Pitt Had a 98.4% Chance to Win the Backyard Brawl with Two Minutes Left

The 108th edition of the Backyard Brawl was certainly worth the price of admission. It was a game full of momentum swings and drama — everything you would want in a rivalry game, especially the last of its kind until 2029.

Going into the half, West Virginia had to feel pretty good where things were leading 7-3, but could have had a much larger lead had they pounced on the Pitt fumble on the opening series, didn't miss the field goal in the first quarter, and were awarded an opportunity to run one more play at the end of the half, which the officiating crew totally botched.

Still, WVU liked where the game was.

The moment West Virginia scored to go up 14-3, it felt like all of the momentum was on WVU's side, and they were perhaps one defensive stop and one score away from busting the game open. Just a couple of plays into the ensuing drive, Eli Holstein hit Raphael Williams Jr. for a 67-yard completion, setting up a touchdown rush by Holstein three plays later.

As you know, the Panthers not only came back to tie the game up, but went on to take a 24-14 lead. The crowd was still very much into the game, but the concern grew as the clock ticked down inside five minutes.

This is where it gets good, folks.

After Pitt decided to punt the ball back to West Virginia up 24-17, the Panthers still had a really strong chance to win the game. Following the delay of game on the Mountaineers on 2nd down that backed them up to their own 19, Pitt had a 98.4% chance to win the game, according to ESPN analytics.