MORGANTOWN The last time Pittsburgh ventured into Mountaineer Field, West Virginia was on the verge of competing in the national championship game. All WVU had to do was defeat a struggling Pitt team that was easily the underdog that December night on a frozen field.

A few scant hours later, WVU saw its dream snap like an icicle in a 13-9 defeat.

"Everybody was in shock," remembered WVU offensive lineman Selvish Capers, then a sophomore. "Nobody really said anything. Coach Rod (Rich Rodriguez) was just shaking his head. Nobody wanted to say anything to get anybody more upset than they already were."

Two years later, the roles have reversed. WVU, 7-3 overall and 3-2 in the Big East Conference, is playing for pride and bowl game positioning. Pitt, however, brings a 9-1 overall record into the game and is unbeaten in Big East play with only unbeaten Cincinnati remaining in the final week. A chance to claim the top honors in the conference is definitely on Pitt's radar screen.

"I am going to tell the team to outblock, out-tackle, out-hit, out-hustle Pitt, strain and play Mountaineer football," said WVU coach Bill Stewart.

The game is a prime time, 7 p.m. ESPN2 telecast on Nov. 27.

"Someone asked me about playing on two Friday nights in a row, and I said, 'Didn't Pitt do that earlier?"' Stewart said. "I don't care if it's at noon, one, three, seven, 10 I don't care. It can be at their place, our place or a parking lot somewhere in between. I don't care just as long as we have a chance to play in the Backyard Brawl."

The game always looms big on the schedule, and linebacker Reed Williams said this year's version "is a big game for us, but it's probably an even bigger game for them."

Pittsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt said his team will be in for "a dog fight," and things won't get any easier for his players after leaving Morgantown.

"We probably have as tough of a finish as anybody in the country with West Virginia and Cincinnati," he said.