PITTSBURGH — Imagine a Tennessee football team leading by a touchdown at halftime only to fumble twice and have a punt blocked during the third and fourth quarters.
And then imagine the Volunteers actually winning.
That was the chaotic scenario Saturday inside Acrisure Stadium at the second Johnny Majors Classic, when a 28-yard touchdown pass from Hendon Hooker to Cedric Tillman followed by a defensive stand ultimately allowed the No. 24 Vols to outlast No. 17 Pittsburgh 34-27 in overtime. It was a familiar script that so often resulted in losses for the last decade and change, but not this time.
The Vols won a meaningful game they easily could have lost.