UTC wide receiver Wil Young looks over his shoulder as he heads into the end zone for a 63-yard touchdown catch in the season-opening win against Tennessee Tech.MARTIN, Tenn. - With the emergence of Bryce Nunnelly as a primary target for quarterback Nick Tiano, Wil Young and the rest of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga receivers knew there would be opportunities for big plays in the passing game.
Joseph Parker has been a consistent threat for the Mocs all season. Saturday against UT-Martin, Young joined him.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Young had two touchdowns among his four catches in the Mocs' 34-24 win over the Skyhawks to improve to 3-0 this season. After not scoring in his first three seasons at UTC, he has three touchdowns already this year - one behind Nunnelly and two behind junior running back Tyrell Price.
"I think Nick played very well," Mocs coach Tom Arth said. "That's a tough defense to throw against. To be as efficient as he was with all the drop-eight coverages and bodies in the lane, I thought he did a fantastic job.
"Our wide receivers made some big-time plays. Wil really stepped up today and had a breakout game. That's a guy we want to keep going and see what he can do."
Young is one of the players UTC coaches hoped would make an impact in his final season, and he's starting to deliver. After making a 63-yard touchdown catch against Tennessee Tech in the season opener, he struggled a week later at The Citadel, catching only one pass - for 7 yards on the first drive - and dropping another later in the game.
He got off to a good start Saturday with a tough catch over the middle. That was followed by another tough catch for an 11-yard touchdown, with Young leaping to make the grab in the midst of three UT-Martin defenders.
"After I caught the one over the middle, I felt like I was just in a rhythm," Young said. "I knew coming into the game they were going to zero in on Bryce after the last two games he had. That was going to get everyone else opportunities, so I just tried to make the most of it."
Nunnelly still finished with 117 yards on eight catches - that followed performances of 161 yards on seven catches against Tennessee Tech and 268 on 10 at The Citadel - but it's clear the former Walker Valley standout is not the only option. Young's second touchdown was a nice grab on a back-shoulder throw from Tiano that put the Mocs up 20-0 in the second quarter.
"Wil is one of the most talented guys in the country," said Tiano, who was 20-of-24 passing for 208 yards. "We want to get him the ball. Anytime he is one-on-one, I'm looking to get him the ball.
"Bryce, another consistent day, that's what we expect out of him."
For the Mocs to continue their solid start, the offense must continue to do its job. Tiano has been efficient, while Price has been solid in the backfield and Nunnelly has been stellar. His production may slide some as defenses continue to key on him, which means it's going to be time for one of the other receivers - Parker, Young, perhaps senior Bingo Morton once he fully recovers from an injury - to show his skills, just as Parker did against The Citadel and Young did against UT-Martin.
"Everyone in the receiving room, it could be anyone's day," Young said. "That's the beauty of our offense. Anyone can step up and make plays at anytime because our room is so deep."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.