Under the circumstances, it was no surprise quarterback Nick Tiano came out rusty in his first start for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
It had been quite a while since his last start for any football team.
Tiano found out this past Thursday night he would start for the Mocs in their season opener against Jacksonville State two days later in Montgomery, Ala. The move came after UTC learned senior Alejandro Bennifield would be suspended by the NCAA for the first four games of the season due to an academic issue.
Tiano, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound redshirt sophomore, completed 23 of 43 passes for 218 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions - one of which was returned 52 yards for a touchdown. He also led the Mocs in rushing with 68 yards on eight carries as they lost 27-13.
It was Tiano's first start since Nov. 21, 2014, when the former Baylor School standout had 206 passing yards, 43 rushing yards and three total touchdowns as the Red Raiders lost 31-29 to Montgomery Bell Academy in the TSSAA Division II-AA state semifinals. He spent two seasons at Mississippi State, redshirting in current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's final year and playing sparingly in 2016, when he threw one pass against Auburn and completed it for 5 yards.
UTC quarterback Nick Tiano calls signals behind center Josh Cardiello during this past Saturday's season-opening loss to Jacksonville State in Montgomery, Ala.
"I'm pleased with how Nick performed," UTC coach Tom Arth said prior to Tuesday's practice. "I thought he settled in the game nicely. It was a tough situation to be thrown into, and I thought he handled it as well as anybody could.
"There are probably some things he'd like to have back - there are some things we'd all like to have back, that's the nature of football - but overall, he showed the leader he is and how important this team is in how we played."
Tiano was rocky on UTC's first two possessions, with no first downs gained and a yard lost on his first six plays. Then an interception by Mocs defensive back Kareem Orr created a short field and helped lead to a field goal, but on the next two possessions, Tiano led UTC to a field goal, then down to the Jacksonville State 20 before a fumbled snap was turned over.
The Mocs didn't move the ball with consistency until an eight-play, 89-yard drive in the fourth quarter that ended in their lone touchdown, with Tiano finding Joseph Parker for a 4-yard score.
"I definitely could have done better," Tiano said. "I hadn't played in a real game in over two years, so it was a lot of fun, but it was definitely different. It was a good learning experience, and you've always got a lot to improve on, but I think there's a lot of things I can look at and improve next week."
Tiano said he was a little hesitant at the start but settled in as the game went on, so going forward he wants to be "confident and comfortable" in the game. One thing coaches said they will focus on is helping him manage the amount of hits he takes. In addition to the contact he took in the pocket from the Gamecocks, Tiano absorbed some additional punishment on his carries, usually refusing to go down on first contact.
While coaches found that admirable, it's not ideal for a quarterback on a thin depth chart. Arth likened it to watching former Indianapolis Colts teammate Marvin Harrison, saying the Hall of Fame wide receiver realized when there "were no more yards to be gained" and got down. With Bennifield unavailable, the backup behind Tiano is promising freshman quarterback Cole Copeland, a Bradley Central graduate UTC coaches hope to redshirt this season.
"Nick's a competitive kid," said offensive coordinator Justin Rascati, a former college quarterback. "He's going to do what it takes to win and so are we, but he does have to be smart and we have to be smart in what we ask him to do - but at the end of the day he's going to go out there and compete.
"We're calling a game to win it, and we'll prepare Cole in case something does happen."
Despite splitting reps with Bennifield during the preseason due to uncertainty surround the latter's playing status - UTC was trying to appeal to the NCAA - Tiano called last week's news "definitely a change." He said he had prepared like a starter for a good portion of practices, but stepping out on the field for the first time was a "completely different feeling."
"It was definitely a learning experience, but I had a lot of fun," he said. "That's what you put in the work for; that's what you play for, to get those opportunities, so it was exciting to get that chance."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.