UTC's Keon Williams (22) from Red Bank High School has not lost yardage on any of his runs this season.Jacob Huesman ran the ball 14 times for 148 yards in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's 23-21 loss at Georgia Southern last Saturday. He didn't go backward on any of them.
Keon Williams had 10 carries for 48 yards. All gained yardage, as they have all season for the redshirt junior.
In fact, of UTC's 33 carries against the Eagles, only one lost yardage -- a 1-yard loss on a Terrell Robinson run because of a missed assignment.
Williams has yet to lose a yard on any of his 49 rushes. The former Red Bank High School star is getting quality gains when the running lanes are there, and he's getting at least a little something when they aren't.
"He's doing a good job of knowing what to do with the ball -- how to hit [the hole], the situation," Mocs coach Russ Huesman said. "We ran a lot of the speed option [against Georgia Southern], and I thought all of our backs did a pretty good job."
The Mocs finished with 239 yards rushing and averaged 7.2 per attempt -- a stat buoyed by Jacob's 51-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Williams' longest run was just 9 yards, far below the long bursts he had against lesser opponents Austin Peay and Georgia State, but Williams did take a simple screen pass and turn it into a 57-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Moore returning
Chaz Moore is still the Mocs' primary kickoff returner, despite being replaced in the role in the fourth quarter against Georgia Southern. Robinson returned two kickoffs in the final period, the first two returns of the redshirt junior's career, because Moore, a defensive back, was gassed after playing snap after snap on defense.
"Chaz was just dog tired," Coach Huesman said. "Option teams get you and he was sometimes out there the whole time [on drives]. It's hard for Chaz, and if you get a little tired, you might not have great ball security."
The coach said Moore will be back returning Saturday when UTC (2-2, 0-1) hosts Western Carolina (1-4, 0-2) in a Southern Conference game at Finley Stadium.
Credit to McKinnon
Coach Huesman obviously didn't like the Mocs' many missed tackles, but he said credit had to be given to GSU quarterback (and occasional running back) Jerick McKinnon. In his 172-yard performance last Saturday, McKinnon was seldom taken down by the first guy in position to stop him.
"McKinnon's a good player, man," Huesman said. "We had him a couple of times, he slipped out. We had him a couple of other times, he made us miss. He's a great player. He's one of the best, if not the best player in the league."
Extra points
After week five, the Mocs rank No. 3 in the SoCon in scoring offense (31.5 points per game), No. 2 in scoring defense (19.5 ppg), fourth in total offense (405 yards per game) and second in total defense (335 yapg). ... UTC is third in rushing offense with 263 ypg, and Saturday's opponent, Western Carolina, is last in rushing defense (242 yapg).
Contact John Frierson at jfrierson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6268. Follow him at twitter.com/MocsBeat.