The Tennessee Vols' 34-27 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Panthers this past weekend was not like the other eight games that Heupel has won at UT.

Tennessee's 34 points were the fewest the Vols have scored in a win during the Heupel era.

Nearly everything that could've gone wrong for the Vols did go wrong. Tipped passes fell into the hands of Pitt wide receivers, a blocked field goal went in for the Panthers, Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman dropped a touchdown in the end zone, and quarterback Hendon Hooker had a few throws sail on him.

The Vols also had issues running the ball — something they expected against Pittsburgh's tough defensive front.

Tennessee's mistakes didn't stop there. There was a muffed punt that gave the Panthers the ball in excellent field position. Pittsburgh also blocked a Vols punt.

But despite all of those mistakes, Tennessee still found a way to win the game.

This is a game that UT loses in most seasons. And that's not something that was lost on Heupel.

"A year ago, a game like this, not just some of the things that we did playing, but the ups and downs, I don’t think we would’ve handled it in a way that we would’ve needed to," said Heupel after the win against Pitt. "To be able to come out on top and just keep playing. And we’re far from being a finished product. We’ve got a long way to go — coaches and players alike — to keep getting to where we’re capable of being. But the growth in maturity and competitiveness, man, it’s so different than when we first took over."

One of the biggest concerns about Heupel when he took over at Tennessee was whether or not he could win an "ugly game" where the Vols' offense wasn't scoring points at a relentless pace.

We found out that the answer to that question is a resounding yes.

The Vols were off offensively on Saturday night against the Panthers. For whatever reason — whether it was play calling, execution, or something else — Tennessee just never found its offensive rhythm.

The assumption from Heupel's critics was that UT wouldn't be able to win a game that devolved into a slugfest.

Tennessee, however, showed an incredible amount of resiliency and confidence by finding a way to beat Pitt.

That showed us that this Vols team is built for adversity. They understand that the offense isn't going to hit on all cylinders every night.

And one reason the offense struggled was that Pitt was prepared for Heupel's offense because they've faced it four times since 2018 (dating back to his time at UCF). Another concern with Heupel was that he could start to fade once teams figured out how to defend his up-tempo offense.

Again, Heupel showed that shouldn't be a concern by beating a good Pittsburgh team on the road that came at Tennessee with a perfect defensive game plan.

The Vols have what it takes to have a special season in 2022. And if they go on to win 10 games this year for the first time since 2007, you'll be able to point to this Pitt game as the night when Tennessee learned they can win on any given night, no matter how bad the offense plays.

And that belief is a powerful thing.

Featured image via Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports