Exiting with pride
UTC’s 2015 seniors, with 2015 stats and career accolades: DE Toyvian Brand All-SoCon second team; 2.5 sacks, INT return for TD DL Josh Freeman All-SoCon second team; 2.0 sacks, 6.5 TFL LB A.J. Hampton All-SoCon second team; team-leading 87 tackles DB Jeremiah Hay Eight tackles; started six games in 2014 OL Synjen Herren All-SoCon first team; 35 career starts QB Jacob Huesman Three-time SoCon offensive player of the year OL Casey Hybarger Former walk-on; earned scholarship as junior DB Sema’je Kendal 36 career starts; INT return for TD OL Brandon Morgan 35 career starts Juniors not returning DB Ryan Bossung, WR Drae Bowles, OL Robert Hill and FB Nikolay Timoshchuk
With back-to-back appearances in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs and a postseason win this season and last, a new standard of success has been set for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team.
Now it’s up to the players left in the program to maintain that.
The Mocs’ season ended Saturday in the second round of the playoffs with a 41-35 overtime loss at top-ranked and top-seeded Jacksonville State. UTC (9-4) had 444 yards of total offense – 135 more than the combined total from two previous meetings with the Gamecocks – but allowed 640 to Jacksonville State (11-1), with quarterback Eli Jenkins accounting for 409 of those yards.
UTC loses nine seniors from the 2015 team, including two offensive starters – and another player who started more than 30 games in his career – and four defensive starters.