Chattanooga Mocs defense gearing up to stop VMI

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It isn't just the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga basketball team that wants to create chaos on the playing field. The football Mocs' defensive line will have plenty of chances to continue disrupting opposing offenses with this weekend's homecoming matchup against VMI.

Asked about facing a Keydets offense that leads the Southern Conference in pass attempts and passing, a sinister smile curled the lips of UTC sophomore end Keionta Davis.

"They're a dangerous passing team, but all our D-line guys love to get a sack so we're all eager to go out there and get after the quarterback and try to get some," said Davis, who had two tackles for loss and two sacks in his first start of the season. "He's dangerous and we have to contain him, push him back into the pocket and our D-tackles have to push the pocket back at him and just create chaos in the backfield."

VMI's 298-yard per game passing average leads the SoCon and ranks No. 8 among FCS teams, while redshirt freshman quarterback Al Cobb is fifth in the FCS in passing yards, completing 67-percent of his attempts for 1,309 yards and seven touchdowns.

Last week the 6-foot-3, 190-pound Cobb threw for 322 yards in a loss to Mercer, and he has accounted for 15 plays of 20 or more yards this season. But he's not just a pocket passer. In 177 pass attempts he's only been sacked seven times.

"We can't be too anxious in getting after him," Mocs defensive line coach Marcus West said. "I have a lot of respect for this dude [Cobb]. He can be tough to get to because he knows where he's going with the ball, so you gotta make clean moves and get to him in under three [seconds]. He's the sharpest guy we've seen at the position so far this year."

VMI puts so much trust in the redshirt freshman Cobb, that the Keydets have thrown the ball 34 more times than they have ran it this season. And he has responded with three of the SoCon's four 300-plus yard passing games so far.

But now he'll face the top defensive front in the league and one of the best among FCS teams. The Mocs are second in the league in total defense and scoring defense and rank third against the pass, allowing just 169.8 yards per game.

Defending the pass starts up front and UTC's defensive line was very active in last week's win over Samford, finishing with eight tackles for loss and four sacks, led by Davis Tull's career-high four negative-yardage stops and two sacks.

"That's my favorite thing about the game is rushing the passer," said Tull, who is tied for ninth in the league for career sacks with 29.5, seven off the record. "So I'm excited about this work week and the opportunity we'll have come game time.

"The success we have as outside rushers comes from those inside guys -- Josh Freeman, Derrick Lott and Daniel Ring -- doing a great job of flushing the quarterback out to us. This whole D-line, that's what we like to do, get after the quarterback."

Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.