WVU Football
WVU DC Zac Alley Ready for First Backyard Brawl: ‘It’s Going to Be Great’
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – While Rich Rodriguez is busy getting reacquainted with a very familiar foe, his defensive coordinator is preparing for his first Backyard Brawl. Even though Zac Alley has experienced other rivalries, he knows a West Virginia vs. Pitt matchup will be a beast of a different kind.
And saying Alley is excited is an understatement.
“I’m excited. I’m sure it’s going to be loud and it’s going to be rocking in there. They hate us and we hate them. It’s going to be great.” Alley explained to reporters earlier in the week.
“I’ve been fortunate, I’ve been a part of a lot of great rivalries. South Carolina, Clemson. Texas, Oklahoma, last year. It’s been fun… and this one is just as big as any of those.”
WVU Defensive Coordinator Zac Alley calling plays during the 2025 Gold-Blue Spring Showcase event. (WVSN photo by Kelsie LeRose)
Alley also doesn’t need a rivalry to get him motivated, especially coming off a game in which the Mountaineers lost despite forcing three turnovers.
“For me, it’s easy to get a chip on my shoulder every week,” he said. “Every game feels like that, as far as my mindset”
The loss to Ohio makes WVU a desperate team, only adding more fuel to their fire with Pitt coming to town. Factoring in the team’s desperation with the magnitude of the 108th Backyard Brawl marking the first matchup against Pitt for Rodriguez since his infamous 13-9 defeat that cost WVU a shot at a national championship, and it’s not hard to get the juice flowing this week.
“All they’ve heard since they got here is, you know, this is the one that matters. The guys coming down, it’s an important game,” said Alley.
Of course, a must-win rivalry game is what it’s all about.
“There needs to be excitement, you should be fired up when you make a good play. You should get fired up when you win. You should be disappointed when you lose” he said. “The key is just not to get overloaded one way or another. Because the reality is, you always gotta go back out there and play the next half,” added Alley.
Find more coverage of Zac Alley and the WVU football program at WV Sports Now.
