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Eighth-ranked Mocs drop heartbreaker to No. 7 JSU

Head football coach Russ Huesman and the UTC football team enter the First Tennessee Pavilion before the Mocs' season-opener football game against Jacksonville State at Finley Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Head football coach Russ Huesman and the UTC football team enter the First Tennessee Pavilion before the Mocs' season-opener football game against Jacksonville State at Finley Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Head football coach Russ Huesman and the UTC football team enter the First Tennessee Pavilion before the Mocs' season-opener football game against Jacksonville State at Finley Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn.

By Gene Henley 2 min read

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Mocs crunched in crunch time against JSU, 23-20 Hargis: Gamecocks frustrate Mocs again Nearly 16,000 see No. 8 Mocs fall to No. 7 Gamecocks, 23-20 UTC uses two QBs together at times Chattanooga Mocs lose fourth down every time Eighth-ranked Mocs drop heartbreaker to No. 7 JSU Jacksonville State defeats Chattanooga Mocs, 23-20

Jacksonville State’s Miles Jones scored the late game-winner, and the Gamecocks held on to defeat the eighth-ranked University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team 23-20 in front of 15,812 fans at Finley Stadium.

The Mocs were outgained 411-198. Quarterback Jacob Huesman was sacked four times as the Mocs could only manage 107 yards rushing.

Troymaine Pope had 173 yards rushing on 15 carries for the Gamecocks. Quarterback Eli Jenkins finished with 100 yards passing and 30 rushing, but Jacksonville State managed a number of big plays, which usually led to points scored.

The teams traded field goals, then Huesman called his own number and scored from seven yards out with 2:02 to play in the first quarter for a 10-3 lead. The Gamecocks answered with a 52-yard run by Pope, which got the ball deep into Mocs’ territory and led to a short touchdown pass from Jenkins to Ruben Gonzalez to tie the game at 10 at the half.

The defenses held up in the second half, limiting each other to field goals for the first nine points of the half, but the Mocs took a 20-16 lead when redshirt freshman Montrell Pardue ripped the ball from a JSU ball-carrier and ran it 55 yards for a touchdown. The Gamecocks answered with a 10-play, 79-yard drive, which was capped off by Jones’ plunge from a yard out with 2:41 to play.

Pardue, Dee Virgin and Nakevion Leslie each finished with seven tackles for the Mocs. Virgin added a sack, while Leslie and Vantrel McMillan had 1.5 tackles for loss.

Derrick Craine finished with 59 yards rushing to lead the Mocs.

The Mocs host NCAA Division II Mars Hill next week.

For full story, read Sunday’s Times Free Press.

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.