The Chattanooga Mocs take their school-record No. 3 national ranking on the road this weekend to Macon, Ga., to face the Mercer Bears in Southern Conference action.  This is the final regular season league road game for UTC who is chasing its third consecutive SoCon title.
 
Game time is set for 4:00 p.m. (E.S.T.) on Saturday, Nov. 7.  Live stats, ESPN3 broadcast link and a link to the Mocs Sports Network radio call are all available on the football schedule page on GoMocs.com. 
 
UTC is 7-1 overall and 5-0 in league play.  The Mocs have won seven games in a row for the second time in the Russ Huesman era. 
 
Mercer is 3-5 overall and 0-4 in SoCon action.  Their record does not tell the story of their season, as the four league losses have been by a total of 13 points.  All five of their defeats came down to the final possession.
 
Both the Bears and Mocs are stingy when it comes to giving up points.  Mercer is second in the SoCon in scoring defense at 19.6 ppg allowed, while UTC leads the league and is No. 12 in the FCS at 17.3.
 
Mercer is in the top 25 in the FCS in both rushing (22nd - 210.8) and total offense (24th - 437.4), while the Mocs lead the league in rushing defense (136.0) and total defense (12th - 295.9). 
 
The Citadel is tied with Chattanooga atop the league standings. The No. 22 Bulldogs are 6-2 overall and 5-0 in SoCon action.  Furman (4-4, 2-2 SoCon) and Western Carolina (5-3, 3-2) are both technically still in the race for a share of the league title, but the Mocs hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over both of those teams.
 
MOCS SPORTS NETWORK
The Mocs Sports Network broadcasts the game on 96.1 The Legend in Chattanooga.  Jim Reynolds has the play-by-play, with Todd Agne giving the color commentary and Will Poindexter on the sideline.  A link for a free audio broadcast is available on the football schedule page on GoMocs.com or on the "Events" tab on the mobile GoMocs.com site.  Fans can also listen to the game on the iHeart Radio app by searching for US 101 The Legend at 96.1.
 
ESPN3
This game is also produced for ESPN3.  A link to the broadcast is available on the football schedule page on GoMocs.com.  This broadcast is produced by the Mercer Athletics Department with Dan Matthews on the play-by-play, Joe Burns as the analyst and Nancy Mousa on the sideline.
 
NOTES ON THE RANKINGS
The No. 3 national ranking in both the STATS.com and FCS Coaches Polls are the highest in the FCS in school history.  UTC was ranked as high as No. 3 on Nov. 1, 1968, in the small college top 20, before the FCS was created in 1978.  This is the seventh week in a row Chattanooga is ranked in the top 10.  UTC has been ranked in the Top 25 for 31 consecutive weeks, dating back to Nov. 4, 2013.  That is the ninth longest active streak in the FCS.  UTC has been among the top 25 for 35 weeks in the Russ Huesman era (since 2009).  The Mocs are 21-12 when ranked under Huesman.
 
WINNING STREAK NOTES
• UTC has won seven in a row for the second time in the Russ Huesman era ... prior to that, Chattanooga had not won seven in a row since 1968.
• Mocs are trying to win eight in a row for the first time since 1927. 
• Mocs are 14-2 in last 16 games ... 17-4 in last 21 FCS games.   
• UTC has won 12 consecutive SoCon games ... longest run in the league since Appalachian State won 26 in a row from 2006-09. 
• Chattanooga has won 11 straight SoCon games in Finley Stadium ... the last loss was in overtime to No. 2 Georgia Southern (38-31) on Oct. 27, 2012. 
• That Georgia Southern loss in 2012 was also the last time UTC has lost any game in October.  The Mocs have won 11 in a row in October.
 
