Dave Wannstedt will answer questions about it for as long as he remains Pittsburgh’s coach. He knows it. He understands it. He respects it.
And deep down inside, he loves it.
Which is why he didn’t get but five minutes into his press conference Monday before the 2007 Panthers’ 13-9 upset of West Virginia came up.
“I think that win, when you look back on it,” Wannstedt said, “gave us life.”
It was a monumental victory. Pitt, headed nowhere but the offseason, strolled into dreary Morgantown and ruined the national-championship hopes of the rival Mountaineers on primetime television.
West Virginia had it all. Speed, athleticism, a ton of NFL prospects and a virtually unstoppable spread offense that was headed straight to the BCS title game. And, oh yeah, Pitt was a 29-point underdog.
But it didn’t play out that way on the field. Wannstedt took the air out of the ball, rode running back LeSean McCoy to the tune of 148 yards on the ground, and ended with 36:19 of possession time.
The effects are still evident for both programs, who meet again Friday in Morgantown. Not long after the upset, coach Rich Rodriguez left West Virginia for Michigan. But more importantly, more recruits —by virtue of the win — decided Pitt was it.
“It was the turning point since I’ve been here, without a doubt,” Wannstedt said. “We had so many recruits that were right on the bubble. It gave us an opportunity for them to believe in us.”
They did more than that. Many of them signed on, in fact, and many of them are now reasons the Panthers are in the Top Ten. With victories in their last two games, No. 9 Pitt (9-1) would win the Big East and head to the BCS for the first time in the Wannstedt era.
But first things first. The Panthers must win this Backyard Brawl for the third consecutive time.
That won’t be easy. West Virginia (7-3) is fresh off a bye, and has not lost at home yet. But make no mistake: These are not Rodriguez’s Mountaineers. If you’re looking for quality wins on their resume, 28-24 over Connecticut in Morgantown is about it. Pitt is more talented, has more incentive, and doesn’t have much of a line to cover.
“Our guys,” Wannstedt said, “have accomplished a lot of first-time things.”
What’s one more? Pitt (-1) is the pick.