Chattanooga: Mocs finally had chance at victory

It took 11 weeks, but the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga finally found itself in a game Saturday against The Citadel.

The result was the same as the previous eight games, but most everything else about the 24-21 loss at Johnson Hagood Stadium was different for the Mocs (1-10, 0-7 SoCon).

Against the Bulldogs (4-7, 2-6), the Mocs made plays on offense and defense, executing at times when so often before during the nine-game losing streak, they had not. That’s why The Citadel needed a 43-yard punt return for a touchdown by Andre Roberts with 1:46 to play in the game to win.

“We did some things that you got to do to win games like that,” Mocs coach Rodney Allison said Sunday night. “But we also did some things (that) if you do them, you lose.

“It was fun to be in it and be playing for a win late in the fourth quarter.”

The Mocs trailed 17-14 at the half and went up 21-17 early in the third quarter when Jare Gault hit Blue Cooper for a 31-yard touchdown, giving UTC its first second-half lead since its Sept. 6 win over Cumberland.

In the Mocs’ previous eight games, they had been down by an average of 28 points, so to take a 21-17 lead into the fourth Saturday was unfamiliar territory — and a welcome change of pace.

“To finally have a game like that, to come down to the wire in the fourth quarter, that’s exciting, that’s what you play for,” said Gault, who was 11-for-17 for 182 yards and two touchdowns.

As the rain came down and soaked the field and the footballs, play got a bit sloppy in the fourth quarter. The Citadel’s first possession ended with a fumble, but the Mocs gave the ball back when Erroll Wynn fumbled at the UTC 37-yard line. On the next play, UTC free safety J.D. Dothard intercepted a pass in the end zone.

The Mocs took over at their 20 with 9:51 remaining and got a first down when Gault hit tight end Patrick Wilkinson for a 24-yard gain on third down. It was the kind of play the Mocs hadn’t been making this season and seemed to offer some hope, but three plays later Brent Hayes fumbled and the Bulldogs recovered at their 49.

The Citadel drove down to the UTC 7, where it had two tries to gain a yard for a first down, and on both plays the Bulldogs were stopped, turning the ball over on downs.

The UTC offense took over with 3:22 remaining and ran the ball twice for short gains. On third-and-7, Gault looked to throw but with nobody open right away he tried to run for the first and came up two yards short.

On fourth-and-2 from the 15, with 2:00 on the clock, Allison had Jeff Lloyd do a rugby punt to the right.

“We rugby kicked it to try to get it on the ground,” Allison said.

Instead, Roberts, the Walter Payton Award candidate, ran up to catch it and was soon running into the end zone for the game-winning score.

“Two fumbles and a punt return in the fourth quarter, that was the difference,” Allison said.

Allison’s six-year run as coach comes to a close this Saturday in the season finale against Samford at Finley Stadium. Samford (5-5, 3-4) needs a win to finish at .500 in its first season in the Southern Conference.