Rich Rodriguez calls Backyard Brawl the most intense rivalry in college football

Brian Schaible

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Rich Rodriguez calls Backyard Brawl the most intense rivalry in college football image

West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez emphasized preparation, resilience and tradition as his team turns its attention to Saturday’s Backyard Brawl against Pitt. With a sold out crowd expected and national eyes on the rivalry, Rodriguez highlighted the unique intensity of the matchup.

Having played and coached in multiple rivalry games from Michigan vs Ohio State to Arizona vs Arizona State, Rodriguez called West Virginia vs Pitt “as intense as any in the country.” He explained, “There’s none that’s more intense than this. Maybe it’s the closeness, maybe it’s the small town versus big city thing. But for us, for our fans, Pitt is the biggest game we play.” Though the rivalry will not return to the schedule until 2029, Rodriguez downplayed long term considerations. “You can’t raise it higher, it’s already at the highest level,” he said.

Rodriguez declined to name a starting quarterback, keeping the competition open between Nicco Marchiol, Jaylen Henderson and others. “Nicco’s a great competitor, he wants to be great. But we’ve got to help him in certain spots,” Rodriguez noted. He praised Henderson’s spark against Ohio, though a key play was called back by penalty.

Rodriguez lauded Pitt’s athleticism, especially linebacker Kyle Louis and their aggressive secondary. “Their guys up front can all run, their linebackers can run, they’ve got tall corners who press you,” he said. He also warned about Pitt’s explosive skill players, including running back Desmond Reid, calling him “an explosive player we actually tried to recruit.”

Beyond the rivalry, Saturday also serves as West Virginia’s biggest recruiting weekend. Rodriguez expects multiple commits and targets on campus, calling it “a huge weekend for our program.”

Rodriguez acknowledged his own painful memories from the rivalry 17 years ago but insisted the focus is squarely on 2025. “If you have to motivate guys for Pitt, then there’s something wrong,” he said. “For us to win, we’ve got to give them our best version, which we haven’t done yet.”

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Brian Schaible

Brian Schaible is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is an award-winning journalist with over 25 years of experience covering college and professional sports. Brian holds a master’s degree in journalism/public relations from Kent State University.