The excitement continues to grow with less than one week before the start of the 2009 Chattanooga Mocs football season. The campus, city and community are buzzing about the season opener against Glenville State on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 7:00 p.m. (E.D.T.) at Finley Stadium.
Head coach Russ Huesman and the rest of the Mocs have been training and preparing for months to "Restore the Glory" to UTC football and it all begins in six days.
GoMocs.com continues its outlook on the 2009 season with today's overview of the defensive backs. UTC has some very talented players in the secondary, but it will be their hard work and preparation that make this group successful.
Single-game tickets are on sale now on GoMocs.com. The Glenville State game is one of the most anticipated home-openers in school history, but fans can print their tickets at home and avoid the lines on game-day. Game-day general admission tickets are $10, but fans can enter 'restore' in the promo code box on GoMocs.com and get $5 tickets courtesy of Chattanooga Coca-Cola Bottling Company.
Season tickets are still on sale and begin at $22 for youth, alumni, faculty and staff and can be purchased at the UTC Ticket Office - (423) 266-MOCS (6627) - or online at GoMocs.com. The Mocs just topped 2,200 season tickets on Wednesday and are less than 100 away from breaking the school record for season tickets sold.
Be sure to make it out to "Chat with the Mocs" presented by Budweiser of Chattanooga live from Buffalo Wild Wing's downtown location on Wednesday, Sept. 2, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. This one-hour interactive radio show is hosted by the voice of the Mocs J.R. Reynolds, features head coach Russ Huesman and is aired live on ESPN Radio 105.1 FM. Buffalo Wild Wing's downtown location is 507 Broad Street in Chattanooga.
Season Outlook Part 1 - Season Overview (Aug. 10)
Season Outlook Part 2 - Quarterbacks (Aug. 11)
Season Outlook Part 3 - Running Backs (Aug. 12)
Season Outlook Part 4 - Offensive Line (Aug. 17)
Season Outlook Part 5 - Receivers (Aug. 20)
Season Outlook Part 6 - Tight Ends (Aug. 22)
Season Outlook Part 7 - Defensive Line (Aug. 24)
Season Outlook Part 8 - Linebackers (Aug. 26)
Season Outlook Part 9 - Defensive Backs
Playing defensive back for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team comes with some added benefits and pressures. You get to play for head coach Russ Huesman who was a collegiate defensive back himself. You get the benefit of the 30-plus years of experiences Huesman has from playing and coaching the position, but you also have the ever-watchful eyes of the head coach catching all of your mistakes and miscues.
Heusman's expertise in coaching the secondary and the talent level of the current Mocs at that position also raise the bar for the upcoming season. As the head coach, Huesman does not directly coach the DBs, but he does keep a close look over his old position.
"My expectations are high because I think they are good players and they are capable of making plays," stated Huesman. "My expectations are high because I have coached that position for many years...I know this coverage. I know what we want to do defensively. I have coordinated from the secondary, so there should be more pressure because they have another set of eyes on them."
The Mocs have five solid returners from the 2008 season, including three starters. The only major loss from last year was senior Raeshon Ball. Ball started all 12 games at cornerback and was fourth on the team with 53 tackles. He earned his degree in Health and Human Performance in May.
This year, the corners will be held down by sophomore Chris Lewis-Harris (5-11, 175) and junior Buster Skrine (5-9, 180). Skrine saw action in 10 games in 2008 with eight starts. He is fourth among the returning players with 48 tackles last season and, as a second team selection, is the Mocs' only representative on the preseason All-Southern Conference squad.
Lewis-Harris played in all 12 games last year and made six starts. He recorded 36 tackles and had a team-high three interceptions and six pass break-ups. His three interceptions tied for the second most by a Moc freshman in school history. Coincidentally, the freshman record for interceptions is four, set by Huesman in 1978. This pair is also half of the Mocs All-SoCon 4X100 meter relay team on the track & field squad.
Sophomore J.D. Dothard (6-0, 188) returns as the starting safety. He started all 12 games last season and was third on the team with 55 tackles. He also had two interceptions on the year. Fellow sophomore Jordan Tippit (6-0, 185) will take over as the free safety. He played in 10 games off the bench last season, recording 27 tackles.
Sophomore Joel Bradford (6-0, 165) is listed as the back-up for both safety positions. He moves over to the defense after spending last season as a receiver. Freshman Robert Harrison (5-9, 160) is slated to be the first off the bench on either corner. He has been slowed by a leg injury, but could be ready for the opener against Glenville State.
Having a core group of players who have been on the field together should help with the transition of learning the system under the Mocs' new coaching staff. "It is always nice to know that everyone is one the same page and we are playing as one unit," said Skrine. "Even though this is a new defensive scheme, we all feel comfortable with it."
A number of other new faces will be competing for time in the secondary, including sophomore Ryan McGowan (6-1, 205), freshmen Don Cope (5-10, 180), Briant Henry (6-0, 180), D.J. Key (6-0, 180), Connor Rosenbaum (5-10, 180), Corey Shields (6-3, 190), David Tillman (5-9, 190) and Kadeem Wise (5-10, 170).
McGowan transferred to UTC from Maryville College. He was a two-time all-state linebacker at Whitwell High School in Whitwell, Tenn., during his prep career. Henry and Key were both all-region defensive players during their high school careers, while Wise was a two-star product according to Rivals.com.
Cope was a TSWA All-State selection and the Region 2A Defensive Back of the Year as a junior. He suffered a season-ending knee injury and missed most of his senior year. Shields transferred to UTC from Western Kentucky and will be a solid addition. Rosenbaum and Tillman are also competing as true freshmen.
The secondary started off strong in fall camp, but hit the wall 10 practices in. They are back on track now and are looking to make an impact in the upcoming season. "I think we had a lull there," explained Huesman. "I think they thought they were pretty good. We had little bit of a lull where they weren't playing really well and I think the last four or five practices they have stepped it up and looked pretty good...playing like I think they are capable of playing."
Be sure to check the full video interviews with Skrine and coach Huesman at the top of page. Check back to GoMocs.com for our next look at the special teams.
