Problems in the kicking game played pivotal roles in both University of Tennessee at Chattanooga losses this season. They nearly contributed to a third loss last Saturday at Furman.
The Mocs had a 27-yard field-goal try and an extra-point attempt blocked in their 36-28 comeback win over the Paladins. They also had a protection error that prevented Mike Hammons from getting a punt off.
UTC coach Russ Huesman said a “poor call” was made by the coaches on the punt, which resulted in a Furman possession starting at the UTC 17-yard line.
“It has nothing to do with ability, technique, any of that,” he said Monday. “We told somebody to go one way and probably shouldn’t have.”
The blocked kicks weren’t caused by protection problems. Huesman said kicker Jeff Veres’ ball flight was too low, something that needs to be corrected before Saturday’s Southern Conference game when UTC (5-2, 4-1) hosts Elon (2-5, 1-3).
“That thing has to be up,” Huesman said. “The bottom line is, he has to know if he’s kicking a 25-yard field goal or an extra point, he’s got to get air under it.”
The Mocs missed three extra points in their 42-41 loss to Appalachian State. Then Veres, in his first game after moving from wide receiver, missed a 26-yard field-goal try at Jacksonville State.
SoCon meetings
The athletic directors and other top staff members from the 12 SoCon institutions are conducting their fall meetings in Spartanburg, S.C., today and Wednesday.
The primary topic, commissioner John Iamarino said, is “conference membership.” He said that’s likely the big issue at the fall meetings for all 31 Division I conferences following the moves that were made during the summer.
Also factoring into the membership conversation will be the feasibility study that Appalachian State is doing, and Georgia Southern has done, in regard to moving their football programs up to the bowl subdivision.
UTC athletic director Rick Hart said it was important for each SoCon school and the conference as a whole to start to gather information in case the conference landscape changes.
“I think it’s pretty obvious that things are fluid and fairly volatile at the FBS level,” he said. “We all think we know what’s best for each of our institutions right now based on the way the conferences are aligned and football is structured, but I think if we weren’t looking at what we would like to see happen if things change, then we’d be doing our institutions a disservice.”
Mocs rise in rankings
The win over longtime nemesis Furman finally won over the voters in the FCS coaches’ poll. The Mocs are ranked No. 23 in this week’s Top 25, released Monday.
Beating Furman also gave UTC a bump in the Sports Network poll. The Mocs moved up to No. 20 after entering the poll last week at No. 24, their first ranking since 1997.
The latest Sagarin ratings list UTC as the No. 11 FCS team and the No. 93 Division I team, four spots behind the 2-5 Tennessee Vols.
Bradford earns honor
UTC receiver Joel Bradford was named the SoCon offensive player of the week Monday following his 15-catch, 274-yard performance at Furman.
Bradford shared the award earlier this season after his 254-yard game against Eastern Kentucky. That set a school record, which the redshirt junior broke against the Paladins. His 254- and 274-yard receiving games are the most of any FCS player this season.