The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team returns home to host No. 14 Furman inside Finley Stadium on Saturday for a 2 p.m. ET kickoff. The game is carried LIVE on the Mocs Sports Network (WFLI 1070 AM / 97.7 AM) and ESPN+.

Below are excerpts from today's press conference with photos.  Due to technical issues, the full videos are not available this week.  Today's press conference included remarks from head coach Rusty Wright, sophomore offensive lineman McClendon Curtis, and sophomore linebacker Ty Boeck.

Rusty Wright, Head Coach
Recapping last week's tough OT loss at Wofford.
"Tough game last week in Spartanburg. It was two football teams going at it on both sides of the ball. We were playing hard, they were playing hard. It was a good football game. We didn't make enough plays down the stretch to finish it and that was the difference in the outcome. The outcome didn't come on two-point play. It came somewhere in the third quarter, there was some chances there to do some things, and we just didn't get it done. We grew. We grew as a football team and I think our kids understand what it takes to compete, how to compete. We just have to find a win to go win some."

On decision to go for two points, and the win.
"When I watched us take the field defensively in overtime, I actually called those guys back off the field. I just told them, no matter what happens, we're not going to take the field that way or act that way. As soon as they scored, I told coach [Joe] Pizzo we have four downs to get a first down and touchdown. I said have a two-point play ready and let's do it. I made that decision before they even scored. That's the way it worked out. We felt good about what we had, we had the right play call. We just had to make a play."

Previewing Furman ahead of Saturday.
"Furman coming to town this weekend, that's a good football team. Quarterback is probably one of the best we'll see in the league all year, he's dynamic. He can run the football, throw the football. They do a bunch of different things schematically, offensively, they give you some issues. We'll have our work cut out on defense. They're a sound football team defensively. They have some good players and play a lot of guys, which is giving them some depth as the season goes on. We'll have our hands full on Saturday because that's a good football team. We'll have to play well."
 
On moving forward as a team and growing.
"We had a good practice today. I think we're starting to understand as a football team that it's not just offense, defense, it's the whole group and collective effort of the group. It's either 60-40, 70-30, it's always changing as you go through a day, a week, a month. Sometimes offensively have to pick up slack, or defensively you have to pick up slack. It's constantly changing and I think our kids are understanding it's a group effort. Our coaches understand how we're trying to get those things done. We're starting to grow in that aspect."



McClendon Curtis, So.-OL
On responding after Saturday's tough loss. 
"We usually respond really well. Today's practice was great. We know it's on us and it's our team, we know we have to perform well in practice to perform well on Saturday."
 
On blocking for Ailym Ford.
"He does it every week. You give him a little hole, he'll make a guy miss, and you don't know how far he'll go. You don't mind blocking for a guy like that who works hard on and off the field."

On the team's outlook and buying in to coach Rusty Wright.
"I think they team really has bought in. The first SoCon game, we started buying in during the summer, but I think we completely bought in after that game. We realized that what he said to us, it happened and we started to win. We know what we can do and what we're capable of. We know we can run the ball and our defense can make stops. We play as a team, we play for the whole 60 minutes. Coach Wright tells us every week, it's going to be a dog fight. Every time you win, it gets harder and harder to win. We're ready for that."



Ty Boeck, So.-LB
On limiting Wofford offense under its season averages.
"That's a big pride thing for our defense. It's a big confidence boost. When we know when we are about to face a good team, and know what we have to do in order to stop them, and then do it. It's always good when you're coming off a good performance."

On preparation and what it takes to succeed.
"We know in order to perform, we have to stack good days on good days. We can't have a good day Monday, bad day Tuesday. We can't have a good day Wednesday, bad day Thursday. That's not going to add up and be in a position to succeed."
 
On recovering from tough loss and building for Furman.
"It was hard over the weekend. Everyone felt it pretty hard. The best thing we can do is take away the positives and learn from the negatives. We knew they were going to run the ball on us and that we had to limit the big plays. Unfortunately, we just didn't limit the big plays enough, but we learned from it in the film room and we'll be ready for Furman."