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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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Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel with quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) during the VolsÕ game against Ball State in Neyland Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022.Kns Vols Ball State Bp
Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel with quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) during the VolsÕ game against Ball State in Neyland Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022.Kns Vols Ball State Bp /

6. Tempo of both teams’ offense

With Kenny Pickett gone, this is truly a clash of tempos. Last year, even when they had Pickett and Jordan Addison, Pitt was still somewhat about ball control, as they held the ball nearly 31 minutes a game. Still, they averaged 76 plays a game, throwing the ball nearly 39 times, so they kept up the pace despite valuing ball control.

This year, the focus appears to be even more on ball control. Against WVU, Pitt ran just 62 plays. More importantly, they only threw it 24 times, and they actually held the ball for over 32 minutes. That suggests that Pat Narduzzi really wants to be able to manage the clock, at least while Kedon Slovis still develops.

It’s a completely different story for Tennessee football. Last year, the Vols would lose the time of possession battle by over 10 minutes a game on average. The same story occurred in their opener against Ball State, as they lost the time of possession battle despite flat-out dominating.

Holding the ball is not what UT cares about, so that begs the question, which coach will get his way? If the Vols are doing well in time of possession, it means they aren’t scoring quickly, and that’s what Narduzzi wants, so pay attention to the tempo. That’ll be a big factor late.

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