GAME NOTES: The 102nd edition of the "Backyard Brawl" is set to take place in Morgantown this Friday, as the eighth-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers tussle with the West Virginia Mountaineers in a Big East showdown at Milan Puskar Stadium.

Courtesy of a current six-game winning streak, Pitt is off to a 9-1 start for the first time since Dan Marino's senior season in 1982. Pitt is ranked No.9 in the BCS standings, its highest rating ever, and will play Cincinnati next weekend for the Big East title no matter the outcome of this game. Obviously the Panthers are enjoying a tremendous campaign and most recently they stepped out of conference to defeat Notre Dame, 27-22, on November 14th.

"The attitude of our football team to handle the ups and downs during the course of the game was great," said head coach Dave Wannstedt. "We knew what a talented football team Notre Dame is and that they were going to strike and get points."

For the Mountaineers, they were eliminated from the Big East title race in their last game, dropping a tough 24-21 decision at highly-ranked and undefeated Cincinnati on November 13th.

"I've been on both sides of these and I've said on the winning side that I hate to see a loser, well, I hate to see a loser tonight," stated head coach Bill Stewart. "But that's how life is and it happens."

It was the second loss in three games for WVU, which fell two games back in the loss column of both Pitt and Cincinnati at 3-2.

The "Backyard Brawl" is one of the longest running rivalries, with the Pitt holding a 61-37-3 lead in the series with WVU. The Panthers have won the last two meetings and that includes a memorable 13-9 upset in 2007 that snatched a national title game appearance right from the Mountaineers' grip.

The Panthers entered the season with some uncertainty on offense, but they have turned into one of the most effective teams on this side of the ball. Pitt has displayed good balance between the run (187.6 ypg) and pass (222.9 ypg) and has protected the ball well, committing only nine turnovers.

The biggest surprise for Pitt has to be tailback Dion Lewis, a 5-8, 195-pound freshman that is on a record-setting pace. Through his first 10 collegiate games, Lewis has seven 100-yard rushing efforts and he has accumulated 1,291 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground this season. Those numbers include a terrific performance against Notre Dame, when he rushed for 152 yards and a score on 21 carries.

Handing off the ball to Lewis is quarterback Bill Stull, who has silenced doubters with his effective play this season. Stull has completed an efficient 66.3 percent of his pass attempts and has thrown 18 touchdowns with just four interceptions. He has done a terrific job leading and managing the offense, and last game he threw for 236 yards and a touchdown in a win over Notre Dame.

"Every week, Coach Cignetti and the coaches make practice as difficult as possible for us quarterbacks," said Stull. "I think come Saturday, it becomes muscle memory. We develop repetition of certain plays and certain looks."

Stull's favorite targets are wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin and tight end Dorin Dickerson. Baldwin is obviously the deep threat, catching 40 balls for 840 yards, while Dickerson is a red zone target, with 10 of his 43 catches resulting in a touchdown. Against Notre Dame, Baldwin had his fifth 100-yard receiving effort of the season, finishing with 142 yards and a score on five catches.

Pitt's defense has held its own as well and is surrendering just 17.6 ppg on the campaign. The run defense has been outstanding, allowing just 102.7 ypg, but the unit has struggled a little versus the pass, giving up 212.0 ypg. The Panthers have countered some of those yards through the air by picking off 11 passes and recording a whopping 40 sacks.

Last game, Pitt surrendering 349 total yards to ND, with only 66 of those yards coming on the ground. The defense added two takeaways and a pair of sacks to the performance, while limiting Notre Dame's offense to just two touchdowns.

"I think we can match up against anyone. I don't doubt us against any offensive line in the country," said defensive end Jabaal Sheard, who had a sack in the win.

The Panthers have several players capable of bringing consistent pressure and Greg Romeus highlights the defense with 7.5 sacks.

The Mountaineers are sure to test Pitt's run defense, as they are churning out 183.5 ypg on the ground this season. WVU is averaging 4.8 yards per carry and has scored 23 of its 35 offensive touchdowns on the ground, so expect a heavy dose of this potent rush attack on Friday.

The speedy and elusive Noel Devine leads the run game, although the 5-8, 176- pounder has been slowed by some minor injuries of late. Still, Devine has enjoyed a standout campaign with 1,098 yards and 10 scores, and his 5.7 yard per carry average is indicative of his explosiveness. He is also looking to rebound from a sub par outing in which he had just 88 yards on 25 carries in a loss to Cincinnati last game.

"He played the best that he could," said Stewart about is star tailback. "He's got an ankle, he's got a hip and he's got a hamstring. I tried to tell these guys that when your 5-foot-8, 176 pounds you cannot carry the ball 30-35 times a game. This is a big-boy game."

Helping to take some of the pressure off Devine is quarterback Jarrett Brown, who has proved too be an effective runner in his own right, gaining 366 yards and five scores on the ground. Brown has had success with his arm as well, hitting on 65.1 percent of his tosses with 11 more touchdowns. Last game, Brown elevated his play and completed 17-of-25 pass attempts for 188 yards and score. He also added 34 rushing yards and a touchdown in the setback to undefeated Cincinnati.

Jock Sanders is clearly the favorite target of Brown, as his 62 catches are nearly double the next closest player on the roster.

Defensively, the Mountaineers are solid, but the unit has also had its share of bad performances. The unit has done a good job versus the run, surrendering 121.0 ypg and only six touchdowns on the ground, but has shown vulnerability to the pass, permitting 220.7 ypg and 17 scores through the air. The defense, however, has come up with 13 interceptions and 24 sacks to help neutralize some the those passing yards allowed.

Facing one of the top offenses around last game, WVU didn't do all that bad of a job in giving up 437 total yards to Cincinnati. The defense was obviously focused on the Bearcats' potent air attack, as the unit was gashed for 216 yards on the ground. The Mountaineers though, forced a pair of turnovers and limited one of the highest scoring teams to just 24 points.

Though he wasn't much of a factor last game, Julian Miller is a player that demands a lot of attention from opposing teams, as the defensive end is an elite pass rusher with 8.5 sacks and 12 TFLs to his credit this season.

WVU is obviously out for some revenge after a costly loss to Pitt in 2007, so expect the Mountaineers to come out with a great deal of energy. This could end up turning into a defensive battle and that favors the Panthers.