The football careers of running backs Kyle Nalls and Alex Trotter will be linked to each other for the next three seasons, seeing that both are finishing their first school year at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Friday was a good day for both.
Nalls had 47 yards rushing and Trotter had 73 yards of total offense and the day's only touchdown as the Mocs completed their second scrimmage of the spring at Finley Stadium.
"They're different players. That's the thing," UTC coach Russ Huesman said. "Kyle runs in between the tackles; Alex does a whole lot. In an ideal world, we'd redshirt one, but we didn't have the luxury (last fall) and probably won't this year. Both looked good; they caught the ball and had some good runs.
"They're both going to be really good players. I think they'll continue to progress and do good for us."
The scrimmage was mostly situational drills. The Mocs started with a two-minute drill that ended on a failed Alejandro Bennifield pass to the end zone, and they also had opportunities to convert some key third- and fourth-down plays as they took the next step in live action before the spring game, which is a week from today at 2 at Finley Stadium.
"I thought we executed well," Huesman said. "We got a lot of scenarios in. I thought Alejandro looked really good. He was composed, didn't make many bad throws and didn't put the ball in jeopardy.
"He passed the eyeball test."
Bennifield completed 13 of his 20 passes for 156 yards. Backup Tyler Roberson was the game's leading rusher, with 70 yards and another 70 passing.
Roberson and Trotter were key on the lone touchdown drive. Trotter broke free on a third-down screen pass, and the former McCallie standout gained 49 yards before being caught at the 11-yard line. He scored a couple plays later from 5 yards out.
Nalls had a long run later in the scrimmage, losing his balance around the 15-yard line.
"We've got some work to do," Nalls said. "We have to step up because we're next. If something happens, we've got to know what to do."
Added Trotter: "I think today was a productive day. It was a day to get better because today was live. It was a way for everybody to get better and critique their craft."
Xavier Borishade had 60 yards on seven catches, while tight end Bailey Lenoir had 59 yards on a pair of catches, including a long run down the sideline late.
The defense had a solid day, with five sacks - three by senior Vantrel McMillan. They added nine tackles for loss and had a forced fumble and a recovery by walk-on Mike Jordan.
"I felt good about the day," McMillan said. "I saw some errors made and I know I can get better in a lot of places, but the defense played good and it was a good day. We've got a lot of players coming back, but we're adding a lot of young guys, so while this spring is about getting us better, it's about getting the young guys in, getting situated and learning new stuff."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.