Davis Tull (90) goes eye-eye with Austin Peay quarterback Darrien Boone (4).MOCS GLANCE• UTC (3-2) at TENNESSEE (2-3)• Saturday, 4 p.m.• Neyland Stadium in Knoxville• SEC Network TV; 96.1 FM
Growing up in the shadow of Neyland Stadium, Davis Tull spent more autumn Saturdays than he can recall sitting with his dad watching University of Tennessee football. Like the rest of his family he was a Volunteers fan and still has plenty of orange memorabilia stored away at his childhood home.
But while this Saturday's game is a homecoming for Tull, and he admits his emotions will run high, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's senior defensive end said his mind will be all business.
"I can't even imagine what my emotions will be like, coming out on that field and hearing boos," said Tull, a two-time All-American who played at Knoxville's Bearden High along with Tennessee kick returner Devrin Young. "We lived about five minutes from the campus, so to come out of Knoxville and be a decent player who was passed up on, there's going to be a lot of emotion and a lot of motivation for this one.
"My dad is getting like 40-something tickets, and I'll know a lot of people in the stands. It's going to be cool to see what we're made of. We're not going to just lay down because they're a division higher than us. We're going up there to compete to win."
While UTC will be outmanned at every other position, one intriguing storyline will be how the Vols' inexperienced offensive line handles the Mocs' talented and veteran defensive front. Tennessee has allowed 18 sacks, while UTC's defense ranks among the best at the FCS level at pressuring the quarterback.
Tull leads the Southern Conference this season in sacks (5) and tackles for loss (9) and has had six quarterback hurries in the last two games alone. With 31.5 career sacks he needs five to become the league's all-time leader. UTC defensive tackle Derrick Lott is fifth in the SoCon with three sacks, and Keionta Davis has two.
"None of us are coming into this game thinking any less of them just because maybe they've struggled by their standards," Tull said. "People have said some things about their offensive line, but they're still an SEC football team. They're going to be the best team we'll play all year, there's no question about that.
"I don't want to put any individual stats ahead of my team; I just want our defensive line to play to our capabilities. If we do that we should get pressure in the backfield. But to get a sack in Neyland and hear the crowd groan would be pretty special."
Tull is one of five Mocs who played for high school teams in Knoxville or nearby. The others are senior fullback Taharin Tyson of Alcoa, sophomore tight end Kevin Neithammer of Maryville, freshman receiver Penny Smith of Fulton and freshman reserve quarterback Xavier Johnson of Bearden.
Also, backup linebacker Nikolay Timoshchuk played for UT for two seasons before transferring to UTC last summer.
"It was a great experience and opportunity just to be a part of that program," said Timoshchuk, who played high school ball at Central in Harrison. "I just decided that I would have a better opportunity to get more playing time if I came back home to Chattanooga.
"I really liked all the coaches on the staff now, and I still have friends on the team and we've been talking a little trash over texts this week. For us to be able to go in and compete, we have to really play well. It's going to be crazy, but it'll be an exciting feeling going back into that stadium. I can't wait to get back in there and hopefully make a few plays."
The Mocs' job was made tougher after senior running back Keon Williams underwent surgery Tuesday on his left hand. He will not play Saturday.
Williams injured the hand two weeks ago and reinjured it early in last week's game, after just one carry. According to Mocs coach Russ Huesman, the surgery went well and Williams could return as soon as next week's game (Oct. 18) at The Citadel.
So far this season Williams has rushed for 314 yards (62.8 per game) with four touchdowns.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.