UTC’s Khayyan Edwards (44) tackles Mercer’s Tyray Devezin (34) during the first half of Saturday’s SoCon matchup at Finley Stadium.It certainly wasn’t the way he and his senior teammates wanted to go out at home, but even after Saturday’s odd 13-9 loss to Mercer, Isaiah Mack was all smiles.
The effervescent defensive lineman was a key part of what could have gone down as one of the greatest defensive games the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga ever has played. Though the details will fade quickly due to a plethora of missed opportunities, the statistics prove the unit’s dominance.
The visiting Bears, third in the Southern Conference at 32.7 points per game and fourth in total offense at 400 yards per game coming in, managed just 149 yards against Mack and his mauling mates. Mercer’s only points were set up by a pair of long kickoff returns. Five of the Bears’ first six drives and 11 overall drives did not include an offensive first down.
“It’s tough, but I couldn’t be any more proud,” said Mack, who led the Mocs along with linebacker Marshall Cooper with eight tackles and added a sack. “We fought our tails off and we made them beat us. I wouldn’t want to lose with anybody else.”
Mack also had a good view of the game’s biggest play. Burned a couple of times early by well-timed Mercer screen plays, senior noseguard Derek Mahaffey sniffed one out and appeared to have given the Mocs the lift they needed with an interception and a 69-yard touchdown return late in the first half.