Mocs' rally not enough at App. State
UTC cuts 21-0 gap to 21-20 before falling 35-20
Andrew D. Holt
Issue date: 11/12/09 Section: Sports
|
Chattanooga, (5-4, 3-4) spotted ASU (7-2, 6-0) 21 points in the first quarter, the first score coming after a pass from sophomore quarterback B.J. Coleman, from Chattanooga, was grabbed by ASU's D.J. Smith after being tipped by junior tight end Garrett Hughes, from Lawrenceburg, Tenn.
Smith returned the interception to the Mocs' 1-yard line, and two plays later, the Mountaineers got on the board, taking the 7-0 lead.
UTC's second possession mirrored its first.
Just two plays into the drive, senior receiver Clint Woods, from Birmingham, Ala., bobbled another pass from Coleman and ASU's Jacque Roman snagged the ball.
ASU failed to score immediately after the second turnover, but later cashed in on back-to-back drives, pushing their lead to 21-0 at the end of the first quarter.
"We were playing an excellent football team and when you give them opportunities like that you know they're going to make you pay," first-year Head Coach Russ Huesman said.
The Mocs finally got on the scoreboard halfway through the second quarter after senior linebacker Joseph Thornton, from Stone Mountain, Ga., recovered a fumble on the ASU 39-yard line.
Seven plays later, Coleman scored on a quarterback sneak from one yard out, cutting the Mountaineers' lead to 21-7.
Huesman said that despite trailing at halftime, he knew his team was not going to quit, and he was right.
UTC converted two straight on-side kicks to start the second half but was only able to muster three points. Yet momentum seemed to be swinging in the Mocs' favor.
Late in the third quarter, Coleman directed the Chattanooga offense on a nine-play scoring drive that took 3:17 off the clock to make it a one-possession game with the score at 21-17. Senior receiver Blue Cooper, from Rome, Ga. hauled in a two-yard pass from Coleman for the score.
Chattanooga's defense flexed its muscle on the next series, forcing an ASU punt which set up a 12-play scoring drive that ended with a 36-yard field goal, making the score 21-20.
The Mocs would not get any closer though, and the Mountaineers punched in two late touchdowns, making the final 35-20.
ASU entered the game leading the nation with 513.0 yards of offense per game but the Mocs held them to just 322 yards, their lowest output against an FCS opponent this season.
"Our kids fought, you could see how badly they wanted to win and that's the great thing about this team is that these guys never quit," Huesman said.
UTC returns to Finley Stadium for its final home game of the season this Saturday against The Citadel.
Kickoff for the matchup is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
