As the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football program’s 2024 season has unfolded, there’s been a bit of a sea change in how the Mocs have found ways to be successful on defense.
At least since 2009 — the first of Russ Huesman’s eight seasons as UTC head coach, a tenure followed by two years under Tom Arth and the direction of Rusty Wright for six seasons running — the Mocs were known for a dominant pass rush that consistently produced Football Championship Subdivision All-Americans and NFL-level players.
However, with the Mocs still early in their preseason work this past summer, new defensive coordinator Mike Yeager realized the dominant pass rusher the program has been accustomed to didn’t exist on the current roster, so he chose a different way to attack opposing offenses.
That style has led to the Mocs forcing 24 turnovers, which ranks seventh among FCS teams in 2024 and is the second-most takeaways by a UTC team this century (the 2011 team finished with 26). The current Mocs, 6-5 after finishing Southern Conference play with a 5-3 record and losses in two of their past three games, will have at least one more opportunity to create some takeaways when they face United Athletic Conference program Austin Peay (4-7) at 2 p.m. Eastern on Saturday in Clarksville, Tennessee.
It’s a regular-season finale that UTC, which is not ranked in either FCS poll this week, has to win if it even wants to be discussed when the selection committee makes its final choices for the 24-team playoffs. The full field and the bracket — with 16 seeded teams and first-round byes for the top eight — will be announced at 12:30 p.m. Sunday on ESPNU.