UTC quarterback Jacob Huesman celebrates after the Mocs' win.Mocs Glance• UTC (7-3) at Tennessee Tech (4-6)• Saturday, 2:30 p.m. EST, Tucker Stadium at Cookeville, Tenn.• WTCI TV, 96.1 FM
While stats can be misleading, there are trends in several categories that point toward the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga taking command by halftime of this week's nonconference football game at Tennessee Tech.
First, the Mocs have been been solid in first halves and particularly dominant in second quarters, having outscored opponents in that period by a combined 126-41. That includes shutting out six opponents in that quarter, while on the flip side Tennessee Tech has been outscored 125-29 in second quarters and has entered halftimes trailing by an average of 13 points.
UTC (7-3) also has a decided advantage with its defensive front, which leads the Southern Conference with 25 sacks, against the Golden Eagles' offensive line, which has allowed an Ohio Valley Conference-worst 32 sacks. And with his next sack, Mocs senior defensive end Davis Tull will become the SoCon's career leader in sacks.
Tech (4-6) also is last in its league in red-zone offense, while the Mocs are the best in the SoCon in red-zone defense.
While UTC equaled the program's best national ranking by climbing up to No. 9 in both polls, it's nothing new for the Eagles to face nationally ranked competition this season. The Mocs will be their fourth ranked opponent, and Tech knocked off then No. 12 Eastern Kentucky by eight on Oct. 18.
"It's going to be a hard game," said Mocs coach Russ Huesman, who brushed off any talk about his team being a prohibitive favorite. "Tennessee Tech has a talented football team. They beat Eastern Kentucky; they beat SEMO (Southeast Missouri). We better play well this week or we won't win."
Mocs morsels
When redshirt freshman safety Lucas Webb intercepted a Wofford pass late in the fourth quarter, it was his fifth of the season, moving him into a tie for the SoCon lead and making him the only freshman in the FCS with that many pickoffs. That is also one away from tying Kadeem Wise's UTC freshman record set in 2010. ... Senior running back Keon Williams is second all-time with 27 career rushing TDs, one behind the record set by Gene Roberts in 1945-46. ... Henrique Ribeiro needs to make just two more extra points to tie the school record of 43 in a season. ... A win Saturday would even UTC's all-time record for the first time since the final game of 2007. In the program's 107 seasons, it currently stands at 509-510-35. ... This Saturday's game will be televised locally by WTCI, channel 202 for Comcast cable subscribers and 164 for EPB customers.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.