UTC offense, QB Camden Orth shake off rust, still have long way to go | Chattanooga Times Free Press

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

MEMPHIS -- Camden Orth made some good decisions Saturday in his University of Tennessee at Chattanooga debut. The new starting quarterback for the Mocs also made some decisions -- like the pass that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown in the third quarter of what became a 42-10 loss at Memphis -- that he'd probably like to have back.

For better or worse, though, the throws he made were decisive. There was no doubt in them, and as the offense continues to grow with the combination of players who have college experience but didn't play last season (including Orth, a Bowling Green transfer, and receiver Jamarii Robinson, a Northern Colorado transfer) or have little to no starting experience at all (six of 11 players in the lineup on that side of the ball were making their first start in a UTC uniform), it will be led by Orth.

That was one of the things UTC fans learned from the opener. The 6-foot-3, 228-pounder from Gainesville, Florida, won a preseason battle for the job after coming to Chattanooga for his seventh and final year of college eligibility, but UTC coach Rusty Wright didn't make a public announcement of the starter ahead of game day.

"Just felt like he gave us the best opportunity to be productive on offense," Wright said of why Orth got the nod over redshirt junior Luke Schomburg, who made seven starts for the Mocs over the past two seasons due to injuries to Chase Artopoeus, who was a sixth-year senior last fall.

"He did fine," Wright added of Orth. "I'm sure he'd like one throw back. We can't make that. I mean, he predetermined that instead of reading it out, and it's what happens. We've all got to grow and learn, and I've got to do better with him during the week understanding some things. ... We've all got to grow and get it figured out."

Considering the circumstances, it's no surprise the Mocs started slow on offense. Through 15 minutes, they had gained 18 yards on 11 plays, showing a bit of promise on the first possession but going three-and-out on the next two. Things started to shift in the second quarter, when the combination of Orth and senior running back Ryan Ingram got going on the ground.

The 5-foot-10, 231-pound Ingram broke free for a 21-yard run, Orth hit junior receiver Markell Quick for 16 yards and sophomore tight end John McIntyre for 15 yards, and redshirt senior kicker Jude Kelley -- whose 53-yard attempt on the first series was blocked -- made a 32-yard field goal. A drive later, it was Orth faking a pitch and breaking free for 17 yards into Memphis territory.

Ingram, who finished with 68 yards on eight carries, joined the Mocs earlier this year as a graduate transfer from fellow Southern Conference program Wofford.

"I think we were trying to find our identity a little bit, trying to figure out moving forward," Ingram said. "This was our first time playing with a couple of these guys, a couple of these guys' first time getting snaps, my first time playing with this team. It was just a lot of new things going on, and I think that accounted to the slow start."

Orth hadn't started a game since throwing for 77 yards and rushing for 72 in Bowling Green's 24-14 win over Buffalo on Oct. 14, 2023, and he hadn't played at all since getting a handful of snaps in the Falcons' 30-24 loss to Minnesota in the Quick Lane Bowl on Dec. 26, 2023.

UTC's receiver corps is mostly inexperienced, though, so until they develop more, Orth, Ingram, senior running backs Justus Durant and Solomon Locke, sophomore running back Journey Wyche (when he's fully healthy) and the offensive line -- a group that at times held its own against the Memphis defensive front -- are going to be asked to carry a bit more of the load.

Orth struggled at times. He threw two interceptions and nearly lost a fumble out of the pocket while attempting to buy time to make a throw. He passed for just 114 yards, but his 12 completions (on 19 attempts) included the third-down connection with Quick and a 28-yarder to backup tight end Nathaniel Eberly-Rodriguez on a seam route.

All of the offensive positions -- quarterback, running back, receiver, offensive line -- had good moments and bad moments, which makes sense with so many new faces in new places while taking on a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent that has been among the best teams in the American Conference in recent seasons.

Now it's time for the UTC offense to begin putting some of those good moments together to be more productive, starting with a game against nationally ranked Tennessee Tech (1-0) at 1 p.m. Eastern on Saturday in Cookeville. It's the remaining 11 dates on the regular-season schedule, all against Football Championship Subdivision competition, that matter far more than a game against an FBS opponent with far more resources.

"We just can't be shooting ourselves in the foot," Orth said. "That was our goal coming in, was to make them beat us, not us beat ourselves, and we saw that during camp. We knew coming out of camp, that was our No. 1 goal ... make the defense make a play, not do it ourselves.

"Obviously we had drives where we did what we were supposed to do, not shoot ourselves in the foot, and it turned out well and in points, and when we didn't, it obviously didn't turn out too well."

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com.