UTC's Dale Warren, Hunter Townson and Jacob Huesman, from left, hold their helmets high during the singing of the Alma Mater after the Mocs' 51-0 win Saturday at Western Carolina, which previously was tied with UTC for first place in the Southern Conference.Russ Huesman calls it "the process."
Entering his sixth year as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football coach, Huesman knew he had assembled the on-field talent and coaching staff needed to challenge for the Southern Conference championship.
Other league coaches recognized that as well, making the Mocs the clear preseason favorites. But for them to lay claim to sole possession of the title, and the automatic playoff berth that comes with it, the next step in the process was to answer the challenge of being the team every SoCon foe was gunning for.
"We talked before the season, as soon as we were picked No. 1, about how everybody will be coming after us," Huesman said. "This is what we wanted when we got here six years ago. It's not to the point where everybody thinks we're the greatest thing going, because we're not, but we knew we would get everybody's best shot and you have to be prepared for that every game.
"That can be a tough transition mentally, but this group of players and coaches have worked every week to be ready. Now we just have to take care of business and approach this game the same way we have all year."
By taking care of business within the league to this point, the Mocs (6-3, 5-0) have put themselves in position to secure both the conference crown and a playoff spot for the first time in 30 years with a win over Wofford at Finley Stadium this Saturday.
The work to build UTC's program, coupled with the departure of perennial SoCon powers Appalachian State and Georgia Southern, made the Mocs the overwhelming preseason choice to win the conference. The hunters had become the hunted, and so far the Mocs have shown the maturity of a team that understands the difference in mentally approaching games as the favorites each week.
"It's kind of a weird situation because you always had those big games that we would circle on the calendar and knew they were the target. But now we're the target," said senior offensive lineman Chris Mayes. "It lets you know every week that you can't slack up, because they're going to give you their best shot.
"The energy is definitely going to be there for this game. We've put ourselves in this position and now it's up to us to go out and finish it. It's what we talked about all offseason. Last year we had to settle for co-conference champions, but this year we want to be outright champions. We want to lock up our spot in for the playoffs. We don't want it to come down to a tie again."
Faced with the same situation last year, needing only a win at Samford to secure the outright league title, UTC fell flat and lost a three-point overtime decision. The sting from that loss, which left the Mocs in a three-way tie atop the league standings and cost them a trip to the playoffs, has been a driving force from offseason workouts through this season.
"This is the position we want to be in," said junior quarterback Jacob Huesman. "We're sick of playing from behind in the conference. We wanted to be in the position where we're the front-runners and everybody else is chasing us."
To this point the rest of the league hasn't been close in the chase to catch the Mocs. Against league competition UTC has left no doubt as to who is the new bully on the block. The Mocs have outscored their five SoCon foes an average of 43-15, highlighted by last Saturday's impressive 51-0 road whipping of a Western Carolina team that also was undefeated in the league coming in.
MOCS GLANCE• Wofford (5-3, 3-1 SoCon) at UTC (6-3, 5-0)• Saturday, 1 p.m., Finley Stadium• 96.1 FM
Wofford (5-3, 3-1) is the only team remaining on the schedule with a chance to derail UTC's surge toward the outright title. A Mocs win relieves the pressure of a season spent as the league favorite and would allow the team to use the final two games as a way to begin fine-tuning and preparing for the postseason.
"We've got the target on our back now, so we have to come ready. No let-ups," said senior defensive lineman Derrick Lott. "When you're the favorite, people are looking for ways to shut you down more or pick you apart. I've definitely noticed teams are playing at a higher level against us. It's kind of the way we used to play with a chip on our shoulder against the top teams in the conference.
"I'm sure that's how (Wofford) will come at us in this game. But this is something we want real bad. To continue having our undefeated record (in conference), especially as a senior, that's the statement we want to make the rest of the way."
Two Mocs honored
UTC continued to reap rewards from last week's thorough victory at Western Carolina. Senior running back Keon Williams, who ran for a career-best 194 yards and two touchdowns, was named the SoCon offensive player of the week and sophomore kicker Henrique Ribeiro, who connected on all three field-goal attempts and six point-after tries, was named the special teams player of the week.
The Mocs also moved up one spot in the FCS coaches' poll to No. 11, the highest ranking since a program-best No. 9 ranking by Street & Smith in September 1992.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.