MACON, Ga. – The walk back to the locker room was another long, quiet one for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team.
Some heads were down, while other players – such as injured quarterback Alejandro Bennifield – remained positive, offering encouragement to teammates after another frustrating result.
The Mocs sustained their third consecutive loss, 30-10 to Mercer in front of an announced attendance of 9,864 at Five Star Stadium. Mercer improved to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in the Southern Conference, while the Mocs fell to 1-6 and 1-3.
A week after allowing 292 yards rushing to Furman, the UTC defense had a much better performance, holding the Bears to half their season average in rushing (84 on 35 carries), but allowed 232 yards passing and a pair of first-half scores to redshirt freshman quarterback Kaelan Riley from Calhoun High School.
The offense had a solid start, with true freshman Cole Copeland leading a drive that ended in a career-long 44-yard field goal by Victor Ulmo, but after that, the Mocs had six consecutive possessions that resulted in punts and a seventh that ended in a Malique Fleming interception in the end zone.