QUICK NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOCS
General
• UTC head coach Russ Huesman is in his seventh season at his alma mater.  He is 48-30 overall and 34-17 in Southern Conference action.
• The Mocs led the SoCon in home attendance, averaging 10,146 in six games in 2014 ... UTC hit that mark only four previous times in school history ... three of those in the Russ Huesman era (2009, 2010, 2011).  UTC is currently No. 25 in the FCS in home attendance, averaging  11,107 fans in four home games.
• A win over Mercer will give the 2015 senior class 32 victories in their career ... that would be second all-time at UTC to the 1980 class that won 33 games ... the current group is tied with Coach Huesman's 1981 class and the 1982 seniors.
• Huesman is No. 9 in the FCS in completion percentage at 66.3% (118-178).
• Chattanooga is second in the SoCon and No. 20 in the FCS with a +6 turnover margin. 
 
Offense
• Senior QB Jacob Huesman finished tied for 11th in the Walter Payton Award voting and was named the SoCon Offensive Player of the Year in 2014.  He is the preseason SoCon Player of the Year in 2015 and on the STATS Offensive Player of the Year Watch List.   
• Junior offensive lineman Corey Levin won the Jacobs Blocking Award as the top offensive lineman in the SoCon last season.
• UTC is third in the SoCon behind triple-option teams The Citadel and Wofford, and No. 12 in the nation, in rushing yards (243.1) ... RB Derrick Craine (97.8) and QB Jacob Huesman (95.9) are first and second in the league in rushing ... Craine is tied for the SoCon lead with 11 rushing TDs. 
• The Mocs are currently 13th in the FCS on third down (54/122 - 48.2%).
• Chattanooga leads the SoCon and is No. 7 in the FCS in Time of Possession (33:45).
 
Defense
• Chattanooga sacked Samford's Michael Eubank six times for -38 yards … most sacks in a game for the Mocs since recording six against Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 18, 2010 ... UTC also had five sacks at VMI ... the Mocs have 24 sacks on the year, No. 1 in the SoCon and No. 7 in the FCS. 
• Mocs are allowing a SoCon-low 17.3 ppg ... that is No. 12 in the nation.
• Chattanooga leads the SoCon and is No. 16 in the FCS in first down defense (15.9).
• UTC leads the SoCon and is No. 9 in the FCS in passing yards allowed (159.9).
• The Mocs have posted a pick-6 in three games ... four defensive scores overall this season is the most since 2011 ... 17 in the Huesman era and 14 in the last four years ... last time they had five was 2011.   
• Chattanooga allowed over 300 yards of total offense just once in the last five games.
• Junior DL Keionta Davis leads the SoCon in sacks (8.5) and TFLs (11.5).  He is third in the nation in sacks and 19th in TFLs. 
• The Mocs lead the SoCon and are No. 12 in the nation in total defense (295.9 ypg).
• UTC leads the SoCon in rush defense (159.9). 
 
Special Teams
• Junior Henrique Ribeiro is a preseason first team All-SoCon pick and on the Fred Mitchell Award Watch List ... he is also a six-time SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week ... has won three of the last four honors.
• Ribeiro is averaging 43.3 yards per punt ... third in the SoCon.
• Ribeiro is 12-14 on FGs this season ... that leads the SoCon in makes and %.
• Junior C.J. Board had a career-long 48-yard punt return against Jacksonville State.  He is No. 17 in the FCS, averaging 12.0 yards per return.
 
NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE MERCER SERIES
• These two teams met 24 times before Mercer stopped playing football in 1941.
• UTC holds an 18-6-1 overall mark in the series.
• Last time these two teams met, the Mocs scored a hard-fought 38-31 win at home on Oct. 25, 2014.
• Prior to that, the last meeting was a 40-13 win for the Mocs in Chattanooga on Nov. 26, 1941 ... this was the final game of the 1941 season ... just over two weeks later, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and sent the United States into World War II ... Mercer did not take the field again until the start of the 2013 season. 
• The Mocs are 2-4 all-time at Mercer ... last trip was a 7-0 win on Oct. 26, 1929. 
• UTC is 15-2-1 at home in the series, including seven consecutive wins. 
 
