THURSDAY'S STAR
UTC quarterback Alejandro Bennifield shone in his first career start. He completed only eight passes, but four went for touchdowns. He made one obvious mistake, which led to an interception, but was otherwise solid, throwing for 135 yards and rushing for 28.
THURSDAY STAT
The UTC defense didn't allow the Hawks to reach positive yards of total offense until a Dante Borders rush for 5 yards on the Rome team's final drive, with started with 7:13 to play in the game.
TURNING POINT
That would be the first play from scrimmage. There was a mishandled exchange between the Shorter quarterback and the running back, which led to a fumble that was recovered by Justin King. The Mocs would score five plays later and never look back.
HIGHLIGHT PLAY
Backup quarterback Tyler Roberson caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Bennifield in the second quarter. After the play, the entire team went to congratulate him, nearly resulting in a penalty.
WHAT IT MEANS
Well, very little. The Mocs earned a season-opening win for the first time since 2009. A lot of people got to play, which means that for the most part UTC came out healthy. Both the offense and defense looked dominant, but they'll be tested from this point forward, starting with next week's home game against Presbyterian.