Rusty Wright has held firm to his beliefs.
His University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team was going to focus on the fall. The second-year head coach was going to use the pandemic-induced spring schedule as a developmental period, at all costs. Even as his Mocs climbed to a top-10 national ranking in both Football Championship Subdivision polls entering Saturday’s home game against Mercer, Wright made it very clear how he feels about the spring.
But there was belief the high rankings – No. 9 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, No. 10 in the coaches’ poll – might change his perspective. And surely he wouldn’t bypass the chance for a championship, as his team was one of two remaining undefeated teams in the Southern Conference along with Virginia Military Institute? Conference titles are hard to come by: UTC hasn’t won one since 2015.
In a move surprising to some, he essentially punted on the season – an interesting metaphor considering some of the Mocs’ special teams woes this year – with his approach to Saturday’s game at Finley Stadium. Against the Bears, 21 new starters emerged in the lineup, including 17 first-time starters and 13 freshmen. Nine of those freshmen were on offense, including all five linemen.
And those players held their own, although the defense appeared to tire at points in the second half.