The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team opens the winter/spring 2021 season this weekend.  The Mocs host No. 11 Wofford (1-0, 1-0 SoCon) at Finley Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 27.  Kickoff is set for 12:04 p.m. (E.S.T.).  The game is carried LIVE on the Mocs Sports Network (WFLI 1070 AM / 97.7 FM) and ESPN+.

Below are excerpts from today's press conference with photos. Today's media availability included remarks from head coach Rusty Wright, senior quarterback Drayton Arnold and junior linebacker Ty Boeck.

Head Coach Rusty Wright
Opening Statement:
"Just getting ready to go play a game against Wofford on Saturday. I'm sure our kids will be excited, looking forward to it. It's a big challenge.

"Wofford has already played one, beat Mercer last weekend is Spartanburg.  It looked like it was a nice day over there. It's been a long time since we've won a football game, so it would be good for us to get out there and get going and see what's happening."

On the mentality and excitement of the student-athletes:
"They'll be excited. They're excited.  Just got to get through a couple of days of normal game week practice and do that. But they'll be excited for sure.  Whe you get an opportunity to go play, you're always going to be excited, so I think they'll look forward to that."

How is your current COVID situation:
"As far as I know, knock on wood.  We will test one more time this week and move forward from there."

On what excites him about this team:
"They'll go play hard. I don't think it matters who's out there. I think they'll go do that and give themselves a chance.

"What it looks like, I don't know, I don't know what to tell you. I think we just finished Practice 14 today, so it'll be interesting to see how it plays out. We try to cover as much stuff as you can and get as much stuff put in as you can. I think I think they'll be excited to go play hard, have fun and enjoy the moment.

On the potential of this defense:
"I think those guys understand what we're trying to do a lot better now defensively than whenever it was we had a full season last in 2019.  I think they understand schematically what we're trying to do, understand the fits and angles and those kind of things a lot better.

"If they'll continue to do that, and it will continue to develop guys and bring guys along and go that way.  We were without a couple of guys when we played Western Kentucky, and I think we're gonna get a couple back and get to watch them play for the first time in a while. I think that'll be good.

"CaMiron Smith going to play corner for us.  He didn't play against Western, so I know he'll be excited to get back out there and get running around.  Just looking forward to those guys flying around and having fun.

"You play a team like Wofford and drives can get long at times.  We will have to take advantage of being able to get off the field and keep those guys as fresh as we can keep them.  Rotate what guys we got through there as much as we can and just see if we keep as many fresh bodies out there as possible."



Ty Boeck - Jr.-LB
Describing this week:
"It's been different for sure. It's just not a time a year you're accustomed to playing football, getting ready for a game…. but it's exciting just to be able to play football since we haven't been in a year or more."
 
On Spring practice this year compared to others, preparing for games:
"[Games] certainly give you something to look forward to. We missed the game last weekend and were bummed about that, but we look forward to playing Wofford. We've had some really good practices leading up to this week. There's definitely been some physicality. People have missed playing other people, so it'll be good to get out there and hit somebody up."
 
On having games in the Spring:
"Having these extra games in the spring will certainly help a lot of people, especially those young guys who may get some more reps in this spring season…. just help them develop and get ready for the fall season. [Playing in spring] will certainly be remembered, probably something we won't do again, just a unique opportunity."
 
On different approach to practice:
"It certainly hasn't been less contact, but this week I think [Coach Wright] has pulled backed a little bit…..give us our bodies back and hopefully be able to be 100% on Saturday. Normally, we'd just be in the weight room and maybe going out and getting a little running in."
 
On Wofford:
"They've got a good running game. I think two years ago when we played them, we made a lot of mistakes that really cost us that game."
 
On defense vs WKU and moving forward:
"We knew going into that game that we were going to have a really good defense. We've just got to cut down on mistakes, and we would've held Western [Kentucky] to less points and maybe won that game ... just really looking forward to going out there and proving ourselves as a defense."


 
Drayton Arnold - Sr.-QB
 If the one fall game helped preparation:
"That one game helps out a lot playing quarterback. I gained a lot of experience from the game, what to do, what not to do…. how it feels when you're out there playing. It's much different from being on the sideline so it definitely helped me out a lot."
 
On getting juices flowing:
"The juices are already flowing. We're excited to be here, we're excited to go play football, we're excited to finally have a season, practices that matter. It matters…. we're working towards something now, and that's big for us. We're really excited about it."
 
On COVID:
"You never know with this COVID stuff, so 'next man up' is definitely a good mentality that we're going to have to have moving forward. We just have to be prepared for whatever happens and go forward full-force from there."
 
On Wofford:
"They are young, but they are really talented in the secondary. Their defensive line is really talented as well, we are going to have to go out and play clean and play good football."
 
On playing so many games in a calendar year:
"Quarterback is a little bit different because you don't take the taxation on your body like a defensive lineman or a linebacker. I want to play as many games as I can. I don't get hit at all in practice, and I try to not get hit at all in the game."
 
On Rusty Wright praising offensive line:
"Those guys are next-level. I can sit back there comfortable and confident knowing that all those five of those guys are blocking for me… even those six or seven guys, they are all really talented. They know what they're doing, they know how to practice. When I go out there, I don't have to worry about those guys at all."