The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga opens its season Thursday at West Georgia. Here are five bold predictions for the Mocs from beat reporter Gene Henley:
Defensive ends alone will top last season’s team sacks total: The success of the UTC defense has historically started up front, as the better Mocs teams of the past 15 years were built front-to-back. Last season’s group lacked the experience, size and talent to really create chaos in the backfield, and the numbers (14 sacks all season) proved it.
But this year, the return of Orlando Daniels, the improvement of Jestin Gilmore, the emergence of C.J. Smith and the addition of Ryan Bell should produce the sort of pressure that once led to errant passes, interceptions and turnovers, with the ends clearing 14 on their own.
No two 1,000-yard rushers, but three with 500: Dating back to 1971, UTC has never had three different players rush for 500 yards in the same season. The closest came in 1979, when Mike Smith and Gwain Durden topped the mark while Tony Ball finished one yard short at 499. But this season, with an experienced offensive line and a quartet of talented running backs, Journey Wyche, Harrison Bey-Buie and Kevin Lalin will all eclipse it. And if one of them goes down, freshman Kelby Glaze has been knocking on the door of earning more carries and could slide into that spot.
Alberson most efficient passer in league: The Mocs coaching staff knew what it had in junior Battle Alberson upon his arrival in 2024, but he was buried on the depth chart behind Chase Artopoeus and Luke Schomburg that season and Camden Orth the next. An injury to Orth paved the way for people to see in games what others were seeing in practice, and Alberson got off to a hot start by being named the National Freshman of the Week and Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 277 yards and four scores and rushing for 85 more in a 45-28 win over Furman.