SCOUTING MERCER
• Mercer is 0-4 in the SoCon, but those four losses are by a total of 13 points ... Wofford (34-33 OT), Western Carolina (24-21), VMI (28-21) and The Citadel (21-19) ... all five of the losses overall have come down to the final possession. 
• Mercer is 14-5 all-time at Five Star Stadium, but the Mocs are the first top-5 team to visit the Bears' home field. 
• The Bears are in their third season since reintroducing football in 2013 and the 42nd campaign in program history.
• Mercer leads the Southern Conference in total offense (437.2) ... Bears rank third in the SoCon with 226.6 passing yards per contest and fourth in rushing (210.6).
• Mercer is second in the SoCon and No. 20 in the FCS in scoring defense (19.6 ppg).
• The Bear's offensive line is No. 14 in the FCS with only eight sacks allowed on the season.
• Mercer has not thrown an interception this season. 
• The Bears lead the SoCon with a +8 turnover margin. 
• Sophomore RB Tee Mitchell is third in the SoCon with 89.4 rushing yards per game. 
 
LAST TIME VS. MERCER - NOV. 1, 2014
• Chattanooga improved to 5-3 overall and 4-0 in Southern Conference action for the first time in school history … Mercer drops to 5-4 and 1-4 in league play.
• Mercer's 49-yard connection from John Russ to Robert Brown that set up their first score in the first quarter was the longest play from scrimmage allowed by the Mocs this season … their 74-yard TD pass from Russ to Tee Mitchell topped that later in the quarter.
• The Mocs 359 passing yards were a season-high … season-best 10.0 yards per catch.
• Chattanooga had its third-highest offensive output with 542 yards on 71 plays (359 pass + 183 rush) … season-high 7.6 yards per play.  
• UTC was flagged seven times for a season-high 82 yards … Mocs came into the game No. 22 in the nation in fewest penalty yards per game (46.4) ... most penalty yards in a game since 95 on Sept. 1, 2012.
• Mercer's John Russ was 14-25 for 293 yards, two TDs and an INT … most passing yards against the Mocs this season … UTC came into the game No. 6 in the nation in passing yards allowed (149.4).
• Mercer had 440 yards of total offense on the day … most allowed by Chattanooga … Mocs came into the game leading the SoCon and No. 8 in the FCS in total defense (290.3).
• This was just the fifth time in the Huesman era (5-21) that Chattanooga has won a game when allowing 25+ points.
• C.J. Board – Tied a career-high with five catches ... career-high 82 yards ... two-straight games with a 50+yard catch … 53 today ... had 3 catches for 88 yards in the first quarter.
• Xavier Borishade - Career highs with five catches for 94 yards and one TD ... fourth career TD … second this season ... game-high for receiving yards ... career-long 61-yard TD catch.
• Derrick Craine – 13 carries for 53 yards and a TD ... second rushing TD of the year ... third-straight game with 13+ carries ... career-highs with five catches for 55 yards.
• Jacob Huesman – 24-36 passing for a career-high 359 yards and two TDs … INT was the first against an FCS team this season … career-high for attempts ... 1st 300-yard passing game … 9th career game with 200+ passing yards ... most passing yards in a game for UTC since B.J. Coleman had 386 against Elon on Oct. 30, 2010 ... 41 career TD passes moves him into fourth all time at UTC, passing Steve Woods (1978-81) ... ran 8 times for 99 yards and a TD ... 2,281 career rushing yards … passes Carey Henley (1958-61) for 8th all-time at UTC ... 22 career rushing TDs is tied for fourth all-time at UTC with teammate Keon Williams … Division I Mocs record is 24 held by Mike Smith (1977-80) and Tony Merendino (1975-78) … all-time mark is 28 by Gene Roberts (1945-46) ... career-high 458 yards of total offense.  
• Nakevion Leslie - Five tackles ... career-high 2.0 TFLs.
• Henrique Ribeiro – 5-5 on PATs and 1-1 on FGs … made a 45-yarder … two yards shy of a career-high.
• Lucas Webb - Fourth INT of the season ... added four tackles.
 
