UTC quarterback Nick Tiano (7) passes under pressure from Samford linebacker Aaron Atkinson (24) during a home game on Sept. 22. Winning is the priority for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team in today's game at Western Carolina, but it's equally important to coach Tom Arth for the Mocs to show improvement.
Kickoff in Cullowhee, North Carolina, is at 3:30 p.m., and both Southern Conference teams are coming off back-to-back losses.
Adding to the disappointment of those defeats for the Mocs (4-2, 2-2) is that they can see how they might have been wins. In a 17-14 loss at East Tennessee State on Sept. 29, UTC largely controlled the second half, and in last week's 21-10 home loss to Wofford, the Mocs trailed by only four points entering the fourth quarter.
Also frustrating to the Mocs is that their offense has struggled to move the ball and the defense has given up big plays at most inopportune times.
A solid week of practice was all Arth wanted, and it appears the Mocs gave him that in preparation for the Catamounts (3-2, 1-2), who will try to rebound from road losses to Furman, 44-38, and Samford, 66-28.
"The most important thing for us is going out and having a great day, a great attitude and a great mentality in everything we do to put us in position to go out there and play our best football," Arth said. "We have to be consistent through the course of the game, knowing that we're going to make mistakes and knowing that they're going to make plays.
"It's not just about handling that but responding to that in a positive way."
"Execution" was a popular word this week on both sides of the ball at UTC practices. But so was "momentum," and the Mocs know after their great start and despite their recent skid, they could be in solid position in the SoCon if they can beat the Catamounts for the seventh time this decade. Western Carolina ended an eight-game losing streak in the series when it defeated the Mocs 45-7 last season.
A win today would put the Mocs at 5-2 going into a bye week before the regular-season's four-game home stretch that starts with their Oct. 27 homecoming contest against winless Virginia Military Institute. It would also keep them on pace to remain in consideration for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, and getting there is a team goal this season.
"A win would be huge for us," junior quarterback Nick Tiano said. "Getting a win and getting everybody headed back in the right direction is going to be huge for us."
Defensive back D.J. Jackson and his teammates on that side of the ball have the task of slowing down the Catamounts' high-powered offense, which leads the SoCon in points per game, having averaged 39.3 this season in league games. UTC's scoring defense ranks second in the conference at 21.5 points per SoCon game, so something will have to give.
The Mocs just don't expect it to be them.
"This win would give us great momentum going into the rest of the season," Jackson said. "We've got to hold them to minimal points by continuing to do what we do best: tackle well and do the small things.
"We do that, and everything should take care of itself."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.