Running back Justus Durant’s junior year at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, his first with the Mocs after transferring on the heels of a promising second season with NCAA Division II member Shorter, got off to a slow start in 2024 as he rushed for just 57 yards in his first three games.
His next two games? Durant exploded for 96 yards and a touchdown, then followed up with 110 yards and two more scores.
So he understands some of what fellow UTC running back Journey Wyche has been experiencing so far this season, with the 5-foot-10, 203-pound sophomore from Louisville, Kentucky, appearing in the opener at Memphis but not getting a carry, then gaining just 7 yards on a trio of rushes a week later at Tennessee Tech, which currently has the nation’s top run defense in the Football Championship Subdivision, having allowed an average of 58.0 rushing yards per game.
Now the hope is that Wyche’s breakout performance last week against Stetson, which included a 78-yard burst for the second touchdown of his collegiate career as he ran for 115 yards on 16 carries — making him one of three 100-yard rushers for the Mocs in the 63-0 home win, alongside Durant and quarterback Camden Orth — means he is back after being limited at times in the offseason.
At this point, with just one game remaining before UTC (1-2) begins Southern Conference play, the Mocs certainly need all their key pieces to be up to speed.