Inspiration came to Aliquippa native M.J. Devonshire from a fellow former Quip.
And from one of the best to ever do it.
And from a player that stamped his own mark in the storied, legendary, and incomparable Backyard Brawl rivalry.
"All summer I've been thinking about -- I watched Darrelle's punt return, and I was like, man, how crazy would it be... if I could run down the same sideline, do the same spin move, score a touchdown (on a crazy play)," Devonshire said.
In the 2006 edition of the Backyard Brawl, Aliquippa native Darrelle Revis picked up a bouncing ball inside his own 30-yard line, got a stiff block from Derek Kinder, turned the corner, broke five tackles, and brought Pat McAfee's punt to the end zone to put the Panthers up by a touchdown.
In the 2022 edition, the 105th meeting between Pitt and West Virginia, Devonshire altered history with a pick-six with 2:58 to play, which elevated Pitt to a 38-31 victory over West Virginia in a 4-hour, 6-minute bonanza in front of a rocking 70,622 fans inside Acrisure Stadium -- the largest sitting crowd in the history of Pittsburgh sports events.
A fitting crowd for a fitting event, and one play to send it into the stratosphere.
A play which manifested through a conversation with roommate and Pitt reserve quarterback Eli Kosanovich. Now, Devonshire will forever be remembered for his interception that sent his hometown into a frenzy, in the return from an 11-year hiatus for one of college football's most storied rivalry matchups.
In a picturesque, sunny, 80-degree first day of September, the familiar sights and sounds of college football returned to Pittsburgh with a thunderous and unforgettable rendition of that rivalry matchup.
"I think I did something similar to what he did, so it was amazing," Devonshire said. "I got past the receiver next to 'Gally (Bangally Kamara), and then I saw B-Hill (Brandon Hill) and Voss (SirVocea Dennis). My guys, I appreciate them so much. I saw them telling me to come back, and I have a little vision from being a former punt returner, so I saw the crease, and I knew I just had to run as fast as I could. I saw the student section. It was crazy."
M.J. DEVONSHIRE PICK SIX TO GIVE PITT THE LEAD
— 247Sports (@247Sports) September 2, 2022
WHAT A TURN OF EVENTS IN THE BACKYARD BRAWLpic.twitter.com/VeqzOVsiUU https://t.co/Vp4Z9qySpX
The 17th-ranked Panthers needed every play possible down the stretch, especially after falling to a seven-point deficit with 10:37 to play. That included from its offense, which saw Kedon Slovis throw for 308 yards, the most in a Pitt season opener since Matt Lytle threw for 349 yards against Villanova in 1998, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Slovis was shaky in composure at points and was sacked five times in his Pitt debut, but he did complete 16 of 24 passes with one touchdown, no interceptions, and a rating of 188.2.
"I think we found rhythm offensively at the end, which is nice," Slovis said. "The guys said to stay strong. There were times where we felt like we weren't in a rhythm, we weren't really getting to where we wanted to be. We had some good plays, but when that happens it can be frustrating. We got a great group of guys. Lot of vets. O-line did a great job of staying tough, and same with the receivers. They did a great job."
He was supplemented by the official coming-out party of sophomore running back Rodney Hammond Jr., who bounded for 74 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.
"I was ready. I was ready the whole time," Hammond said. "I feel like I had a lot of steam built up. Going against my defense every day (in practice) is tough, so I got one of the best defenses in college football, so they prepared me to get ready for this first game."
Hammond was impressive in spelling Israel Abanikanda at tailback. A key block from receiver Bub Means allowed Hammond to break free on a flat route for a 49-yard gain, and on the next play, his second rushing TD of the game included dragging a West Virginia tackler four yards into the end zone as part of his 11-yard run late in the third quarter.
West Virginia outgained Pitt 404-384, posted 190 rushing yards on the Panthers' otherwise stacked defensive line, and converted on all five of its red-zone chances.
But, the Panthers made the key plays down the stretch. None larger than Devonshire's pick six.
"There was adversity back and forth, taking the lead and whatever it may be," Pat Narduzzi said. "And probably the play of the game was M.J. Devonshire, that pick that he had and took it to the house. That guy was running. He was fast. That was one of the nicer ones I've seen, and that was a big-time play. He wasn't going to be denied."
Slovis showed resilience in moments of adversity down the stretch. With Pitt down 31-24 and with 10:37 left in the fourth quarter, Slovis was sacked twice in three plays, which led to a punt. The next time Pitt touched the ball, Slovis connected with Abanikanda on a short pass, and Abanikanda shook off two tacklers, beat a third to the outside, and dove for the pylon for the game-tying 24-yard touchdown with 3:41 to play.
Eddie Provident / DKPS
Israel Abanikanda dives for a touchdown during Thursday's game at Acrisure Stadium.
