CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- Fifteen Chattanooga (6-4/4-4) football players played their final home game at Finley Stadium. It was a memorable afternoon as the Mocs captured a stirring 31-28 win over The Citadel (4-6/2-5). Chattanooga mounted its largest fourth quarter comeback in school history after trailing by 15 points, 28-13, with 13 minutes remaining in the game.
B.J. Coleman's 356 passing yards keyed the Mocs charge. He completed 39 of 61 attempts including three scores and one interception. The completions, yards and attempts are all season highs for the Chattanooga native.
It was not an easy one. The Bulldogs got off to a strong start taking the opening drive 73 yards in 13 plays capped by a Tommy Edwards touchdown toss to Andre Roberts from three yards out. Roberts had four receptions on the drive for 28 yards.
After the Mocs went three-and-out, Roberts returned a 36-yard Mike Hammons punt 34 yards to set The Citadel up with excellent field position at the Mocs' 26. Six plays later, Edwards ran five yards to make it 14-0 Bulldogs.
An interception of a Coleman pass by Chris Billingslea gave the Bulldogs the ball at the Mocs' 49 yardline. The Citadel methodically moved the ball into the endzone on Roberts' second touchdown reception of the game to make it 21-0.
The ensuing kickoff return put the Mocs on their own 27 yardline. On third down from the 34, Coleman hit Jare Gault for five yards and a first down to the 39. The completion put Coleman over the 2,000-yard mark for the season becoming the seventh Mocs quarterback to accomplish the feat.
Four plays later, Coleman connected with Blue Cooper for 28 yards to the Bulldogs' 17. The offense could manage just four more yards before settling for a 30-yard Craig Camay field goal to end the half with the Mocs trailing 21-3.
The Citadel controlled the ball throughout the first half with 19:30 time of possession compared to 10:30 for the Mocs. The Bulldogs also scored on all three entries into the red-zone.
Chattanooga opened the second half the way it ended the first. The Mocs moved the ball 56 yards ending its drive with a 35-yard Camay field goal. Cooper caught four passes for 52 yards on the drive.
The Bulldogs responded moving the ball as methodically as they had all day. Edwards converted two third-and-15's. The first came on a 19-yard catch and run by Roberts, the second also went 19 yards to Cam Turner.
The Citadel moved the ball all the way down to the Mocs' five, but the Chattanooga defense held strong. It was aided by a personal foul call on The Citadel's Lincoln Kling to push Keller's field goal attempt from 22 yards to 37. The extra yards proved costly as Keller's kick went wide left. The Bulldogs did hold the ball for 6:44 before giving it back to the Mocs.
The Mocs answered quickly moving the ball 80 yards in just 1:33 ending with a Coleman 23-yard completion to Chris Pitchford on a post play to make it 21-13. Coleman completed a key third-down pass on third-and-15 of his own finding Gault for 27 yards.
The Bulldogs responded with a 12-play, 69-yard touchdown drive. They continued their third-down dominance converting in every way imaginable. When the Mocs held on third down at their own 18, the Bulldogs answered with an 18-yard touchdown on fourth down with B.J. Phillips on the receiving end of the Edwards offering.
Once again Coleman and the offense were able to respnd with a drive of their own. Coleman capped off a 10-play, 71-yard drive by hooking up with Cooper for a four-yard touchdown. After Coleman hit Sloan Allison for the two-point conversion, the Mocs trailed by a single score, 28-21. UTC marched down the field with zero plays over 15 yards and needed just one third-down conversion.
The Mocs went for the onside kick and Camay's roll was recovered by redshirt freshman Robert Harrison. Less than two minutes later, Camay booted through a 33-yard field goal putting the Mocs within four of the Bulldogs, 28-24.
The defense sprung into action holding The Citadel to a three-and-out for only the second time of the game. Special teams rose to the occasion once again as Joel Bradford broke into the open field to return the punt 53 yards to The Citadel 9.
Still, it wasn't easy for the Mocs. Coleman completed a pass to Pitchford to just inside the one yardline. After a running play was stopped on the third down, Coleman converted the fourth-and-one finding Cooper in the end zone for their second touchdown of the quarter and gave the Mocs their first lead, 31-28, with 4:36 to play.
Again, the Mocs' defense answered when it mattered most holding the Bulldogs on four-straight plays including a two-yard loss on fourth-and-one.
Starting on their own 30, Edwards rushed for nine yards to give the Bulldogs a second-and-short. The defense stood solid holding the Bulldogs on three consecutive plays to turn the ball back over to the offense. The Citadel got one last crack, but the Mocs defense held strong to capture the victory.
Cooper caught 14 passes for 139 yards and two scores, both pivotal in the fourth quarter comeback. The fifth-year senior's game was dull in comparison to his post-game celebration as he proposed to Maci Gault, teammate Jare's sister.
