Eli Holstein guides late rally as Pitt slips by West Virginia 38-34 in the Backyard Brawl

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Derrick Davis scored on a 1-yard dive with 32 seconds remaining and Pittsburgh rallied past West Virginia 38-34 on Saturday in the 107th edition of the Backyard Brawl.

The Panthers (3-0) trailed by 10 with less than 5 minutes to go before Eli Holstein, a redshirt freshman transfer from Alabama, led a stirring comeback that added another memorable chapter in a rivalry that dates to 1895.

Holstein found Daejon Reynolds with a 40-yard heave to the end zone with 3:06 remaining to bring Pitt within a field goal. The Panthers got the ball back with 1:59 left and Holstein deftly guided Pitt 77 yards, though Davis' go-ahead score came with Holstein on the sideline after the quarterback's helmet came off trying to bull his way into the end zone on the previous play.

No matter, Nate Yarnell — who lost a training camp battle with Holstein to be the starter — came on and handed it to Davis, a Pittsburgh native trying to resurrect his career after a stint at LSU.

The victory was Pitt's second in three tries against the Mountaineers since the series was renewed in 2022. It also marked the Panthers' second impressive comeback in eight days.

Pitt trailed Cincinnati by 21 in the second half before roaring back last week. The stakes were even higher and things considerably bleaker against the Mountaineers after WVU's Garrett Greene hit Justin Robinson for a 28-yard touchdown with 4:55 to play to put the Mountaineers up 34-24.

Yet Holstein was just getting started on a day he passed for 301 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 59 more. He was near perfect down the stretch to give Pitt its first 3-0 start since 2020.

Greene finished with 210 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns but was also picked off twice, including a desperation toss with 4 seconds remaining.

The Mountaineers (1-2) committed a handful of self-inflicted wounds along the way. They had a long touchdown pass in the third quarter called back after being flagged for holding then subsequently gave up a blocked punt that Pitt's Brandon George returned for a score that put Pitt up 24-17.

WVU reeled off the next 17 points and appeared to be firmly in control after Robinson made a leaping one-handed grab at the goal line — with his other hand in the facemask of a Pitt player — only to see Pitt's offense come to life late behind Holstein.

WVU: Neal Brown may have trouble backing up last year's somewhat surprising 9-win campaign. The Mountaineers remain a work in progress on defense and the offense might not be potent enough to overcome it.

Pitt: Holstein has emphatically ended the Panthers' search for a quarterback and a team that was picked to finish 13th in the expanded ACC looks as if it could be dangerous once conference play begins in October.

WVU: begins Big 12 play next Saturday when Kansas visits Mountaineer Field.

Pitt: finishes up nonconference play next Saturday at home against Youngstown State.

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Pittsburgh running back Desmond Reid (0) pulls in a pass for a touchdown as he's defended by West Virginia linebacker Josiah Trotter, right, during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene, right, hands off to wide receiver Traylon Ray, left, during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene (6) looks to throw during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Pittsburgh Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

West Virginia running back Jahiem White (1) scores during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh running back Desmond Reid (0) celebrates with Raphael Williams Jr. (5) after scoring during the first half of an NCAA college football game against West Virginia Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein (10) looks to throw during the first half of an NCAA college football game against West Virginia, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

SELVA DI VAL GARDENA, Italy (AP) — Marco Odermatt finally conquered the Saslong and the Swiss standout did it in style.

Odermatt put down what he called “one of my best” downhill runs on Saturday to win a World Cup race in Val Gardena as the three-time overall World Cup champion looked like back to his imperious best.

The 27-year-old beat Swiss teammate Franjo von Allmen by 0.45 seconds for his first victory at the resort in the Italian Dolomites. Odermatt had had four podium finishes there — including in Saturday’s super-G — but had never been better than second.

It was Odermatt’s 40th World Cup victory but only his third in downhill.

"It was one of my best downhills," Odermatt said. “If you want to win the downhill, you need the perfect run and today already on the top, which is not really my section, I could ski very well and finally I also jumped well, and then it was really perfect. So yeah, very happy with the run.”

It had also been a less than stellar start to the season for Odermatt — by his lofty standards — and he yelled out in joy several times after crossing the line, before taking off his skis and raising them up and letting out another long shout.

Before Odermatt came down it had been an incredibly tight race, with the top three separated by just 0.02. In the end, American skier Ryan Cochran-Siegle finished third, with Nils Allègre of France missing out on what would have been only his second ever podium finish by one hundredth of a second.

It was Cochrane-Siegle's third podium after also finishing third in Val Gardena four years ago and winning the super-G in Bormio 10 days later.

“It was good skiing, it was fun,” he said. “Gardena is a really challenging hill to ski, in the sense of skiing fast. I’ve had runs here where I thought I’d put down a good one, and it’s been seconds out, so you really never know until you cross the finish line.

"I was just focusing on trying to carry speed as much as possible. When I ski my best I do that — keeping skiing really simple, back to basics.”

Odermatt won the downhill World Cup title last season, as well as the super-G, giant slalom and overall crystal globes.

The only previous downhill this season was in Beaver Creek, where Odermatt finished second to teammate Justin Murisier.

Odermatt moved 78 points above Murisier in the downhill standings and 50 points above Henrik Kristoffersen in the overall.

The circuit moves to nearby Alta Badia where there is a giant slalom on Sunday and a slalom the following day.

Meanwhile, Lindsey Vonn finished 14th in a super-G in St. Moritz, Switzerland to mark her return to World Cup skiing at age 40. Her comeback continues in a super-G in St. Moritz on Sunday.

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt listens to the national anthem on the podium after winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt, center, winner of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, celebrates on the podium with second-placed Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen, left, and third-placed United States' Ryan Cochran Siegle, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt celebrates on the podium after winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)

United States' Ryan Cochran Siegle speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

United States' Ryan Cochran Siegle celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)

Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt celebratesat the finish area of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)