UTC offensive lineman Brandon Morgan (73) straps on his helmet during the Mocs’ third practice of the preseason on Friday at Scrappy Moore Field.New University of Tennessee at Chattanooga offensive coordinator Jeff Durden is getting to know the left side of his offensive line during preseason practice. It’s something he couldn’t do during the spring.
Left tackle Brandon Morgan and left guard Synjen Herren missed all of spring practice due to shoulder surgeries, but they’re back at 100 percent now and helping the line perform well so far, through three practices.
“They were doing something right,” Durden said of the line following Friday’s early morning practice at Scrappy Moore Field, the team’s first in shoulder pads, “because we were getting vertical.”
Morgan started seven games as a true freshman in 2011 and the first four games last season before missing the rest of the season with the shoulder injury. Herren started every game as a redshirt freshman in 2012.
With them out in the spring, the left side of the line was very inexperienced and it sometimes showed — especially going against what should be one of the top defensive lines in the Football Championship Subdivision.