AUBURN, Ala. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's football team faced a Goliath-like test on Saturday afternoon falling 62-24 at BCS No. 2 Auburn on Homecoming Saturday afternoon. The talented Tigers jumped out quickly on Chattanooga's scrappy squad at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Auburn scored on its first six possessions in running away with the game. Heisman Trophy candidate Cameron Newton was as advertised completing 15-for-21 pass attempts for 317 yards and four scores in one half of action. He also gained 24 yards on the ground in eight carries.
Mocs quarterback B.J. Coleman (Chattanooga, Tenn.) played three quarters throwing for 210 yards on 20-39 with one touchdown. After a rocky start, he engineered scoring drives of 70 and 80 yards and led an offense that held the ball for 37:02 of clock time.
Sophomore wideout Brian Sutherland (Smyrna, Ga.) electrified the Mocs faithful on the trip with a 98-yard kickoff return for Chattanooga's first score. It is the second longest return in school history and first since Ebriham Therani against Vanderbilt in 2003.
Sutherland posted new career highs with 10 catches for 97 yards. He had 256 all-purpose yards which is fifth-highest total in school history.
The Tigers amassed 628 yards of total offense with a balanced attack. They recorded 303 on the ground and 325 in the air. The Mocs countered with 334 yards total, 101 rushing and 233 passing.
Newton's arm got Auburn on the board quickly to open the game. He hit Darvin Adams (30 yards) and Emory Blake (20 yards) for a 14-0 lead. The third score came by foot with a one yard plunge to go up 21-0.
Newton went back to the air for two more scores of 39 and 80 yards to Adams and Terrell Zachery, respectively, making it 34-0 with a missed PAT in the equation. The 80-yard scoring strike was the longest play from scrimmage against the Mocs this season.
Sutherland answered on the ensuing kickoff. Starting left, he darted through the middle of the Tigers' defense for the 98-yard score. It was his first return for touchdown in his career.
Auburn answered quickly with a return out to the Chattanooga 49. On the first play of the drive, Onterio McCalebb raced 49 yards marking the fifth different Auburn player to score.
Later in the half, the Mocs' offense got in gear. Coleman led an impressive march. On third-and-five on the Auburn, Coleman found a slanting Marlon Anthony (Acworth, Ga.) for six yards and a first down. The drive appeared stalled at the Auburn 23 when the Mocs' went for it on fourth-and-six with Coleman threading the needle on a scoring strike to tight end Garrett Hughes (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.).
While the game was out of reach, UTC continued to battle. Freshman Keon Williams (Chattanooga, Tenn.) capped off a nine-play, 80-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Jeff Veres (Thompson Station, Tenn.) hit a career-long 37 yard field goal to end Chattanooga's scoring.
Williams, Errol Wynn (Jonesboro, Ga.) and Chris Awuah (Marietta, Ga.) combined for 94 yards on 20 carries. Junior wide receiver Joel Bradford (Chattanooga, Tenn.) had four receptions for 38 yards which sets a new single season school record for receiving yards. Bradford now has 1,065 eclipsing Alonzo Nix's 1,060 in 2003.
The defense was led Buster Skrine's (Woodstock, Ga.) six tackles. Ryan Consiglio (Franklin, Tenn.), J.D. Dothard (Carrollton, Ga.) each had a sack, while Chris Donald (Huntingdon, Tenn.) and Joshua Williams (Griffin, Ga.) shared one. The three sacks are the most against the elusive Newton this year.
Mario Fannin led all rushers with 96 yards in just eight totes with two second-half scores. Zachery had seven catches for 148 yards, while Adams added 106 yards on four receptions with two TDs.
Eltoro Freeman had eight tackles to lead the Tigers defense. Dee Ford added three stops and had the lone sack on Coleman.
Chattanooga returns to Southern Conference play and the friendly confines of Finley Stadium hosting its regular season home finale against Samford at 2 p.m. Live stats and video can be found at GoMocs.com. It is Hometown Heroes Day as any fan with military or first responder identification receiving free admission.
SCORING SUMMARY:
1st Quarter/14:30: (AUB) Darvin Adams 30 yd pass from Cam Newton (Wes Byrum Kick)
Drive: 2 plays, 62 yards, 0:30
Key Play(s): N/A
Auburn 7, Chattanooga 0
1st Quarter/9:33: (AUB) Emory Blake 20 yd pass from Newton (Byrum Kick)
Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 1:38
Key Play(s): 1/10/H41: 29 yd pass from Newton to Adams.
Auburn 14, Chattanooga 0
1st Quarter/4:51: (AUB) Newton 1 yd run (Byrum Kick)
Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 3:34
Key Play(s): 3/10/H47: Newton eludes pressure from Consiglio and runs for 10 yards
Auburn 21, Chattanooga 0
1st Quarter/3:00: (AUB) Adams 39 yd pass from Cam Newton (Byrum Kick Failed)
Drive: 3 plays, 50 yards, 0:35
Key Play(s): N/A
Auburn 27, Chattanooga 0
2nd Quarter/13:48: (AUB) Terrell Zachery 80 yd pass from Newton (Byrum Kick)
Drive: 2 plays, 83 yards, 0:46
Key Play(s): N/A
Auburn 34, Chattanooga 0
2nd Quarter/13:30: (UTC) Brian Sutherland 98 yd kickoff return (Jeff Veres Kick)
Drive:
Key Play(s): N/A
Auburn 34, Chattanooga 7
2nd Quarter/13:13: (AUB) Onterio McCalebb 49 yd run (Byrum Kick)
Drive: 1 plays, 49 yards, 0:17
Key Play(s): N/A
Auburn 41, Chattanooga 7
2nd Quarter/1:19: (UTC) Garrett Hughes 23 yd pass from B.J. Coleman (Veres Kick)
Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 4:50
Key Play(s): 3/5/H48: Coleman hits Marlon Anthony for 6 yd gain.
Auburn 41, Chattanooga 14
2nd Quarter/0:08: (AUB) Michael Dyer 37 yd run (Byrum Kick)
Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 1:11
Key Play(s): 3/2/H40: Newton to Kodi Burns for 7 yards.
Auburn 48, Chattanooga 14
3rd Quarter/10:26: (UTC) Keon Williams 1 yd run (Veres Kick)
Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:34
Key Play(s): 3/4/V26: Coleman to Sutherland for 6 yards. 2/7/V35: Coleman to Sutherland 40 yards.
Auburn 48, Chattanooga 21
3rd Quarter/8:46: (AUB) Mario Fannin 13 yd run (Cody Parkey Kick)
Drive: 4 plays, 50 yards, 1:40
Key Play(s): N/A
Auburn 55, Chattanooga 21
4th Quarter/7:55: (UTC) Veres 37 yd field goal
Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 6:52
Key Play(s): N/A
Auburn 55, Chattanooga 24
4th Quarter/7:26: (AUB) Fannin 42 yd run (Parkey Kick)
Drive: 1 plays, 42 yards, 0:29
Key Play(s): N/A
Auburn 62, Chattanooga 24
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