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Sunday, November 8, 2026Nov 8

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Analysis: Was 2025 the year before the year for UTC football?

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/  UTC head coach Rusty Wright watches his team warm up during a practice at Scrappy Moore Field earlier this summer.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ UTC head coach Rusty Wright watches his team warm up during a practice at Scrappy Moore Field earlier this summer. Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ UTC head coach Rusty Wright watches his team warm up during a practice at Scrappy Moore Field earlier this summer.

It’s been a while since external expectations have been tampered like this for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football program entering a season. Even last year’s team — which internally people had questions about due to inexperience — was selected second in the Southern Conference before stumbling to a 5-7 finish. Entering this year, the Mocs were selected fifth, only the third time they were projected that low since 2010.

There’s been a lot of optimism during the offseason and into the preseason about this team, which took its lumps a year ago but saw development in some areas.

Could 2025 have been the “year before the year” — last season’s lumps leading to this season’s successes? One thing is certain, this team says it’s ready to compete within the SoCon and into the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

Last year’s team said it, but this one seems to mean it.

CONCERNS