KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- -- Kenny Pickett threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score to seal Pittsburgh's 41-34 win over Tennessee on Saturday.
The Panthers defense collected five sacks, recovered two fumbles, one interception and had a crucial fourth-quarter goal-line stand to seal their second win of the season.
The Volunteers (1-1) lost the game and a starting quarterback. Joe Milton suffered a lower leg injury after being sacked and losing a fumble at the start of the second quarter.
Hendon Hooker threw for 189 yards, but mistakes hurt the effort.
"(Pickett) is a football player now," Pitt's coach Pat Narduzzi said of his quarterback. "I trust KP. He knows what he's doing on the football field. People rally around him. "
After three straight and three out drives, Pitt came up with a score of five straight. The Panthers scored touchdowns on all five trips inside the Tennessee 20-yard line.
"It's something we've focused on in the spring and (precision) camp to get touchdowns on the board," Piquet said.
Tennessee, known for its uptempo offense, manages 66 plays compared to 82 for Pitt. The Panthers' biggest game came on defense with Pit 3's fourth-quarter goal-line stand that could have tied the game. Jaylen Wright was chilled by John Pattison.
"Talk about the biggest game in the game," Narduzzi said. "Our defense played solid."
Tennessee coach Josh Huepel said, "We talk about finishing in the fourth quarter and put that emphasis on how our practice unfolds, we have a period in the fourth quarter and we focus on playing the right way. And there were a lot of good things in the fourth quarter, but not enough in those crucial moments on the offensive side of football."
When Tennessee's offense was showing signs of life in the fourth quarter, the Panthers came up with an answer.
Walls' defense ran into tackling issues on a 75-yard drive, which resulted in a 5-yard pass and a 41-27 pit lead from Piquet to Jordan Edison.
Pitt's second double-digit lead did not last long. Hooker ran for 23 yards, then hit Jacob Warren in the middle for 34 for Panthers 2. Jaylen Wright scored on her third attempt.
Wright had a chance to tie the match in the middle of the fourth quarter. On fourth and -1 from Pitt 3, Patterson shot the gap and hit Wright for the defeat, giving Pitt the ball.
Three plays and a bad punt later, Walls pushed the ball back 34 yards, tying the game. Pitts' Brandon Hill ended that threat with an interception.
Pitt handled a difficult start driven by a blocked punt and a 2-yard touchdown run by Jabari Smalls. The gap narrowed to 10-0 before the Panthers extended 27 points in the second quarter. He scored five straight on possessions.
"I said a key was an early storm season before the game," Narduzzi said. “The crowd (82,203) was loud and there was excitement. Our people got it done."
With three turnovers, Tennessee was responsible for 13 penalties for 134 yards.
"(The punishment) startled me," said Heppel. "It's not what we are in celebration at the start of the game by taking off our helmets and changing the position of the field. ... There are things that happen across the country that we talk a little bit about in our Monday meeting.
Takeaway
Pitt: Everyone talks about Heppel's big-strike, uptempo offense. But the Panthers proved that they can put some big numbers on the board when needed.
Tennessee: Even without Milton, the offense of Vol. Virginia Tech Transfer, Hooker, was productive on the air and on land.
QB Score
Piquet's 1-yard third-quarter sneak for a touchdown gave him a TD in a career run of 16, tying him with Rick Trocano (1977–80). Trocano was at the center when Pitt defeated Tennessee in 1980.
Personnel issues
Last week, in a one-sided victory at Bowling Green, Tennessee trailed Tion Evans ran for 120 yards and a touchdown. An undisclosed injury prevented Evans from playing against Pitt.
Center Cooper Mess, who abandoned the opener due to a lower leg injury, was also unavailable. Two key components of the Vols' defensive line - LaTrell Bumpus and Rush and Byron Young - also did not play. Bumps suffered an undisclosed injury and Young is awaiting approval by the NCAA regarding his pre school credentials.
Next
Pitt: Members of the Central American Conference will visit Pitt in Western Michigan next Saturday. The Panthers have two more games to go before starting the Atlantic Coast Conference schedule.
Tennessee: Tennessee Tech will have one last tuneup next Saturday, before Volume Florida begins its Southeastern Conference competition on Sept. 25.