SATURDAY’S STAR
East Tennessee State University’s Quay Holmes finished with 99 yards of total offense and had both touchdowns for the Bucs – a 54-yard catch on a screen pass and a 4-yard run that gave the Buccaneers a 14-point first-quarter lead that proved to be enough.
SATURDAY’S STAT
Through its first four games of the season, UTC had averaged nearly two more takeaways than their opponents. The Mocs finished minus-two against the Bucs, with three lost fumbles leading to 10 ETSU points.
TURNING POINT
The Bucs had taken an early seven-point lead when UTC’s Lameric Tucker dropped a lateral pass that was ruled a fumble. The Bucs recovered the ball, then scored two plays later to go ahead 14-0.
THE BIG PLAY
On the Bucs’ second drive, they caught the Mocs’ defense out of position, and quarterback Austin Herink found Holmes on a screen pass. The freshman running back shook off a would-be tackler and sprinted 54 yards to give the Bucs the early lead and all of the early momentum.
WHAT IT MEANS
The Bucs entered the game feeling as though they had been disrespected, and they played like it early. The Mocs settled in and still had a chance to win but ran out of time. The loss was a disappointment for UTC, but it could be the sort of recalibration the team needed heading into a battle against eighth-ranked Wofford next weekend at Finley Stadium.
HOW THEY SCORED
FIRST QUARTER
ETSU – Quay Holmes 54-yard pass from Austin Herink (J.J. Jerman kick), 9:33
Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards, 1:24
Key play: The Bucs caught the Mocs in a blitz on the scoring play, with Herink finding Holmes on a screen pass. Holmes broke a couple of tackles and sprinted to the end zone.
ETSU 7, UTC 0
ETSU – Holmes 4-yard run (Jerman kick), 6:43
Drive: 2 plays, 10 yards, 0:41
Key play: The Bucs recovered a fumble at the UTC 10-yard line, and it took only two plays for Holmes to get his second score of the game.
ETSU 14, UTC 0
SECOND QUARTER
ETSU – Jerman 33-yard field goal, 3:58
Drive: 11 plays, 41 yards, 4:38
Key play: The Mocs had their second turnover – a fumble by quarterback Nick Tiano that thwarted a promising drive by UTC. Herink had a 19-yard completion to Kobe Kelley for the team’s lone third-down conversion.
ETSU 17, UTC 0
FOURTH QUARTER
UTC – Bryce Nunnelly 3-yard pass from Tiano (Victor Ulmo kick), 11:00
Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 5:57
Key play: With the Mocs facing third-and-18, Tiano found Joseph Parker over the top for 31 yards to the ETSU 3-yard line.
ETSU 17, UTC 7
UTC – Tyrell Price 3-yard run (Ulmo kick), 4:27
Drive: 14 plays, 73 yards, 5:15
Key play: A false start put the Mocs in third-and-15, but Tiano completed a 14-yard pass to Wil Young and Price pushed ahead for two yards on fourth-and-1 to keep the drive going.
ETSU 17, UTC 14
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.