After Misses, Victor Ulmo Connects On Game Winner As UTC Beats ETSU 16-13

After missing three field goal tries and an extra point, UTC kicker Victor Ulmo finally nailed a 30-yarder with 14 seconds left as the Mocs beat ETSU 16-13 on Thursday night at Finley Stadium.

The Mocs were depleted with injuries, but freshman Ailym bulled his way for over 200 yards to power the UTC offense.

He helped lead UTC down the field with two minutes remaining to give the kicker from Brazil one last chance to redeem the earlier miscues.

The Bucs, last year's conference co-champion, could not move the ball on three final desperation plays, and the Mocs began celebrating.

UTC got on the board on their first possession with an 11-play drive going 63 yards. Ford took it in for his sixth rushing TD on the season.

After a muffed punt led to a Bucs score and a 7-7 tie, ETSU got two late field goals to take the lead 13-7. The last came with just 10 seconds before intermission. Ulmo missed a 41-yard field goal try that was wide left. 

On the opening drive of the second half, the Mocs went down the field, featuring several Nick Tiano strikes and a long run. Ford bulled it into the end zone after the Mocs faced a third and 15. But, Ulmo missed the extra point. He was wide on two earlier field goal attempts in the second half after the Mocs offense had driven downfield.

Tiano said afterward, “I told Victor all game that we need him and believe in him,” Tiano said. “It was going to come down to him. A game like this is a fight back-and-forth. We were able to get down there in field goal range and Victor knocked it through.

 

“These are the wins that feel the best.”

 

Coach Rusty Wright said, I told Vic that he's going to get another chance, you're going to get another chance,” Wright said. “Thankfully, he hit that last one. He's our guy.

 

“We're going to ride with him."

 

The play of the game belonged to Jerrell Lawson. On fourth-and-2 at the Chattanooga 12, ETSU opted to go for it. Mitchell shuffled a jet-sweep pass to Jacob Saylors who was quickly tracked and dropped for a loss of three by Lawson keeping the game tied 13-all.

 

All-conference linebacker Marshall Cooper had his own view of the play, “I heard the safety yell ‘jet sweep, jet sweep’. I saw the pull and I knew guaranteed I was going to make that play. Jerrell came in out of nowhere and took it (the tackle for loss) away from me. Kind of made me mad,” he added with tongue firmly in cheek.

 

“I was happy to celebrate that with him. He’s been a great brother to me here and the best safety I’ve ever played with.”

 

Coach Wright said, "Those kids went out there and made plays, made stops and found a way to win a football game. They did that, I promise you that. That's what was so cool about being on the sidelines tonight."

 

UTC improves to 4-3 and a perfect 3-0 mark in the Southern Conference.

 

No. 8 Furman also has a 3-0 SoCon mark, 4-2 overall

 

The Buccaneers under Coach Randy Sanders fall to 2-5, 0-4.

 

It was the second game of the “Rail Rivalry”.  The winner keeps the Rail Rivalry Trophy, made from a railroad tie that once connected Johnson City and Chattanooga. Weighing 108 pounds – which represents the halfway point of the 216 miles that separate Johnson City and Chattanooga – and measuring five feet, seven inches in length – to represent the 57 years since the teams’ first meeting in 1961 and the start of the series in 2018 – The Rail incorporates both the wood of the railroad tie, and steel in honor of the rails that connected the ties on the track. The Rail includes stars in the state of Tennessee to represent Johnson City and Chattanooga. In addition, the logos of both athletic programs are present.