Derrick Craine called the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team’s trip to Lexington, Va., for this afternoon’s Southern Conference game against Virginia Military Institute “a business trip.”
It will be slightly different business, though, and if nothing else, he hopes the Keydets don’t score.
But not for the obvious reason.
“The cannons,” he explained. “When military schools score or do something well, they’ve got cannons.”
Craine was an unsuspecting victim last season when the Mocs traveled to The Citadel, and it cost him.
“I had no idea what was going on,” he said. “I was looking around wondering who got shot.”
The sixth-ranked Mocs (4-1, 2-0) will play today at 1:30 in an environment unlike most they face throughout the season. VMI (1-5, 0-2) and The Citadel are the military academies in the SoCon, and they offer unusual perspectives with their students at home games.
“You’re going to see a bunch of cadets,” UTC coach Russ Huesman said. “They’re into the game.”
Huesman admitted there was a bit of an intimidation factor that went along with playing a military academy, primarily because such schools offer an experience not available at regular universities.
Before a game, cadets march from the barracks to the field, where they welcome the football team. A ceremonial cannon fires off upon the players’ arrival, and after scores, new cadets come out of the stands and do pushups for every point VMI has scored.
“You definitely have to have respect for what they do, and the schedule they go through,” safety Lucas Webb said, “but we have to be sure we play our best game. They have discipline and a hard-nosed mentality, so we have to go in with our best mindset and play to the best of our ability.”
Huesman and Craine agreed that, if nothing else, the Mocs will have to match the Keydets’ discipline.
“We definitely want to thank them, because after college they’ll be serving our military and our country,” Craine said. “One thing that’s great is to play opponents like that are really disciplined.
“That’s really fun to do.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.