Huesman answers questions as spring ends

Another spring is in the books for the UTC football team. Time to hang up the shoulder pads, put away the athletic tape and roll the water coolers until the Appalachian State Mountaineers come to town in September. The Mocs completed spring practice Saturday with the annual Blue and Gold game.

Second-year head coach Russ Huesman looked to answer questions from the Chattanooga community, and in front of almost 2,500 people the answers came in loud and clear.

"We are pretty thin right now as far as numbers," Huesman said. "We saw some things out of some players we were hoping would be good, and they did turn out to be good."

Pretty good is the understatement of the century.

One of the biggest questions answered by Saturday's performance was the toll graduating seniors and injuries has taken on the wide receiving corps.

The Mocs' spring answer to that was the performance of Chattanooga sophomore Joel Bradford.

In the Blue and Gold Game Bradford caught seven balls for a total of 144 yards.

The gem of the day was the 65-yard toss from Chattanooga sophomore quarterback B.J. Coleman to Bradford who caught the ball perfectly in stride and motored to the end zone.

Even with the Mocs' aerial attack firing on all cylinders, it is still only one half of the offense.

The running game was another key area for improvement according to a pre-spring interview with Huesman.

The Mocs only mustered 936 yards and nine touchdowns as a team on the ground last year.

"We did get better running the football," Huesman said. "Are we where we want to be? No, I don't think we are close enough, but we did improve. We need to continue to improve."

In order for the running backs to improve, they will need help from the guys up front.

The Mocs return all five of their offensive linemen from last year's team that allowed nine sacks last season.

That total was good enough for fourth in the NCAA.

According to Huesman, the line has the potential to be one of the better groups he has coached.

"They are not there yet, but they are fighters, they are workers," Huesman said. "Part of it is B.J., part of it is them, part of it is the system, but they are good."

So now the calm before the storm begins.

The Mocs will have the entire summer to get their bodies into shape to get ready for Sept. 4 when the Mountaineers visit Finley Stadium for the first game of the year.

"Nothing is mandatory, its all voluntary," Huesman said. "These guys are going to have to make a commitment to themselves and this team that they are going to do whatever they possibly can to make themselves better football players.

"Whether it's never missing a lifting day, or getting out there and running when they are supposed to . that is what has to happen."

Following the 2009 campaign, the expectations for the football team could not be any higher.

The community wants this team to win. You can feel in the humid Chattanooga summer air.

The fans more than doubled last year's spring game attendance at a whopping 2,486.

There have been many regular season games against SoCon rivals the past five years that have not had as many fans.

Still amongst all the hype and flash the fans love to see, Huesman preaches consistency.

He wants his team to be fundamentally sound in all aspects of the game.

"I don't know how many games we can win," Huesman said. "I'd never say we could win six or seven games. What I do know is that I want to put out a football team people can be proud of."

Mocs' full schedule, rosters, and player bios are available online at GoMocs.com-see link below.