GREENVILLE, S.C. — Jamoi Mayes sat alone on the green carpet that led up to the visitors locker room at Paladin Stadium.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga receiver wasn’t pleased with his performance in the Mocs’ 24-20 loss to Furman on Saturday afternoon, and after UTC coach Rusty Wright spoke inside, Mayes walked back out and sat down, staring at the field while the Paladins and their fans enjoyed an extended celebration on homecoming.
“It hurts. It really stings,” UTC quarterback Preston Hutchinson said afterward. “It’s hard to put into words how badly it stings. I think the way Furman is celebrating and the way we’re down shows the expectations of this game and how hard it hit us.”
But that’s the key: The loss stings. Was that always the case last season? Maybe, maybe not.
There’s zero speculation about the 2022 Mocs’ collective desire to get back to where the program was from 2013-16, when Football Championship Subdivision playoff appearances and Southern Conference championships were commonplace. Before that run and since 2016, UTC can be considered average at best.