Mocs Looking For Spring Spruce Up on Defense

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) Last year the Mocs football team suffered their first losing record since 2011.
But one way to get good fast is play good defense.
While UTC wasn’t bad on defense last year, they’re hoping to see steady gains as they march through spring practice.

Even though the Mocs went 3-8 last season, they still finished first in the SoCon in total defense.
Said head coach Tom Arth:”There were times where we were a dominant defense, but there were also times where we were pretty porous. I think just the consistency is going to be the big thing for us.”
Talk about consistency. Last year the UTC defense allowed 1,795 yards rushing.
And they allowed the exact same number of passing yards. 1,795. Said defensive coordinator Matt Feeney:”I think most of the time you would like the rushing yards to be a little bit shorter. Just because passing yards you gain more.”
Said Arth:”I think we were pretty good against the pass. We weren’t as good against the run. Some games where we just got the ball run on us. We can’t ever let that happen. We need to be better there.”
Mocs wouldn’t mind get better on sacks either.
They had just eleven last season, which was last in the SoCon.
Said Arth:”Especially the early part of the season, teams weren’t throwing the ball on us. They didn’t have to. They were playing with the lead, so they were running the ball.”
Matt Feeney was Chattanooga’s linebackers coach last year, and now he’s the new defensive coordinator.
Said Feeney:”I think there’s always been a couple of changes I’d like to make to the scheme and do things a little bit different. Make it my own just like most coaches would like to do.”
Said Arth:”He knows our defense as well as anybody. It’s not going to be a version of our defense. It’s going to be like our defense in the complete version in everything that it’s capable of being, and I’m excited for that.”