MACON, Ga. — University of Tennessee at Chattanooga beat writer Gene Henley breaks down the Mocs' 22-10 win at Mercer.
SATURDAY'S STAR
UTC's defense was pretty maligned after last week's performance against Western Carolina, which totaled 551 yards of offense and averaged more than 11 per play in a 52-50 win at Finley Stadium. But Saturday against a good Mercer team, the Mocs held the Bears to 280 yards of total offense, with three turnovers, five sacks and 12 tackles for loss.
SATURDAY'S STAT
A week after giving up 275 rushing yards, the UTC defense allowed zero, harassing the Mercer offense in all phases.
TURNING POINT
The Bears had driven downfield in the second quarter and had a chance to cut the Mocs' lead to 9-7 — until, that is, edge rusher Jay Person blew up a play, forcing a Carter Peevy fumble that was recovered by UTC's Marlon Taylor. The Mocs then drove downfield themselves and kicked a field goal before halftime to go into the locker room up 12.
THE BIG PLAY
The Mocs scored just one touchdown, but the timing of Sam Phillips hauling in a 30-yard pass from Chase Artopoeus couldn't have been better, considering the Bears had just found the end zone to cut UTC's lead to 19-7.
WHAT IT MEANS
If the Mocs fancy themselves as a playoff-caliber team, performances like this one are important. There was no panic within the team after last week's loss to the Catamounts, and going on the road and defeating an opponent that has been a thorn in its side for the past decade is a sign of a program going into the right direction — not the wrong one.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com.