HUESMAN'S ASSAULT ON THE RECORD BOOKS
Senior QB Jacob Huesman is the Mocs' first two-time SoCon Offensive Player of the Year and will own most of UTC's school records by the end of the season.  Here is a look at where he ranks in the league and school record books.  See the sidebar on page 7 for a detailed look at the record books.
• 30-12 record as a starter at QB ... most wins by a starting QB in school history.
• 12 career 100-yard rushing games ... just one shy of the school record held by Eldra Buckley (2005-06), James Roberts (1989-93) and Mike Smith (1978-80).
• 10,936 yards of total offense is the UTC record ... one of only three in SoCon history with more than 10,000 yards ... second among active players in the FCS in total offense ... 49th in FCS history to top 10,000 yards.
• Career accuracy 67.2% (675-1004) is a SoCon record and tops among active players in the FCS ... 68.3% (164/240) in 2013 and 68.5% (226/330) in 2014 are the top two marks for season completion percentage in school history.
• 59 TDs and 24 INTs ... school record for passing TDs ... tied with Appalachian State's Richie Williams (2002-05) for third all-time in the SoCon.
• UTC record holder with 7,342 career passing yards ... 189 yards shy of Marshall's Michael Payton (1989-92) for sixth.
• School-record 675 completions is fifth all-time in the SoCon ... 19 shy of Greg Ryan (ETSU - 1993-96) for fourth.
• Second all-time at UTC with 3,574 rushing yards ... needs 82 yards to pass Gwain Durden (1977-80) for the school record ... needs 69 yards to pass Villanova's John Robertson (2011-15) for eighth all-time in rushing yards for FCS quarterbacks.
• School-record 36 career rushing TDs.
• 95 TDs is a school record, third among active players in the FCS and third all-time in the SoCon.
• 216 career points is second all-time at UTC ... needs 26 points to pass Matt Vick (1997-00). 
• Just the third in SoCon history with 4,000 passing and 3,000 rushing (Armanti Edwards - ASU (2006-09), Greg Hill - GSU (1996-99)).
• Has earned 12 weekly honors from the SoCon in his career (6 Off, 4 Fr.), most among active players ... third all time in the league right behind Appalachian State's Armanti Edwards (2006-09) with 13 and Georgia Southern's Adrian Peterson (1998-01) with 14.
 
HUESMAN AMONG ACTIVE PLAYERS
Senior QB Jacob Huesman is closing out one of the greatest careers in school history.  The numbers he has put up over the last three-plus seasons are among the nation's best.  Here is where he ranks in various categories among active players in the FCS:
Completion % - 1st - 67.2% (675-1004
Total Offense - 2nd - 10,916
Rushing Yards - 3rd - 3,574
TDs Responsible for - 3rd - 95
Rushing TDs - 5th - 36
 
CRAINE RUNNING HARD
Junior RB Derrick Craine is a poweful back who is leading the SoCon with 97.8 rushing yards per game.  That is also 19th in the FCS.  He scored four rushing TDs against Western Carolina, the most by a Moc since 1982.  He is tied for the SoCon lead and No. 7 in the FCS with 11 rushing TDs.  The Divsion I UTC season record is 14 by Jacob Huesman and Keon Williams.  The overall school mark for a season is 18 by Gene Roberts in 1945.  Craine also leads the SoCon in yards/carry (5.8) and points per game (9.0). 
 
KEIONTA DAVIS HAVING A GREAT YEAR
Keionta Davis is up to No. 3 in the FCS in sacks (8.5) and No. 19 in the country in TFLs (11.5). He is already third all-time at UTC with 15.5 in his career.  That would make the top 3 in school history all under the tutelage of Russ Huesman and defensive line coach Marcus West.  Davis Tull (2010-14) – 37.0 and Josh Williams (2009-13) 23.0 are the other two.
 
RIBEIRO ONE OF THE TOP KICKERS AROUND
Junior Henrique Ribeiro is having a great year kicking and punting.  The Fred Mitchell Award Candidate is 29-29 on PATs and has a current streak of 72 in a row is a school record and the seventh longest streak in SoCon history.  He is 12-14 (85.7%) on field goals on the year, after tying a school record with four at VMI.  He leads the SoCon in makes and percentage.  He has won three of the last four SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week awards, and is also third in the SoCon in punting at 43.3 yards per kick.      
 
