The good news for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football Mocs is they enter their off week 2-0 in the Southern Conference.
The not-so-good news for Rusty Wright's team is that it may have to move forward without another key offensive starter.
Having already lost running back Tyrell Price, right tackle Harrison Moon and receiver Lameric Tucker for the season due to injury, when the Mocs (3-3) return to competition by hosting East Tennessee State University on Oct. 17, they are likely to do so without leading receiver Bryce Nunnelly.
The preseason All-American left Saturday's 34-17 win at Mercer (2-4, 1-2) after being hit after jumping for an incomplete pass over the middle late in the first quarter. The junior's right arm hung limp at his side as he went straight into the injury tent.
When he returned, the pads were off and his arm was wrapped tightly in a sling.
"Bryce is what he is, one of the best players in the country and one of the best I've ever played with, and it hurts to see him go down," said senior quarterback Nick Tiano, who tried to get inside the tent to check on Nunnelly, only to be ushered out. "Personally, I love him to death and I don't want to see him lose time."
Despite the mounting personnel losses, the offense had its most balanced performance this season while rallying from a 14-7 deficit, running for 225 yards and passing for 190 more. Freshman running back Ailym Ford had his third 100-yard game with 121 yards on 32 carries, but the added workload may have taken its toll. He was limited in the second half, spending significant time riding the exercise bike trying to keep a hamstring loose.
"We're beat up, but we'll worry about that next week," Wright said Saturday. "Guys stepped up, but that's what's been happening all year."
Wright praised freshman Colin Truett for having his second consecutive strong start at right tackle in Moon's absence, and both the coach and Tiano pointed out the impact players such as sophomore running back Jeffrey Wood II and junior receivers Reggie Henderson, Kanore McKinnon and Tyrin Summers had against the Bears.
"We had a lot of guys in there, and we needed all of them," said Tiano, who completed at least one pass to nine receivers.
"Jeff Wood looked great with Ailym hurting, and those guys up front did a great job. Reggie is huge. He's very talented, and getting him going early is huge for us because he can make big plays."
Nunnelly finished last season with 79 catches for 1,237 yards and seven touchdowns, and despite missing most of Saturday's game, he is again the team's top target by far, with 26 catches for 355 yards and three touchdowns. No other UTC player has more than eight catches, more than 159 receiving yards or more than two touchdown receptions.
Of the Mocs with at least seven catches, though, Tucker has averaged 19.9 yards per reception, Henderson 17.4 and Chris James 13.3. James, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound senior who moved from quarterback to tight end this season, has two touchdowns among his seven catches.
If Nunnelly cannot go - Wright said there had not been a diagnosis as of Sunday afternoon - at least the Mocs will have extra time to define roles before the visit from ETSU (2-4, 0-3), which also has an open date this week. Tiano, for one, believes the offense can continue to improve, though some good news on the injury front wouldn't hurt.
"We've got to get healthy and able to bring the energy these final six games, all conference games," he said. "We need better consistency. There are times we can drive the ball 80 yards for a score and other times we go three-and-out. We have to get rid of those inconsistencies and be ready to push the ball down the field at all times."
Wright had a message for his celebrating team after Saturday's win.
"It's great to be 2-0 in the conference and especially to go on the road and win a big one, but I told them it's only going to get tougher," he said. "I know these kids will keep playing hard, but we also have to keep improving."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.