Mocs tackle Blue Hose, score first road win

The football Mocs doubled their win total from a year ago with a 29-13 win over the Presbyterian Blue Hose last Saturday in Clinton, S.C. It was the first road win for the Mocs in nearly two seasons and was a win head coach Russ Huesman was more than pleased with.

"I think each time we win and each time we have success, whether it's offense, defense - winning games - I think it builds our confidence," the first-year head coach said.

After going three-and-out on their opening drive, the Mocs were forced to punt and Presbyterian College took over at their own 20-yard line. But the Blue Hose would only hold the ball for :08 seconds after UTC freshman linebacker Ryan Consiglio intercepted an errant pass and returned it to the 16 yard line.

UTC couldn't capitalize on the Presbyterian turnover though, and the drive ended on a missed field goal by senior kicker Craig Camay, from Marietta, Ga.

On the ensuing possession the Blue Hose marched 69 yards in just over six minutes and took the lead 3-0 on a 26-yard field goal from Aaron Hayes.

The following drive for the Mocs was a bit more prosperous though as Camay would redeem himself of his earlier miss by nailing a 52-yard field goal as time expired in the first quarter to tie the game at 3-3.

The Mocs wouldn't settle for field goals in the second quarter and neither did Presbyterian. They jumped out to a 10-3 lead after scoring a touchdown, capping a five play 42-yard drive on a 1-yard dive into the end zone.

Chattanooga responded after the Blue Hose score and rode the shoulder of sophomore quarterback B.J. Coleman for a seven-play 67-yard drive that ended in a touchdown. Forty-one of those yards came on a Coleman completion to tight end Garret Hughes. The touchdown came five plays later on a three-yard pass from Coleman to junior wide receiver and Knoxville, Tenn. native Chris Pitchford.

Despite the short distance, the throw from Coleman forced Pitchford to make a nice adjustment on the ball.

"Any time we can get Pitchford isolated on a corner, we feel like he can win," said Coleman, a Chattanooga native. "We have a lot of confidence in [Pitchford] to make those plays."

UTC forced a Presbyterian punt on its next possession and following a short five-yard return by Joel Bradford, the Mocs' offense went back to work.

This drive also relied heavily on Coleman and the passing game as five of the six plays called by offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield were passes, including a 43-yard strike from Coleman to freshman receiver Terrence Davis of Conyers, Ga..

The Mocs capped the six-play 78-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown run by senior running back Bryan Fitzgerald to take the lead 16-10. Fitzgerald, a Memphis native, finished the game with a career-high 181 yards on 22 carries.

Fitzgerald described his performance as a 'coming out' game.

"I felt really good coming into this game," he said. "It builds our character to beat a team on the road."

UTC led 16-10 at the break and after forcing the Blue Hose into a three-and-out to start the second half, the Mocs' rushing attack kicked into high gear with Fitzgerald doing most of the work, breaking a 29-yard run that ended inside the Presbyterian 25-yard line.

Chattanooga finished the drive with a 20-yard scoring strike from Coleman to Davis and extended its lead to 22-10.

The Mocs turned up their defensive play in the second half, allowing only a field goal and it was something the defensive-minded Huesman was particularly happy about.

"That looked like a defense in the second half - a lot of three-and-outs, an interception, getting after it and a lot of people around the ball," Huesman said. "I hope we can continue to do that."

UTC's final score came early in the fourth quarter on a 27-yard scamper by Fitzgerald, his second of the day.

The Mocs return home to Finley Stadium this Saturday for Homecoming 2009 against the 17th ranked Wofford Terriers.

UTC is looking for its first win against the Terriers since 2005 and will likely need a strong defensive performance against the Wofford offense, which ranks second in the nation in rushing offense, averaging 258.3 yards per game.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.