Generally, you would think Tennessee football has an advantage this week against the Pittsburgh Panthers. They needed all four quarters to put away the West Virginia Mountaineers 38-31 on Thursday.

As that was happening, the Vols were easily dismantling the Ball State Cardinals 59-10. Pitt should have had to reveal more of its playbook, and the Vols would seem more well-rested.

However, Cooper Mays says it could go either way. Sure, Pitt may be a bit more drained entering this game, but they’re also better-tested.

“If you look at UFC fighters, fighters that have been in five-round fights, that have done all five, are notoriously better than fighters who haven’t traveled the distance all the way,” Mays said on The Vol Report. “It kind of tests your will a little bit as a man. You’ve kind of got to swim in the deep water and tread water, so you’ve got to see who will float and who will sink.”

Also, it’s not like the rest is a factor. Pitt played on Thursday, just as Tennessee football did, so being off for 10 days allows them to rest just fine.

The preparation advantage may be nullified too, as Pat Narduzzi and Josh Heupel have already faced each other three times as head coaches. Heupel’s teams are 1-2 in the series, and Pitt won last year 41-34.

Mays said it’s unlikely Pitt’s game plan is much different from last year because they won.

“If it ain’t broke, you don’t fix it, so we’ve got to prove that it’s broken before they have to fix it,” he said.

How Tennessee football is scheming for Pitt

For Mays and the offensive line, the focus in this game is clear. They have to prepare for the pass rush, noting that the front seven is where Pitt puts its pride.

“They may not be the biggest front, but they’re guys that play really hard, and they’ll make it really difficult for you to block them,” he said. “They’ll make it a pain to block them. “They’re not going to sit there and just throw you on your back, but you’ve got to be really cautious about how you approach them because they will make you miss.”

Picking up sacks has been the staple of the program under Narduzzi. Last year, they sacked Tennessee football five times and forced two fumbles.

It’s not just the pass rushers who make it difficult either. Mays said Pitt can make things difficult with lots of different blitz packages.

“They’ve got a lot of fronts that are hard to pick up because they’ve got so many people up there, and you don’t know exactly who’s coming and who’s dropping out in coverage, so you’ve just got to be a really good football player and be on your feet and know exactly where you’re going to be at all times,” he said.

Pitt returned its leaders from last year in tackles, tackles for a loss, solo tackles and sacks. Mays noted they use their linebackers to fill gaps in the run, which helps them focus so heavily on the pass rush.

Revenge from last year, though, is not something Mays focuses on.

“I”m out here to get my job done at the highest rate possible, so, you know, I’m going there with the same mindset every time, and that’s just to win the football game,” he said. “I don’t think about last year or the next year. I try to stay where my feet are.”

Blocking vs. Ball State a positive sign for Tennessee football

Sure, it was just Ball State, and no, they weren’t tested like Pitt was. However, that doesn’t mean that the Vols didn’t show promise in how they blocked against Ball State.

Unlike what they had prepared for, Ball State dropped eight in coverage all day. That required the Vols to block well enough on run plays so they consistently gained enough yards.

“You’re not going to have runs that hit for may 60 or 50 or 80, but you’re going to get a good 10 or 12 if you block it correctly,” Mays said about running the ball against the defensive schemes Ball State had.

With 218 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns in that game, the Vols did a lot to make people happy. Still, Mays said they could have improved their overall execution.

“The first game of the season, doing the tempo, there’s nothing really that can prepare you for the way you’re going to feel, like how tired you’re going to be, so I can understand a little bit of stuff, but probably every first game, you’re going to just want a little bit better execution,” he said. “I’m pleased with how we played, but it’s always going to be able to be better.”

What helped Tennessee football in that matchup, though, was Hendon Hooker’s leadership. Mays said a player with Hooker’s leadership and experience who also carries himself “the right way” is easy to want to follow.

He added that they were more settled in the offense and much more comfortable than last year, which helped.

“Anytime you’re doing something new, especially something like this, it can be a little bit chaotic, but when you can slow it down and kind of really put things into really where it needs to be at the right speed, then it kind of slows down for you and becomes more efficient,” he said.

Perhaps that will be what helps Tennessee football against Pitt. Last year, Hooker came in after Joe Milton III got hurt in that game, and the offense was still developing. This is a completely different team now.