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Tennessee football at Pitt: 10 keys to the game

By Caleb Calhoun

Sep 1, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; A Tennessee Volunteers player holds their helmet along the sidelines during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 1, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; A Tennessee Volunteers player holds their helmet along the sidelines during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports /
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When Tennessee football and the Pittsburgh Panthers kickoff on Saturday, it’ll be a matchup between two completely different teams from the ones who faced each other last year on Rocky Top. Both starting quarterbacks are new, and the Vols are entering the game with a lot more experience under head coach Josh Heupel.

We could also throw in the fact that it’s a road game for UT. Anyway, this is a critical matchup for Rocky Top as a program, one that is trying to prove it has taken another step under Heupel. Beating Pitt gives the Vols a great shot at starting the year 5-0, although that looks tougher now.

On the other side, Pitt has reason to believe it can repeat as ACC Champions or at least contend once again. This will be another great chance for them to prove that. Lots of things are going into this game, and it’s somewhat of a toss-up, but who has the edge? Let’s break that down here in our 10 keys to the game between Tennessee football and Pitt.

Nov 20, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Israel Abanikanda (2) returns a kick-off for a ninety-eight yard touchdown return against the Virginia Cavaliers during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Israel Abanikanda (2) returns a kick-off for a ninety-eight yard touchdown return against the Virginia Cavaliers during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

10. Big plays on special teams

Last year, the Vols started things off with a blocked punt by Christian Charles, which helped them build a 10-0 first-quarter lead. They blocked two punts for the season, which is an underrated aspect of the game. However, they also lost their return specialist, Velus Jones Jr., and haven’t yet proven anything beyond him.

Pitt, on the other hand, has Israel Abanikanda back after he returned a kickoff for a touchdown last year. As a result, while the Vols are more capable of random big plays on special teams, Pitt does have the experience necessary to be better in general in the return game, at least for right now.

In a close matchup, this could end up playing a huge role. Tennessee football has Jimmy Holiday returning kickoffs, but they didn’t return any punts last Thursday, and there is still a major question surrounding that aspect of the game with the Vols. As a result, this could end up being a huge factor, but it’s hard to tell yet.

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