The play was so good, it was nominated for an ESPY award for "Play of the Year."  However, West Virginia won convincingly, 45-27.

2007 - The 100th edition of the Backyard Brawl is the first one to ever be held in December. West Virginia is expected to dominate this game as they try to clinch a berth in the BCS National Title Game. But as you have seen in the time-line, you can throw out the records in the 14th oldest college rivalry in the United States.

Sources: The Sporting News, ESPN, Yahoo Sports, College Football Data Warehouse

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