Brian Sutherland followed up a good game at Auburn with a great game against Samford.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga receiver had a 98-yard kickoff return at Auburn and grabbed 10 passes for 97 yards against one of the top two teams in the nation. The 5-foot-10 sophomore played as if he belonged in Jordan-Hare Stadium on a weekly basis.
He about dominated Finley Stadium on Saturday in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s 48-14 win over another Alabama team.
Sutherland caught five passes for 167 yards and three touchdowns – three impressive touchdowns.
“When people watch him, they say he can run,” coach Russ Huesman said. “He can go and it’s good. If we couldn’t run, we couldn’t do half the things we’re doing.”
Sutherland laid out at the goal line to haul in a 45-yard toss from B.J. Coleman to give UTC a 14-0 lead. On his second touchdown, a 20-yarder, he turned his body from looking inside to catch the ball over his outside shoulder for a 21-0 lead.
And in the third quarter, he outran Thomas Broussard and beat safety help from Andy Davis on a 65-yard touchdown.
“As a football player, this is what you want, this is what you work for, and I was happy to perform,” Sutherland said. “Playing against Auburn, it was a pretty good experience to play against somebody better, then come down and play against somebody else.”
Solid senior starts
Huesman told his coaching staff during the week that he’d like to start as many seniors as possible on senior day – their last regular-season home game.
That meant Erroll Wynn was in for a long pass try on the first play of the game and took the first handoff one play later. He made the most of his final game in Finley.
“Today was a very exciting day for us seniors,” said Wynn, who was honored during a pregame ceremony with his classmates on the team. “We’re not going to make this our last home game, but it’s the last of the regular season.
“It feels good to go out strong.”
The fifth-year senior gained 100 yards on 21 carries with a 15-yarder as his longest of the day. It was his fourth career 100-yard game.
“Erroll getting 100 yards on senior day, I’m proud for him,” Huesman said. “Erroll has had some fumble issues and I’m glad he got 100. That’s pretty cool.”
Wynn passed Tyrone Coleman for fifth place all time at UTC with 2,462 career yards.
Quick hook again
Huesman hasn’t been very understanding of fumblers this season. That trend continued Saturday.
Sophomore running back J.J. Jackson scored the Mocs’ first touchdown. Two carries later, he entered the pile with the ball in his arms. He came up without the ball, having lost it to defensive end Nicholas Williams.
Jackson did not have another carry.
A real bomber
The fly-over from a B1 bomber was perfectly timed with the conclusion of the national anthem as part of military appreciation day.
Other parts of the theme included UTC assistant coaches and support staff sporting camouflage pants, a 21-gun salute and a loud cannon that rumbled ribcages and the press box after every UTC touchdown.