Mocs secure winning season
UTC uses 18-point 4th quarter to top The Citadel
Clay Chavis
Issue date: 11/19/09 Section: Sports
The 2009 UTC Mocs made history Saturday, by mounting the largest comeback in the program's existence.
When the dust settled, UTC had overcome an 18-point first-half deficit to beat the The Citadel Bulldogs 31-28.
"Obviously, it was a great win," Head Coach Russ Huesman said. "It was an unbelievable effort by our guys to play that way in the second half to come back and win the football game against a good team. The Citadel is a good football team, they're talented. We are going to have to figure out how to start better."
In addition, UTC secured their first winning season since 2005 in the process.
With one game remaining, UTC will finish no worse than 6-5 in Huesman's first season.
UTC scrapped the running game almost altogether in the second half and went with what they do best: let B.J. Coleman throw it all over the field.
Coleman completed 39 of 61 attempts for 356 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
The sophomore from Chattanooga set season highs for completions, yards and attempts.
Early on, the Mocs seemed to struggle.
The Citadel moved the ball at will and opened up a quick 21-point lead. Coleman helped the Bulldogs with an interception that led to the biggest lead of the game.
The Mocs finally got on the board just before halftime with a Craig Camay field goal to cut the lead to 21-3. Camay, a senior from Marietta, Ga., was named Southern Conference Special Teams Player of the Week by going 3-3 on field goals.
Huesman was less than thrilled with his team's first half performance.
"At half time it was a pretty heated locker room. As soon as I left the field, I told the defensive coaches do not go and try figure out game plans, we've got to catch the football and we've got to throw the football," he said. "I told the defense we've got to tackle better. I told the offense don't even try to draw up new plays. Just tell them to catch the ball, throw the ball, and block people."
When the dust settled, UTC had overcome an 18-point first-half deficit to beat the The Citadel Bulldogs 31-28.
"Obviously, it was a great win," Head Coach Russ Huesman said. "It was an unbelievable effort by our guys to play that way in the second half to come back and win the football game against a good team. The Citadel is a good football team, they're talented. We are going to have to figure out how to start better."
In addition, UTC secured their first winning season since 2005 in the process.
With one game remaining, UTC will finish no worse than 6-5 in Huesman's first season.
UTC scrapped the running game almost altogether in the second half and went with what they do best: let B.J. Coleman throw it all over the field.
Coleman completed 39 of 61 attempts for 356 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
The sophomore from Chattanooga set season highs for completions, yards and attempts.
Early on, the Mocs seemed to struggle.
The Citadel moved the ball at will and opened up a quick 21-point lead. Coleman helped the Bulldogs with an interception that led to the biggest lead of the game.
The Mocs finally got on the board just before halftime with a Craig Camay field goal to cut the lead to 21-3. Camay, a senior from Marietta, Ga., was named Southern Conference Special Teams Player of the Week by going 3-3 on field goals.
Huesman was less than thrilled with his team's first half performance.
"At half time it was a pretty heated locker room. As soon as I left the field, I told the defensive coaches do not go and try figure out game plans, we've got to catch the football and we've got to throw the football," he said. "I told the defense we've got to tackle better. I told the offense don't even try to draw up new plays. Just tell them to catch the ball, throw the ball, and block people."
