Over the years there has been a standard set by prior coaches of how the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga defense plays.
The Mocs get to the quarterback. That pressure allows them to make plays in the secondary, and that pressure gives linebackers freedom to rack up a bunch of tackles and even — if the opportunity presents itself — force an interception.
Last year wasn’t that, though. The Mocs weren’t able to get to the quarterback, and they weren’t able to cover in the secondary. The linebackers got exposed, in some cases, for being a bit slower than needed to truly cover opposing schemes.
Statistically, it was UTC’s worst defense in a while. The Mocs gave up 33 points per game, most since allowing 37.9 in 2007. They allowed 403.1 yards per game, the first time they allowed at least 400 on average since that same 1-11 season.
“There’s a little bit of bitterness, but we’re definitely moving on and not going to let last year affect us,” senior linebacker Zion Rutledge said. “Everybody’s just hungry to prove themselves. Nobody on this team feels like they’ve got to the point to where they don’t have anything to prove and don’t have any more goals they can accomplish.