University of Tennessee at Chattanooga junior punter/kicker Nick Pollard took home conference and national awards for his play against No. 15 Wofford over the Weekend. He was named the Southern Conference Special Teams Player of the Week and the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) National Punter of the Week after helping the Mocs secure at least a tie for the SoCon title on Saturday.
Pollard, a native of Smyrna, Tenn., had a career-long 78-yard punt in the second quarter to highlight an excellent day on special teams. With the Mocs pinned on their own 13-yard line, Pollard nailed a punt over the Terrier returner’s head who chased the ball down to his own nine-yard line. Pollard went on to set a UTC single-game record with his 54.7-yard punting average on three kicks.
Pollard was also 2-3 on field goals in the game. He connected on a 29-yarder in the second quarter to put Chattanooga up 17-3. He missed from 45 yards right before the half, but came back with a career-long 42-yarder in the fourth quarter.
This is the second weekly conference honor and the first national recognition of Pollard’s career. The Mocs defeated Wofford 20-10 on Saturday to clinch at least a tie for the Southern Conference Championship for the first time since 1984. UTC can win its first outright SoCon title with a victory Saturday at Samford.
Kickoff against the Bulldogs is set for 3:00 p.m. (E.S.T.). The game will broadcast live on the Mocs Sports Network on ESPN 105.1 FM The Zone and online on ESPN3.com.