It is finally here!  Game week for one of the most anticipated season openers in school history has begun.  The eighth-ranked Chattanooga Mocs welcome No. 7 Jacksonville State to the Scenic City on Saturday, Sept. 5.  Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. (E.D.T.) at Finley Stadium.
 
Saturday's game is a CODE BLUE with all fans encouraged to wear their blue Mocs gear.  The first 2,000 through the gate receive FREE Code Blue T-shirts.  Erlanger Health System has partnered with Mocs Sports Properties to serve as the game sponsor.
 
Jacksonville State is the highest ranked non-conference opponent to visit Finley Stadium.  The Gamecocks are No. 7 in the STATS.com FCS Top 25 and No. 9 in the FCS Coaches Poll.  The Mocs are No. 8 in both polls, equaling the best national ranking in school history.
 
The JSU-UTC rivalry is one of the oldest on the books for both teams.  The Mocs hold a 26-12 advantage in the series that dates back to 1904.  Jacksonville State has the upper hand in recent years, winning six of the last seven and three out of four in the Russ Huesman era.
 
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.
 
TICKETS
Tickets for the game are available now at the UTC Ticket Office by calling (423) 266-MOCS (6627) or online on GoMocs.com.  In addition to the regular business hours of the UTC Ticket Office (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) at McKenzie Arena, the First Tennessee Pavilion ticket window at Finley Stadium is open on Friday, Sept. 4, from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. (E.D.T.) and opens at Noon (E.D.T.) on gameday.
 
BIG TIME SEASON OPENER
Chattanooga's season opener against Jacksonville State is one of the biggest FCS games of the regular season.  The Mocs and Gamecocks are both preseason top-10 squads with a ton of talent returning.  It is also the only game between two outright conference champions on the regular season schedule at the FCS level. 
 
NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE JACKSONVILLE STATE GAME
• This is the 39th meeting in the regional matchup...UTC leads 26-12...series dates back to 1904 and is one of UTC's oldest rivalries. 
• Following a 13-6 UTC win in Chattanooga in 1983, the series was suspended for 21 seasons until it restarted in 2004...UTC is just 2-7 since then.
• The Mocs are 21-8 all-time at home against the Gamecocks, but just 1-4 at Finley. 
• At least one of these two teams has been ranked in each of the last five meetings. 
• The Mocs and Jacksonville State have played in the first two games of the season seven times since 2004.
 
LAST TIME VS. JACKSONVILLE STATE
• The 13th-ranked Chattanooga Mocs dropped a 26-23 overtime game to No. 9 Jacksonville State tonight.  Tommy Hudson scored what looked like the game-winning TD on a punt return as time expired in regulation.  However, it was called back due to a penalty.
• Attendance was 14,285 ... fifth highest in Finley Stadium history.  The third highest since Russ Huesman became head coach in 2009 and the most since a 35-27 Homecoming win vs. No. 18 Georgia Southern on Oct. 16, 2010.
• The Mocs had two pick-6s in the first half (Dee Virgin – 55 yards & Lucas Webb 37 yards) … first time with two in a game since a 30-23 win over Tennessee Tech on Sept. 3, 2005 … (Quintez Smith - 30 yards & Jeff Phillips 35 yards).
• Mocs had -4 yards of total offense in the first quarter … -1 in the second quarter … 111 in the game … fewest yards since 84 at Alabama on Nov. 21, 2009 ... despite the struggles on offense, UTC only trailed 17-14 at halftime.
• A.J. Hampton – Jr.-LB - Career-high eight tackles.
• Nakevion Leslie – So.-LB - 10 tackles…eight solos ... second career game with 10+ stops. 
• Cedric Nettles – So.-DB - game-high and career-high 12 tackles…eight solo ... second straight game with 10+ tackles.
• Dee Virgin – So.-DB - Career-high eight tackles ... 55-yard Pick 6 in the first quarter ... 3rd Career INT ... two PBUs.
• Lucas Webb – Fr.-DB - 37-yard pick-6 in the second quarter ... first career pick ... added a PBU and six tackles.
• Trevor Wright – Fr.-DB - five tackles and two PBUs.
 
