(Graphic Illustration - Monday Morning Quarterback - WVU Football - Image rendered through the use of ChatGPT)

Midway through the third quarter Saturday West Virginia had a 14-3 lead and WVU fans had hope that an upset was in the making. But then in a span of less than 12 minutes of game clock time it appeared to unravel, as Pittsburgh scored two field goals and two touchdowns to take a 24-14 advantage with nine minutes remaining. The West Virginia offense was struggling and all appeared lost.

But in a sudden and dramatic turn of events, quarterback Nicco Marchiol returned and led the Mountaineers on two scoring drives of 72 and 87 yards, tying the game with 11 seconds remaining. WVU rode the change in momentum into overtime for a 31-24 win. It was a 4-hour and 15-minute marathon roller coaster ride for West Virginia fans, who reveled in the final result.

The Mountaineers were able to get the upset win primarily on the backs of a much improved defense. Ten times the Panthers had the ball in West Virginia territory, three times inside the 10-yard line. On two consecutive possessions in the third quarter Pittsburgh was held to field goal attempts after interceptions. To allow only 24 points under those scenarios was remarkable. The Panthers also were shut down in the running game, able to gain only 74 yards from their running backs. Quarterback Eli Holstein was sacked six times.

The offense, as has been the case through the first three games, sputtered at times. But the fast tempo enabled the Mountaineers to run 90 plays, and clearly the Pitt defense was worn down over the final minutes. Running back Tye Edwards became a workhouse filling in for the injured Jaheim White, carrying the ball 25 times for 141 yards and three touchdowns. Grayson Barnes showed what a good tight end can do for an offense, pulling in five receptions, including a huge 34-yarder on third down and the touchdown on a nice catch on the game-tying drive.

Pitt did their best to slow down the West Virginia offense by faking injuries throughout the second half. A new rule in college football this year requires a team to use a timeout if a player “drops” after the ball is spotted. But this rule change is inadequate, as Coach Pat Narduzzi obviously has instructed his players to quickly go down before the ball is spotted, all designed to give his gassed defense some rest. And after all of that good sportsmanship, he has the audacity to then whine about the officiating in his postgame press conference. What a class act.

THIS SATURDAY: The Mountaineers travel to Kansas for a 6 p.m. matchup this Saturday to begin the Big 12 Conference schedule. While WVU comes off an emotional overtime win in a rivalry game, the Jayhawks had the week off. I have been on a streak the last two seasons of picking most of the games wrong, so let’s see if I can make that magic continue.

KANSAS 24 WEST VIRGINIA 20.