ESPN's FPI predicts winner of Pitt's Backyard Brawl matchup against West Virginia
Pitt faces off against West Virginia in 2023’s edition of the Backyard Brawl, looking to extend its win streak to 2 after a 38-31 win last season.
Both teams enter Week 3 1-1 on the season, with Pitt falling to Cincinnati in Week 2 after a Week 1 victory over Wofford. West Virginia was thrashed by Penn State to start the year but rebounded with a 56-17 win over Duquesne.
ESPN’s FPI (Football Power Index) predicts the winner of every FBS football game, including the upcoming edition of the Backyard Brawl. The metric gives Pitt a 64.1% chance of coming out on top this time around.
This matchup starts in the run game, where West Virginia has the advantage. CJ Donaldson Jr. has been a solid weapon for the Mountaineers so far this season and could be a lot to control Saturday night. However, the Panthers’ front 7 is strong. One has to break, folks.
As for the QB matchup, it doesn’t really lean one way over the other. Phil Jurkovec has had a fine start to the 2023 season, throwing for 393 yards with 4 touchdowns. Garrett Greene is in a similar boat with 402 passing yards with 4 touchdowns. Neither QB has thrown an interceptions yet this season.
The 2023 Backyard Brawl kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC from Morgantown.