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Back to the Future: UTC preseason SoCon pick for first time since 1982

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By Stephen Hargis 5 min read

photo Jacob Huesman
photo Davis Tull

Southern Conference preseason rankings(First-place votes in parenthesis)Media poll1. Chattanooga (29) 2352. Furman (1) 2033. Samford 1744. Wofford 1555. Western Carolina 1056. The Citadel 1037. Mercer 678. VMI 38Coaches Poll1. UTC (6) 482. Furman (1) 402. Samford (1) 404. Wofford 305. Western Carolina 246. The Citadel 227. Mercer 107. VMI 10Preseason all-conferenceOffensive Player of the Year: Jacob Huesman, Jr., QB, ChattanoogaDefensive Players of the Year: Davis Tull, Sr., DL, ChattanoogaFirst Team OffenseQB Jacob Huesman, Jr., QB, ChattanoogaRB Hank McCloud, Sr., FurmanRB Keon Williams, Sr., ChattanoogaOL Charles Emert, Sr., FurmanOL Gunnar Bromelow, Jr., SamfordOL Synjen Herren, Jr., ChattanoogaOL Josh Wineberg, Jr., Western CarolinaOL T.J. Chamberlin, Jr., WoffordTE Faysal Shafaat, Sr., ChattanoogaWR Andrej Suttles, So., FurmanWR Karnorris Benson, Jr., Western CarolinaFirst Team DefenseDL Justin Oxendine, Sr., The CitadelDL Gary Wilkins, Sr., FurmanDL Davis Tull, Sr., ChattanoogaDL Tarek Odom, Sr., WoffordLB Carl Robinson, Sr., The CitadelLB Marcus McMorris, Sr., FurmanLB Carl Rider, Jr., FurmanDB Reggie Thomas, Jr., FurmanDB James Bradberry, Jr., SamfordDB Jaquiski Tartt, Sr., SamfordDB Sertonuse Harris, Jr., Western CarolinaFirst Team SpecialistsPK Warren Handrahan, So., SamfordP Greg Peranich, Sr., SamfordRS Shaun Warren, Sr., Western CarolinaSecond Team OffenseQB Reese Hannon, Jr., FurmanRB Darius Ramsey, Jr., Western CarolinaRB Will Gay, Jr., WoffordOL Joe Turner, Jr., FurmanOL C.H. Scruggs, Jr., SamfordOL Corey Levin, So., ChattanoogaOL Andrew Marcotte, Sr., VMIOL Anton Wahrby, So., WoffordTE Tony Philpot, Jr., SamfordWR Karel Hamilton, So., SamfordWR Terryon Robinson, So., Western CarolinaSecond Team DefenseDL Ira McCune, Sr., FurmanDL Jerry Mathis, Sr., SamfordDL Josh Freeman, Jr., ChattanoogaDL Derrick Lott, Sr., ChattanoogaLB Bobby Wilson, Jr., SamfordLB Christon Gill, Sr., Western CarolinaLB Kevin Thomas, Sr., WoffordDB Trey Robinson, So., FurmanDB Ace Clark, Sr., Western CarolinaDB Chris Armfield, So., WoffordDB Bernard Williams, Sr., WoffordSecond Team SpecialistsPK Richard Sigmon, Sr., Western CarolinaP Nick Pollard, Sr., ChattanoogaRS Will Gay, Jr., Wofford

The last time the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team was the preseason pick to win the Southern Conference Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album had just been released, E.T. was the top grossing movie, Danica Patrick and Lil Wayne were newborns and Knoxville hosted the World’s Fair.

For the first time since 1982, he Mocs topped both the coaches’ and media polls at Wednesday’s SoCon media day in Spartanburg (S.C.).

Furman and Samford, which shared last season’s conference title with UTC, finished tied for second in the coaches’ poll and were second and third, respectively, according to the media.

“We had a decent year last season and we have a lot coming back, so I figured we would be one of the teams in there somewhere,” Mocs coach Russ Huesman said. “Nobody looks at us like we all did Appalachian State and Georgia Southern for years. And I’m sure four or five other teams left media day saying, ‘they ain’t better than us.’