Gault, last year's starting QB, caught seven passes for 70, but he made two of the biggest catches of the day to continue drives. Tight end Garrett Hughes added eight receptions for 72 yards, while Pitchford had six catches for 50 yards and a score.
Edwards led the Bulldogs with 214 yards in the air on 21 of 37 passing and three scores. The Mocs could not force a turnover on him, but they did record four sacks. Roberts caught 10 balls for 107 yards and two touchdowns.
The Citadel converted eight of 10 third downs through the first three quarters, but managed just one-for-five in the fourth. The Bulldogs defense held the Mocs to just 17 rushing yards which is the fewest in Chattanooga in a win.
The Chattanooga defense was led by senior middle linebacker Steven Smigelsky who recorded 11 tackles with two for loss including a sack. The Southern Conference's sack leader, and No. 2 in the nation, Josh Beard made his final home game memorable recording one-and-a-half sacks to give him 12 on the season which ties the school record held by Tyler Unzicker (2001).
True freshman DE Josh Williams came up big as well with seven stops. The Mocs broke up 11 passes led by senior LB Doug Faatiliga's four. Faatiliga made the tackle of the game on the Bulldogs' fourth-and-one with 4:29 to play in the contest.
The Bulldogs Cortez Allen led all tacklers with 13. Jordan Gilmore added eight tackles. Only four of the Bulldogs stops came for loss compared to 12 for the Mocs.
The six wins match the total of the last three seasons combined for the Mocs. It also clinches Chattanooga's first winning season since 2005.
Chattanooga ends its season next Saturday at Alabama with a 12:21 p.m. (ET) kickoff in Tuscaloosa. The game can be seen locally on Fox 61 via the SEC Network. The Bulldogs close their season next week at Georgia Southern (2 p.m.).
SCORING SUMMARY:
1st Quarter/9:13: (CIT) Andre Roberts 3-yd pass from Tommy Edwards (Sam Keeler Kick Good)
Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 5:47
Key Play(s): 2/6/V31: Terrell Dallas 13-yd run. 3/6/H21: Edwards to Roberts for 8 yds.
The Citadel 7, Chattanooga 0
1st Quarter/5:00: (CIT) Edwards 5-yd run (Keeler Kick Good)
Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 2:59
Key Play(s): 3/2/H7: Dallas 2 yd run.
The Citadel 14, Chattanooga 0
2nd Quarter/1:40: (CIT) Roberts 10-yd pass from Edwards (Keeler Kick Good)
Drive: 12 plays, 49 yards, 4:09
Key Play(s): 3/5/H44: Edwards to Alex Sellers 6-yd pass. 2/10/H27: Edwards 11-yd rush.
The Citadel 21, Chattanooga 0
2nd Quarter/0:00: (UTC) Craig Camay 30-yd Field Goal
Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 1:36
Key Play(s): 3/3/H34: B.J. Coleman 5-yd pass to Jare Gault. 2/10/V45: Coleman to Blue Cooper for 28 yards.
The Citadel 21, Chattanooga 3
3rd Quarter/11:24: (UTC) Camay 35-yd Field Goal
Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 3:36
Key Play(s): 3/5/H43: Coleman to Cooper 29 yds. 3/3/V21: Coleman to Cooper 6 yds.
The Citadel 21, Chattanooga 6
3rd Quarter/3:01: (UTC) Chris Pitchford 23-yd pass from B.J. Coleman (Camay Kick Good)
Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 1:33
Key Play(s): 3/15/H36: Coleman to Jare Gault for 27 yds.
The Citadel 21, Chattanooga 13
4th Quarter/13:00: (CIT) B.J. Phillips 18-yd pass from Edwards (Keller Kick Good)
Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 4:55
Key Play(s): 3/10/V43: Pass interference call on UTC. 3/8/H40: Edwards to Cam Turner for 15 yards.
The Citadel 28, Chattanooga 13
4th Quarter/9:19: (UTC) Blue Cooper 4-yard pass from B.J. Coleman (Sloan Allison Pass from B.J. Coleman 2-point conversion)
Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 3:35
Key Play(s): 3/1/V45: Coleman to Hughes for 4 yds. 1/10/V31: Coleman screen pass to Awuah for 11 yds. 2/6/V16: Coleman to Cooper for 12 yards.
The Citadel 28, Chattanooga 21
4th Quarter/7:51: (UTC) Craig Camay 33-yd Field Goal
Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 1:21
Key play(s): 1/10/V33: Coleman to Hughes for 17 yards.
The Citadel 28, Chattanooga 24
4th Quarter/4:36: (UTC) Blue Cooper 1-yd pass from B.J. Coleman (Camay Kick Good)
Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:31
Key play(s): 4/13/V23: 53 punt return by Joel Bradford. 2/G/V9: Coleman to Pitchford for 8 yards.
The Citadel 28, Chattanooga 24
GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Face book page, www.facebook.com/ChattanoogaMocs, or on Twitter, www.twitter.com/GoMocs.
