Tennessee football

Josh Heupel's Tennessee football Volunteers visit Pat Narduzzi's Pittsburgh Panthers.

This will be Hooker’s third start and fourth game against Pitt, as he faced them in 2019 and 2020 with the Virginia Tech Hokies, going 1-1. Hooker almost led them to victory, but UT was stopped on a 4th and 1 in the red zone late, and then he threw an interception to lose. Last year, Pitt won the game in Knoxville 41-34, giving them a 3-0 lead in the head-to-head series between the two schools, as they beat Majors twice in the 1980s when he was at UT, ironically. The victory put them in the top 25 of the AP Poll, at No. 14 in the Coaches Poll, they are the defending ACC Champions after an 11-3 finish and top 15 ranking in both polls last year. [Tennessee football](https://allfortennessee.com/football/) and the Pittsburgh Panthers are set to square off 10 days later in a rematch from last year.

The first big test for Tennessee football arrives with a critical road game at No. 14 Pittsburgh. Check here for live score updates from Acrisure Stadium.

Jabari Small gets the yard and the touchdown on the next play. 10:04 left: Good response by the Vols offense. Pitt back outside the Vols 10. 7:04 left: Pitt still moving the ball at will. 5:31 left: Big fourth down stop for the Vols. 14:54 left: Pitt touchdown wiped away on a holding penalty. 15:00 left: Kedon Slovis is out for the second half, ABC reports. Pitt has 4th and goal from the Vols' 21. Pitt on 2nd down: Jared Wayne with the first down catch. 8:57 left: Hendon Hooker is sacked on third down. Tennessee 27, Pitt 27. 19 seconds left: Hendon Hooker is stopped on third down.

The Pittsburgh Panthers host the Tennessee Volunteers in SEC football 2022 action Saturday, September 10, at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.

Hooker transferred from the Hokies to the Volunteers looking for a fresh start. USC transfer Kedon Slovis overcame some early jitters to throw for 308 yards against the Mountaineers in his Pitt debut. “So we’re in the peewee league, and we’re going to line up and see if we can play.” The Panthers looked like they could play while finding a way to slip past the Mountaineers, a performance Narduzzi described as average. “Hendon is a completely different guy,” Tennessee quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle said. The game will be ABC will broadcast the game nationally. And they led Pittsburgh 10-0 last year in Neyland Stadium. I think it makes it a little bit easier,” he said. Tennessee began 2022 where it left off in 2021: by piling up points aplenty with sixth-year quarterback Hendon Hooker running coach Josh Heupel’s high-tempo offense. Even though Pitt rallied past West Virginia in its season opener on Sept. 24 Tennessee is 1-0 this season, while No.

PITTSBURGH -- For the first time in history, an SEC opponent will visit Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The No. 24 Tennessee Volunteers will roll into town this ...

[bookmark Inside the Panthers](https://www.si.com/college/pittsburgh/) for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and so much more! There is still an open battle at left tackle between Gerald Mincey and Jeramiah Crawford but regardless of who starts, the Panthers will face an experienced and big group. 6'4, 320-pound junior Omari Thomas is a player to watch along the interior. He made ever extra point attempt in 2021 and converted on 75% of his field goals. The Volunteers have good playmakers, beginning at the top with Hendon Hooker, a face familiar to Pitt from his time at Virginia Tech. On eight extra point tries and one field goal attempt against Ball State, he didn't miss. But he leads a group that is breaking in some relatively green, but talented faces in Bru McCoy and Jalin Hyatt. The Volunteers are undoubtedly one of the nation's quickest movers, stacking big play upon big play by setting up quickly. "He can really make you miss in the open field. He didn't start last year's Johnny Majors Classic but gave the Volunteers a second wind after they surrendered a 10-point first-quarter lead. 24 Tennessee Volunteers will roll into town this weekend for a date with the No. The Volunteers' injury report is relatively clean.

No. 24 Tennessee is set to take on No. 17 Pittsburgh in Acrisure Stadium on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET in what is the Vols' farthest road contest of the ...

[UTSports.com](https://universityoftennesseeathletics.cmail20.com/t/d-l-fujgid-ijujhyykkd-x/) and the [Official Gameday App](https://universityoftennesseeathletics.cmail20.com/t/d-l-fujgid-ijujhyykkd-m/). 190, Internet Ch. ET in what is the Vols' farthest road contest of the season. 138, XM Ch. 24 Tennessee @ No. How to Watch, Listen: No.

