Not every football game is going to be a work of art.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has been living proof of that this season, with some tight battles against teams perceived lesser than the Mocs, but also some masterpieces against high-level competition.
The big picture reveals a UTC team built on overcoming challenges.
Gone are the headliners from previous seasons, even more so after the recent loss of veteran running back Ailym Ford to a torn ACL. But what Rusty Wright has built in five seasons as head coach at his alma mater is a deeper, battle-tested team.
And that didn't start recently.
"Coach prepared us for this in the spring," running back Gino Appleberry said after Saturday's 24-23 win at Virginia Military Institute, where he had 152 total yards and a touchdown. "This didn't just start in fall camp; it started in spring ball when Coach Wright put a lot on our plate."
UTC's defense was on the field for 76 snaps Saturday in Lexington, Virginia, and allowed 440 yards, including 208 on the ground to just one player (running back Hunter Rice). The Keydets employed a ball-control strategy in hopes of wearing the UTC defense down on a day when temperatures reached the mid-80s, but with the game on the line, the visitors' defensive pressure led to a holding call that pushed the Keydets back behind midfield.
And then, on third down, defensive linemen Montrell Henderson and Marlon Taylor paired up for a sack that forced a punt.
"Defensively, you keep making people make plays, they have to continue to make throws, they have to continue to make catches," Wright said. "You have to continue to make runs, you have to force people to do things. I don't think we tackled particularly well today across the board, but you know what? We hung in there and hung in there and hung in there, and kept battling and battling, and we figured it out."
Said linebacker Kobe Joseph, who had a monster day with 13 tackles and an interception: "It was certainly tough, but it's nothing we haven't prepared for since fall camp. We're out there practicing every day, we've been staying in shape, getting better every day this season. We have great depth on the team, we're rotating guys in and out, people are able to take breaks because you know the next guy is going to step up and get it done."
Staff photo by Olivia Ross / UTC's defenders swarm The Citadels Cooper Wallace to bring him down during a Sept. 16 game at Finley Stadium. UTC's defense was tested in Saturday's game at Virginia Military Institute but held up to help close out another SoCon victory.After the defensive stand, though, there was still 3:04 on the game clock with the Mocs ahead by only a point.
UTC's offense has been prolific at times this season with first-year starting quarterback Chase Artopoeus taking advantage of a talented group of receivers, but the Mocs had struggled to move the ball in the second half at VMI — and they needed a couple of first downs to put the game away. One came in the form of a third-down completion from Artopoeus to Appleberry, who gained 19 yards. Another came in the form of consecutive runs by the senior back, covering 12 and 4 yards.
In the end, the Mocs won to secure an opportunity to do something against Furman that felt unlikely when they were giving up 20 consecutive points to fall 41-27 at North Alabama in the season opener: play for at least a share of the Southern Conference championship.
Furman (7-1, 5-0), ranked No. 3 in the most recent Football Championship Subdivision polls, visits Finley Stadium at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Beat the Paladins, and the Mocs (7-2, 6-1) — ranked 15th by coaches and 17th by media — will clinch the SoCon's automatic bid in the 24-team field for the FCS playoffs.
"These guys won't quit," Artopoeus said. "I think we've been down in games before, we've been up in games. I think we've seen what can happen if we do let our foot off the pedal, and that's something we can't do. Luckily, we were able to keep it at bay today, were able to keep playing our hardest throughout the game, and I'm really proud of these guys."
The preparation Wright insisted on early this year and his players followed through with has paid off in the form of a chance, and now the Mocs will try to make it count in November.
"This is what we dreamed for, worked hard hours, long hours for," Appleberry said. "This is what we shed our blood, sweat and tears for: a shot."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com.