The untrained eye might have gazed upon the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team’s 13-3 homecoming win over Furman on Saturday afternoon at Finley Stadium and described it as anything but a thing of beauty.
Just don’t try selling that opinion to Mocs sophomore running back Ailym Ford, who rushed for 108 yards and scored UTC’s lone touchdown against the Paladins.
“A win is always pretty,” said Ford after the Mocs improved to 4-1 in Southern Conference play and 5-3 overall heading into next weekend’s game at Wofford. “Keep pushing. Be resilient. That’s part of the game. That’s Chattanooga football.”
If you admire nothing else about this team of whom so much was expected at season’s dawn, admire that. These Mocs keep pushing. They are resilient. They are making a name for themselves, and it has nothing to do with lighting up a scoreboard or creating plays to headline ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
Instead, as coach Rusty Wright said of the improving team in his third year leading the Mocs: “We’re practicing with a passion and purpose to get better. Tuesday and Wednesday were the best practices we’ve had since I’ve been here. They’re paying a price to get this done.”