Backyard Brawl Predictions: First Score, Leading Rusher, and First Half Total

This week on Phil Steele Friday on In the Gun, Jed Drenning crafted some tough questions for this week's Backyard Brawl. Typically, we have three over/unders, but this week, we have just one with two other make-your-pick style of questions.

Who scores first? Pitt or West Virginia?

Schuyler: I feel like I have to go Pitt. The offense is going to take some time. I don’t see them coming out of the gates, West Virginia, that is with answers right away. I think it also comes down to who gets the ball first. If West Virginia gets the ball first and they script a good opening drive, they could get at least three on the board. I’ll go Pitt, but I don’t feel confident about it.

Jed: I flipped mine, just to make it interesting. I’ll go West Virginia. I do think it comes down to a coin toss. We’ll probably defer if we win. I think we’ll feed off the energy of the crowd. If you remember how this played out two years ago, Pitt took the opening drive and, without throwing the football, drove the length of the field by simply running the football. I don’t know if Zac Alley is going to allow that to happen. The energy of that crowd, I think, is something we’re going to have to keep and put some kerosene on throughout the course of the night. If you feed the crowd early with a lead, that will do it.

Who will be WVU's leading rusher?

Schuyler: Like you mentioned yesterday on the preview, we could throw a quarterback in there, and it wouldn’t be crazy. Maybe Rodney Gallagher. Maybe he busts a jet sweep for 40-some yards. I’ll go Cyncir Bowers.

Jed: I had Bowers, but I’ll switch it. Let’s go…I’ll give some love to Clay Ash. Cam Skattebo, according to Pat Narduzzi. Clay Ash is a hard-nosed kid. He’s going to give you everything, so why not? I’ll give some love to Clay Ash.

First half over/under 23.5

Schuyler: I’ll go under. With West Virginia’s issues offensively…you’ve got to find some answers, I just don’t know that you’re going to find them right away, especially with this front that Pittsburgh has. And then Pitt, yeah, they’ve looked good against Central Michigan and Duquesne, but that’s not Zac Alley’s defense. I think they understand they can’t let this thing get away from them, and I think the crowd’s going to play a factor. I think it’s going to be a game at half. It’s going to be really low-scoring.

Jed: A lot of considerations here. Vegas is very rarely way off. And the only thing more infrequent than Vegas being way off is Vegas being way off with the same team two times in a row. Last week with West Virginia-Ohio, Vegas was way off with its over/under. Obviously, they couldn’t forecast the injury to Jahiem White. That impacted that. They can’t get a very good read on West Virginia, but it’s going to improve each week. I can’t imagine with this line being in the 50s, Vegas being way off again. So, assuming that Vegas isn’t way off and we’re looking at a game that reaches collective scoring into the 50s, I don’t think most of it is going to come in the second half. West Virginia is one of thirteen teams to not have allowed a point in the second half. I’m going to say most of the scoring is going to have to come in the first half.

Who scores first? Pitt or West Virginia?

Who will be WVU's leading rusher?

First half over/under 23.5

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