Defensive lineman Keionta Davis takes a break during the first day of football practice for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Monday, Aug. 3, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn.Moments after recording a sack, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Vantrel McMillan stuck his left elbow out, extended his right arm and dropped his head onto his left arm.
Fellow Mocs defensive lineman Keionta Davis did the same thing after a sack.
Yeah, "The Dab" made it to Finley Stadium on Saturday.
The Mocs' defensive line was having fun with the dance move - popularized in part by Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton after originating from a song by the rapper Migos - that has become an overnight sensation and a popular big-play celebration for athletes.
The seventh-ranked Mocs (9-3) were having fun, too, jumping out to a 31-0 halftime lead before claiming a 50-20 win against 14th-ranked Fordham (9-3) to advance in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. They will face top-ranked and top-seeded Jacksonville State (10-1) in the second round at 2 p.m. EST Saturday at Burgess-Snow Field in Jacksonville, Ala.
Davis, who registered sack No. 11.5 of his season on Saturday, admitted his celebration was planned out.
"Everybody's got their own celebration now, but once I got a sack, I knew I was gonna 'Dab' on them," Davis said.
In addition to recording 3.5 of the team's five sacks against Fordham, UTC defensive linemen contributed to one of the game's biggest plays. Their pressure forced a bad pass attempt by Fordham quarterback Kevin Anderson that was picked off by safety Lucas Webb and returned 71 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-0 before the end of the first quarter.
Anderson finished with 329 yards and three touchdowns, and he offered nothing but praise to the UTC defensive front afterward.
"They're one of the best defensive lines in the country," he said. "They play fast, play hard, and that's a credit to them. They're character guys. They weren't talking trash, just playing clean, hard football. They're good players."
UTC coach Russ Huesman knew before the game his team had to win the battle up front on both sides of the ball. With a defensive background, he took a lot of pride in what his line was able to do against a Fordham offense that, while amassing 416 yards and 20 points, fell short of its regular-season averages and never posed a serious threat after the first quarter.
"I thought our defensive line played great," Huesman said. "We put pressure on (Anderson) and harassed him most of the day."
An added positive was the defensive line showing its depth, a preseason concern. The Mocs have played the past seven games without defensive tackle Taylor Reynolds and the past two without Josh Freeman, who are both out with injuries.
They were starters, but redshirt freshman Isaiah Mack - who alternated with Reynolds early in the year - moved into the full-time starting role and earned Southern Conference all-freshman honors, while Brandon Bourk and Trevor Jachimowicz each had their first career sacks in Saturday's win.
"We had opportunities," Davis said. "We're a really good team and a really good D-line. Any time you give us opportunities, we're going to take them. We're willing to do whatever it takes to get it done."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at @genehenleytfp.