The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team travels to Charleston, S.C., to face The Citadel on Saturday night with kickoff slated for 6:00 p.m. ET at Johnson Hagood Stadium.
Below are excerpts from today's press conference with photos. The full videos are attached to the story. Today's press conference included remarks from head coach
Tom Arth, junior offensive lineman
Harrison Moon and senior defensive lineman
Isaiah Mack.
Tickets are on sale now on GoMocs.com, or by calling the UTC Ticket Office at (423) 266-MOCS (6627).
Harrison Moon, Jr.-OL
On explosive offensive play.
"It's awesome, especially being a bigger guy. Short drives are always the best. It's great seeing guys like TP [
Tyrell Price] and Bryce [Nunnelly] have breakout games, just doing their thing and showing what they are capable of."
On starting season with a win.
"I mean you always want to come out and go 1-and-0. It was a big win, but we have to build on it to be a great team and we have to strive on moving forward each week. We have to put this game in the past and focus on the Citadel."
On playing with fellow local guys from the Chattanooga area.
"It's special. Seeing some guys in the huddle and on the field is an awesome feeling. I pretty much came in and played all of high school with
Nick Tiano and
Gage Upshaw. It just brings a smile on my face knowing that your in this whole thing together with your friends from the childhood teenage years."
Senior DL Isaiah Mack.
Isaiah Mack, Sr.-DL
Overall thoughts on Thursday night's play.
"We came out to play, I feel like we have been waiting so long to show people what we can do. Prime example is when we came out after that three-hour break and we stopped them on the goal-line and I think that showed a lot of people that we are here to play."
On the near three-hour weather delay.
"It was something else, I hope we never have to do that again. I took a pretty good nap in the locker room but Coach Pearson did a pretty good job keeping us on our toes trying to get us to stay hydrated and eat a little something because he knew it was going to be a long time before got back on the field."
On physical matchup at The Citadel.
"It is for sure nasty; it is something different. A big part of it is just trying to block and cut. Cuts are going to be where the game is either won or lost. If you can run the ball well, then you have a shot to win."
Head coach Tom Arth.
Tom Arth, Head Coach
On Thursday's win over Tennessee Tech.
"I think last week was a good game for us in a lot of ways. There is obviously a lot that we need to improve on and many things we could have done better. There were a couple moments in that game that told me a lot about the team we have and where we're at that I'm most proud of. One thing was how we responded offensively after that interception return for a touchdown. To come back out and have a few penalties called against us and still convert some third and longs and score a touchdown, that showed a lot of resiliency from our offense. Likewise, on defense, coming back out after a long delay and getting a stop was huge. When they drove down to the 2-yard line and we didn't allow any points shows a lot about that defense."
Previewing The Citadel this Saturday.
"We're looking forward to the challenge presented this weekend. The Citadel is a very good football program and a very tough football program. They present many challenges for our defense in terms of their offense that we have to be ready to play against. That's one of the great things about playing in the Southern Conference, as a defense, you have to be prepared for every type of offense you can think of. From triple option to spread to pro-style, you have to prepare your defense for all of them. That's something we take a lot of pride to having the ability to matchup against any style of offense. This is a great game for us and a great opportunity to work and come together as a team. We're excited for the opportunity."
On the play of wide receiver Bryce Nunnelly on Thursday.
"Bryce [Nunnelly] is a really exceptional person. He is an incredible student and an incredibly hard worker. He does everything the right way. He is truly an example in every aspect for every player in our program. People like Bryce are rare. He certainly has great talent, but he makes the most out of his talent. I don't think anyone inside the program are surprised he played well on Thursday. We certainly expected him to play at a high level because he practices and trains at a high level."
On what needs to improve to be a difference this Saturday.
"Ball security and take-aways are such an important aspect in every game. I thought, defensively, we did a good job of that, creating some of that momentum. Offensively, we have to do better. We had a tough break early on the play with Bingo [Morton] and Nick [Tiano] and put the ball on the ground again in the fourth quarter. That's a big area we are continuing to emphasize and improve."