Mocs Continue to Call on Backup QB Luke Schomburg in Big Games

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) The Chattanooga Mocs didn’t know until last Thursday, that starting quarterback Chase Artopoeus wasn’t healthy enough to go against Western Carolina.
That meant back-up Luke Schomburg was called into action.
Schomburg certainly didn’t look like a back-up, nearly leading UTC to a win before the Mocs fell 38-34.

Mocs coach Rusty Wright wasn’t worried at all having to start his number two quarterback against Western Carolina.
Said Wright:”I didn’t have any doubts that he wasn’t going to go play and give us an opportunity to go win the football game last week.”
Schomburg completed 14 passes against the Catamounts with nine of them going for 20 or more yards.
Said Schomburg:”I try not to look at that stuff a whole lot. Chase is a big stats guy. He knows all the statitistics and stuff like that. I’ve never really paid attention to them too much. I just try to run the offense the best I can.”

Trailing 38-34, the Mocs had the ball at their own 20 with less than two minutes to play.
Schomburg got UTC to the Catamounts 18 with a first down, but this interception sealed the win for Western.
Said Schomburg:”That particular coverage they gave us. They took away my touchdown route. I was thinking check down. If I had been a little bit quicker and more precise with my feet, then I probably would have seen the nickel covering the flat route. I probably wouldn’t have thrown that ball. Sounds kind of funny, but it was a great learning experience for me.”
That’s a lot to ask of a back-up quarterback.
Road win against a top SoCon team.
But it’s all Schomburg has known.
His previous three starts were all on the road.
Against Alabama.
Then two playoff games against Austin Peay and Furman.
Said Wright:”Poor guy. Every time he has had to start a game, it has got to feel like the weight of Chattanooga has been on his shoulders every time he has gotten out there.”
Said defensive end Chris Victor:”All his big starts have been big games. Once he gets his rhythm going, he’ll be fine.”
Reporter:”Is he like ‘Big Game Luke’ now?”
Said Victor:”If you want to call it that.”
Schomburg will start again this week against the Citadel…on the road.
Said Wright:”He’s our guy. Love him to death. Expect him to go play well.”