After a big win in week one, the Vols are headed north! Tennessee will face Pittsburgh on the Panthers’ home turf this Saturday with one thing on their minds: revenge. After a devastating loss to the Panthers in 2021, the Vols are looking to bring home the W this week. The Tennessee-Pittsburgh game will be aired on ABC at 3:30 PM EST on Saturday.
Tennessee-Pittsburgh: Preparing for Victory
Saturday’s matchup will be the fourth time in five years that coach Josh Heupel has faced off against the Panthers. Going into the weekend, Heupel knows the Vols are up against a tough team. In remarks on Monday, Coach Heupel said, “This is a big game for us, obviously. The first road test for us against a really good football team. Really good football team in all three phases. They are tough and physical on both sides of the line of scrimmage, and they do a really nice job. It will be a big test for us.”
In 2021, the Vols lost to the Panthers in an agonizing 41-34 defeat. This year, the Panthers are showing a tough team and a new offensive approach as new OC Frank Cignetti Jr. focuses heavily on the run game, changing the tempo for the Panthers.
However, despite the physicality and maturity of the Panthers, Coach Heupel spoke positively of the Vols’ preparation this week. Per Heupel, Tennessee is preparing hard and needs to finish the week the right way. In final remarks on Thursday he said, “We understand what we’re getting into. This is a really great football team. We’ve got to go, not do anything extraordinary, but do the ordinary things at a really high level.” A high level, indeed.
The Rematch: What to Expect
Despite Pitt’s tough nature as a team, Tennessee should be able to rectify last season’s mistakes come game day.
The Vols’ offense is fast. Hooker has a lot of help in the likes of Cedric Tillman, Jaylen Wright, Jabari Small, and very recently eligible transfer Bru McCoy, just to name a few. The Vols and Heupel have no problem starting fast. They did this last year against Pitt but never held the lead they should, thanks in part to Joe Milton’s overthrows. Expect this one to start fast and stay fast, with a more accurate Hooker leading the Tennessee offense.
Last year, the Vols struggled to run the ball against Pitt–stopping the run is the Panthers’ thing. But last week, West Virginia ran against Pitt for 190 yards. Though the Panthers won in the end, it wasn’t an easy game for them. If Tennessee can find that kind of success on the run this week, it will be a long day for Pittsburgh.
Pitt’s defense is its calling card. They’re a tough, physical group that will do all they can to knock down Hooker. The Vols’ defense did well against Ball State but the Cardinals and the Panthers are very different teams. While Pitt’s offense may not hold up to Tennessee’s, their defense will be a different story. They will play aggressively, looking to assert dominance over the Vols and prove they’re tougher than they looked in last week’s game.
Overall though, the Vols will win. They may do ordinary things but they’ll do them at a high enough level to end the week 2-0.
Tennessee-Pittsburgh: Vegas Odds
The Vols and the Panthers are both 1-0 going into Saturday’s matchup.
Per FanDuel Sportsbook, Tennessee is the favorite this week. Despite playing in Acrisure Stadium in the Steel City, the Vols are playing for redemption. Pitt is ranked higher than Tennessee right now, but ultimately Tennessee is the stronger team. There may still be uncertainty on defense and at the secondary but Tennessee’s offense can carry the Vols to victory if it has to.
FanDuel is projecting Tennesee to win at -6.5. The over/under is set at 110. The moneyline is -250. For me, this week’s bet is Tennessee straight up. I believe the Vols will win but I’m not taking the spread.
Tennessee-Pittsburgh will be a good game, and probably a close one. For a post-game, post-bet recap be sure to check out the University of Tennessee on Gridiron Heroics on Sunday!