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Saturday's matchup between the Vols and Panthers is the second Johnny Majors Classic. Ahead of Saturday's game, Vols Wire looks at pregame social media buzz.

[Tennessee (1-0) will play at No. [Tennessee releases depth chart ahead of Pittsburgh game](https://volswire.usatoday.com/2022/09/05/tennessee-vols-football-releases-depth-chart-ahead-of-pittsburgh-panthers-game-2/) [Pittsburgh releases depth chart ahead of Tennessee game](https://volswire.usatoday.com/2022/09/05/pittsburgh-panthers-releases-football-depth-chart-ahead-of-tennessee-vols-game/) [Week 2 preview: Breaking down Pittsburgh by the numbers ahead of playing the Vols](https://volswire.usatoday.com/lists/week-2-preview-breaking-down-pittsburgh-panthers-football-offense-and-defense-by-the-numbers-ahead-of-playing-tennessee-vols/) [defeating Ball State (0-1), 59-10](https://volswire.usatoday.com/lists/tennessee-ball-state-every-vol-football-player-who-played-in-week-1/), at Neyland Stadium.

Follow all the day's college football action as we provide constant updates on the Week 2 Saturday slate.

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Tennessee got off to a slow start offensively and looked lackluster on defense in the first quarter. After a 57-yard Gavin Bartholomew touchdown reception from ...

The Vols will look to make it three in a row when Akron comes to Neyland Stadium next Saturday. On the first play of Pittsburgh's last drive in the first half, Tyler Baron got home and strip sacked Kedon Slovis. While multiple defenders were able to disrupt the backfield on Saturday evening, it was Baron who made the biggest play. Tennessee pressured the duo of Pitt's quarterbacks Kedon Slovis and Nick Patti all game long. Below are the Vols who made the biggest plays in Tennessee's statement win. The score was the third play from the Tennessee offense in overtime, and it was the first time the Vols reached the end zone since the first half.

Tennessee and Pitt are entrenched in a high scoring battle through two quarters of play. Unusually Slow Start For the Vols. Tennessee did not get off to an ...

Overall, it was not an ideal start, but the fight from this team is worth noting. The first led to an interception in the end zone, while the other negated what looked a big play for the Vols. No one wants to see their team get torched on defense and stall on offense early, but the Vols tempo on offense is undeniable and allows them to stay in the game even when they look like they are fading. Overall, it was not the start most are used to, but the Vols still managed a score in the quarter and did not let Pitt bury them with momentum and somehow took a 21-17 lead into the half. The duo combined for 8 catches for 150 yards and touchdown. Hendon Hooker did not look comfortable with his offensive line or reads early, and Pitt was giving the Vols some deceiving looks on the back end of the defense to complicate things.

Pittsburgh, PA - Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker found Cedric Tillman open in the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown in overtime, and the Big Orange.

Patti took a knee on the next play to send the game into overtime. Pittsburgh evened the score with 2:23 left in the fourth quarter when Jared Wayne reeled in a four-yard touchdown pass from Patti on fourth-and-goal. Abanikanda toted seven carries for 26 yards on the series before Sauls knocked through a 35-yard boot to cut Tennessee’s advantage to four points, 24-20, with 14:07 left in the fourth quarter. Pitt regained its 10-point lead on the next possession with a 57-yard touchdown catch-and-run down the right sideline to tight end Gavin Bartholomew, who hurdled a Tennessee tackler in the secondary before plodding into the end zone. [Omari Thomas](https://utsports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=14993)at the Pittsburgh 28-yard line. Small punched it in for his second touchdown of the afternoon, giving Tennessee its first lead of the game with 4:56 to go in the quarter. Small finished it off with his second rushing score in as many games, and McGrath nailed his 145th consecutive PAT to cut the margin to 10-7. [Aaron Beasley](https://utsports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=14924)tied his career-high with 14 total tackles to lead all players on Saturday, including a three-yard tackle for loss, his first career pass breakup and a career-high tying three quarterback hurries. The Panthers settled for a 30-yard field goal as Ben Sauls’ first boot of the afternoon sailed through the uprights to give Pitt an early 3-0 advantage. Facing 2nd-and-13 after a holding penalty, Hooker danced around the pocket and fired a dart to Tillman, who stopped on a dime to pull in the game-clinching score. Tennessee (2-0) improves to 14-9 all-time in overtime games, breaking a tie with Arkansas for the most overtime wins in NCAA history. With the game knotted at 27-27 at the end of regulation, Pittsburgh (1-1) won the overtime coin toss and deferred.

