The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football program faced a number of questions entering preseason camp. Two weeks and 15 practices later, coach Tom Arth feels some of those were answered.
The Mocs finished camp with a two-hour practice Saturday morning at Finley Stadium.
"The biggest thing for me coming into camp was, can we continue with our mentality, our mindset throughout winter and summer?" Arth said. "We had a very competitive summer, a competitive winter. The guys were really in a great place mentally, and I wanted to see how that translated once we started practicing, and it really did. I was very pleased with the effort, the attitude we came out in practice with.
"We faced adversity; we overcame it. I challenged the group numerous times, and we responded each time. I'm happy with where we're at."
The Times Free Press looked at five questions concerning the Mocs heading into camp. Today, we see if those questions have been answered.
1. What is the status at quarterback?
Going into camp, it appeared to be a pretty close competition between juniors Chris James and Nick Tiano for the starting position. By the end, Tiano had taken a clear step forward to being the starter for the Aug. 30 season opener against Tennessee Tech. Having been in the program since Arth arrived in January 2017, the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Tiano has control of the offense and knows where everyone is supposed to be. He struggled last season, but with a year of experience now and some improved blocking and weapons, he should have a better showing this season. James likely will fall into the backup role, albeit a quality one.
2. What about the offensive line?
The line was last season's fall guy for the offensive struggles, and the linemen took that to heart in the offseason and have shown vast improvements. The growth has been in part due to some key transfers, such as center Noah Ramsey, right guard Chris Barnes and right tackle Harrison Moon, but the returning players have grown as well, which has given the team some much-needed depth at the position.
3. Can the team thrive with limited running back depth?
The Mocs aren't quite as thin at the position as one would think, because of the quality of players. Only three running backs received carries at the position last season, and two graduated. Senior Alex Trotter is back, likely as a backup to junior and second-team preseason All-Southern Conference selection Tyrell Price. The two likely will carry the load, but Arth said recently he feels that freshman Isaiah Cobb will be the third guy. Cobb has shown good vision and has progressed nicely, despite missing some time due to an injury. If Cobb doesn't turn out to be the third back, sophomore Jonathan Stovall has the power and speed to fill that role.
4. What about the defense?
The UTC defense is in solid shape, particularly with the front three and the back four. Redshirt freshman Devonnsha Maxwell has slid into the spot vacated by Taylor Reynolds and has performed well, while Brandon Dowdell has moved into Lucas Webb's vacant spot at free safety. The Mocs have shown great depth in the back end, and while they still have to finish addressing depth on the line, the unit should be in great shape under first-year coordinator Matt Feeney.
5. What about those inside linebackers, though?
The biggest question was who was going to replace Tae Davis and Dale Warren in the middle of the defense. It appeared that senior Tavon Lawson would fill one of those slots, and Lawson has done that. Marshall Cooper has proven to have the knowledge of the position to occupy the other slot, but the biggest development has been how the team has developed some depth. Redshirt freshmen Christian Snyder and C.J. Winston and true freshmen Ty Boeck and Nyvin Nelson have proven they can play at the positions.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.