WVU’s win in the Backyard Brawl was big for Brown
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – There was a statement that West Virginia football coach Neal Brown made after Saturday night’s Backyard Brawl win over Pitt that probably didn’t get enough attention as it was lost in the exuberance of the moment and the late hour of his press conference.
But it was definitely food for thought.
“Our state needed this. Our team needed this thing. Our university needed this. We needed this so it’s a big win on a bunch of different levels,” Brown began.
Think about that for a moment. West Virginia, the state, is far too often portrayed in a “hillbilly” light across the nation. It’s a miscast image from a far long ago era that lingers in America’s consciousness.
The football team certainly needed a signature victory. Much of the state’s pride over the years has been generated by the football team, which is rich in tradition but which also has had far too many disappointments over the years.
Losing seasons in three of Brown’s four seasons have cast a shadow on the place WVU normally holds among the nation’s football elite and upon Brown’s future as WVU coach, so beating Pitt becomes a very large item.
And, finally, Brown noted that the university needed such a win to take the negative public relations glare it has come under since President E. Gordon Gee announced the school was operating with a $45 million deficit and took nothing but criticism over the methods, he set out to correct that problem, cutting staff and academic programs.
A reason to celebrate at the start of the football season and the school year was vital to the entire structure of the team, school and state.
“Our coaching staff deals with a lot of negativity,” Brown said, the thought of being picked 14th and last in the Big 12 still weighing heavily on he and his team’s minds.
“I live in a bubble and only go to three different places – the stadium, my house and the radio show (which is done before a live audience at a local restaurant in Morgantown). But the coaching staff and their families hear the negativity and have to deal with it.
“I’m happy for them because they won’t have to deal with that for a week.”
Brown, of course, is hoping to turn that week into a lengthy winning streak that can make the people smile, even when caught in Morgantown traffic.
While Colorado has become America’s Team, if television viewership can be used as the definition of what America’s Team is, West Virginia has remained a strong option on the tube.
Saturday night’s Backyard Brawl with Pitt drew an audience of 2.41 million viewers for a 1.3 rating on ABC.
That game was a strong followup to the opening game against Penn State that had a 3.5 rating.
True, a lot of that was the Penn State effect. But do not discount WVU’s input.
For example, the showing against Pitt was the Panthers’ most-watched game of the season.