UTC quarterback Jacob Huesman rushes the football during the Mocs' home football game against the Mercer Bears on Saturday at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga.
Mercer defensive back Lendell Arnold attempts to tackle UTC quarterback Jacob Huesman as he scores a touchdown during their game at Finley Stadium this past Saturday. Huesman set career highs for passing and total yards and received Southern Conference and The Sports Network national honors for the week.The hand wringing has turned to applause. The concern over how the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's offense performed in the first two games of the season has been erased by the way that unit has played since the Southern Conference portion of the schedule began.
The confused looks and frustration of a sputtering offense in the first two games, both narrow losses, have been replaced by a confident swagger as the Mocs have averaged 41.3 points against four league opponents. After Saturday's win against Mercer, UTC is 4-0 in the SoCon for the first time in program history and has beaten those teams by an average of 23 points.
"We're playing with a lot more confidence now, but we're still not perfect," said sophomore running back Derrick Craine. "We still haven't played our best game. That's honestly a little frightening, because when we finally do have our best game, I kind of feel bad for the team we're playing."
Craine followed up his career-high 135 rushing yards at The Citadel two weeks ago with 108 total yards against Mercer, picking up first downs on nine of his 18 touches and scoring a touchdown. His emergence is one reason for the Mocs' offensive surge.
The two most noticeable differences from the early-season struggles are an offensive line that is figuring things out and quarterback Jacob Huesman regaining his confidence and the form that made him last year's SoCon offensive player of the year.
Huesman was named the conference's offensive player of the week Monday afternoon as well as earning a national honor as co-offensive player of the week in the FCS by The Sports Network. That was Huesman's recognition for his career-best 458 total yards, career-high 359 passing yards and three total touchdowns.
After two projected starters up front opted not to return for their fifth year, the Mocs' line was dealt a crushing blow when all-conference guard Synjen Herren was lost for the season with a knee injury in the final preseason scrimmage.
That led to a game of musical chairs before the lineup was settled for the first conference game against Samford. Since then the offensive line has helped UTC average 268 rushing yards against SoCon foes, including two 315-plus-yard performances.
The rebuilt line has allowed just two sacks against league competition.
"Our offensive line is really settling in and finding their groove," Jacob Huesman said. "It was real tough on them early on, having to play different positions, and the chemistry wasn't there yet. Now you can see the attitude change. We're starting to get to where we feel like we can move the ball against anybody.
"We've had a ton of rushing yards and passing yards, and that all starts with those guys. I knew they'd find it. Our line was set before the season and then all of a sudden we're scrambling, asking guys to play positions they weren't used to. Now they're coming together and playing really good football."
Huesman also has found his all-conference form, bouncing back from disappointment in the first two games, in which he had just 239 total yards, to the last six games in which he has averaged 255 yards of offense and guided the Mocs to the top of the league in five offensive categories.
"I won't lie: That first game at Central Michigan was a confidence wrecker," said Huesman, who threw four interceptions in the season opener. "I tried to stay positive after that first game, but it was hard. That was pretty brutal. I felt like I let my teammates down, and I play the game for those guys.
"I had a bunch of people constantly trying to help me understand that I could still be one of the best players in the conference. I could've easily let it fall in the tank, and who knows where we'd be now. We all kind of worked our way to get over the hump. Once that light bulb went off and we realized what it felt like again to move the ball like we should, we've been getting better and better. That's what we have to continue working toward."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.