What Neal Brown Said Following the Loss to Pitt

West Virginia University head coach Neal Brown gives his initial thoughts on the Backyard Brawl

Sep 7, 2024; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Neal Brown talks with West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Garrett Greene (6) after he threw for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Albany Great Danes at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. / Ben Queen-Imagn Images

The West Virginia Mountaineers (1-2) yielded 14 points in the final five minutes of the Backyard Brawl to fall to the Pitt Panthers (3-0) Saturday evening 38-34.

Opening Statement

Obviously disappointing. Should never lose a game when you’re up 10 with under five to go. Credit Pitt. They made plays to win the game and we did not. We did some real positive things in the game but the bottom line is we didn’t win and the game was there for us to win and we didn’t.

Pass Defense

Let’s just say what it is, we have not covered the pass very good. They threw 379 yards today. The quarterback ran around. We got pressure on him, and he slipped out several times- credit to him.

WVU drive while up three

We had a good play on the first down, we missed a block at the point of attack that would have been a made first. That would have put them in a really tough spot to do that (comeback) and we missed a crack block that we should make 10 out of 10 times and we didn’t make it. The second down play, it kind of is what it was. You try to make them use their timeouts which we did. Third down play, I got to see it, I thought we had some guys open, but I got to see it (on film). I don’t know if he had pressure, I can only see the coverage shell of it.

Message to the team following the game

You’re 1-2, that what it is and we’ve earned that. We didn’t execute in the last five minutes of the game and now we got nine conference games and out league is really good and the truth of it is they’re all going to be games like we played today and we got to figure out ways to win. This isn’t over by any means. We’re going to fight our tail off. We got a team next week that’s in the same predicament as us. Both teams are going to come in with backs against the wall.