It appears being healthy and being kept upright has given Nick Tiano a chance to show people the sort of quarterback he actually is.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga junior has been one of the Football Championship Subdivision’s top players at the position in 2018, a year after some people were blaming him for a slow team start.
After two games this season, the 6-foot-5, 240-pounder is fifth in the country in passing yards (665), yards per game (332.5) and yards per completion (18.0), while ranking 11th in passing efficiency (170.1). He has four touchdown passes after throwing six in five games last season before an injury sidelined him.
The improved play of the offensive line this season has led to an improved showing from Tiano, who has been sacked only twice and not at all Saturday night against The Citadel. He had time to throw, and with time he totaled 349 yards and two touchdowns on 16 completions in the 29-28 overtime victory.
It was the first time since the 2017 season opener against Jacksonville State that a UTC quarterback hadn’t been sacked. Tiano himself was sacked 15 times in five games last season and was hit numerous other times before a shoulder injury sidelined him.
Coach Tom Arth said postgame Saturday that Tiano made some “really courageous plays.” One of those was a 76-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter in which he stood in the pocket and delivered a perfectly placed pass down the middle of the field to Bryce Nunnelly while taking a big shot from a blitzing linebacker.
“That’s going to be a clip I use forever to teach quarterbacks what it means to play that position,” Arth said.
Tiano said he knew if he could “squeeze it” for a second that Nunnelly would be able to get under it for the catch. What may have been an even better throw was a rocket to Nunnelly late in the fourth quarter in a tight window that led to a 58-yard gain that put the Mocs in the red zone.
He became the first Moc to have back-to-back 300-yard passing games since B.J. Coleman did so in the 2010 season – and it took Coleman 122 attempts.
“We’ve taken so many steps forward,” Tiano said Saturday. “Those guys up front are playing their tails off; we have a bond like nothing I’ve ever had before in football. I love those guys; they’re giving me an opportunity to sit back and be the player I worked so hard to be. Hopefully we can keep it up and I can keep working for those guys.
“This offense has taken so many steps forward and it’s awesome to see.”
Nunnelly national pick
Nunnelly’s 10-catch, 268-yard, two-TD, winning 2-point-throw performance against the Bulldogs earned him the national selection as STATS FCS offensive player of the week Monday. That honor came shortly after he was named the Southern Conference offensive player of the week for the second consecutive time.
The 6-2, 190-pounder had touchdowns of 76 and 20 yards and also had receptions of 45 and 58 yards. For the season, he has 17 catches for 429 yards and three scores, with five of his catches going for 40 yards or more.
His 268 yards were 6 shy of Joel Bradford’s school record set in a 2010 game against Furman.
Nunnelly ranks first in the FCS in receiving yards and receiving yards per game and fifth in receptions per game.
“It’s only been two games,” he said after Saturday’s win. “(Wide receivers coach Greg) Harbaugh told me I haven’t done anything yet. We as a team haven’t done anything yet, and I don’t feel like I’ve done anything yet. Yeah, I’ve had two good games, but it’s my teammates, it’s not really me.
“I’m ready for whatever. If teams want to play me differently, that’s fine. As long as we win, that’s the main goal.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.