The ball is overthrown as UTC wide receiver Bryce Nunnelly attempts to catch up to it with Tennessee Tech defensive back Dami Adekunjo trailing during Thursday night's season opener at Finley Stadium.Bryce Nunnelly saw the crease, and he knew he was gone.
From the sideline, Jerrell Lawson knew his 6-foot-2, 190-pound University of Tennessee at Chattanooga teammate wasn't going to get caught, either.
The sophomore's 89-yard touchdown sprint off a Nick Tiano screen pass provided the Mocs' first touchdown in their 34-10 win over Tennessee Tech on Thursday (and Friday) at Finley Stadium.
"I knew that man was gone," Lawson said afterward. "I've watched that man run for days against our defense, so I knew (the Golden Eagles) weren't catching him."
The former Walker Valley High School standout finished fourth in the 2017 TSSAA Class AAA state decathlon and had top-five finishes in the 100-meter dash as well as the 400, where he placed second. He flashed that speed Thursday, catching seven passes for 161 yards and the score in his first career start.
Nunnelly matched his 2017 season total for catches and nearly doubled his 2017 yardage output against the Golden Eagles. He also had a 42-yard reception on the Mocs' second drive, which ended in a Victor Ulmo field goal.
"Bryce played very well," UTC coach Tom Arth said after the storm-interrupted game finally ended early Friday. "He has trained as hard anyone in our program. He has practiced as well as anyone in our program. It's not a surprise to anyone on our team that he went out there and played the way he did tonight.
"It means so much to him, and it's what we see every day in practice from him. I'm very proud of him and all of our guys and the way we handled this evening's events."
Nunnelly felt confident he was going the distance on the score, but he looked up at the newly installed video board at Finley Stadium just to make sure there was no one around him. He was sprung by a big Jordan Giberti block about 10 yards downfield after the catch.
"Tonight was a really good feeling," Nunnelly said. "That's probably the best I've ever felt after a football game. Most importantly, we won the game, and I had a good first start and that means a lot."
The Mocs are on the road for their next two games, getting Southern Conference play started Saturday with a game at The Citadel. The next week, they travel to UT-Martin.
Mocs in the NFL
Saturday was the day NFL rosters had to be trimmed to 53 players, and three players from the 2016 UTC roster made the cuts.
Sixth-round 2017 draft pick Corey Levin was one of nine offensive linemen the Tennessee Titans kept. Levin is listed as the backup center while also playing guard for the Titans.
Defensive lineman Keionta Davis, who was picked up by the New England Patriots after not being drafted in 2017 due to a bulging disk, made the cut after a 2018 preseason in which he had six tackles and 1.5 sacks. Davis has been with the Patriots since August 2017 but could not practice with the team until his injury healed.
Linebacker Tae Davis, an undrafted free agent for the New York Giants, found out Saturday he made the team. Davis, who converted from safety to linebacker his senior season with the Mocs, had 14 preseason tackles, fourth on the Giants. He is expected also to play special teams.
New York Jets cornerback Buster Skrine gives the Mocs four players on NFL active rosters. Skrine is entering his eighth season in the league.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.