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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 offensive lineman Cooper Mays (63) takes the field before the Tennessee football season opener game against Ball State in Knoxville, Tenn. on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022.Kns Utvbs0901
Tennessee offensive lineman Cooper Mays (63) takes the field before the Tennessee football season opener game against Ball State in Knoxville, Tenn. on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022.Kns Utvbs0901 /

5. Which team allows more sacks?

We all know about Pitt’s pass rush, and it’s even better this year. Habakkuk Baldonado and Calijah Kancey are both back after nine and seven sacks respectively last season. SirVocea Dennis had a sack in the opener against WVU, and Baldonado assisted on one. Last year, Baldonado had two sacks against the Vols, and Kancey had one.

The team as a whole had five sacks in that game and two forced fumbles off those sacks. UT was horrible at protecting the quarterback all year, allowing nearly three and a half sacks a game. Against Ball State, they appeared to be better, as they only allowed one sack, and it was a one-yard loss on a rollout, but that’s no indication of how they’ll be against Pitt.

On the other hand, Pitt’s not going to be the best team at protecting the quarterback. They allowed two and a half sacks a game last year, and they gave up five in the opener against WVU. Although Rocky Top didn’t have a sack against Ball State, that was more due to the design.

Byron Young and Tyler Baron are still on the Vols. They can wreak havoc and bring pressure when needed, and Aaron Beasley showed a new ability to do the same thing. As a result, all signs point to Tennessee football being as big a threat in the pass rush this year, so who gets the edge? If one team is much better in the pass-rush, the other will have an uphill climb.

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