Mocs sit starters, freshmen fall short vs. Mercer

Sitting 21 starters against mercer for 17 fresh faces who have never started in a collegiate football game.

The offensive line... all freshmen.

Running back and punt returner ... freshmen.

The only constant from last week's win at furman was drayton arnold and cole copeland sharing snaps at quarterback.

I bet you can guess how this one's going to go... scoreless seven minutes in.

Mocs defense stops the bears first drive, until freshman returner jamoi mayes muffs the catch.

Mercer sends the offense back out on the nine yard line.

=== three plays later, running back deondre johnson slides in three yards for the touchdown.

7-0 mercer.

=== then comes the rain .... and chattanooga running back lance jackson with it.

Big 25 yard pickup for his debut game!

=== second quarter, he finishes the job.

Somehow slips through the pile of bodies.

Jackson gets his first ever collegiate touchdown in first ever collegiate game!

Tied at 7.

=== mercer gets another touchdown from another muffed punt... 15 minutes later, running back brandon marshall goes 11 yards for the bears fourth score.

28-14.

=== jackson gets one more touchdown in for a record setting 135 yard game!

That's the most by any chattanooga freshman in a debut game.

=== however, the bears, and lightning delays, getting the best of a youngggggg mocs b team... 35- 28 the final.

Rusty wright: "made too many mistakes.

Had chances but didn't come away with points early.

Could've changed it and then fumbled two punts and that's the difference, that is, that's the difference.

Kids played hard enough, played well enough to give themselves a chance, just like i thought they would, and couldn't figure out a way to win."

The main story today isn't the seven-point loss to mercer -- but the perceived write off of the spring season by wright.

The mocs were undefeated ... ranked in the top-10 ... with a serious shot of winning the first conference title in six years ... and the season's stars are standing on the sidelines watching freshmen play in their place.

Wright says it's to protect starters from injury and give experience to young players -- all in preparation for the fall.

Rusty wright: "nobody's ever done it.

Nobody's ever played eight games in the spring and 11 in the fall, so i don't know what it's going to look like, so i'm trying to make the best decision i can with the information i got at hand and the people i got at hand to get it done."

Drayton arnold: "coach wright always preached the standard is the standard here, and part of that standard is getting those young guys ready, including myself.

I want to play as much ball as i can.

We all do.

So trust in him."

Fresh after