A UTC football miracle fell just one-point short before a huge throng at Finley Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
(See full story by B.B. Branton in Sports)
The Mocs surprisingly led #3 Appalachian State 28-7 at the half, then went up 35-14 before the second largest crowd at Finley to see a UTC game.
Hometown quarterback B.J. Coleman was dazzling and the Moc defense was putting a hurt on the mighty Mountaineer offense.
The white-clad fans who filled almost all the home side and a goodly section of the north stands had cheered a halftime show that featured the first Moc majorette show in over a decade.
Champion Moc athletes from other sports walked the field to ovations.
Bob Davis, who has had UTC season tickets for over 60 years, got his own jersey.
With not a cloud in the sky and victory in sight, the wheels suddenly came off.
The languid Appy State offense became electric.
UTC, which had played almost flawlessly, began to fumble.
The score quickly moved to 35-21, 35-28, then a tie.
Many fans hit the exits as Appalachian State got the go-ahead touchdown.
They shouldn't have left. Coleman engineered one more heroic march down the field with the final couple of minutes ticking down.
A pass got it to first and goal. Three plays failed. Coleman then bulled it across.
42-41.
With three extra point tries having gone astray and with a quarterback like B.J. Coleman, the Mocs rolled the dice - going for the win.
The throw was to the middle. It glanced off the fingertips of a Moc receiver and fell to the end zone.
They came so close.
Lineman Ryan Consiglio
- Photo2 by Dennis Norwood