The moment that many of us have been waiting for six months is upon us---it is football time in Tennessee. If you live within the greater Chattanooga area I am asking you to join me in looking upon the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as being our hometown football team. And it is an exciting team that we can be proud of.
The Chattanooga Mocs will play a 12-game slate that includes five home contests at Finley Stadium. Road games are highlighted by an Oct. 11 trip where we will travel to Knoxville to play Tennessee in Neyland Stadium.
Coach Russ Huesman, who is entering his sixth season at UTC, has assembled an outstanding group of talented players and as a results the Mocs were picked by the league’s coaches and media to repeat as SoCon champions in 2014. UTC has its highest ever preseason ranking – No. 14 in the Sports Network Top-25 and No. 16 in the FCS Coaches Poll.
I have friends who tell me that Coach Huesman is loaded with talented players. Chattanooga returns 19 starters and 39 letter winners from last year’s 8-4 team that won a share of the Southern Conference title 1984
As far as I am concerned Jacob Huesman is the toughest and smartest player on the field. He is bad to the bone. I truly believe that if it is his goal to do so that you and I will be watching him playing on Sunday evening in a year or so. He is one of 20 Mocs to make the Dean’s List in the fall and spring last year.
Another outstanding player is senior DE Davis Tull is the two-time defending SoCon Defensive Player of the Year. He was also picked as the SoCon preseason Defensive Player of the Year heading into 2014. Tull is the first member of the Chattanooga Football program to earn Academic All-American honors.
Friends and constituents please come out and help me root for the Chattanooga Mocs of whom we can be proud. (When was the last time that you heard of any of the UTC players doing something stupid?) The first home game of the season is a big one against No. 6 Jacksonville State. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6, at Finley Stadium. Ticket prices are quite reasonable, Finley Stadium is comfortable and the weather is great. So please bring the hubby or wife out and help me cheer on our hometown Mocs. It will be a joy to watch them.
Commissioner Warren Mackey