UTC quarterback Jacob Huesman passes during the Mocs’ spring Blue and White football game Saturday, April 18, 2015, at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn. The rearview mirror on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga car has been broken.
Last year was a nice season. Rings have been issued for the program’s Southern Conference championship, and the records and accomplishments all have been documented.
But that was last season.
This year’s team wants more.
Coach Russ Huesman said one of the things he preached to the Mocs during spring practice was to “fight complacency.” That shouldn’t be hard for the 16 returning starters and numerous others with plenty of experience. They were present for the close calls, which include three losses – out of the four – of five points or fewer.
They felt the pain of the 20-16 loss to Central Michigan, a game the Mocs led 16-0 in the first half. They remember the highs and lows of the 26-23 overtime loss to Jacksonville State, a game they thought they’d won on Tommy Hudson’s game-winning punt return late in the fourth quarter, only to hear the play was called back for a holding call some found questionable.
Who can forget the New Hampshire game in the Football Championship Subdivision playoff quarterfinals, when they led 22-16 at halftime against the top-ranked Wildcats but fell 35-30?
“We don’t talk about last year as coaches, so hopefully the players aren’t talking about it,” Huesman said. “The first meeting we had, we told the players that last year is behind us. It’s a whole new year and a new football team, so I doubt they’re talking about it at all. We told the players they can’t be complacent or satisfied, and I don’t think they are; in the locker room in New Hampshire, the players and coaches were tore up.
“If we get the opportunity to be in that position again, we don’t want to feel the way we did that night.”
But that was last season. After reaching the playoffs for the first time since 1984 and setting a new standard for wins in a season, the Mocs should want more this season.
They do.
“(We’re using) the loss at the end of the season as motivation,” quarterback Jacob Huesman said. “I certainly hope we don’t let last year go to our heads and think we made it. We certainly haven’t made it from a motivation standpoint. There’s just a certain mind-set you’ve got to have, one of never accepting where you’re at now. You just can’t stop moving forward; you can’t be happy with where you are. We did fine last year, but you know what? It wasn’t good enough.
“We’re constantly striving to get better.”
The Mocs return seven starters each on offense and defense, with two back on special teams.
Jacob Huesman will lead an offense that lost its leading rusher (Keon Williams), top receiver (Tommy Hudson) and All-America tight end (Faysal Shafaat). From preseason practice, it’s evident the Mocs have a lot of weapons, but they lack leaders at those positions.
Defensively, they have a ton of experience returning despite the loss of linemen Davis Tull and Derrick Lott – both now in the NFL – and linebacker Muhasibi Wakeel, the team’s leading tackler.
Linebacker Nakevion Leslie thinks the defense, which was the SoCon’s top-ranked unit last year, can be better this season.
“All of our guys played a lot last year,” Leslie said. “We have great chemistry and experience because we won together and lost together, so we know what it takes, and that will make us much better.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.