WVU Won the Last Brawl and Rich Rod Warns Pitt It Only Gets Harder From Here

Winning the Backyard Brawl is one thing, but winning the final game before it takes a multi-year hiatus gives the winning team and fan base the ability to chirp all they want until the next game between the two is played.

The Mountaineers won the final game before a decade-long break, 21-20, back in 2011, and just won last week's game in thrilling fashion, taking the Panthers down in overtime, 31-24, in what will be the final meeting until 2029.

WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez is certainly well aware of this, but also made sure to point out during his appearance on the Pat McAfee Show that things are only going to get tougher for the Panthers in future Backyard Brawls.

“When we play them again in three years, we’re going to be a whole lot better football team than we are now. So, this is the toughest time for us. We’ve got 70-some new players, only got one guy that started any football games, so this was good for us to try to get a win because we got to wait three years until we play them when we know we’re going to be pretty salty.”

I mean, he's got a point. This team has one of the biggest roster turnovers in the entire country and is certainly something the Mountaineers have never experienced. The transfer portal will continue to be a useful tool for Rich Rod and Co., but they're not going to rely on it to fill out the roster in the future.

By the time they do meet Pitt again, they will have a handful of high school recruiting classes in the program development. By 2029, most expect Rodriguez to have this thing humming and in a position where the Mountaineers not only compete for a Big 12 title, but are nationally relevant once again. As for Pitt, well, if Pat Narduzzi doesn't get things turned around soon, they'll be hitting the reset button.