The No. 10/12 Chattanooga Mocs travel to Birmingham, Ala., to open Southern Conference action at Samford this weekend.  UTC (1-1) takes on the Bulldogs (2-0) on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 3:36 p.m. (E.D.T.) in Seibert Stadium.  Catch the game on the Mocs Sports Network on U.S. 101 The Legend on 96.1 FM and on television on the American Sports Network.  
 
Chattanooga is No. 10 in this week's STATS.com FCS Top 25 and No. 12 in the FCS Coaches Poll.  The Mocs hold steady in both polls after last week's 44-34 win over Mars Hill.  UTC lost its season opener to current No. 1 Jacksonville State 23-20 on Sept. 5.
 
Samford boasts one of the top offensive attacks in the nation and is undefeated at 2-0.  The Bulldogs are second in the FCS in total offense (644.0 ypg) and passing offense (399.5 ypg) and No. 3 in the nation with 51.5 points per game.  
 
Samford just missed being ranked this week.  The Bulldogs are the first team receiving votes in the FCS Coaches Poll and No. 29 in the STATS listings.   
 
Saturday's contest features two of the top teams in the SoCon, based on the preseason predictions.  UTC was the No. 1 choice in the league, according to both the coaches and media.  Samford was second in the coaches poll and was the third pick by the media.
 
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.  Fans can also listen to the game on the iHeart Radio app by searching for US 101 The Legend at 96.1 on their mobile device.
 
AMERICAN SPORTS NETWORK (ASN)
Saturday's game broadcasts on TV on the American Sports Network.  Darren Goldwater is the play-by-play announcer and Nate Ross is the color commentator.  The game will air locally on ThisTV in Chattanooga.  For a complete list of local channels, see below. 
Broadcast - 9.2
Charter - 174
Comcast - 208
Dalton Utilities - 157
Ringgold Telephone Company - 117
Electric Power Board (EPB) - 169
Bledsoe Telephone - 41
 
The game is also available in the following markets outside of Chattanooga: 
WABM (MyTV) -  AL-Birmingham
WJXT (Independent) - FL-Jacksonville
WFXL-2 (Bounce) - GA-Albany
WMUB (Mercer/MHz) - GA-Macon
WDKA (MyTV) - KY-Paducah
WKEF-2 (getTV) - Ohio-Dayton
WHP-3 (GRIT) - PA-Harrisburg
WUXP (MYTV) - TN-Nashville
WLNN - (Mountain 18) - TN-VA-Tri-Cities
KIDZ (MyTV) - TX-Abilene
KIDY-2 (MyTV) - TX-San Angelo
WSET-3 (Weather Nation) - VA-Roanoke
 
NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE SAMFORD SERIES
• This is the 41st meeting between these two teams in a series that dates back to 1906.
• UTC is 27-10-3 overall ... 5-2 since Samford joined the SoCon in 2008 and 5-1 under head coach Russ Huesman.
• UTC is 7-5 all-time against the Bulldogs on the road ... 5-1 at Seibert Stadium.
• Most of this series was played between 1906 and 1968.  There was a 30-year gap in games between 1968 and 1998.  UTC is 9-3 against Samford since the 1998 season. 
 
UTC-SAMFORD CONNECTIONS
• UTC senior QB Jacob Huesman and Samford senior QB Michael Eubank were roommates and counselors at the Manning Passing Academy over the summer. 
• UTC senior DB Jeremiah Hay and Samford sophomore RB K'Rondis Larry both attended Booker T. Washington High School in Miami, Fla. 
• UTC sophomore LB T.J. Jenkins and Samford freshman TE Clarke Miller are both from Plant HS in Tamps, Fla.
• Chattanooga junior OL Corey Levin and Samford freshman TE Bijan Sirleaf both graduated from nearby Dacula HS in Dacula, Ga.
 
MOCS IN SOCON OPENERS
In 38 years in the Southern Conference, the Mocs have won their league opener only 13 times ... UTC is 6-15 when opening SoCon play on the road ... 7-10 at home ... last year's win over Samford was the first time the Mocs started league play 1-0 since 2007. 
 
