UTC’s Tommy Hudson runs for a 70-yard touchdown against Central Michigan.MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The opportunity to pull off a road upset of an FBS opponent was within reach for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team, right up until the final two minutes of Thursday’s season-opening game.
But turnovers and other mistakes, often the deciding factors in early-season games, led to a 20-16 loss to Central Michigan at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
“Penalties and turnovers. We’re going to win games by not turning it over and not having stupid penalties, and too many of those things happened,” UTC coach Russ Huesman said. “But you have to give them a lot of credit. We played an FBS program that’s a good team and well coached.
“We had some guys who made big plays. Obviously Jacob [Huesman, the Mocs’ quarterback] didn’t play very well. He’ll bounce back. When they tip four passes, something’s not right.
“Our guys are down. They wanted to win a football game here. But to have the thing only down 20-16 with a few minutes to go in the game, to me, was amazing.”