When Scott Wachenheim took over the Virginia Military Institute football program this past offseason, he realized fairly quickly that the cupboard was not bare.
Especially at the receiver positions.
The Keydets’ high-powered attack is tied for first in the Southern Conference in passing yards per game and is first outright in pass attempts, averaging over 40 per game.
Three of VMI’s receivers rank in the top 10 in the league in catches: Aaron Sanders (first, 39), Dane Forlines (third, 32) and Sam Patterson (10th, 20). And freshman Dontae Mauck, who ran a 10.59 in the 100-meter dash in high school, is a big-play threat, with 302 yards on only seven catches.
UTC defensive coordinator Adam Braithwaite, who like Mauck attended Handley High School in Winchester, Va., said VMI has a number of good players.
“They spread the ball around pretty well,” Braithwaite said. “It starts with the quarterback, but they’ve got some really good skill guys around him, and you can’t hone in on one guy.”
UTC head coach Russ Huesman said the Keydets like to employ a short passing game, using screens to get the ball to their athletes on the perimeter. Going into the Mocs’ 55-7 win last season, Sanders was the player the coaching staff was most worried about, but like Braithwaite, Huesman noted that VMI has a number of playmakers.
“You watch the film and you understand they have good players and are well-coached,” Huesman said. “They look like they’re playing with more confidence on film. They do enough that they can slow you down some. They do a lot with the screen game that concerns us, and they have weapons on the perimeter that they are probably going to use quite a bit.”
Reynolds out; Bowles done
Huesman said Tuesday that defensive tackle Taylor Reynolds will be out “for an extended period of time” after a knee injury suffered against Furman. The 6-foot-3, 275-pound sophomore had 17 tackles and a blocked extra point in five starts to begin the season.
Reynolds had an MRI on Monday.
Huesman also confirmed that slot receiver Drae Bowles had a shoulder injury and has been lost for the rest of the season. The 6-foot, 210-pound transfer from Tennessee had two catches for 20 yards in four games for the Mocs.
Having redshirted while at Tennessee, Bowles will not be eligible for a sixth season since his redshirt with the Vols wasn’t for medical reasons. The 2016 season will be his last.
Seal commits to Mocs
Morristown East offensive lineman Jordan Seal committed to the Mocs this past weekend.
“Extremely honored and blessed to say that I have officially committed to UTC #mocs,” Seal tweeted Sunday evening.
The 6-5, 270-pounder had scholarship offers from UT-Martin and NCAA Division II member Tusculum and still plans to visit Tennessee Tech and Western Kentucky in upcoming weeks.
“UTC has been established for a few years now and Coach Huesman has done a good job,” Seal told Tennessee Gridiron Scouting. “They have a great medical program and have been recruiting me hard since the spring. I like the campus, it’s close to home and they win.”
He has also had contact with Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, Eastern Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State.
“I am getting a lot of interest, but as of right now, UTC is it,” he said.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.