Ryan Consiglio is the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team’s only returning starter at linebacker. The preseason second-team All-Southern Conference pick has “a history, so I trust him,” defensive coordinator Adam Fuller said.
The Mocs’ other two projected starters, sophomore Shane Heatherly and junior J.D. Dothard, a converted safety, are earning Fuller’s trust as well. All three were solid or better in Friday’s scrimmage, he said.
“There were just a few times when Coach was correcting us, but it was just little nitpicky things,” Heatherly said. “The last scrimmage we had in the spring there was major, major problems that we had, and it was really nice seeing that we were doing the things that we needed to do.”
With the Sept. 4 season opener against Appalachian State fast approaching, Consiglio said the linebackers and the entire defense must make the most of every practice in the weeks ahead.
“You hear about the notorious Appalachian State offense, and being a defensive player you want to stop that,” the junior said. “You want to go out there first game of the year and prove that you’re a stop defense and you need to be respected. I feel like we’ll have a little respect just because of what we did last year, but not enough.”
Consiglio was the youngest member of UTC’s linebacker corps last season, and now he’s the most experienced. Along with having new starters in Heatherly and Dothard, all three backups – Gunner Miller, Wes Dothard and Keith Mayes, who may still redshirt – are freshmen.
Fuller said redshirt freshmen Miller and Dothard had a mix of good and bad plays Friday, while true freshman Mayes sometimes looked a little lost in his first scrimmage.
“None of the 2s did an unbelievable job,” Fuller said, “but they all showed glimpses that if we can get them doing everything right, they’ve all got a chance.”
Mob scene for kicker
Late in practice UTC’s field-goal unit lined up for a kick, and then the entire team formed a circle around it. It was another pressure kicking situation for freshman Nick Pollard.
With the players and coaches yelling, squirting water and doing everything they could do distract Pollard, he made three of four attempts. He was 1-for-2 from 32 yards, with the miss passing over the top of the right upright, and drilled both kicks from 42 down the middle.
“He’s a pretty cool dude, level-headed,” Mocs coach Russ Huesman said. “I was blowing that whistle right in his ear, too. I was right up next to him.”
Extra points
The Mocs practiced in shorts and shoulder pads Saturday and will do so again today. “Part of that is to get their legs back, get a little bounce in their step,” Huesman said. … Defensive tackles Nick Craig (foot) and La’Nard Carr (ankle) did not practice Saturday, nor did defensive end Jaron Norfleet (concussion).