Before their teams do battle, Pitt and WVU fans keeping things friendly in Morgantown

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Before Pitt and West Virginia took the field Saturday night at Milan Puskar Stadium, an ocean of tailgaters helped create a college gameday atmosphere about as good as it gets.

That much was predictable.

Saturday’s contest between the Panthers and Mountaineers, the 106th installment of the Backyard Brawl, has been sold out since August. It’s the first time West Virginia has hosted the rivalry game since 2011.

Gary Kuroski and Marie Raycraft grew up in nearby Fairmont, about a half hour southwest from Morgantown. The lifelong Mountaineers fans now call Mount Pleasant, S.C., home.

Having made the nearly nine-hour drive from South Carolina, both anticipated the Mountaineer-friendly crowd playing a big role Saturday.

“These people have been preparing for this game for over a year,” Kuroski said. “ … If West Virginia can’t win tonight in this atmosphere, they got a real problem.”

Added Raycraft: “Playing here as compared to playing at Pitt last year, we have the advantage. We should win.”

While West Virginia colors, apparel, flags and tents dominated the tailgating landscape, several groups of Pitt fans were visible, as well.

“We’re here,” Pitt freshman Ed Deignan said a few hours before the game. “You might not see everyone right now because we’re surrounded by all these West Virginia fans, but we’re here. I’ve seen people walking in. I’ve talked to people on the bus when we were coming here — there’s a lot of people coming out for this. It’s the Backyard Brawl. You’ve gotta be here for this.”

Deignan, fellow Pitt freshman Niko Pitinii and their group set up shop behind the jumbo screen at Mountaineer Field, where their interactions with WVU fans were largely peaceful.

“There’s been a couple hostile people,” Pitinii said. “Most of the people have been nice.”

Trevor Nissley, a 2011 Pitt graduate, traveled to Morgantown with a contingent of friends, expecting rough treatment before kickoff. Near WVU’s College of Law, Nissley’s tailgating headquarters was nearly singular in its showcasing of Pitt’s colors.

But Nissley’s pregame experience in the heart of enemy territory also was positive.

“We had heard that it could be a little rowdy,” he said. “We were a little nervous about what we were going to get ourselves into, but so far, we’ve been surrounded by WVU fans and they’ve been absolutely generous. There’s been lots of hospitality. Multiple people have offered us food and come over and said ‘hi.’ We’ve really had a good time.”

Unsurprisingly, predictions for Saturday seemed to be among partisan lines.

Kuroski and Raycraft saw the Mountaineers pulling off a three-point victory, while Pitinii believed the Panthers will win comfortably, 45-23.

As for Deignan, to say he has confidence in Pitt might be putting it lightly.

“They all showed up to watch them lose,” he said. “I’m sorry – they have no advantage. We’re gonna steamroll. Pitt by 90 at least.”

Before returning to his grill, Nissley reflected on what the Backyard Brawl means to him and the college football world.

“Rivalries are what matter,” he said. “The reason we enjoy football, the reason we go to games is because we love our school and we love the games that are important to the history and the schools.”