Tennessee expects Pittsburgh to play familiar brand of football – like an SEC team

Jabari Small felt the sting of Pittsburgh’s defense last season, specifically when he suffered a shoulder injury that took him out of Tennessee’s loss to the Panthers.

And now Small, the Vols running back, sees that same physicality on film while preparing to play Pitt again.

“That (Pitt game was) the first game I got hurt, so I definitely want to finish this game and show the growth I’ve had since last year,” said Small, who gained 15 pounds in the weight room to be more durable this season.

“They are just physical, bigger, just like an SEC opponent.”

Tennessee (1-0) plays Pitt (1-0) on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at Acrisure Stadium, the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Pitt plays a physical style like the Vols face in the SEC, dubbed the “line of scrimmage league.” It touts an experienced offensive line and a defensive front-seven stocked with NFL-caliber talent.

And like SEC opponents, the Vols know the Panthers well. They lost to them, 41-34, last season.

UT coach Josh Heupel is 1-2 against Pitt. At Central Florida, he beat Pitt 45-14 in 2018 and lost to the Panthers 35-34 in 2019. He’s seen a constant in their physical brand of football, fueled by hard-nosed coach Pat Narduzzi.

“I’ve faced them four times; this is the fourth time in five years,” Heupel said. “They’re tough, physical on both sides of the line of scrimmage.”

Pitt relies on brute force sans Kenny Pickett

Pitt’s potency at the line of scrimmage is why it’s still a threat to repeat as ACC champions despite the loss of its offensive stars.

Quarterback Kenny Pickett, a Heisman Trophy finalist, went to the NFL. And wide receiver Jordan Addison, the Biletnikoff Award winner, transferred to Southern Cal.

So Pitt has refocused on winning with brute force and aggression. First-year offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. wants to run the ball behind a veteran offensive line and set up play-action passes.

That drew mixed results in Pitt’s 38-31 win over West Virginia in the season opener.

Rodney Hammond ran hard for 129 all-purpose yards and two TDs, and USC transfer Kedon Slovis passed for 308 yards. But Pitt’s line allowed five sacks, and the ground attack never broke a long run.

Tennessee’s defense must overpower Pitt’s offensive line and tackle Hammond, a stocky, powerful runner. And it must improve its pass rush after not recording a sack in a 59-10 win over Ball State.

'They're going to load it up'

On offense, Tennessee must the run ball well into the teeth of Pitt’s front-seven. And it must protect quarterback Hendon Hooker long enough to hit deep passes and exploit Pitt’s aggressive style.

“They’re physically mature,” Heupel said. “And with the structure of their defense – I don’t care what personnel group (or) formation you’re playing in – they’re going to load it up and play with extra bodies in (the tackle box).

“So they make it difficult to run the football. You guys know for us, offensively it starts with our ability to run the football.”

Pitt returned six All-ACC players on defense, led by linebacker SirVocea Dennis, defensive tackle Calijah Kancey and defensive end Habakkuk Baldonado. They helped the Panthers drop the Vols for five sacks and nine tackles-for-loss in last season’s game.

“They’re a physical group,” offensive lineman Jerome Carvin said. “Eleven (players) to the ball. They play with that mentality, so it’s going to be hard to block them.”

Last season, Hooker replaced starting quarterback Joe Milton, who suffered a leg injury against Pitt just before halftime. Small scored an early touchdown and then left in the second quarter with a shoulder injury.

The Vols expect another tough matchup.

“They play physical. We are very familiar with their defense,” Small said. “I feel like (last season’s game) is in the back of everybody’s mind, just the way it ended. They are a great team, not saying they didn’t deserve to win.

"But it’s definitely in the back of our heads (and) gives us a little more fire.”

Reach Adam Sparks at adam.sparks@knoxnews.com and on Twitter @AdamSparks.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee expects Pittsburgh to play familiar brand of football – like an SEC team