It was a win for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, but one that was expected to be a lot easier than it turned out to be.
The Mocs (1-1) claimed a 44-34 shoutout victory over NCAA Division II Mars Hill. The offense had a big day, led by running back Derrick Craine and quarterback Jacob Huesman, but the defense allowed over 400 yards for the second straight week.
UTC’s attention now turns to Southern Conference opponent Samford, who have averaged 51.5 points in their first two games, but first a look back at the Mocs’ win over Mars Hill.
SATURDAY’S STAR
UTC running back Derrick Craine finished with a career-high 169 rushing yards and three touchdowns and added a receiving touchdown in the Mocs’ win.
SATURDAY’S STAT
The Mocs exceeded 250 yards both rushing and passing for the first time since Sept. 16, 2000, a 72-17 win over Mississippi Valley State.
TURNING POINT
The Mocs took control of the game in the third quarter, scoring two touchdowns and shutting down the Mars Hill offense. The Mocs outgained the Lions 151 to 74 in that decisive quarter.
THE BIG PLAY
After Mars Hill scored to cut the UTC lead to eight, Taylor Reynolds blocked the extra point and Trevor Wright returned it for a two-point conversion. That made the Mocs’ lead 37-27 and gave them some breathing room.
WHAT IT MEANS
As good as the offense was, the defense was equally bad. To stack up over 500 yards of total offense after a bad first week is encouraging, but there are a lot of problems to fix on the other side of the ball. Coach Russ Huesman promised changes on that side for the SoCon opener against Samford, and it will be interesting to see what those are in the next week.