It’s doubtful the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team is going to vault into any top 25 poll based on Thursday night’s victory – the score was 34-10 before a long rain delay at the 10:25 mark of the fourth period – over visiting Tennessee Tech University at Finley Stadium.
Yes, there were moments of greatness by the victors, especially that 89-yard touchdown pass from Nick Tiano to Bryce Nunnelly midway through the second quarter, which was also the play that put the Mocs up for good in this one.
Nunnelly looks to be the kind of fleet and raw-boned receiver who could scare Southern Conference defensive backs for years to come, given that the Walker Valley graduate is but a sophomore.
As for Tiano, the reports of his dramatic improvement from an injury-shortened 2017 season appear to be underplayed, if anything. By the close of the third quarter, a thunderstorm about to suspend play, the Baylor School grad and Mississippi State transfer had amassed a stat line of 299 passing yards, two touchdown throws and 27 net rushing yards. And his lone interception – which Tech returned for a touchdown – might just as easily have been ruled a fumble.
Point is, needing to show big improvement from last year’s disappointing 3-8 record, the Mocs did just that under second-year coach Tom Arth, even if Tech oddly refused to allow the game to be called despite that 24-point deficit and lightning blowing up the sky for close to 90 minutes. It’s certainly fair for first-year Tech coach Dewayne Alexander to want play the full 60 minutes in his first game, but with the lightning still flashing beyond 11 p.m., finishing the game also meant a very late night and short sleep for the TTU student-athletes in a game they were showing no sign of winning.