University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football coach Russ Huesman likes seeing quarterback Terrell Robinson run. But forward, not backward.
Robinson, who has replaced the injured B.J. Coleman, has 186 yards on 35 carries in the Mocs' past two games. But that total would be even higher if the redshirt freshman had avoided several losses for big yardage last week against Western Carolina by either going down or "throwing it seven rows deep," Huesman said.
He was sacked twice for minus-19 yards and was brought down for an 8-yard loss on a run.
"What makes him good is hitting it downhill on some of these run plays, getting on the edge quickly and going," Huesman said. "He hasn't been real good running around in the back back there."
Barring a rapid rebound by Coleman, Robinson will start this week when UTC visits Elon. Coleman did not practice Tuesday.
Robinson said he knows he can't always try to make something out of nothing. That worked at South Pittsburg High School, but it won't in the Southern Conference.
"You just want to make something happen," he said after Tuesday's practice, "but at the same time you've got to know the down and distance and you've got to be smart with the ball."
Samford game on TV
The Mocs' Nov. 5 game at Samford will be televised in the Birmingham area on ABC 33/40, Samford announced Tuesday. The game is not part of the SoCon television package.
There will be a heavyweight duo in the box. Ron Franklin and Mark Gottfried, who for many years were the primary team in the booth on ESPN's Saturday night broadcasts, will call their first game together since 2004.
The Mocs' game Saturday at Elon is the SoCon game of the week.
ASU starting Jackson
Jamal Jackson will start his second game in a row at quarterback for No. 6 Appalachian State on Saturday against Samford. DeAndre Presley had been bothered by a shoulder injury entering last week's game against The Citadel, but ASU coach Jerry Moore said Jackson now has earned the starting job.
Presley was the SoCon offensive player of the year in 2010 and one of the three finalists for the Walter Payton Award. Moore said Presley will likely play some wide receiver this week.
Extra points
Mocs right guard Kevin Revis (knee) did not practice Tuesday. Taylor Dodds worked in his place. ... Backup defensive end Zack Rayl (hip) also sat out practice, as did backup linebacker J.D. Dothard (knee).