UTC Mocs determined to stay positive despite 1-5 record

UTC's Hawk Schrider (42), Derek Mahaffey (5) and Isaiah Mack (8) make a brutal tackle on Jacksonville's Roc Thomas (6).  The University of Chattanooga Mocs met the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in the Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff at the Carmton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama on August 26, 2017.
UTC's Hawk Schrider (42), Derek Mahaffey (5) and Isaiah Mack (8) make a brutal tackle on Jacksonville's Roc Thomas (6). The University of Chattanooga Mocs met the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in the Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff at the Carmton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama on August 26, 2017.

When asked about the next month's set of games Tuesday, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga defensive tackle Derek Mahaffey had a deep exhale, shook his head and laughed.

Whereas the gauntlet so far has been tough, the next four weeks won't be getting any easier.

This Saturday's opponent, Mercer, is fresh off a solid 24-14 road win over then 17th-ranked The Citadel, and UTC's next three foes after that all are ranked in the Football Championship Subdivison. All four are Southern Conference games.

"We've still got to be positive," Mahaffey said of the Mocs (1-5, 1-2). "We've got to come to work every day and lace 'em up as if you were 5-1. I feel like nobody's spirits have been down. We all know what we've got to do. We've just got to go out and do it - there can't be any more talk about it.

"Last year we had an easier start, but it was hard at the end. Well, now it's from the jump all the way through, but I feel like everybody's up for it. I don't feel like we're out of it; I feel like we're still right there."

In 2016 the Mocs faced only one team with a winning record in the first month of the season - Samford, which they beat 41-21 at Finley Stadium. Their five losses in 2017 have been against teams with a collective 18-11 record, with Jacksonville State, LSU, UT-Martin and Western Carolina having spent at least one week in a Top 25 poll. Furman received votes in the latest FCS STATS poll.

Fresh off another lopsided loss at home Saturday against the Paladins, the UTC players are saying all the right things. At times they do them, but inconsistency on defense and execution on offense have held them back. After Saturday's game, the Mocs said if they continued to do the right things, the results would show.

Coach Tom Arth cited a quote from former University of Tennessee defensive back and inspirational speaker Inky Johnson when asked about the results showing on the scoreboard.

"Inky said, 'You can't speed up the river, you can't slow it down. You just have to have faith that it's going to get you there,'" Arth said. "I think that's so true in so many aspects of life, but our job is to coach these guys to be the best they can be; their job is to prepare that way and perform to the best of their ability.

"I think when we do that, the results will take care of themselves."

Mahaffey said the little things could be what makes the difference not just in Saturday's 3:30 p.m. game in Macon against the Bears (3-3, 2-2) but going forward. After that the Mocs host The Citadel before back-to-back road games at 18th-ranked Samford and fifth-ranked Wofford.

"Yeah, it's a tough road, but when I looked at the schedule, I could have told you in January when the schedule came out that it was going to be a tough slate of games," center Josh Cardiello said. "Mercer has played us tough the two years I've been here.

"Yeah, it's a tough little stretch here, but I also think it gives us the chance to go out there and prove ourselves. Yeah, we're 1-5 right now, but we can still go compete with these guys. Nothing has changed, and these next few weeks give us opportunities to go out there and show that against good opponents."

Added Mahaffey: "It's not hard. We've just got to do the right thing, and eventually it's going to keep turning. I felt like we took a step last week; the score didn't show it, but I do feel like we took a step as a team.

"Collectively, we think we're going the right way. We really do."

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.

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