Three Matchups to Watch in Pitt-Tennessee
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers host Tennessee this afternoon, the first game on Pittsburgh soil featuring a team from the Southeastern Conference.
Pitt will be challenged by the quickest-moving offense in America and size that lives up to it's SEC reputation. Here are three matchups to watch as the Panthers and Volunteers collide at Acrisure Stadium.
Marquis Williams vs. Cedric Tillman
Tillman is the most talented Tennessee player this side of Hendon Hooker. He's a big, strong explosive-play threat and, given that Pitt is going to leave their corners on islands, he is in position for a big afternoon.
Expect Williams, the Panthers' best cover corner, to tail Tillman all afternoon. Williams faces a significant size disadvantage against the 6'3, 215-pound Tillman which figures to be a favorable matchup for Hooker and Tennesee, but this isn't the first time that 5'9, 180-pound Williams has lined up against a bigger receiver. He made a career playing larger than his measurements and will have to do that this afternoon if Pitt hopes to contain the Volunteers' outstanding passing attack.
Marcus Minor vs. Omari Thomas
Pitt's offensive line did not live up to expectations - Minor and his coaches said so themselves.
"In the run game, we kind of got going early and I honestly was not pleased with it," offensive line coach Dave Borbley said this week. "I didn’t think we played up to the standard that we should play to.”
They have a chance to bounce back and make a strong statement against an SEC defensive line that really looks the part. Meanwhile, the Tennesee defensive line has size but it isn't particularly experienced or productive - the Volunteers didn't record a sack against Ball State despite winning by nearly 50 points.
Pitt will want to run the ball and control the clock, hoping to keep the Volunteers' offense on the sideline and that starts up front with Minor, who will have Tennessee's most talented lineman, Omari Thomas, in his face all day long.
Brandon Hill vs. Hendon Hooker
Hill made perhaps the biggest play of the 2021 edition of the Johnny Majors Classic - an interception with 4:52 left in the fourth quarter that allowed Pitt to ice a 41-34 win at Neyland Stadium.
Hooker gets another shot at a Panthers secondary that was, quite frankly, lucky to have not given up more big plays than they did in that game. Hooker's had a year to build chemistry with his receivers and it's unlikely the Volunteer offense will be as out of sync this time around.
Hill will have to lead a focused effort from his strong safety spot with Tennessee's tempo threatening to throw the Pitt defense into a frenzy. Communication will be key and takeaways could be back-breaking in a game that promises a lot of scoring.
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