Game To Watch: Pittsburgh at Tennessee: September 11, 2021
Pittsburgh will visit Tennessee for a non-conference game this Saturday at 12:00 EST. The Panthers dominated an over-matched UMass team, winning 51 – 7. The Volunteers started the weekend on Thursday with a 38 – 6 drubbing of Bowling Green. This week both teams will look to build on that success against a power five opponent.
Recent History
Pittsburgh and Tennessee have only played one another twice in the past. Both of those meetings came in Knoxville and the Panthers won both. Of course those games were in 1980 and 1983, meaning there is no recent momentum for either team.
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What To Watch For…
First Test for Joe Milton at Tennessee
Joe Milton had a lot of hype early on at Michigan, but struggled when he faced quality defenses and then could not break out of the slump he fell into last year. He led the team to a win, but was not particularly efficient in the season opener. Milton has the physical tools to be a great quarterback, but he will need to prove he can play well against a solid defense. Pittsburgh lost plenty of talent from their 2020 defense, but still has a good defensive line rotation and an experienced linebacker group. Pat Narduzzi is an excellent defensive coach and the expectation is that the Panthers’ defense will be disruptive again in 2021. Milton will have to prove he can take care of the ball and move the offense against a tough defense for Tennessee to have success on offense.
Can Pitt Run the Ball Successfully?
Pittsburgh’s running game has struggled the past two seasons, forcing the offense to be one dimensional. Against UMass the running game looked significantly better than it has for most of the past two seasons. The Panthers ran for 5.44 yards per carry, but the competition level will be much tougher this week. Tennessee may have fallen on tough times lately, but they still recruit quality talent that UMass cannot match. They stifled the Bowling Green running attack last week, limiting the Falcons to 32 rushing yards and 1.4 yards per carry. The Volunteers defense played on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage all game, making 11 tackles for loss. If Pittsburgh’s running game is successful against the Vols, then they are truly improved from 2020.
Can Tennessee’s Defense Stop Pitt’s Passing Game?
Though the Panthers’ struggled to run the ball in 2020, the passing attack was effective when Kenny Pickett was healthy. Pickett has been starting at quarterback since the 2018 season and is a seasoned veteran who is familiar with the offense. Pitt also features Jordan Addison at receiver, the second year player starred as a true freshman and will be the primary weapon in the passing game. In week 1, the Panthers passed for 375 yards at 8.3 yards per attempt, but again that was against UMass’ defense. Tennessee’s defense did an excellent job of slowing down the Bowling Green passing attack last week, limiting them to 187 yards at 4.9 yards per attempt. Tennessee will attempt to repeat that performance and slow down Pickett, Addison and the rest of the Panthers’ passing attack.
Prediction
Both defenses will be disruptive in this game, making it difficult for the offenses to get into a rhythm. Tennessee will have the home crowd behind them and be ready to attack the aggressive Pitt defense early and may jump out to a lead. Pickett is a veteran QB who will keep Pittsburgh close and fight through adversity to keep his team consistent through four quarters. In the end, Pickett is less likely to make a key mistake than Milton and will pull out the win. Pittsburgh 27 Tennessee 21.
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