When Tennessee football visits the Pittsburgh Panthers Saturday afternoon, it’ll be the fourth matchup against Pat Narduzzi’s program for both Josh Heupel and Hendon Hooker. They are each 1-2 against Pitt (although Hooker technically didn’t start in 2021), and they were 1-1 at previous schools.

Heupel beat Pitt as head coach of the UCF Knights 45-14 in 2018 before losing 35-34 in 2019. Hooker led the Virginia Tech Hokies to a 28-0 win over Pitt in 2019 before losing to them 47-14 in 2020. Obviously, they lost 41-34 last year to Pitt together. His experience facing Pitt at VT won’t mean much, according to Heupel.

“Going back to his days at Virginia Tech, I think there’s not a ton of value in that just because of schematically and he’s a different player than he was then, too,” Heupel said of Hooker at Wednesday’s SEC teleconference.

Pitt was the game in which Hooker emerged for Tennessee football last year. He came in after Joe Milton III got hurt, and he looked good for the most part, completing 15-of-21 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 49 yards.

However, Hooker made the wrong read late on a 4th and 1 inside the red zone, and he then threw an interception to lose the game, costing the Vols in a 41-34 loss. That didn’t stop Hooker from having a historically great season. Now, he faces Pitt in a rematch as a much more seasoned quarterback. Heupel didn’t overlook last year’s game.

“I think there’s value in what we did a year ago and what we saw,” he said. “For (Hooker) and what we’re doing offensively, I think there’s value in that.”

Having more experience is a huge deal, as Tennessee football’s success against Pitt will depend heavily on how much better Hooker is than he was a year ago. A full offseason knowing he was going to be the starter had to help his development somewhat.

In the Vols’ 59-10 season-opening win against the Ball State Cardinals, one key area of development for Hooker was clear. He didn’t take too many sacks. Hooker was sacked once, and it was on a rollout for a one-yard loss. Last year, the Vols allowed over three sacks a game and were one of the 10 worst teams at avoiding them in the nation.

Hooker was a huge part of that, as he often held onto the ball too long. He was sacked three times alone against Pitt, fumbling once, which is why this improvement was such a big deal. Sure, it happened against Ball State, but that still can’t be overlooked. Heupel specifically touted Hooker being more decisive.

“I thought he handled a structure that was maybe a little bit different than what we had prepared for in a really good way,” Heupel said. “I think he’s got a really good grasp and understanding of what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, and based on what he’s seeing on the other side, be able to attack the right side of the field.”

In his first game against Pitt, Hooker was 10-of-13 for 153 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another 27 yards. A year later, he was 13-of-22 for 260 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 53 yards. He was sacked a total of five times in those two games combined, and he threw one interception, which came in 2020.

Still, it’s not just the schematic changes that lead Heupel to not place much emphasis on what Hooker did against Pitt while playing at VT. It also has a lot to do with how Hooker has changed as a player, which involves his development under Heupel and what he did this offseason.

“Your fundamentals of what you’re doing, in particular with the lower body, that’s part of (Hooker’s) ability to be accurate with the football and drive the football in a different way than he was when he first got here, transferring from VT,” he said.

Familiarity in this matchup doesn’t stop with Narduzzi, Heupel and Hooker, though. Tennessee football receiver Bru McCoy was teammates with Pitt quarterback Kedon Slovis in 2020, as both were playing for the USC Trojans at the time.

“I think Kedon plays extremely smart,” Heupel said. “He has a really good grasp of what they’re trying to do.”

Whether or not Slovis replicates Kenny Pickett’s success remains to be seen, but this year, Tennessee football has the experience edge at quarterback. They’re also starting the right person.

As a result, beyond experience from another school in another system, Hooker brings lots of advantages to this game. His development, the Vols’ stability with him and his experience specifically playing Pitt last year, along with the whole team’s, will all come into play. Heupel’s familiarity with Pitt could also help.

“They’re physical. They’re tough. They’re a smart football team,” he said. “Some of the things that we did in the ball game a year ago, we can’t afford to do. We need to show that type of growth.”