West Virginia @ Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh rallied from a 3-0 deficit to defeat West Virginia 17-15 in the Backyard Brawl on Jan. 16, 2026.

West Virginia opened the dual with three straight decisions as No. 9 Jett Strickenberger won 9-2 at 125, Gunner Andrick edged Evan Tallmadge 4-1 in overtime at 133, and Jordan Titus posted a 2-0 decision at 141. Those results gave the Mountaineers an early advantage and matched the sequence of opening wins recorded in the bout summaries.

Pittsburgh began its comeback at 149 when Kade Brown turned in a 12-3 major decision, cutting West Virginia’s lead. Jared Keslar followed with a 3-2 decision at 165 to trim the margin further and keep Pittsburgh within reach. Both bouts produced the scoring swing the Panthers needed to enter the late going within striking distance.

The dual’s momentum shifted at 184 when Chase Kranitz delivered a third-period takedown to beat No. 22 Ian Bush, 4-2. Kranitz’s victory, an upset over a ranked opponent, ignited a final stretch in which Pittsburgh claimed four team points across the last three bouts.

Mac Stout then put Pittsburgh ahead with a 4-1 decision at 197, scoring a third-period takedown that produced the decisive margin. In the finale, No. 14 Dayton Pitzer closed out the dual with a 12-1 major decision at 285, adding the bonus points that secured the Panthers’ 17-15 win.

West Virginia’s lineup included several ranked competitors who factored into the early lead. No. 4 Ty Watters collected a 5-1 decision at 157, using a second-period takedown and an end-of-match riding-time point. Graduate student Jett Strickenberger entered the meet ranked No. 9 at 125 and his takedowns plus a riding-time point produced the 9-2 margin that started WVU’s opening streak.

The bout-level play-by-play shows key late scoring swings that decided individual matches: Andrick’s 3-point takedown in the first overtime produced his 4-1 win at 133; Brody Conley earlier earned a 4-1 victory at 174 on a takedown recorded at the buzzer; and Strickenberger’s third-period penalty and riding-time point finished his 9-2 decision. Those sequences underpinned both teams’ scoring and the narrow final margin.

Pittsburgh’s comeback featured two major decisions and three straight late-match wins to close the dual. West Virginia opened with control at the lighter weights but could not sustain the lead when the Panthers collected bonus points and late takedowns in the final bouts.

The result was reflected in the schools’ match reports the same night, which record Pittsburgh as the 17-15 winner in the Backyard Brawl. The dual had multiple ranked matchups and several late, decisive sequences that swung the team score in Pittsburgh’s favor.