University of Tennessee at Chattanooga safety Zach McCarter (47) catches a ball during practice at Scrappy Moore Field on Tuesday. The Mocs are preparing for their season opener against University of Tennessee at Martin on Aug. 29.The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga defense is expecting a Jason Simpson offense to look like a Jason Simpson offense when the Mocs and UT-Martin meet at Finley Stadium on Aug. 29.
There will be multiple sets and looks, but at its core UT-Martin tends to be prolific at throwing the ball. The Skyhawks ranked No. 10 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in passing in 2012, throwing for 299.6 yards per game. In total offense they ranked No. 24 with an average of 427.4 yards.
“They just execute well,” Mocs coach Russ Huesman said after Tuesday’s practice. “They’re well coached, you can tell; they execute; they know what they’re doing; and they’ve got some people that can make people miss. I think their wide receivers are phenomenal.”
UTC fans have seen Simpson’s work before, when he was the Mocs’ offensive coordinator for three seasons (2004-06) under Rodney Allison. When Simpson left for UT-Martin, Carmen Felus was hired as UTC’s offensive coordinator. Felus stayed through the end of the Allison era in 2008 and is starting his third season as Simpson’s offensive coordinator
After a couple of weeks of implementing its systems and developing and evaluating its personnel, UTC now is focused on the Skyhawks. The Mocs began preparing their scout teams last Saturday and resumed Tuesday at Scrappy Moore Field.