UTC tight end Faysal Shafaat, right, performs drills during the Moc’s first spring practice in pads at Scrappy Moore Field on March 21, 2014.Housing has been assigned, physicals have been administered and equipment has been handed out. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team now is ready to take the field this afternoon for the start of preseason camp and the first steps toward the season opener at Central Michigan in just four weeks.
The Mocs will work out in helmets and shorts today in what coaches have termed an “acclimation day,” and the team will begin practicing in full pads Sunday morning, sprinkling in four two-a-day sessions while taking just one off day between now and their “Meet the Mocs” day Aug. 17 at Finley Stadium.
“The early mornings are pretty bad during camp,” quarterback Jacob Huesman said, referring to the 6:30 a.m. sessions. “But I enjoy being with the guys all day every day, because that builds camaraderie. We’re looking forward to figuring out some things at practice and it’s fun eating all our meals together, but waking up early every day is pretty rough.”
Huesman and senior defensive end Davis Tull are the preseason picks for Southern Conference offensive and defensive players of the year and are two key reasons the Mocs also are the early favorites to win the conference and earn a trip to the playoffs.
But there are questions elsewhere on the team that need to be answered before the wave of optimism and expectations can become reality for the program. The answers will start to become clear beginning today.