UTC GAME IN BITS & PIECES

SATURDAY’S STAT

Led by Keon Williams’ 147 yards, the Mocs pounded Georgia State with 401 rushing yards. This was eight days after the Panthers held a quality Samford team, which has a fine runner in Fabian Truss, to 105 total rushing yards. The Mocs’ offensive line was dominant, the backs ran hard and well, and UTC averaged 6.7 yards per carry.

SATURDAY’S STAR

Williams came into Saturday’s game with a career high of 101 yards in a game. He had that by the midpoint of the second quarter. It’s been an up-and-down career for the former Red Bank standout, but against the Panthers he delivered more blows than he received and had a phenomenal average of 7.3 yards a carry.

TURNING POINT

The Mocs were solid on their opening drive, scoring after converting three third downs into firsts, but took command when coach Russ Huesman opted for a fake field goal on UTC’s second drive and quarterback Jacob Huesman hit tight end Faysal Shafaat for a 27-yard score and a 14-0 lead. The offense kept rolling until the score was 42-0.

HIGHLIGHT PLAY

Any successful fake is usually the most memorable play of a game, and UTC’s second touchdown was no exception. The Mocs lined up for Nick Pollard to try a 44-yard field goal. After shifting into a passing formation, Jacob Huesman casually threw a strike right to Shafaat, who was open down the left side.

WHAT IT MEANS

The Mocs looked really good in every phase of the game for the first three quarters, before the starters were pulled. While 501 yards of offense is always impressive, it stands out more because Georgia State held Samford to 298. A win is always good; after the Mocs struggled in their opener against UT-Martin, they needed a dominant performance like Saturday’s.