ALL-TIME OPENERS
The Chattanooga Mocs are 72-32-3 (.687) in home openers all-time. UTC has posted a 10-7 (.588) mark in the 17 openers at Finley Stadium. It was 62-21-3 (.738) in home openers in the 86 seasons played on Chamberlain Field.  The Mocs are 3-3 in the six home openers during the Russ Huesman era.  Chattanooga is 59-47-1 (.556) in all-time season openers.  The Mocs have lost five straight openers, but three of those were to FBS teams.
 
TWO RANKED TEAMS AT FINLEY
This is the fourth time ranked teams square off at Finley in the regular season.  Three of these games have been against Jacksonville State.  Last year's home opener was between the 13th-ranked Mocs and the ninth-ranked Gamecocks.  JSU won that game 26-23 in overtime.  The 23rd-ranked Mocs defeated No. 15 Wofford (20-10) on Nov. 9, 2013.  UTC was also ranked No. 23 when it scored a 38-17 win over the 10th-ranked Gamecocks on their visit to the Scenic City on Sept. 10, 2011.   
 
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.   
 
ROSTER, DEPTH CHART AND BREAKDOWNS
An updated roster can be found on pages 10-11 of the .pdf of the Summer Prospectus.  The depth chart is found on pages 14-15.
 
INDIVIDUAL PRESEASON HONORS
Junior OL Corey Levin earned a spot on the Sporting News preseason All-FCS Team.  He was a third team All-American in 2015 and won the SoCon Jacob's Blocking Award, given to the top offensive lineman in the league.  He was also a first team pick on the STATS preseason All-American squad. 
 
Senior QB Jacob Huesman is among the 22 FCS Players on the STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Year Watch List.  It is the second year in a row Huesman had made the list after finishing 11th in the voting in 2014.  He is also on the College Sports Madness preseason All-American third team.
 
Sophomore DB Lucas Webb made the STATS preseason All-American third team.  He led the SoCon with six INTs in 2014 and finished 16th in the voting for the Jerry Rice Award.
 
Junior K Henrique is one of 41 kickers below the FBS level on the Fred Mitchell Award Watch List.  He is one of 12 FCS kickers listed in the group that includes NCAA Division II and III, NAIA and NJCAA. 
 
Junior DB Dee Virgin made the College Sports Madness preseason All-American third team.  He was third in the SoCon with 12 passes defended last season.
 
MOCS PICKED TO REPEAT AS SOCON CHAMPS
At the risk of being repetitive, the Chattanooga Mocs football team is the pick to top the Southern Conference once again in 2015. The Mocs are two-time defending champions and claimed first in a clean sweep of the coaches and media polls.
 
Chattanooga received seven of a possible eight first-place votes with Samford earning the other. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams. The media poll saw 29 of 30 pollsters selecting the Mocs first with one choosing Western Carolina.
 
The coaches picked Chattanooga ahead of Samford and Western Carolina in second and third. Wofford and Furman are fourth and fifth, followed by Mercer, The Citadel and VMI. The Mocs got seven of a possible eight first-place votes. Wofford is fourth followed by Western Carolina, The Citadel and a tie between Mercer and VMI.
 
The media almost agreed completely with the league's leaders. They took UTC first but flip-flopped Western Carolina and Samford in second and third, respectively. Wofford, Furman, Mercer, The Citadel and VMI rounded out the eight-team field.
 
12 MOCS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-SOCON
Eight Mocs earned first-team mention, while four more slotted on the second team. The 12 total are three more than last season. Not surprisingly, senior quarterback Jacob Huesman is the preseason Offensive Player of the Year. He earned the postseason honor each of the last two seasons.
 
He is joined on the first team offense by junior offensive lineman Corey Levin, while the defense netted five led by senior defensive tackle Josh Freeman. Juniors Keionta Davis (DE), Nakevion Leslie (LB) and Dee Virgin (Jr.) and sophomore safety Lucas Webb (FS) join Freeman. Junior Henrique Ribeiro is first team pick at place-kicker.
 
Three offensive performers and one defender are on the second team ledger. Junior safety Cedric Nettles accompanies senior guard Synjen Herren, junior wide receiver C.J. Board and sophomore center Jacob Revis.
 
DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE REDSHIRTS
The Mocs have made a reputation for themselves as have one of the top recruiting classes, year after year in the FCS.  As they build depth, a lot of these talented newcomers redshirt their first season.  UTC has a number of highly-touted second-year players who will see the field for the first time. 
 
