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Tennessee football report card in 34-27 OT win at Pitt

By Caleb Calhoun

Sep 10, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Jabari Small (2) falls into the end zone to score a touchdown past Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Bangally Kamara (11) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Jabari Small (2) falls into the end zone to score a touchdown past Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Bangally Kamara (11) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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A win over a ranked team on the road doesn’t mean every Tennessee football unit had an above average performance. Indeed, as the Vols beat the Pittsburgh Panthers 34-27 in overtime on Saturday, certain units were the only reason the game was as close as it ended up being, and they will have to be called out for that.

However, as we get set to break down the performance by position in the Vols’ win against the team that was ranked No. 17 in the AP Poll and No. 14 in the Coaches Poll coming into the game, there are also plenty of individuals and units for us to tout. How else would they score such a win?

As usual, we’ll break up the slides into offense, defense special teams and coaching, with the offense taking up the first two slides. Which position groups are most responsible for the outcome of this matchup? What does that mean going forward? Let’s break that all down here in our report card for Tennessee football’s victory at Pitt.

Here are the Tennessee football Volunteers grades at Pittsburgh.

Hendon Hooker (5) of the Tennessee Volunteers prepares to throw downfield during the first half against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA on September 10, 2022.Pittsburgh Panthers Vs Tennessee Volunteers
Hendon Hooker (5) of the Tennessee Volunteers prepares to throw downfield during the first half against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA on September 10, 2022.Pittsburgh Panthers Vs Tennessee Volunteers /

Offensive grades part I

Quarterback: A-

Missing a couple of throws in the first quarter plus two overthrows on easy touchdown passes are the only reasons this isn’t an A+. Hendon Hooker was actually pretty good in the game if you look at his stat line, and it’s enough for us to give him a grade in the A-range.

For the game, Hooker had a total QBR of 82.5. None of the sacks were his fault, and he actually avoided about three more. Add in his 325 passing yards, two touchdowns and over seven and a half yards per attempt with no turnovers, and he easily warrants an A for his performance.

Running back: D+

Jabari Small had just 10 carries for 17 yards. However, two of those were one-yard touchdown runs, and another was a key 3rd and 1 conversion. Those are all A-worthy plays. Jaylen Wright had nine carries for 47 yards. That’s a solid stat line too given Pitt’s schemes in this game.

However, even without those three one-yard gains, Small still averaged just two yards a carry. Meanwhile, Wright had a fumble that could have cost Tennessee football in the second half. As a result, both backs were below average in this game, so they had to get a D as a unit.

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