Virgin 'really good' in defeat for Mocs

photo UTC defensive back Dee Virgin runs the ball in for a touchdown after intercepting it during the Mocs' home game against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014, at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sophomore cornerback Dee Virgin spent much of the night Saturday covering a Jacksonville State defender one-on-one.

And he usually won.

Virgin, a redshirt sophomore, sparked life into his team in the first quarter with a 55-yard interception return. He continued making plays -- even when JSU tried to pick on him -- throughout the night. He was called for pass interference once in the first half.

"Number 3, he made a great play on the ball," JSU quarterback Eli Jenkins said. "He went for the fake and then he made a speed turn. I watched film on him all week. I decided to try him, and he made a great play on the ball."

Virgin played a huge role in UTC's second score by batting the ball out of the air, off his foot and into the hands of Lucas Webb.

"Dee played a great game," linebacker Nakevian Leslie said of Virgin, who made eight tackles, one for loss, and broke up two passes. "He's a true corner and we trust him out there."

Virgin also helped in run support with five first-half tackles. Running back Miles Jones took note of Virgin when he tried to cut back in the hole, only to have the 5-foot-10 defensive back upended the 210-pounder.

"I thought Dee was really good," UTC coach Russ Huesman said. "We put him in tough situations, and he always responds."

Series of close games

UTC and JSU have played their share of close games in recent years.

UTC won 21-18 in 2005 when it scored with 10 seconds left in regulation. The Gamecocks won in 2006 when they stopped UTC on the 3-yard line on the final play of the game. JSU won again in 2012 when Griffin Thomas booted a 37-yard field goal as the clock hit triple-zeroes.

Jenkins watched that game in 2012 during his redshirt season. He also played in three overtime games last season.

"I was telling my team that we've been here before," said Jenkins, who scored the winning touchdown. "We know what it's like to be in this situation."

Solid special teams

Coach Huesman didn't bother celebrating when he saw Tommy Hudson sprint to the end zone after returning a punt 55 yards with 30 seconds remaining.

Huesman saw the flag on the field, negating a potential game-winning play.

"I hope it was the right call, and it probably was," Huesman said. "I told him, 'Tommy, man, you have to catch this thing and go. Sure enough, he did."

The Mocs were solid in all other aspects of special teams Saturday. Henrique Ribeiro made his two field-goal attempts, and kick coverage remained solid.

"We had a couple different fakes and things, and they lined up completely different from what they did in the first week and what we researched," Huesman said. "Nick [Pollard] punted the ball good. We got two way down in there [inside the 5]."

Mocs morsels

The Mocs were hosting about 50 high school recruits this weekend, a larger number than usual. Those players, their parents and families were on the sideline before the game, and many stayed afterward to visit. ... The loss extends UTC's losing streak to four consecutive games dating back to last season, three of them by a combined 11 points. The Mocs lost in overtime to Samford and then their final game of 2013 at Alabama. ... Former Mocs offensive lineman Kevin Revis, the brother of UTC starting center Jacob Revis, is a graduate assistant with Jacksonville State, working with the offense. ... The last time UTC returned two interceptions for touchdowns was Sept. 3, 2005, in a 30-23 win over Tennessee Tech.

Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6484. Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6292.

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