IMPRESSIVE EARLY
Mocs dominate Tennessee Tech, take 34-10 lead
A big-play offense and a stingy defense became the perfect combination for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team Thursday night, as the Mocs led Tennessee Tech 34-10 before a late weather stoppage at Finley Stadium.
The season opener for both had a lengthy lightning and rain delay with 10:25 remaining in the fourth quarter, but Tennessee Tech refused to agree to call the game. It still was going to be finished as of press time.
In a little over three quarters, the Mocs piled up 427 yards of total offense. They averaged 8.1 yards per play with six plays of at least 20 yards.
Quarterback Nick Tiano had his best game as a Moc, with 318 yards passing and 33 rushing. The 318 yards are a program high under coach Tom Arth, topping the 317 that true freshman Cole Copeland had in his first start against Furman on Oct. 7 of last season. Tiano completed 21 of his 31 passes and had scoring throws of 89 yards of Bryce Nunnelly and 63 yards to Wil Young.
Tyrell Price totaled 72 yards rushing and 56 receiving before the weather delay in his first game for UTC. He had a 40-yard touchdown run.
Nunnelly was Tiano’s bigplay target, with 161 yards on seven catches. In addition to his
big touchdown off a screen pass, he had a 42-yard reception.
His receiving yards are tied for the 20th-best single game performance in UTC history, matching Alonzo Nix’s 161 against Furman on Nov. 22, 2003.
The UTC defense held the Golden Eagles to 251 yards of total offense and forced three turnovers, including an interception by Jerrell Lawson that he returned 26 yards for a score early in the third quarter. Kareem Orr had an interception and recovered a fumble by TTU quarterback Bailey Fisher.
The fumble was forced by Telvin Jones.
The Mocs moved the ball well in the first quarter but could muster only a pair of Victor Ulmo field goals. They trailed 7-6 early in the second quarter after a Josh Poplar interception return for a score. Tiano had completed a pass to Bingo Morton, who was hit as he was making the catch. The ball popped right into Poplar’s hands, and he jogged it in for the 14-yard score.
Tiano then passed to Nunnelly on a third-and-20 from the UTC 11-yard line, and the 6-foot2, 190-pounder from Walker Valley High School found some room down the right sideline and outran the TTU defense for the score.
The Mocs held a 13-7 lead at halftime and broke the game open in the third quarter with scores by Lawson, Price and Young.
Derek Mahaffey had a teamhigh eight tackles for UTC. Redshirt freshman Devonnsha Maxwell had a pair of tackles for loss, including his first career sack.
The Mocs start Southern Conference play next Saturday at The Citadel.