No. 20 THE CITADEL (7-2, 6-0 SoCon) AT NO. 8 UTC (7-2, 5-1)
2 p.m. ' Finley Stadium in Chattanooga ' 96.1 FM
THE MATCHUP
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's offensive line will be asked to do its job and then some against a Bulldogs defense that leads the Southern Conference in sacks against league opponents (20). If the linemen can give quarterback Jacob Huesman time to throw plus give him and the running backs room to run, the Mocs will have success. If the Bulldogs win the battle up front, it could be a long day for UTC.
ONE TO WATCH
After last week's loss at Mercer, Huesman said that he was going to do "everything in his power" to make sure the Mocs pulled out a win today, when it would clinch the SoCon's automatic berth in the FCS playoffs. As the leader of the team, the spotlight will be on the senior now as he's asked to make the right decisions against a defense that leads the SoCon in takeaways.
IN THE END
These are the games that define the term "champions." How will both teams respond with so much on the line? The Citadel's coaching staff has been in this position before, but its players haven't. Most of the key players for the Mocs have taken part in games of this magnitude before, and that invaluable experience will be the difference as UTC earns a second straight postseason appearance.
- Gene Henley
PREDICTION: Mocs 34, The Citadel 21