On the defensive side of the ball, former all-state DB C.J. Fritz from Chattanooga's McCallie School is ready to get into the mix in a loaded secondary, as is former two-star prospect Montrel Pardue from Clarksville's (Tenn.) Northeast HS.  Tim Whatley was also a two-star prospect at linebacker for Carver HS in Columbus, Ga., while Isaiah Mack was a two-time all-state player at nearby Northwest Whitfield HS.  Any of these guys could work their way into the lineup on the defensive side of the ball. 
 
Offensively, the Mocs are loaded at receiver with three redshirts in the rotation.  Three-star prospects Bingon Morton (Atlanta, Ga. - Langston Hughes HS) and Wil Young (Mobile, Ala. - McGill-Toolen HS) both made strides in their redshirt year.  Two-star receiver DeJuan McQuarters will also battle for time in a talented corps. 
 
A NUMBER OF TRANSFERS COULD MAKE AN IMPACT
The Mocs have 11 transfers on the roster, six of which are new to the team in 2015.  A pair of former Tennessee Vols are ready to take the field in junior WR Drae Bowles and junior LB Justin King.  The Mocs also picked up two from UAB, including OL Hunter Kennedy and TE Steve Pickren.  Former Georgia OL Josh Cardiello could earn his way into the starting lineup, while LaGrange College transfer Shaqualm McCoy is battling at running back. 
 
HERREN AND BRAND ARE BACK FOR SENIOR YEARS
Two Mocs that sat out last year who have a tremendous amount of experience are senior DL Toyvian Brand and senior OL Synjen Herren.  Brand used his available redshirt season in 2014 and adds to the depth for UTC on the defensive line.  He has played in 31 games with 23 starts in his career.  Herren was a two-year starter at guard and a preseason first team All-SoCon pick before suffering a season-ending injury last August.  He is back at 100% and a second team preseason All-SoCon selection heading into 2015. 
 
QUICK NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOCS
General
• UTC head coach Russ Huesman is entering his seventh season at his alma mater.  He is 41-29 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 ... UTC hit that mark only four previous times in school history ... three of those in the Russ Huesman era (2009, 2010, 2011).
 
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.  He is the first Moc with 2,000 rushing yards and 4,000 passing yards, topping both milestones against VMI. 
• Junior offensive lineman Corey Levin won the Jacobs Blocking Award as the top offensive lineman in the SoCon.  He is just the second Moc in school history to take that honor.
• The Mocs led the SoCon and were No. 20 in the FCS in scoring offense (34.7) ... that is a school record for points per game.
• UTC was third in the SoCon and No. 12 in the FCS with just 13 sacks allowed.  
• Chattanooga led the SoCon and was No. 4 in the FCS in TOP (33:44).
• The Mocs put up 500+ yards of total offense in five games this season ...  2000 was the last time they did it five times in one year.
• Chattanooga had 250+ rushing yards in five games this season, including three that topped the 300-yard mark ... the last time the Mocs ran for 300-plus three times in a season was 1980 ... they did it four times in 1979 and 1977 as a Division I program.
• UTC was No. 16 in the FCS, second in the SoCon, on third down (92/203 - 45.5%).
 
Defense
• Chattanooga led the SoCon and was No. 4 in the FCS in total defense (277.6 ypg) ... that's the lowest number for the Mocs since giving up 266.4 yards per game in 1985.  
• UTC was No. 2 in the league, No. 3 in the FCS, in passing yards allowed (153.2).
• After holding five of its last six opponents to less than 20 points, UTC finished No. 11, nationally, in scoring defense (9.42) ... best number for UTC since 16.4 in 1987. 
• The Mocs led the SoCon in first down defense, allowing 13.6 per game ... that number was 13th, nationally.
• The Mocs led the SoCon with 35 sacks ... 25th in the FCS ... school record.
• Chattanooga also led the league and was No. 23 in the country with 100 TFLs.
• The Mocs held five teams to less than 200 yards of total offense ... the last time UTC did that in a year was 1980. 
 
