Mocs jump out, top Samford 38-24

photo UTC wide receiver Tommy Hudson, left, breaks a tackle by Samford tight end Devon Schmitt to return a kickoff for a touchdown Saturday at Finley Stadium.

In a game that was taking on an eerily similar tone to recent close losses, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team needed someone to make a momentum-shifting play Saturday night.

Having watched a 21-point halftime lead cut to seven, freshman free safety Lucas Webb stepped in front of Samford receiver Karel Hamilton for his second interception of the game, giving the Mocs the spark they needed to close out a 38-24 win to open their Southern Conference schedule at Finley Stadium.

Webb's interception, with more than 11 minutes remaining, gave UTC the ball at the Samford 19 and led to a Keon Williams 7-yard touchdown run and a 14-point cushion that held up.

"There are times when you want the ball more than the other person," said Webb, who has three interceptions for the season and a fumble recovery. "It really changed the momentum. It was one of the main plays because we were able to go down and score."

The Mocs, who won their conference opener for the first time since 2007, had soundly whipped Samford in every phase for the first two quarters, getting points from their offense and special teams while the defense shut down the SoCon's top scoring offense. Samford (2-2, 1-1) entered the game leading the league, ranking sixth nationally, with 43 points per game but was stifled after a game-opening drive to a short field goal.

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UTC (2-2 overall) countered with a crisp four-play, 76-yard drive of its own, capped by Williams' career-long 34-yard touchdown run. Webb set up UTC's next score with his first pickoff of the game, which led to Henrique Ribeiro's 31-yard field goal.

As he's done in every Mocs game this season, Tommy Hudson then provided a highlight big play, returning a punt a career-best 66 yards for a TD. The Mocs then punctuated the first-half dominance with an 11-play, 64-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard scoring dive from quarterback Jacob Huesman.

"Great team win, all three phases," Mocs coach Russ Huesman said. "You get a punt return [for a touchdown] that makes a big difference. You get a pick deep in their territory, that makes a difference. We kind of got on them early and that's always big.

"I thought we got better offensively today. And I thought Keon ran the ball extremely hard today."

Williams finished with 131 rushing yards on 21 carries and the Mocs outgained Samford 252-137 on the ground. UTC's defense had four sacks -- two each for Davis Tull and Keionta Davis -- and eight tackles for loss, led by All-America Tull's career-high four.

"The past few games we've played predominantly running teams," Tull said. "We got up on them and knew they would have to throw to get back in it, and that made a difference. We were able to get after them."

Samford had managed just 96 yards and four first downs after its opening drive but found its offensive footing in the third quarter, getting touchdowns on two drives that each took less than 90 seconds.

The Bulldogs took possession three more times with a chance to tie the game, but thanks to Nick Pollard's direction punts they were forced to begin each of those inside their 20. UTC's defense forced punts on two of those possessions, and Webb then came up big.

Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.

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