After winning the 1976 national championship with Pittsburgh, Majors returned to his alma mater, Tennessee, as the Vols' head coach. Majors won the Southeastern ...

Majors was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987. Majors won the Southeastern Conference championship at Tennessee in 1985, 1989 and 1990. [Tennessee (2-0) defeated No.

In fact, the Vols haven't done that since beating Syracuse 34-33 to open their 1998 national championship season. Well, they did it again, beating the ...

Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) throws a pass defended by Pittsburgh linebacker Shayne Simon (32) during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Pittsburgh Panthers in Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. Pittsburgh running back Israel Abanikanda (2) runs the ball during the second half of a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Pittsburgh Panthers in Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. Pittsburgh quarterback Nick Patti (12) hands the ball off to Pittsburgh running back Israel Abanikanda (2) during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Pittsburgh Panthers in Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) runs out of bounds during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Pittsburgh Panthers in Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. Pittsburgh running back Israel Abanikanda (2) runs the ball during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Pittsburgh Panthers in Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. Pittsburgh quarterback Nick Patti (12) signals to teammates during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Pittsburgh Panthers in Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (11) stands on the field during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Pittsburgh Panthers in Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. Pittsburgh quarterback Nick Patti (12) throws a pass during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Pittsburgh Panthers in Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. Tennessee defensive back Tamarion McDonald (12) looks to pass during overtime during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Pittsburgh Panthers in Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman (4) jumps to catch a pass in the end zone during overtime during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Pittsburgh Panthers in Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. Sep 10, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Nick Patti (12) passes the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Devonshire (12) during the first half of a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Pittsburgh Panthers in Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept.

These are the things we learned from the Tennessee football Volunteers' overtime victory at the Pittsburgh Panthers.

By the way, those two Small touchdowns showed they are a lot more physical this year too, as he also converted a 4th and 1. The Panthers had a 76-yard touchdown run and a 57-yard touchdown pass. Sure, they still lost the time of possession battle, but they were able to mount solid drives, as two ended in one-yard touchdown runs from Jabari Small. For the most part, though, they were the ones moving the ball. In the process, Up next for the Vols is a visit from the Akron Zips in a week.

Looking ahead: Tennessee Vols football schedule looks better now than it did in preseason. And their chances against Florida are more favorable.

That bodes well in looking ahead to Florida, which lacks quality depth, as evidenced against Kentucky. Despite Florida’s domination of the Tennessee series (16 victories in the past 17 games), you shouldn’t expect its success to continue. Its offensive line was as ineffective as LSU’s, though against a lesser opponent, in its opener. Kentucky is better than what I imagined in preseason. If LSU and South Carolina now seem less threatening to the Vols, Florida is about what you should have expected. As promising as its victory over No. He’s a greater threat running than passing. Arkansas proved as much in a 44-30 victory Saturday. Special teams were a disaster, star receiver Kayshon Boutte was sulking over not enough passes coming his way, and the offensive line repeatedly put quarterback Jayden Daniels in harm’s way. Georgia State repeatedly pressured quarterback Spencer Rattler and forced him to throw on the run. There’s also a possibility LSU could lose again before it plays Tennessee. Coaches still take one game at a time.

Tennessee football held on for a 34-27 overtime win over Pittsburgh in arguably the best win of the Josh Heupel era for the Vols.

Before this lackluster start, the Vols had scored a TD on their first possession in nine of 14 games under Heupel. It took a second-quarter surge for the Vols to bounce back. But the play was confirmed because a Pitt defender forced McCoy out of bounds, and he re-established his footing in bounds before making the reception. And Tillman’s 61-yard reception put the Vols about a foot from paydirt. With 14 seconds remaining in the first half, Tyler Baron sacked Slovis and forced him to fumble, which Omari Thomas recovered. Perhaps the “Bruuuu!” chants weren’t as loud in a road stadium, but Bru McCoy still made his presence known. It was Tillman’s sixth 100-yard receiving game of his career, including five in the past six games. Flowers muffed a punt return to set up the Panthers' scoring opportunity. Last season, the Vols beat Kentucky, ranked No. 14 Pittsburgh on Saturday in arguably the best win of coach Josh Heupel’s brief tenure. Pitt (1-1), the defending ACC champion, was ranked No. Cedric Tillman caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Hendon Hooker in overtime.