Special Teams
• Junior Henrique Ribeiro was 16-22 (72.7%) on FGs this season ... he made his first 12 tries ... second longest streak in SoCon history ... led the league in makes and percentage.   
• As a team, the Mocs were second in the SoCon and No. 12 in the FCS in net punting (38.2).
 
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 512-511-35 (.501) 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."
 
NOTES ON THE RANKINGS
Chattanooga's No. 8 final national ranking in both the Sports Network Top-25 and the FCS Coaches Poll is the highest year-end ranking in school history.  It was just the fourth time in school history the Mocs were ranked at the end of the year.  UTC finished the 2013 season ranked in the top 25 of both major polls that are recognized by the NCAA.  The Mocs were No. 23 in The Sports Network Top 25 and No. 25 in the final Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Coaches poll.  It was the first time Chattanooga was ranked in a season-ending Top 25 since earning a No. 17 spot in the final NCAA Division I-AA Top 20 in 1984.  UTC was also No. 17 in the final 1982 poll, the first year of an official I-AA poll.  UTC has been ranked for 26 weeks in the Russ Huesman era (since 2009).  The Mocs are 14-11 when ranked in the Top 25 since 2010. 
 
COACH HUESMAN AT A GLANCE
A three-time SoCon Coach of the Year (2009, 2013, 2014), Russ Huesman is 41-29 (.586) in his six years at Chattanooga after being hired as the 22nd head coach at UTC on Dec. 22, 2008.  The Mocs won exactly 37 games in the 11 previous seasons to his arrival in 2009 (37-87).  
 
Huesman was 10th in the voting for the Eddie Robinson Award for the National Coach of the Year.  He garnered 109 points, including seven first-place nods.  This is the second year in a row Huesman has been 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 38-22 against FCS teams with 15 of those losses coming against ranked opponents, including 10 in the Top 10.  He is 30-17 (.638) in SoCon action.  The program won 29 league games the previous 12 campaigns to 2009 (29-63).  He is 22-10 (.688) at home, 19-19 (.500) 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.
 
TRENDING UNDER HUESMAN
Below are some statistical trends during the Russ Huesman era that began in 2009.  To see where UTC finished in each category, both in the SoCon and nationally in the FCS during Huesman's tenure, see page 14 of the Season Recap pdf.  
• UTC has been among the top 30 in the FCS in Turnover Margin in each of the last four seasons, including tied for 20th at +9 in 2011, 14th at +8 in 2012, T21st at +6  in 2013 and T28th at +6 last season. 
• The Mocs have been in the top 15 in the nation in pass defense in five of the six years of the Huesman era.
• Chattanooga has finished in the top 20 in total defense and scoring defense in the FCS in each of the last four seasons. 
• The Mocs have been in the top 25 for fewest penalty yards in each of the last four seasons. 
• UTC has been in the top 25 in the FCS for net punting in each of the last three years.
• Chattanooga has finished in the top 25 in rushing in each of the last two seasons. 
 
WINNING RECORDS BECOMING COMMON AT CHATTANOOGA
The Mocs 10-4 mark in 2014 was UTC's fifth winning record in the six years of the Russ Huesman era.  UTC only had four winning seasons in the 23 years prior to Huesman's arrival in 2009 (1986-2008).
 
MAJORITY OF THE MOCS ARE FROM TENNESSEE AND GEORGIA
Of the 92 members currently on the Mocs' roster, 74 list Tennessee (45) or Georgia (29) as their home state.  That means 80% of the roster is from Tennessee (48%) or Georgia (32%).  Fourteen Mocs are from Alabama, two from Florida and one each from New York and Virginia.  Check out page 12 of the Training Camp Notes .pdf for a roster breakdown.   
 
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 27 student-athletes from the Chattanooga area.  That is the most local talent on one roster since 2002.
 
ATTENDANCE IN THE HUESMAN ERA
UTC has seen a dramatic growth in attendance at home football games since the hiring of Russ Huesman in December 2008.  Seven of the Mocs' top-10 crowds in school history have come in the 26 home games of the Huesman era.  Chattanooga is averaging 10,603 fans per game since the start of 2009.  Prior to Huesman's arrival, UTC averaged 5,767 fans per game in the 2008 season.  UTC averaged over 9,500 fans per game in each of his five years. Only once in the previous 12 seasons before Coach Huesman did Chattanooga football have that big of an average.