University of Tennesee at Chattanooga quarterback Jacob Huesman and the rest of the offense have done a good job moving the ball – and the chains – the past two games.
That includes in higher-pressure situations like third down.
The eighth-ranked Mocs are second in the Southern Conference in third-down conversion percentage, picking up a first down on 52.2 percent of their 46 opportunities through three games. Only The Citadel, at 60.5 percent, has a higher success rate in the SoCon. UTC’s percentage ranks seventh nationally among FCS teams.
Third down for what?
“You would like to not encounter a third down at all, but when you do, you want them to be manageable,” Huesman said. “It’s much easier to convert a third-and-3 than a third-and-9, so you stay in manageable situations. That way, you can keep the defense resting and let them freshen up a little bit while it also keeps giving us opportunities to put points on the board.”
So far, that formula has worked. Since their season-opening loss to Jacksonville State, which is currently No. 1 in one FCS poll and third in another, the Mocs’ conversion rate on third down is nearly 60 percent in victories against Division II Mars Hill and SoCon opponent Samford. And it could have been higher had they not become more conservative in the fourth quarter against Samford while preserving a double-digit lead and trying to run time off the clock.
Meanwhile, UTC’s defense leads the conference by holding opponents to a third-down conversion rate of 33.3 percent.
Offensive coordinator Jeff Durden credits having a fifth-year senior at quarterback for the Mocs’ ability to extend offensive possessions and be versatile in third-down situations.
“He knows where to go with the ball,” Durden said of Huesman. “Most people draw the line – on third-and-4 or third-and-5, they’re going to throw the ball. We can run it on third-and-8. Jacob’s getting the ball out in time and protecting it.
“It’s all about execution. Every Friday we talk about execution. We don’t take a big package (of plays) into the game. Our assistant coaches do a great job of scouting our opponents and putting us in really good situations.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/genehenleytfp.