HUESMAN ABOUT TO BE THIRD IN SOCON HISTORY WITH 4K/3K
Senior QB Jacob Huesman is 99 rushing yards shy of becoming just the third in Southern Conference history with 4,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards.  He currently had 6,431 passing yards and 2,901 rushing yards in his career.  Appalachian State's Armanti Edwards (4,361 rush/10,392 pass - 2006-09) and Georgia Southern's Greg Hill (3,309 rush/3,369 pass - 1996-99) are the other two to reach that feat. 
 
QUICK NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOCS
General
• UTC head coach Russ Huesman is in his seventh season at his alma mater.  He is 42-30 overall and 30-17 in Southern Conference action.  The Mocs only won 37 games total in the 11 years prior to Huesman's arrival.
• 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. 16 in the FCS in home attendance, averaging  12,562 fans in two home games.
 
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.
• The Mocs are currently 12th in the FCS on third down (17/31 - 54.8%).
 
Defense
• The Mocs are second in the SoCon, allowing 187.0 passing yards per game. 
 
Special Teams
• Junior Henrique Ribeiro was the SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week after going 2-2 on FGs and averaging 51.5 yards on two punts in Week 1.  He is currently 21-30 on his career.
• Sophomore QB Alejandro Bennifield has also been impressive as a rugby punter.  He is averaging 54.3 yards per punt, including a 65-yarder.
• UTC is currently fifth in the nation in net punting (41.6).   
• Junior C.J. Board had a career-long 48-yard punt return against Jacksonville State.
 
SCOUTING SAMFORD
Samford posted nine players named on the preseason All-SoCon teams when the league released the teams in July. Included in the group was defensive lineman Michael Pierce, who was named the preseason Defensive Player of the Year.  Pierce was joined on the first team by running back Denzel Williams, offensive lineman Gunnar Bromelow, wide receiver Karel Hamilton, linebacker Justin Cooper and defensive back James Bradberry. Samford's second team representatives were Tony Philpot, Alec Hulmes and Jamerson Blount.
• Cooper is the current SoCon Defensive Player of the Week.  He had five tackles and a pick-6 against Florida A&M.
• As a team, Samford ranks in the top 10 in the FCS in the following categories:
2nd - Total Offense - 644.0
2nd - Passing Offense - 399.5
2nd - First Downs - 29.5
3rd - Scoring Offense - 51.5
T4th - Red Zone Defense - 50%
10th - Team Passing Efficiency - 168.19
T10th - Turnover Margin - +2
• Michael Eubank ranks fifth in the nation in total offense (340.5) and passing yards (326.0).  He is also fourth in the country with six passing TDs. 
• Sophomore RB K'Rondis Larry is No. 12 in the FCS with 171.0 all-purpose yards per game. 
• Junior WR Karel Hamilton is No. 19 in the FCS in receiving yards (91.5).
• Junior RB Denzel Williams is No. 7 in the FCS with 7.6 yards per carry.
 
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.
• 24-12 record as a starter at QB ... most wins by a starting QB in school history.
• Career accuracy 67.2% (591-879) is a SoCon record and No. 1 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.
• School-record 55 TDs against 18 INTs ... No. 6 on the SoCon list ... five shy of third place in league history.
• Third all-time at UTC with 6,431 passing yards ... needs 440 yards to pass B.J. Coleman (200-11) for second.
• School-record 591 completions is fifth all-time in the SoCon ... 103 shy of Greg Ryan (ETSU - 1993-96) for third.
• Fourth all-time at UTC with 2,901 rushing yards ... needs 191 yards to pass James Roberts (1989-91) for third.
• School-record 31 career rushing TDs.
• 9,332 yards of total offense is the UTC record ... one of only four in SoCon history with over 9,000 yards ... needs 38 yards to pass Richie Williams (App. State - 2002-05) for third ... second among active players in the FCS in total offense.
• 86 total TDs is a school record and second among active players in the FCS and third all-time in the SoCon.
• 186 career points is fourth all-time at UTC ... next TD passes Jack Teichmann (1982-83) for third.