Two University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football players were arrested Saturday by the Chattanooga Police Department.
Freshman running back Isaiah Cobb was cited for possession of a handgun while under the influence, speeding, driving under the influence and being a minor in possession of alcohol. Freshman linebacker Nyvin Nelson was arrested for driving under the influence by consent and being a minor in possession of alcohol.
Both are due to appear in general sessions court Thursday - the date of the Mocs' season opener against Tennessee Tech at Finley Stadium.
UTC football coach Tom Arth confirmed to the Times Free Press on Sunday evening that both players had been suspended from all team activities. There is no timetable for their return.
"We're not going to waste any more time on this. We're moving on," Arth said. "It's not going to be a distraction anymore. Our fall mission, one of the things we needed to improve on was being a team that could handle adversity. We've had big adversity - a coach leaving - and we've had small ones, and now we're faced with another moment due to selfish decisions that have affected the team. Our players know what's important.
"We spent 60 seconds on it in our team meeting Sunday morning, and we've moved on. We have to be decisive and do what's best for the program."
Arth's reference to a coach leaving concerned assistant head coach and outside linebackers coach Shelton Felton becoming a quality control assistant at the University of Tennessee last week with the Mocs approaching the end of preseason work.
According to the police department's affidavit concerning the arrests of Cobb and Nelson, they were in a red sedan that was speeding on Veterans Bridge just before 1 a.m. Saturday. The car was clocked going 65 in a 35 mph zone, with Cobb the driver and Nelson - the owner of the vehicle - in the passenger seat.
According to the affidavit, Cobb said he was coming from a house party but that he had not been drinking. He agreed to a field sobriety test and later admitted he drank beer earlier in the day.
Cobb was then found to have a loaded 9 mm handgun with seven rounds of ammunition.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.