Early in the second quarter of Thursday night’s game between Chattanooga and Illinois, Mocs running back Ailym Ford broke through the line and bolted 39 yards downfield to set his team up in the red zone. One play later, quarterback Preston Hutchinson was picked off in the end zone and the Illini faithful erupted; two snaps that resembled Chattanooga’s whole night quite well.
Every time the Mocs got some semblance of momentum built up, Illinois squashed it immediately. It wasn’t for lack of effort on Chattanooga’s part but in the end, they just weren’t good enough to keep pace with the Illini.