STATS
NOTES
QUOTES
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.---It was a rainy day heading into Homecoming 2009, but the skies cleared just in time for kickoff as Chattanooga took down No. 17 Wofford 38-9 at Finley Stadium on Saturday evening. The Mocs held the Terriers to just 226 yards of total offense.
The Mocs last win over a ranked FCS team was a 27-26 win in Finley Stadium over No. 19 Georgia Southern on Sept. 23, 2006. In that game, UTC place-kicker Estaban Lopez kicked a 38-yard field goal as time expired.
Sophomore quarterback B.J. Coleman threw for four touchdowns while completing 23 of 30 for 176 yards. The four touchdown tosses and 23 completions were season highs for the Chattanooga native.
The Mocs' receiving group was led by junior Chris Pitchford who set new career highs with eight catches for 55 yards and a touchdown. Senior captain Clint Woods recorded five receptions for 50 yards and a score as well. Fellow senior Blue Cooper also caught five balls for 20 yards and two scores.
Wofford was led by Mike Rucker's 57 rushing yards on nine carries. Wideout Justice Joslin had three catches for 60 yards and the Terriers' lone touchdown. Defensively, Tommy Irvin and Keaton Thompson each had a game-high 11 tackles.
It was a well-rounded defensive effort for the Mocs led by redshirt freshman Ryan Consiglio's nine stops. Senior Joe Thornton had a thunderous stop to go with his five tackles, while senior defensive end Josh Beard had the lone sack along with his four tackles. The front seven had 39 of the Mocs 54 tackles.
Chattanooga got on the board first on a three-yard slant from Coleman to Cooper on third-and-goal to make it 7-0 with 4:50 left in the first quarter on an 11-play, 55-yard drive. The scoring play was set up by a 12-yard third-down conversion on a pass from Coleman to senior Jare Gault.
After a Mocs punt narrowly missed being downed on the one-inch line, Wofford mounted a 10-play drive of its own capped by the 35-yard scoring pass from Mitch Allen to Joslin on third-and-inches for the Terriers.
Taking over on its own 41, Chattanooga ground out a 10-play, 59-yard scoring drive with just 1:01 left in the half ending with another Coleman-to-Cooper connection from four yards out. On the ensuing Terriers possession, Jordan Tippit intercepted an Allen pass and returned it 20 yards to set up a 39-yard Craig Camay field goal as time expired.
Chattanooga received the ball to start the third quarter and picked up right where it left off. After a 27-yard kick return by Chris Awuah gave the Mocs possession on its own 31, UTC marched 69 yards in 13 plays culminating in the third touchdown strike of the game for Coleman, this time from six yards to Chris Pitchford to give the Mocs a 24-7 lead.
Coleman and the Mocs were not done. After holding the Terriers on downs at the UTC 22, Chattanooga marched 78 yards as Coleman completed his fourth TD pass to his third different target as Woods caught a fade pass in the front corner of the end zone from nine yards out. Chattanooga took a 31-7 advantage marking the fourth straight drive with a score (24 unanswered points).
On its next possession, Chattanooga made its first mistake of the game with a snap over Coleman's head out of the shotgun resulting in a safety. On the ensuing kickoff, Tony Swafford forced a fumble on Wofford returner Trey Dillard that J.D. Dothard picked up and retuned 51 yards to the endzone extending the Mocs' lead to 38-9, which ended as the final tally.
Chattanooga picked up 21 first downs and converted seven of 13 third downs generating 346 yards of total offense. The running game was a factor with the Mocs rushing for 170 yards on 42 carries. Bryan Fitzgerald (17-78) and Awuah (14-69) combined for 31 rushes and 147 yards.
The Mocs get the week off returning to the field Oct. 10 at Samford for a 3 p.m. (EDT) kickoff. Wofford returns to Spartanburg next week to host Georgia Southern.
SCORING SUMMARY:
1st Quarter/4:50: (UTC) Blue Cooper 3-yard reception from B.J. Coleman (Craig Camay Kick Good)
Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 4:01
Key Play(s): 1/15/H40: B.J. Coleman 26 yards to Clint Woods. 3/4/V15: Jare Gault catches first pass of the season from Coleman for 12 yards and a first down at the 3-yard line.
UTC 7, Wofford 0
2nd Quarter/11:30: (WOF) Justice Joslin 35-yard reception from Mitch Allen (Christian Reed Kick Good)
Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:47
Key Play(s): 3/5/V25: Allen QB draw for 10 yards. 3/6/V39: Mike Rucker seven yard run.
WOF 7, UTC 7
2nd Quarter/1:01: (UTC) Cooper 4-yard reception from Coleman (Camay Good)
Drive: 10 plays, 59 yards, 5:00
Key Play(s): 2/11/H40: Bryan Fitzgerald 18-yard run. 4/3/V35: Coleman pass to Clint Woods for five yards. 2/10/V30: Coleman to Chris Pitchford for 23 yards.
UTC 14, WOF 7
2nd Quarter/0:00: (UTC) Craig Camay 39 yd field goal
Drive: 1 plays, 0 yards, 0:04
Key Play(s): 2/10/V36: Jordan Tippit intercepts a Mitch Allen pass returning it 20 yards to the Wofford 22.
UTC 17, WOF 7
3rd Quarter/8:17: (UTC) Chris Pitchford 6-yard reception from Coleman (Camay Good)
Drive: 13 plays, 69 yards, 6:43
Key Play(s): 4/1/V46: Chris Awuah one yard run. 2/5/V22: Awuah 13 yard run.
UTC 24, WOF 7
4th Quarter/14:55: (UTC) Clint Woods 9-yard reception from Coleman (Camay Good)
Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 3:21
Key Play(s): 1/12/V46: Awuah 37 yard run. Awuah accounted for 55 of the 78 yards on the drive.
UTC 31, WOF 7
4th Quarter/12:13: (WOF) Snap over quarterback B.J. Coleman results in a safety
Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:00
UTC 31, WOF 9
4th Quarter/11:57: (UTC) J.D. Dothard fumble feturn for 51 yards (Camay Good)
Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:00
Key Plays: Forced fumble by Tony Swafford.
UTC 38, WOF 9
