#24 Pitt Returns Home to Host WVU, Bucknell

PITTSBURGH – The 24^th-ranked University of Pittsburgh wrestling team returns home for the first time since the middle of November. The Panthers host West Virginia Saturday, Dec. 15 for the 64^th edition of the Backyard Brawl at 7 p.m. Pitt will then take on the Bucknell Bison Sunday, Dec. 16 at 2 p.m. Both duals will take place at the Fitzgerald Field House.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Both duals will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra and may be viewed on WatchESPN/WatchESPN app.
Saturday's broadcast will feature Kevin Wheeler on the play-by-play and former Pitt wrestler Anthony Zanetta providing the color commentary.
Live results for both duals can be found on TrackWrestling – a link will be provided the day of the match.
Follow the team on Twitter for updates throughout the weekend at @Pitt_WRES.

LAST TIME OUT

The Panthers have had some time off since their last competition, which was Nov. 30-Dec. 1 at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite.
Four Pitt wrestlers reached the podium while the team finished seventh (77.0) out of 43 teams for the highest finish since 2008 when they finished fourth (85.0).
Redshirt freshman Micky Phillippi earned a runner-up finish at 133 pounds, finishing 4-1 on the weekend. Phillippi collected wins over numerous returning All-Americans and highly ranked opponents. Following a stellar weekend, Phillippi was named ACC Co-Wrestler of the Week and jumped to No. 6 in the InterMat rankings.
Also reaching the podium in Las Vegas was junior heavyweight Demetrius Thomas with a fourth place finish, redshirt junior Taleb Rahmani finished fifth at 157 pounds and redshirt freshman Nino Bonaccorsi placed seventh at 184 pounds.

PANTHERS IN THE POLLS

Following its notable win over No. 14 UNI Nov. 17, Pitt jumped into the top 25 of the USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll at No. 24.
Pitt checks in at No. 24 for the fourth consecutive week.
The Panthers joined the top 25 for the first time since Dec. 5, 2017. Pitt began the 2017-18 season ranked, where they spent five weeks before dropping out.
Individually, four Panthers are ranked inside the top 20 individually by InterMat at their respective weight classes:
- Micky Phillippi - #6 / 133
- Taleb Rahmani - #10 / 157
- Nino Bonaccorsi - #12 / 184
- Demetrius Thomas - #13 / 285

64^TH EDITION OF THE BACKYARD BRAWL

The Panthers and Moutaineers clash for the 64th time in program history Saturday.
Pitt leads the all-time series 36-25-2. The two rivals first met during the 1934-35 season and have met consecutively over the last 53 years.
Pitt's last win over WVU came Dec. 11, 2016. The Panthers won the dual at the Fitzgerald Field House, 23-15.
West Virginia claimed the last meeting Dec. 9, 2017 in Morgantown, 24-10.
Pitt's longest win streak over the Mountaineers was 17-straight from 1950-1978.
The Panthers captured five-straight over West Virginia from 2010-2014, with the largest win during that span coming Feb. 1, 2014 when Pitt downed its rival, 33-6.
The Mountaineers' longest win streak came during 2002-2007 when WVU captured six-straight.

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS

West Virginia makes the short trip to Pittsburgh with a 1-2 overall record and 1-1 mark against Big 12 opponents.
The Mountaineers are on a two-match losing streak, falling to No. 14 North Iowa Nov. 18 and No. 9 Cornell Nov. 17.
West Virginia finished the 2017-18 season 6-7 overall, going 4-4 against conference foes. The Moutaineers placed ninth at the Big 12 Championships and 30th as a team at the NCAA Championships in Cleveland a year ago.
Redshirt sophomore Matthew Schmitt is the lone returning NCAA Qualifier to West Virginia's lineup. Schmitt earned a fourth-place finish at the 2018 Big 12 Championships, punching his ticket to the NCAA Championships.
Schmitt, who ranks No. 20 at 133 pounds by InterMat, is not in the probable lineup for Saturday's dual.
WVU is under the guidance of first-year head coach Tim Flynn, who previously spent the past 21 seasons at Edinboro, compiling a 223-95-5 career record after developing 38 All-Americans and finishing in the top-10 at the NCAA Championships five times.

THE SERIES: BUCKNELL

Pitt and Bucknell clash for just the fourth time in program history, with the Panthers leading the series, 2-1.
The Bison earned their first win over Pitt a year ago, 20-16.
Prior to meeting in 2017, the two teams hadn't met since 2014.

SCOUTING THE BISON

Bucknell comes to Pittsburgh with a 2-2 overall record with wins coming over Cleveland State and VMI Nov. 11.
The Bison finished the 2017-18 season 3-14 overall with a 2-7 mark against EIWA opponents.
In their last match on Nov. 30, the Bison hosted No. 1 Penn State and fell 42-3.
Bucknell returns one NCAA qualifier in Garrett Hoffman, who is not in the probable lineup and has not competed this season.
The Bison are led by returning EIWA placewinner Drew Phipps at 197 pounds. The junior out of nearby Irwin, Pa., is 7-3 on the year.
Bucknell is led by 14th-year head coach Dan Wirnsberger, who has recorded 115 wins during his time at the helm.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Panthers hit the road for the next four consecutive duals, making trips to Clarion (Dec. 21), Oklahoma (Jan. 6), No. 21 North Dakota State (Jan. 12) and South Dakota State (Jan. 13).
Pitt returns home Saturday, Jan. 19 to host No. 3 Oklahoma State at 1 p.m.

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