Russ Huesman went for the win with 51 seconds left Saturday against third-ranked Appalachian State.
In the biggest game the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has played in years, with a crowd of 15,235 on hand at Finley Stadium, the Mocs' second-year coach opted for a two-point conversion rather than attempting a tying extra point.
Quarterback B.J. Coleman tried to fire the ball to 6-foot-5 wideout Marlon Anthony, but the pass was batted down in the end zone by the Mountaineers, preserving a thrilling 42-41 come-from-behind Southern Conference win.
"There was no doubt in my mind, and I don't think there was any doubt in anybody's mind, that we needed to go for two to win the game right there," Huesman said.
The Mocs' kickers, Mike Hammons and Nick Pollard, had combined to miss three extra points earlier in the game - misses that loomed larger and larger as the game progressed - but Huesman said his decision to go for the win had "nothing" to do with those misses.
"I just didn't think we could ever stop them on defense [in overtime]," Huesman said.
It was a heartbreaking end to a much-anticipated season opener that the Mocs led by 21 points early in the fourth quarter.
The Mocs dominated the Mountaineers in the first half and went up 35-14 on the first play of the final period when Coleman hit tight end Garrett Hughes for a 16-yard touchdown.
That's when Appalachian State, a veteran squad that has won five straight SoCon titles, hit its stride and took command in all phases of the game.
The Mountaineers scored a quick touchdown and got the ball back on the ensuing kickoff when UTC's Buster Skrine fumbled following a hard hit that sent him out of the game with a dislocated elbow.
Appalachian State quarterback DeAndre Presley scored three plays later to make it 35-28.
"We could have thrown in the towel and got down," said Presley, who was 22-for-29 passing for 340 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two scores. "We knew that if we just played our football that we could win this game."
The Mountaineers got the ball back again moments later when defensive end Jabari Fletcher sacked Coleman and recovered the fumble he forced. Fletcher was a beast in the fourth quarter, sacking Coleman three times and forcing two fumbles.
Cedric Baker scored on the next play, and the PAT tied the score at 35.
Presley scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 33-yard return of a Matt Cline fumble. He passed the ball to Cline, who was hit and lost the ball. Presley picked it up and sprinted in for the score with 6:05 to play.
Trailing 42-35, the Mocs drove 86 yards and scored on a Coleman 3-yard run with 51 seconds left to make it 42-41. That's when the two-point attempt came up empty.
"That's a good football team we just played, and we were in there," Coleman said. "We believed the whole time, all the way down to the end."
Huesman's postgame message to his team was the same one he delivered to the media: "No moral victories."
The Mocs looked like one of the best teams in the FCS in the first half and had a chance at the end to beat an elite program, but they didn't get it done.
"We came to win this football game and we thought we could win this football game," Huesman said, later adding, "We should have won this football game."
The Mountaineers, who stretched their conference win streak to 21 games, were opening a season against a SoCon opponent for the first time since 1991. It was the first time ever for the Mocs.
The Mocs outgained Appalachian State 492 yards to 486. Coleman was 23-for-37 passing for 340 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two scores.
UTC's leading rusher was wideout Brian Sutherland, who had two long reverse runs and finished with 95 yards on the ground and five catches for 85 yards.
Coleman threw touchdown passes to Chris Pitchford, Joel Bradford and Hughes. Running back Chris Awuah also had a TD pass, hitting Anthony for a 9-yard score that gave UTC a 28-7 lead at the half.