Pitt HC Pat Narduzzi Calls Out ESPN for Fan Reports

The Pitt Panthers head coach called out the bad report after the game.

PITTSBURGH -- Coming into the Backyard Brawl, the storyline was that West Virginia was going to have "75%" of the fans at Acrisure Stadium. That wasn't the case, as Pitt Panthers colors flooded the North Shore for the largest attendance in Pittsburgh sports history. 

70,622 Pitt fans packed the seats of Acrisure Stadium for the season-opener, and the atmosphere was so loud that the press box actually shook from the crowd noise. 

After the game, head coach Pat Narduzzi called out the network for their reporting of the expected crowd, saying "ESPN disrespected our fans."

"I knew they had some bad facts," Narduzzi said. "They disrespected our fans and our fans showed up. They were unbelievable all day today. I thank them all because they were critical in our victory."

Players said afterward that they've never been in an environment as crazy as the Brawl. A Pitt game that will easily go down in program history for the viewership and wild finish. 

"That was amazing. I had never seen nothing like that. I came from a small high school," running back Rodney Hammond said. "… Even last year, we never had a crowd like that. That was the best crowd I’ve ever seen."

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and so much more!

Pitt DE Deslin Alexandre Suffers Injury vs. West Virginia

Former Pitt Standouts Jason Pinnock, Jaylen Twyman Cut from NFL Rosters

Pitt Football Depth Chart Reactions: One RB Separates

Bengals Cut Former Pitt LS Cal Adomitis

Pitt Football Releases First Depth Chart of 2022

• Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt