LEXINGTON, Va. - Self-inflicted wounds are the most difficult to understand, even on the football field.
In Saturday's 31-24 loss at Virginia Military Institute, it was a death-by-a-thousand-cuts scenario for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Two fumbles by the Mocs that led to 14 points for the Keydets and a blocked punt recovered for a VMI touchdown were the headliners in what was a frustrating way for Rusty Wright's team to end its season.
"Any time you turn it over like that and with the punt block, it's tough," said Wright, whose initial UTC team finished 6-6 overall and 5-3 in Southern Conference play. "It's hard to win football games doing that. We couldn't make enough plays early, and the turnovers killed us. You just can't make mistakes like that and win.
"We didn't deserve to win that football game. Sometimes the football gods know what they are doing."
Making matters worse, the Mocs held a decisive 451-264 advantage in total yards. The UTC defense held the SoCon's leading rusher entering the week, Alex Ramsey, to 75 yards on 18 carries while limiting quarterback Reece Udinksi, a 3,000-yard passer, to 214 yards and picking him off twice.
"It should have been 20 points, and if you give up 20 points in a college football game you should win," Wright said. "That's the bottom line. At worst, it's 21-20."
The first big mistake may have been the worst. The Mocs led 10-3 after senior quarterback Nick Tiano hit tight end Chris James on a 15-yard touchdown pass, and UTC had forced VMI (5-7, 4-4) into a three-and-out series and had the ball inside the Keydets' 10-yard line. Tiano fumbled a slightly wide snap on first down, though, and VMI's Connor Riddle recovered.
The Keydets' offense went right down the field, with Udinski's 13-yard pass to favorite target Jakob Herres (eight catches for 153 yards) completing the touchdown drive that tied the game at 10.
"The fumble in the first quarter was huge," Wright said. "We had a chance to go up 13-3 or 17-3, and they came right back down to tie it and it was a different game."
It became an even more different game moments later when a snap over the head of UTC punter Gabe Boring resulted in a blocked punt that was recovered in the end zone by VMI's Carter Johnson for a stunning 17-10 lead. It was another of a myriad of special teams errors for the Mocs this season.
"We played sloppy," said James, who later added a second touchdown catch. "We made a lot of mistakes, but credit to VMI for taking advantage of those mistakes. They just wanted it a little bit more than we did as a team."
The Mocs ended the half with a missed field goal, courtesy in part to another errant snap, then fell behind 24-10 when Udinski and Herres hooked up for a 54-yard touchdown pass 47 seconds into the third quarter.
Four minutes later, disaster struck yet again when James Stovall was stripped of the ball, with Jarrod Richmond scooping and scoring on a 63-yard return for a 31-10 lead.
The Mocs scored twice in the final quarter, the second time on Tiano's 8-yard touchdown scramble with 4:43 left. They would not touch the ball again, though, as Ramsey ran for a pair of first downs to run the clock out.
"We got down in the first half, but we did what we've done all season and we battled back," said Tiano, a senior star who passed for 230 yards and a pair of touchdowns and rushed for 67 yards in his final UTC game. "We've got a lot to be proud of this season. We battled through adversity, and I'm proud of the guys.
"Unfortunately, our execution wasn't there in the first half and we came up a little short. I'm just so proud of this team and proud to be a part of it. I've enjoyed every minute of it."
The Mocs had an outside shot at sharing the SoCon title and perhaps earning an at-large bid to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, but even if they beat VMI it would not have mattered in that regard. Wofford took care of business by beating The Citadel to secure the league championship outright.
Wright was disappointed his team couldn't build on the late-game rally a week earlier against The Citadel, but he was effusive in his praise of VMI and head coach Scott Wachenheim.
"I tell you, the best job anyone's done of getting the most out of a team in this league, it's these guys," Wright said. "Those kids understand what they are trying to do and how they want to do it."
He'll be back
Sophomore defensive tackle Devonnsha Maxwell is the lone starting lineman returning next year for UTC, and if his 2019 finale is any indication, the Mocs are in for a dominating 2020.
Maxwell was credited with three solo tackles, all three for loss, against the Keydets. Two of the tackles were for sacks, and he also had an additional quarterback hurry while helping keep Ramsey in check.
"Stopping the run game was key because he is the leading rusher in the Southern Conference," Maxwell said after Ramsey was held 50 yards under his per-game average. "We wanted to stop the run first and then the pass, and for the most part we did.
"We had a lot of seniors playing their last game, and we all played as hard as we could. It just didn't happen to fall our way. I see a lot of improvement and getting better next year. There will be a lot of work because that's all we know."
He will, too
James had four catches for 36 yards, and his two scores gave him a team-best seven touchdown catches this season. After learning a little more than a week earlier he would be returning for another year of eligibility, he's already looking forward to 2020.
"It's pretty surreal. Not a lot of people get a chance to play six years of college football," the former quarterback said. "I'm just happy to be coming back. I will play football until somebody tells me to stop.
"We have to do the right thing every day on and off the field. We have the leaders coming back to do it. Coach Wright is giving us the direction, but we have to have everyone buy in this offseason, and I believe the sky is the limit."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.