Late in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s second-half comeback last Saturday, a Wofford defender threw two punches at UTC tight end Camden Overton after a play, connecting on the back of his helmet on the first punch and slightly missing with a left hook on the second.
Overton turned around, looked and stepped back. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound sophomore didn’t retaliate, though, and the end result of the confrontation was an ejection for the Wofford player.
The end result of the comeback — UTC trailed 6-0 in the second quarter and 13-6 in the third — was a 23-13 road victory that pushed the Mocs’ record to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the Southern Conference while keeping the Terriers winless.
“After the game, I said to him, ‘That might have been your biggest play of the night,'” UTC coach Rusty Wright said. “He made a great catch on the drive to finish the game off and all that, but it might have been his biggest play of the night by not doing anything stupid right there.”
It was a moment of growth for Overton, who during his brief time in Chattanooga has had one or two incidents in practice that might be classified as hot-heated moments. Perhaps a year ago — or even some months back — his reaction to a confrontation like the one at Wofford would have been different, too. Instead, he stepped back while Wright sprinted out onto the field to prevent the situation from escalating.
“People were surprised, because usually I might let my pride get in the way or something like that,” Overton said. “But I knew the moment was too big. It was about to be third down, and it wasn’t worth us getting the flag and evening those out, plus he’s out of the game. The risk-reward wasn’t worth it for me to put my pride on the line for a 15-yard penalty.
“The change hasn’t just happened. I’ll say it’s still happening, like every day. I grow, I try to get better at one aspect of my game, or my personality as a player, a person.”
The reward was great, as that 15-yard penalty gave the Mocs a first down to extend a drive that ended with Gino Appleberry’s 2-yard touchdown run that essentially put the game away. Wofford’s final possession ended with a turnover at UTC’s 30-yard line just inside the final minute.
The Mocs’ four-game winning streak has them ranked this week in both Football Championship Subdivision polls — 20th by coaches, 24th by media — heading into their game against Western Carolina at Finley Stadium, where kickoff is set for 4 p.m. Saturday. The Catamounts (4-1, 2-0), who are ranked 11th by media and 17th by coaches, have also won four in a row.
Overton was an all-state player two years ago as a senior at Georgia’s Marietta High School, which competes in the GHSA’s highest classification. He made statistical contributions as a freshman for the Mocs last year and in the first half of this season, but his growth in maturity is making an expansion in his role possible.
“You saw it through camp,” offensive coordinator Joe Pizzo said. “You’ve seen just his attitude, the way he practices, the way he’s matured and the way he’s grown up. He’s just gotten better and better every week, and hence his workout in the offense has gotten bigger because I can trust him.
“That was a huge play in the game (when) he didn’t retaliate.”
Overton caught six passes in 2022, and three were for touchdowns. He has already matched his catch total from a year ago and had an 8-yard touchdown in the 48-3 win against The Citadel on Sept. 16 while primarily splitting time with senior Jay Gibson, who had a lower-body injury and missed the Wofford game.
Overton provides another playmaking threat for an offense that has become more prolific in the passing game with first-year starter Chase Artopoeus taking the snaps — but again, his maturity has been paramount in his opportunities increasing.
“This year is a bit harder, but what people expect for me, I expect double, so I feel like I’m not trying to replicate what I did last year,” Overton said. “I’m just wanting to do better than I did last year, so I’m pushing myself. I feel like me doing the same or even better is hard, but I expect that from myself anyway.
“It’s just the standard I hold myself to. I know people hold me to that standard, but I hold myself to that standard as well.”
If Overton continues to keep his cool in moments such as the one last Saturday, he may very well reach that standard he has set.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com.