NOTES | QUOTES | STATS | PHOTOS
 
COLUMBIA, S.C.---The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team ended the 2018 season with a 49-9 loss at South Carolina.  The Mocs fell to 6-5 overall while the Gamecocks improved to 6-4. 
 
Chattanooga opened some eyes on the first play of the game when Nick Tiano found Bryce Nunnelly for a 45-yard strike.  The Mocs had a chance to go up 3-0 on a Power 5 team for the fourth year in a row, but Victor Ulmo's 42-yard field goal attempt on that drive was blocked.
 
South Carolina scored on its first two possessions in the first quarter to take a 14-0 lead.  UTC got on the board to start the second period with a 32-yard FG from Ulmo.  That drive included a 33-yard connection from Tiano to Wil Young.  USC added two more scores in the second to take a 28-3 lead at the half.
 
The Mocs got in the endzone late in the fourth quarter on a trick play that saw Nunnelly deliver a two-yard pass to Tiano for the score. 
 
Nunnelly tied a school record with his sixth 100-yard receiving game of the year, posting 141 yards on five catches.  The final scoring drive was boosted by a 57-yard connection between Nunnelly and Tiano. 
 
Tiano was 17-36 for 254 yards, while junior Tyrell Price ran nine times for 41 yards.  Defensively, UTC was led by senior Tavon Lawson's 11 tackles, including one for loss.  Freshman Devonnsha Maxwell had five stops with a sack, giving him 5.5 on the year.  That is second all-time among freshman at UTC.  
 
RECORDS
Chattanooga: 6-5 | 4-4 SoCon
South Carolina: 6-4 | 4-4 SEC
 
SERIES
This was the first game in the series with the Gamecocks.
 
QUOTABLE
Check out all we heard at the quotes link at the top of this story.

Head Coach Tom Arth 
Overall thoughts on the game:
"It was a great environment. I think it was everything we anticipated it to be. Great crowd, great place to play, great energy throughout the stadium throughout the game. I think our players handled it well and I think they fed off a lot of that energy."
 
On Bryce Nunnelly's play this year:
"Bryce has been great all season long. He got off to an incredible start to the season and has been very consistent throughout the year. He had a big game tonight and had some opportunities where he was able to get some balls down the field and he converted them. I've been really pleased with Bryce and his work ethic, just the way that he prepares week in and week out."
 
Nick Tiano – Jr.-QB
On the environment of tonight's game…
"For me, it was great and I enjoyed it. My mindset and what I was trying to tell the guys let's just enjoy it and have some fun, make the most of it, we don't get to do this every week. I don't think it affected our play, I think we had fun with it and enjoyed the environment."
 
Tavon Lawson – Sr.-LB
On his play in the final game of his college career:
"It was very important, because after fighting injury and fighting to get back in the rotation, playing fast, playing without thinking about the knee. It felt good, and I feel like I needed it to secure myself and go out on a high road. I feel like as a senior, leaving with the play that I did, no head is hung. I'm proud of my defense and myself for the way I finished out the season."
 
NOTABLE
Three notes from today's contest. Check out the full complement of facts and figures in the link above.

• Since 2009, UTC has finished above .500 seven times, which is an amazing accomplishment considering there are only 31 winning seasons in the entire 111-year history of the program.
• Coming into the game, the Mocs were one of only five teams in the FCS to not allow 30 points in a game this season.
• Tiano's 233 completions is third-most in a season at UTC, passing Jacob Huesman (226 in 2014), B.J. Coleman (227 in 2009) and Cedric Stevens (232 in 2004).  His six interceptions are the fewest among the Mocs who completed over 200 passes in a season.

 
STATS
Check out the final stats at the link above. Here are three stats of note…

• Tavon Lawson led the team with a season-high 11 tackles … fourth career game with 10+.
• Devonnsha Maxwell finished with 5.5 sacks on the year, passes Davis Tull (2010) and Greg Jeffers (1991) for second among UTC freshman all-time … Josh Williams (2009) has the record with 7.0.
• The Mocs did not force a turnover for the first time this season.

 
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