Sights and sounds from the return of the Backyard Brawl

PITTSBURGH — Finally, blessedly, the Backyard Brawl returned to college football on Thursday night. Fans saw a game to tell their grandkids about, but were also reminded of the emotion, hatred and yes — profanity-laced chants — that go hand-in-hand with this lost rivalry.

Eleven years separated the most recent matchup between the schools. Meaning neither the players nor the students in the Panther Pit, filled well before kickoff, had had ever experienced this before.

Yet you would never know it. Pittsburgh rallied for two touchdowns in the final 3:41 to beat the Mountaineers 38-31, to deafening cheers from delirious students and proud Pitt fans. A Pittsburgh sports record 70,622 filled the stadium and yes, most were Pitt fans.

Then, players from both sides began pushing and shouting at each other all the way to the West Virginia locker room tunnel — right in front of the student section. Pitt players waved goodbye as the Mountaineers trudged off.

Defensive back Marquis Williams screamed, «Beat the traffic!» Safety Brandon Hill shouted, «We good! They lost!»

West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons got into a shouting match with a Pitt staff member before leaving. Williams punctuated the scene by chanting, «Eat S--- West Virginia» — switching the team names in the profane West Virginia chant, «Eat S--- Pitt.»

Afterward in the victorious locker room, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi spoke to his team about mistakes they made that need to be corrected but he left the most important statement for last: «You're 1-0 in the Backyard Brawl!»

That was thanks largely to M.J. Devonshire, whose 56-yard pick-six with 2:58 remaining put Pitt ahead for good. Devonshire grew up in Pittsburgh, but went to Kentucky out of high school before