UTC running back Tyrell Price (23) breaks a tackle on the way to big yardage against Tennessee Tech on Aug. 30. He has run for 169 yards and three touchdowns in the Mocs' two wins.It hasn't taken long for Tyrell Price to prove he was a valuable addition to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team.
The last player to sign during the December early signing period, the 6-foot, 220-pound junior college All-American has made the greatest impact for the Mocs of anyone in the 2018 recruiting class. Price has 169 yards and three touchdowns rushing through two games, and it was his touchdown in overtime that set up the game-winning two-point-conversion pass from receiver Bryce Nunnelly to tight end Jordan Giberti in UTC's 29-28 win at The Citadel last week.
As the Mocs travel again this weekend - this time to UT-Martin - any impact Price can make will be an improvement from last season, when UTC running backs combined for negative-3 yards in a 21-7 loss to the Skyhawks at Finley Stadium.
"Everything starts with practice," Price said this week. "I guarantee we'll be better (rushing the ball) than we were last year. We'll showcase it in practice and then execute it on the field."
He then reiterated: "It'll be better than last year."
The UTC rushing attack started to improve as last season went on, and it has topped 100 yards in four of the past six contests. It's no coincidence that the Mocs have won four of their past five after dropping nine of 11 dating to the final four games of 2016.
The offensive line helps in that regard. So does Price, who broke tackles at the line of scrimmage and barreled over a defensive back on his way to a 16-yard scoring run against the Bulldogs.
"That's my forte," he said. "I want to bring the boom instead of receiving it. I especially want to have the extra effort when I see the end zone; it brings a little more energy to me."
Price led the National Junior College Athletic Association with 24 rushing touchdowns last year.
What also has helped the UTC offense - which has averaged 453.5 yards per game this season - is Price's ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, which adds another element to the attack because of how it opens lanes for the wide receivers. He had 56 receiving yards in the season opener against Tennessee Tech, including a 30-yard catch-and-run early in the game.
"It's incredible to be able to hand to that guy to make plays," quarterback Nick Tiano said. "I love watching him."
Added Nunnelly: "He's a great running back. He makes all the right cuts; he's strong, fast, physical, and he opens up everything on the perimeter for us because teams have to focus on him. He's a great teammate, so humble and a great guy to play for. He's a great teammate."
To his point, Nunnelly has had some wide-open lanes leading to his 17 catches for 429 yards (best in all of Division I), while senior Joseph Parker has added 11 receptions for 100 yards, with a pair of catches that covered more than 20 yards and led to scores in last week's win.
"Tyrell is a difficult guy to get to the ground," UTC coach Tom Arth said. "He's shown an ability to make people miss; he's also shown an ability to run with power. He has very good vision. He's made some good cuts for us when maybe things weren't blocked perfectly and made something happen, which has been really good to see, and really good for our team.
"I don't know if we gave him credit for how fast he is and how elusive he can be in the open field. I think he's exceeded our expectations through the first couple of games, and he's somebody who will get better as the season continues to progress."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.