There was obvious disappointment — along with a sprinkle of frustration — Saturday afternoon at the end of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s 26-7 loss to Furman in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
There are two major takeaways from the season-ending defeat to consider for any UTC fan. One, despite playing on the road against the Southern Conference champion and the No. 7 seed of the 24-team playoff field, and with several key players already out going into the game (with redshirt freshman-turned-starting quarterback Luke Schomburg lost to injury in the third quarter), the Mocs still EXPECTED to win.
Hence the frustration.
Two, next year at this time — perhaps with Saturday’s outcome as motivation — they should be celebrating a second-round win with sights squarely set on achieving even more.
OK, maybe that’s a bold statement for a program that has made it past the second round of the FCS playoffs one time and will enter the 2024 season with a 4-5 postseason record in 40 years playing at this level. This season was just the program’s fifth time making the FCS playoffs.