The preliminaries are over for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team.
The final eight regular-season games on the Mocs’ schedule are against Southern Conference opponents and ultimately will determine if Rusty Wright’s first season as head coach will fulfill or fall short of the former UTC player and assistant’s expectations.
It’s also a stretch that will determine whether UTC’s season extends into the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the first time since 2016, when the program reached the second round in Russ Huesman’s final season as coach before two years under Tom Arth.
This year’s nonconference slate, which likely featured the three best teams the Mocs will face on the current schedule – Jacksonville State, James Madison and Tennessee – concluded with the Mocs 1-3, with UTC winning its opener against Eastern Illinois at Finley Stadium. The tough competition gave Wright and his staff a chance to measure the progress, or lack thereof, of his team.
Next up is Saturday’s 4 p.m. homecoming game against Western Carolina (1-2, 0-1).
With that in mind, here’s a position-by-position look at the 2019 Mocs four games in, followed by Wright’s assessment for each group.
QUARTERBACKS
Senior Nick Tiano’s passing stats are underwhelming at this point: 47-of-97 (48.5%) for 604 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions. A new offensive scheme with mostly new receivers has seemingly lowered Tiano’s comfort level. Coordinator Joe Pizzo’s attack relies more on downfield throws, and with star receiver Bryce Nunnelly getting extra attention from defenses, there is often no one open. Backup quarterback Drayton Arnold has played in two games, and he’s 5-of-10 for 36 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.
Wright: “I think those guys are playing OK. I think they need some more help around them. They have not had a whole lot of help. Some people have done some things to us so that we can’t particularly target certain people, so we need help from someone.”
RUNNING BACKS
Senior starter Tyrell Price is out for the season after undergoing ACL surgery, so the majority of the ground game has fallen to true freshman Ailym Ford and graduate transfer Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks. Each has had big moments – Ford’s 127 yards at Jacksonville State; Ibitokun-Hanks’ 85 yards at Tennessee – and their powerful running styles are similar. The faster Jeffrey Wood has just 37 yards on 17 carries, though his workload could increase.
Wright: “Those guys run the football hard and they protect well. With Tyrell out, we feel the run game is still in good hands. We have to continue to figure out ways to get Jeff Wood involved, which is something we plan to do starting this week.”
RECEIVERS
The season started with one known – returning All-SoCon wide receiver Bryce Nunnelly – and many unknowns. Four games in, that hasn’t changed much. Nunnelly has 20 receptions for 241 yards and a touchdown, but no other UTC receiver has more than six catches, with Lameric Tucker’s six for 132 yards. The receivers have been plagued by dropped passes and often running wrong routes. At tight end, senior Chris James has solidified the pass-catching group. The former quarterback has the only other touchdown catch among the receivers and tight ends.
Wright: “Those guys have to keep growing. We finally got Ty Summers back, which will help. Bryce will be fine and things will change a bit for him in conference play. Reggie Henderson and Lameric Tucker will have to keep showing up and doing well. Those guys practice hard and they are going to get better. The tight ends are doing OK. They have to be a little more productive when they have the opportunities, whether they are trying to block or make plays downfield.”
OFFENSIVE LINE
This group, with its starters left tackle Malcolm White, left guard Cole Strange, center Kyle Miskelley, right guard McClendon Curtis and right tackle Harrison Moon, has been one of the strengths of the team so far. Even against the tough nonconference schedule, the line has allowed just one sack and has consistently opened holes. There are some injuries piling up, which will only increase the importance of those who provide depth, including former starter Noah Ramsey and Cincinnati transfer Colin Truett.
Wright: “That O-line has been pretty good. It’s a feel thing with all of them, but I like the way they work at it. For the most part that has been the biggest pleasant surprise of the season, just the way they have come together. We’re beat up up there, so we’re trying to move some people around to figure things out. We have some depth at spots, but not much. I love those guys, just how they go and compete.”
DEFENSIVE LINE
This position group was a major question mark entering the season but has mostly held its own. Senior Khayyan Edwards, sophomore Devonnsha Maxwell and nose Telvin Jones, though undersized, have started every game.
Wright: “They have to continue to keep playing hard. Those guys have gotten better the last few weeks – and I know it’s hard to believe that when somebody just ran for 260 yards on you – but I knew last week was a tough challenge. We’re not the biggest, most physical group up there. Ky Edwards has played better the last couple of weeks. Maxwell, Telvin Jones, Tristan Smith – they all have to keep growing. Those guys, except for Ky, haven’t played a whole lot of football.”
LINEBACKERS
The early loss of Kam Jones (who should return Saturday) forced sophomore Ty Boeck into a bigger role, and the Soddy-Daisy product has made the most of it, sitting just two tackles behind fellow inside linebacker Marshall Cooper (28 total stops) for the team lead, with reserve Jay Person fourth with 16 tackles. The outside linebackers, a group that includes Kayne Roberts, Rashun Freeman, C.J. Winston and Adrian King, have struggled in coverage, though they are learning the position on the fly.
Wright: “I’ve been pleased with how those guys have been playing. They play well together, whether it’s Jay or Cooper or Ty and Cooper. We have to get Kam Jones back, who has been out with a high-ankle sprain since the first game. He will help with depth there. The outside ‘backers are coming. Those guys are in new positions, and we’re trying to make two guys into one. We’ve got some depth there, so we need to keep those guys fresh and let them play.”
DEFENSIVE BACKS
This was expected to be the strength of the defense, but Wright considers the results mixed. Opponents have completed 65% of their passes for an average of 253 yards per game and have seven touchdown passes. The pass rush hasn’t been strong, so the defensive backs are having to cover for a longer amount of time, which hasn’t helped. Wright hopes safeties Brandon Dowdell and Jerrell Lawson, both preseason All-SoCon first-team selections, are rounding into expected form. Cornerbacks Kameron Brown, Jordan Jones, Cameron Turner and CaMiron Smith are still a work in progress, though Jones is third on the team with 19 total tackles and has broken up three passes.
Wright: “I’ve been pleased with the safeties. I think Jarrell Lawson has played better the last couple of weeks. Brandon Dowdell has started to show up better after not having a very good first couple of weeks. Corner-wise, we were better Saturday in a couple of spots. We are playing kind of a mixed bag back there right now, and those guys have to continue to get better or we’re in trouble. We can’t give up a hitch and give up 60 yards. We have to take right angles and be in the right spots. It’s just the little things, stuff we work on in practice, but it’s not carrying over into games.”
SPECIAL TEAMS
The kicking game has been strong, with Victor Ulmo connecting on three of four field-goal attempts and Gabe Boring and Colin Brewer combining to average 41.3 yards on 19 punts, with only three punts returned for 34 yards. The Mocs’ return game has been good on punts (19.3) and as expected on kickoffs, where Wright wants his players to fair catch to start drives on the 35.
Wright: “Outside of Tennessee, they have been pretty solid. Those guys have to continue to kick the ball where we are supposed to kick it. Long snappers, two true freshmen, have gotten better. Punt return-wise we’ve been fine. I don’t let them return kickoffs. If we return it, one good thing can happen and two bad things, and nobody gets hurt (on a fair catch). We’ve not had a penalty or turnover yet, which are wins. If you average 25 yards per return, you’re going to be in the top 10 in the country.”
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.