Mocs tackle Blue Hose, score first road win
Andrew D. Holt
Issue date: 9/24/09 Section: Sports
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It was the first road win for the Mocs in nearly two seasons and was a win head coach Russ Huesman was more than pleased with.
"I think each time we win and each time we have success, whether it's offense, defense - winning games - I think it builds our confidence," the first-year head coach said.
After going three-and-out on their opening drive, the Mocs were forced to punt and Presbyterian College took over at their own 20-yard line. But the Blue Hose would only hold the ball for :08 seconds after UTC freshman linebacker Ryan Consiglio intercepted an errant pass and returned it to the 16 yard line.
UTC couldn't capitalize on the Presbyterian turnover though, and the drive ended on a missed field goal by senior kicker Craig Camay, from Marietta, Ga.
On the ensuing possession the Blue Hose marched 69 yards in just over six minutes and took the lead 3-0 on a 26-yard field goal from Aaron Hayes.
The following drive for the Mocs was a bit more prosperous though as Camay would redeem himself of his earlier miss by nailing a 52-yard field goal as time expired in the first quarter to tie the game at 3-3.
The Mocs wouldn't settle for field goals in the second quarter and neither did Presbyterian. They jumped out to a 10-3 lead after scoring a touchdown, capping a five play 42-yard drive on a 1-yard dive into the end zone.
Chattanooga responded after the Blue Hose score and rode the shoulder of sophomore quarterback B.J. Coleman for a seven-play 67-yard drive that ended in a touchdown. Forty-one of those yards came on a Coleman completion to tight end Garret Hughes. The touchdown came five plays later on a three-yard pass from Coleman to junior wide receiver and Knoxville, Tenn. native Chris Pitchford.
Despite the short distance, the throw from Coleman forced Pitchford to make a nice adjustment on the ball.
"Any time we can get Pitchford isolated on a corner, we feel like he can win," said Coleman, a Chattanooga native. "We have a lot of confidence in [Pitchford] to make those plays."