BACK-TO-BACK 150-YARD RUSHERS
Derrick Craine posted a career-high 169 rushing yards against Mars Hill.  Jacob Huesman followed that with 150 of his own at Samford.  It was the first time in school history two different Mocs rushed for 150+ yards in back-to-back games. 
 
TEAM CAPTAINS
Five Mocs were elected captains by their teammates for the 2015 season.  Seniors Jacob Huesman, A.J. Hampton, Josh Freeman and Synjen Herren and junior Keionta Davis were chosen for their leadership on and off the field.  This is Huesman's third year as a captain, the second for Freeman and the first for the other three.   
 
LETTERMEN/STARTERS RETURNING/LOST
UTC returns a total of 41 lettermen from the 2014 campaign. There are 18 on the offensive side of the ball and 21 on defense. Two specialists also return for the 2015 season. There are 16 starters back, including seven on offense, seven on defense and two on special teams.  A complete list of starters returning and lost is available on page 13 of the Training Camp Notes.   
 
SEASON NO. 108
The Chattanooga Mocs enter their 108th season of football in the fall of 2015.  The University of Chattanooga was founded in 1886 and football began play in 1904.  No teams were fielded in 1917 and 1918 due to World War I.  There was also a two-year hiatus from football action during World War II in 1943 and 1944.  The Mocs have an all-time record of 519-512-35 (.503) and have won 12 conference titles.
 
IT'S ALL IN THE NAME
On first reference, it is acceptable to refer to us as the "University of Tennessee at Chattanooga".  After that, we prefer to be called "Chattanooga" or "UTC."  Our nickname is "Mocs."
 
COACH HUESMAN AT A GLANCE
A three-time SoCon Coach of the Year (2009, 2013, 2014), Russ Huesman is 48-30 (.615) in his seven years at Chattanooga after being hired as the 22nd head coach at UTC on Dec. 22, 2008.  The Mocs won 44 games in the 12 previous seasons to his arrival in 2009.  
 
Huesman was 10th in the voting for the Eddie Robinson Award for the National Coach of the Year in 2014.  He garnered 109 points, including seven first-place nods.  It was the second year in a row he was a finalist for the Robinson Award, finishing 17th in 2013.
 
A 1983 graduate of UTC and a former defensive back, Huesman guided Chattanooga to a 6-5 mark in 2009, equaling the number of wins UTC had seen in the previous three years combined.  Huesman is 41-22 against FCS teams with 15 of those losses coming against ranked opponents, including 10 in the Top 10.  He is 35-17 (.673) in SoCon action.  The program won 29 league games the previous 12 campaigns to 2009 (29-63).  He is 25-11 (.694) at home, 23-19 (.548) on the road. There were just 17 road wins in the prior 12 years (1997-2008).
 
Prior to his return to Chattanooga, Huesman spent 25 seasons building a reputation as one of the top defensive-minded assistant coaches in the country. He spent five years as the defensive coordinator at the University of Richmond before joining UTC and also coached at Memphis (1998-2003) and William & Mary (14 yrs), serving as the defensive coordinator from 1996-97. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Huesman played prep football at perennial power Moeller High School, where he lettered for four years under head coach Gerry Faust.
 
CHEER LOCAL
Cheer Local has become the mantra for Mocs Athletics in their home town of Chattanooga.  It is a perfect slogan for the football team who has 29 student-athletes from the Chattanooga area.  That is the most local talent on the roster since 2002.
 
WINNING RECORDS BECOMING COMMON AT CHATTANOOGA
UTC secured its seventh win of the year against Western Carolina, assuring the Mocs of their sixth winning season in seven years under head coach Russ Huesman.  UTC only had four winning seasons in the 23 years prior to Huesman's arrival in 2009 (1986-2008).