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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The football team could not hold on to a 14-0 first-half lead Thursday and fell to Carson-Newman 29-17 in the Mocs' season opener.
UTC quarterback Antonio Miller scored on two rushing touchdowns in the second quarter, the second coming at 11:27 of the second period, to give the Mocs a 14-0 cushion.
The Eagles, 2-0, kicked a field goal right before halftime, then scored 19 consecutive points to produce their first win over a higher division team since the 1980s.
“We lost the game, UTC Head Coach Rodney Allison said. “I fully thought we would play well, and we did not. We were totally undone offensively in the second half. We want to win, and for some reason, it didn't work out. We will do the best job we can to get this thing figured out. We still have 10 games and have a chance to have a good year. And I fully intend to do that.”
Carson-Newman, which generated 446 rushing yards in its opener a week earlier, outrushed the Mocs 202 yards to 54. The Eagles compiled 428 total yards while UTC picked up 209.
After a scoreless first quarter, Miller capitalized on a 36-yard pass to sophomore receiver Blue Cooper and got the Mocs on the scoreboard with an impressive 10-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter. Craig Camay's extra point gave UTC a 7-0 lead.
Charles Profit's fumble recovery at the Eagle 31-yard line led to Miller's second scoring run, a two-yarder just over three minutes later. The half ended with Carson-Newman traveling 63 yards on 11 plays to kick a 25-yard field goal by Aubrey Ingham with 27 seconds remaining.
The Eagles held the Mocs' offense to just 41 yards in the second half. Miller was intercepted by Eric Rice in the third quarter and injured his patella or knee cap making a touchdown-saving tackle. Carson-Newman cut the margin to 14-3 four plays later with a 23-yard Ingham field goal at 10:59 in the third period.
An Alex Good 40-yard pass play to Otis Miller set up Buck Wakefield's six-yard touchdown run at 8:16, but a two-point conversion try failed, leaving the Mocs with a 14-12 edge.
Carson-Newman took its first lead with 35 seconds left in the third quarter on a 21-yard Ingham field goal and pushed the margin to 22-14 on a Good-to-Mo Whitten nine-yard scoring pass with 9:50 to play.
“We've had some big ballgames, we've played for nine National Championships,” Carson-Newman Head Coach Ken Sparks said. “We are a very young and immature football team, and this is a big step forward as far as our maturation. I thought we showed an awful lot of heart tonight. To be down 14-3 to a good football team and come back. Certainly losing their quarterback turned the momentum of the game. Our guys made two or three big plays.”
Backup quarterbacks Cody Romans and Tony Pastore guided UTC for 10 plays and into field goal range on the next possession, and Craig Camay converted his first career field goal attempt, a 46-yarder, at 6:31.
The Eagles put the game out of reach on the ensuing series with an eight-yard Good touchdown run with 2:42 to play. Good led all rushers with 56 yards on eight carries. Wakefield chipped in with 48 yards on 13 rushes.
Good and starter Alex Rouse each completed 6-of-10 pass attempts. Rouse threw for 121 yards and Good added 105 through the air. Miller was the Eagles' top pass catcher with five for 99 yards.
Miller was UTC's leading ground gainer with 30 yards on six totes. Sophomore Erroll Wynn picked up 27 yards on 12 carries. Miller completed 12-of-19 passes for 123 yards and one interception. Pastore went 4-for-11 for 32 yards, while Romans was 0-for-7. Cooper set career highs with seven catches for 83 yards. Matthew Angeloni hauled in three for 36 yards.
UTC safety Chris Camacho registered his second career double-digit tackle game with a game-high 11 hits. Safety Jeff Phillips and linebacker Steven Smigelsky added eight apiece. Senior linebacker Chris Johnson left the game in the first quarter with a dislocated shoulder.
The Mocs hit the road next Saturday, taking on Jacksonville State at 3:30 p.m. ET in Jacksonville, Ala.
