MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- The speaker, swollen with pride and wrapped tightly in confidence, aimed his message at offensive linemen everywhere.

Jabaal Sheard's words came quick and were straight to the point: "I think we can match up against anyone. I don't doubt us against any offensive line in the country."

And right there -- 13 days before the kickoff -- from one of Pitt's two standout defensive ends -- came the first bulletin-board fodder in the run-up to the 102nd Backyard Brawl, which starts at 7 p.m. Friday in Morgantown when the Mountaineers (7-3, 3-2 Big East) play host to Pitt (9-1, 5-0).

But the front four from Pitt can make a strong claim that Sheard's statement is fact.

Heading into this past weekend, Pitt was first in the country in sacks (40), and the defensive front of Sheard, fellow end Greg Romeus and tackles Gus Mustakas and Mick Williams accounted for nearly 75 percent of those (29 1/2).

On top of that, a defense that does not do a lot of blitzing was ninth in the country in tackles for a loss (7.8 per game).

"Really good," West Virginia starting sophomore left tackle Don Barclay said of Pitt's four-man defensive line. "Those guys can really play."

And the quality of West Virginia's offensive line play often has been questioned this season while serving as, perhaps, the unit that has affected the ebb and flow of games more than any other.

Barclay, joined by sophomore left guard Josh Jenkins, junior center Eric Jobe, redshirt freshman right guard Joe Madsen and senior right tackle Selvish Capers have looked solid on occasion.

Take the Colorado win, when they steamrollered the Buffaloes for 6.1 yards a carry and helped running back Noel Devine to a career night of 220 rushing yards. And, there was that narrow 28-24 victory against Connecticut, when coach Bill Stewart hung his hat on the offensive line and the group came through, pushing the Huskies' defensive front back for 5.8 yards per attempt while leading Devine to 178 yards.

There also have been bad times.

Louisville, one of the weakest Big East teams, held the Mountaineers to 4.4 yards a carry as West Virginia narrowly escaped.

And in, perhaps, the offensive front's worst showing, South Florida ends George Selvie and Jason Pierre-Paul caused fits all night in a nationally televised Mountaineers loss as the Bulls held West Virginia to 118 yards rushing on 35 attempts.

So, how does the defensive front from Pitt compare to the one from South Florida?

"I wouldn't say they are like South Florida," Barclay said. "Pitt is more powerful, Pitt has a downhill front, guys who come downhill at you, and they rely on those front four guys to just smash you in the mouth. Pitt is way more physical than South Florida."

West Virginia has begun to digest the Panthers' game film, and the 6-foot-1, 280-pound Williams is the one -- even with the speed Romeus and Sheard have on the edge -- Barclay notices most.

"In watching film, that is the guy who stands out," Barclay said of Williams, a Monessen native. "You watch Williams, and he has a non-stop motor, he's just going all the time and is never taking a play off. You have to respect a guy like that and look at a competitor like that and want to play against him because you know you're playing against the best."

For this group of West Virginia offensive linemen, this will be the final chance this year at home to show they can show up when the rest of the squad needs them most.

Barclay understands how many fans would think Pitt's defensive front has the edge over his group, but it remains a test he is ready to take.

"Playing against a prime-time defensive line is why you go to a Division I school and why you take on these challenges," Barclay said.

"If you are a college football offensive lineman, and you don't want to accept the challenge of playing against a great defensive line like Pitt's, then you probably shouldn't be playing college football.

"This is going to be just two lines smashing each other in the mouth and, really, what football is supposed to be all about."

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