Offense shines in Blue and Gold Game, White wins 21-20

The annual Blue and Gold spring football game for Chattanooga, Coach Russ Huesman's second as head coach of the Mocs, was attended by nearly 2,500 fans, crushing the previous record set last year that was seen by just under 1,500 UTC fans. "It was a great crowd," Huesman said of the attendance. "They are loud, they are enthusiastic. I like them out there, and I know our players really appreciate this. They do notice it, and they do appreciate it."

The fans were not disappointed.

The Blue Team, featuring Chattanooga's first team offense, put on quite a show, despite losing the contest 21-20 to the White-the first team defense and second team offense.

"I don't think we played real well on defense," Huesman said. "We played well on offense. It looked like our backs made some cuts, and B.J. and Graham Nichols both threw the ball real well."

B.J. Coleman, a sophomore from Chattanooga, got things started quickly for the Blue, driving his team 54 yards into scoring position, but was picked off by defensive back D.J. Key, a freshman from Centerville, Tenn., in the end-zone.

"I think the throw on the interception wasn't real good because we were in field goal range," Huesman said. "You just can't take points off the board like that."

After the White Team took over, quarterback Graham Nichols, a freshman from Franklin, Tenn., connected with wide receiver Sloan Allison, a sophomore from Ooltewah, Tenn., for a 68-yard touchdown pass, giving the White a 7-0 lead.

Allison ended with six receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown, finishing as the White's leading receiver.

On next possession for the Blue, Coleman marched the team down the field again, before Key made another huge play for the defense.

Erroll Wynn, a senior from Jonesboro, Ga., coughed the ball up after a monster hit by Key for the Blue Team's second turnover of the afternoon.

"The fumble Erroll had, did you all see that hit?" Huesman said. "I'd still be asleep if I got hit like that. But you still got to hang on to the football, and that was a great hit. Sometimes you've got to credit the defensive guys when they make a hit and put the helmet on the ball and it comes out."

Key, who was filling in for the injured Kadeem Wise, a freshman from Lawrenceville, Ga., finished the day with four tackles, one interception and a forced fumble.

On the next possession for the White, Nichols put together another impressive offensive series. The eight-play scoring drive was capped off by a four-yard touchdown run by wide receiver Brian Sutherland, a sophomore from Smyrna, Ga.

"We wanted to get the young guys to come out and get better," Huesman said. "We've got a lot of young guys on this team that didn't play a lot of football when they were on the scout team, and we wanted them to get them out there in live competitive situations."

Sutherland, who carried the ball two times for 18 yards, finished the afternoon with 131 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, and gave the White a 14-0 lead with his first score.

On the very next play from scrimmage, Coleman and the Blue team finally found the end-zone, as he connected with his former high school teammate Joel Bradford, a sophomore from Chattanooga, on a 65-yard touchdown pass. Following a missed PAT, the Blue still trailed 14-6.

Bradford led both sides in receiving with seven catches for 144 yards, establishing himself as Coleman's go-to-guy with the absence of Chris Pitchford, a junior from Knoxville, who has missed the entire spring because of injury.

The White team answered right back as Nichols found Sutherland deep for 65-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the drive, widening the margin once again, 21-6.

Following three-and-outs by both teams, Coleman threw for his second touchdown pass of the game, finding his tight end Garrett Hughes, a junior from Lawrenceburg, Tenn., from eight yards out and cut the scoring margin to eight, 21-13.

Coleman finished the game completing 17 of 31 pass attempts for 269 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

The Blue Team found the end-zone once more before the halftime whistle blew, as Wynn fought his way into the end-zone from four yards out, scoring the only touchdown by a Moc running back in the game. Wynn finished as the game's leading rusher, carrying the ball six times for 47 yards.

Wynn's score brought the game within one, 21-20, and after scoreless second half for both teams, that's how it ended.

"We were trying to get some situations there at the end, especially for our number one offense and number one defense to see those types of things," Huesman said. "It's hard to guage a spring game because you're so thin at all positions. I thought it was important to play game-like situations today."

Nichols took home the Offensive MVP honor, finishing the game 16-25 passing for 282 yards and two touchdowns, while the Defensive MVP was given to Ryan Consiglio who ended the day with seven tackles and a sack.

In addition to announcing the day's MVPs, Huesman also made official the team captains for the 2010 season, which included defensive back Buster Skrine, a junior from Woodstock, Ga., offensive lineman Chris Harr, a junior from Chattanooga, and quarterback B.J. Coleman.

"Chris Harr. Everyone knows is an excellent player," Huesman said. "B.J. Coleman obviously an excellent football player. It's a bonus when they're good and they're local, and it's a bonus if they get people to come watch us play."

Chris Donald, a sophomore from Huntingdon, Tenn., who transferred from Tennessee prior to the spring, finished the game with four tackles for the White Team.

With the spring season now in the rearview mirror, the football will now turn its focus to the Sept. 4 match-up with Southern Conference rival Appalachian State.

"Summer is about the most critical time," Huesman said. "It's a three month stretch when you can re-create your body. Make yourself stronger, make yourself faster, and get yourself into great shape. Summer is huge.