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Rapid Reaction: Penalties prove costly as Tennessee falls to Pitt in Johnny Majors Classic
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Tennessee and Pitt met up on Rocky Top on Saturday afternoon for the first Johnny Majors Classic, honoring the legendary coach who led both programs to success.
It was a good start for the Vols, who led 10-0 after the first quarter. However, the Tennessee defense gave up 27 points in the second quarter to enter halftime trailing 27-20. From there, it continued to be a back-and-forth affair.
Tennessee starting QB Joe Milton III dealt with some early issues with overthrowing receivers. Then, just before halftime, he appeared to be injured on a sack and went to the locker room early. From there, backup Hendon Hooker came in and led the Vol offense.
Pitt scored a touchdown on a trick play, using a double-pass to fool the Tennessee defense:
https://twitter.com/FTBVids_YT/status/1436739007321296899?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1436739007321296899%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsaturdaydownsouth.go-vip.net%2Ftennessee-football%2Fpitt-uses-double-pass-trick-play-to-take-lead-over-tennessee%2F
That made it 14-13 Pitt, and the Panthers were in the driver’s seat for most of the rest of the game.
Midway through the fourth quarter, trailing by a touchdown, the Vols had a chance to pick up a first down inside the 5-yard line. Instead, Pitt got the stop:
https://twitter.com/FTBVids_YT/status/1436778412576628737
From there, Pitt had to punt, but then picked off a Tennessee pass to preserve a 41-34 victory. The Vols fall to 1-1 with the loss, while the Panthers improve to 2-0.
The Vols struggled with penalties, committing 13 infractions that cost them 134 yards in the loss.
Hooker threw for 189 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception after coming on following Milton’s injury. We’ll see who gets the start next weekend when the Vols take on Tennessee Tech in Neyland Stadium.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