That ensuing West Virginia drive after the Pitt punt resulted in coach Neal Brown electing to punt on a 4th-and-1 from the Pitt 48 with just over 6 minutes to play. The Mountaineers tried to drive the Panthers offsides, but nobody took the bait. West Virginia took the delay-of-game penalty and kicked it away to the Panthers.
Wonder if Brown doesn't regret the decision after the fact?
"They had to go 98 yards, and we're up by seven," Brown said. "If you go for it there and you don't get it, then they've got a short field, and they've got three timeouts. ... If I had to do it again, I would do that same decision."
Narduzzi ... Well, he agreed with the call.
"I think maybe they had some ... confidence that they were going to be able to stop our offense," he said. "I'd have gone for it, but I'm not going to answer for them."
On West Virginia's second play from scrimmage following the Abanikanda touchdown, Devonshire had his moment.
Quarterback J.T. Daniels targeted Bryce Ford-Wheaton on a 1st-and-10 from the Mountaineers' own 39. The two had already connected seven times for 83 yards and two TDs on 13 targets, and the balance of West Virginia winning or losing this game relied mostly on them.
Daniels took the snap from the shotgun, took a five-step drop, and looked to his left to Ford-Wheaton sitting in a soft spot in the Pitt zone. But, Ford-Wheaton let the ball clank off of his hands and into the air, and it fell directly to Devonshire.
From there, Devonshire did his best Revis impression. Three steps to his right, a shift to his left, a cut through the lane, and a foot race to win.
Fifty-six yards between himself and history.
"It was kind of a blur," defensive end John Morgan said. "M.J.'s a 100-meter track star, so once he caught it and he started rolling, I expected him to score a touchdown."
Morgan was tremendous in his own right, especially after Deslin Alexandre left the game in the second quarter with a right arm injury. Morgan racked up three tackles for a loss and two quarterback hits, he forced a fumble, and made the second-biggest play for Pitt's defense after Devonshire's pick six.
In the game's final minute, West Virginia lined up for a 3rd-and-11 from the Pitt 23. But Morgan broke free to flush Daniels up into the pocket, and David Green and Haba Baldonaldo were there to clean up the sack to force a 4th-and-16 on the 28 and West Virginia's final shot.
Daniels stepped into a throw and found a diving Reese Smith at the 1-yard line, but what was originally ruled a catch near the ground was overturned by replay as an incomplete pass, and Slovis brought his offense back out for a victory formation.
"It's number one, without a doubt," Morgan said. "Just the magnitude of it. You've got to think, it's been a decade since we've played this game. It's my senior year, so being able to be that leader on the defense and playing in this magnitude of this game was amazing for me."
Pitt's receiving corps racked up 173 yards after the catch, an astounding figure. Hammond had 68 of those, and senior Jared Wayne added 50 on a splash play midway the third quarter.
"Makes my job a lot easier," Slovis said. "Makes everyone's job a lot easier when you can do the explosive (plays) and have yards after the catch. The last touchdown, you make that 5-yard pass and Izzy takes it to the house. It speaks to the blocking, it speaks to how selfless those receivers are down the field."
Slovis ➡️ Abanikanda
— 247Sports (@247Sports) September 2, 2022
ALL TIED UP IN THE BACKYARD BRAWL pic.twitter.com/r36ygwCIsR
It helped make up for some woes afflicting Pitt's usually stout rushing defense, which was gashed for numerous explosive plays. The 190 rushing yards allowed by Pitt were the most since 2019, when it allowed 264 to Boston College.
"That doesn't usually happen," Narduzzi said. "I'm not happy. I'm not happy about our run defense. We'll get it cleaned up and see again. We have two young outside linebackers playing their first game. Probably SirVocea was good inside, but we'll clean that up. That's a fact. I'm in charge of that."
Daniels completed 23 of 39 passes for 214 yards, two TDs, and the interception to Devonshire. Ford-Wheaton caught nine of 16 targets for 97 yards and two TDs. CJ Donaldson -- normally listed as a tight end on the Mountaineers' depth chart -- rushed seven times for 125 yards and a touchdown.
Pitt will take some time to celebrate the return of the Brawl before the Sept. 10 kickoff against Tennessee. The Brawl will be played over eight of the next eleven years, including over each of the next three.
Eddie Provident /DKPS
Pitt's Haba Baldonaldo stands over West Virginia's J.T. Daniels during Thursday's game at Acrisure Stadium.
Does Thursday's game compare to the history-altering 13-9 upset? Probably not. But does it have its own spot in Backyard Brawl lore? Absolutely.
"I think they got it figured out a little bit," Narduzzi said. "I think it was a little -- even I'm trying to get on the TV with ESPN turning around going 'What is going on back there?' I see Haba, a lot of chattering going afterwards. It's good for them to go 1-0 against West Virginia, and we have to carry that on."
Consider the rivalry renewed.
