Chattanooga Football Game Notes
Wofford Terriers (6-3, 4-2 SoCon) at No. 7 Chattanooga Mocs (8-1, 6-1 SoCon)
Finley Stadium (20,668) – Chattanooga, Tenn.
Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016 – 2:00 p.m. (E.D.T.)
Radio:  Mocs Sports Network (96.1 The Legend – Flagship) - Jim Reynolds (pxp), Todd Agne (color), Will Poindexter (sideline)
Online: Live Audio, MocsVision Broadcast & Live Stats on GoMocs.com
 
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team is back in action after a bye week, hosting the Wofford Terriers on Saturday, Nov. 12, at Finley Stadium.  Game time is 2:00 p.m. (E.S.T.) at the annual Military Appreciation Day.  All members of the Military, Veterans and their immediate families get in FREE.
 
Chattanooga moved up to No. 7 in both the STATS.com and FCS Coaches Poll this week.  UTC owns an 8-1 overall record and a 6-1 mark in Southern Conference play.  Wofford is just outside the Top 25 in both polls.  The Terriers are 6-3 overall and 4-2 in league action. 
 
The Mocs are in second place in the Southern Conference race, a game behind The Citadel (8-0, 7-0 SoCon) with one league contest each remaining on the schedule.  UTC needs the Bulldogs to slip up at VMI on Saturday to have a chance at sharing the league championship.  The Citadel has already locked up the SoCon's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. 
 
UTC is also trying to reach nine wins in a season for the third year in a row.  The Mocs only had four nine-win campaigns in program history prior to head coach Russ Huesman's arrival in 2009. The 2016 senior class is also looking to add to its school-record 35 wins over the last four years.
 
Wofford lost to The Citadel in overtime (24-12) on Oct. 22, but has posted back-to-back wins over Mercer (31-21) and Furman (34-27) since.  The Terriers other league setback was at Samford (28-26) on Oct. 1. 
 
FCS RANKINGS
The Mocs moved up one spot to No. 7 in the FCS Coaches Poll after not playing last weekend.  Chattanooga moved up two spots to No. 7 in the STATS FCS Top 25, the other poll officially recognized by the NCAA.  UTC has been ranked for 45 consecutive weeks, the sixth-longest streak in the FCS.  
 
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 or the TuneIn radio apps, by searching for US 101 The Legend at 96.1 on their mobile device.
 
SENIOR DAY
Saturday is the final regular season home game for 16 members of the team, including seniors C.J. Board, Xavier Borishade, Derrick Craine, Keionta Davis, Riley Davis, Justin King, Nakevion Leslie, Corey Levin, Vantrel McMillan, Cedric Nettles, Henrique Ribeiro and James Stone.  This list also includes Alex Hooper, Trevor Jachimowicz, Jacob Revis and Tyler Roberson, who are graduating fourth-year juniors and not returning.
 
MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY
Saturday is the annual Military Appreciation Day Finley Stadium.  All active Military personnel and Veterans, along with their immediate families, receive free general admission to the game.  Groups or individuals can contact the UTC Ticket Office this week at (423) 266-MOCS (6627) to secure a block of tickets in advance.  There will be a table next to the First Tennessee Pavilion ticket booth where tickets will be distributed to individuals with some form of military identification.  New this year is free parking for Military and Veterans in the North Lot with a valid ID. 
 
HUESMAN'S POST-BYE WEEK RECORD
Chattanooga is 5-2 when coming off a bye week under head coach Russ Huesman (since 2009). The two losses were both to ranked teams (27-28 vs. No. 12 Wofford on 11/19/11 and 21-23 at No. 12 Georgia Southern on 9/28/13). Here is a look at the six post-bye week games in the Huesman era:
10/10/15 - Furman - W, 31-3
9/27/14 – Samford – W, 38-24
9/28/13 – at No. 12 Georgia Southern – L, 21-23
10/13/12 – at Furman – W, 31-10
11/19/11 – No. 12 Wofford – L, 27-28
10/9/10 – at The Citadel – W, 28-10
10/10/09 – at Samford – W, 14-7
 
7-8-9-WIN SEASONS
The Mocs have put up some unprecedented numbers since head coach Russ Huesman took over in 2009.  During that time, UTC finished above .500 eight times, which is an amazing accomplishment considering there were only 30 winning seasons in the entire history of the program prior to his arrival. 
7-win seasons - 23 overall - 4 under head coach Russ Huesman
8-win seasons - 9 overall - 4 under head coach Russ Huesman
9-win seasons - 6 overall - 2 under head coach Russ Huesman
 
QUICK NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOCS
General
• Head coach Russ Huesman is in his eighth season at his alma mater.  He is 58-34 (.630) overall and 42-19 (.689) in Southern Conference action ... 20-11 (.645) in SoCon road games.
• Ranked in the FCS Top 25 for 45 consecutive weeks ... sixth-longest active streak in the nation.
• 56-51 all-time at Finley Stadium …  28-10 in the Huesman era.
• The Mocs led the SoCon in home attendance in the regular season for the second year in a row, averaging 11,204 in 2015 ... second-highest average on record (12,699 - 2010) ... Chattanooga averaged 10,000 fans per game only five times in school history ... four of those in the Huesman era (2009, 2010, 2011, 2015). 
• Mocs have earned six SoCon weekly honors this season, the most in the league ... Nakevion Leslie (W3 & W7), Derrick Craine (W4), Henrique Ribeiro (W4, W5) and Montrell Pardue (W6)   
 
Offense
• Chattanooga is second in the SoCon and No. 13 in the FCS in scoring offense (37.0 ppg).
• The Mocs are second in the SoCon and No. 19 in the FCS in total offense at 444.4 yards per game. 
• Eighth in the FCS in Team Passing Efficiency (165.3).
• Third in the SoCon - behind two triple-option teams - in rushing offense (228.8) ... 19th in the FCS.
• Two preseason All-Americans on offense.  Senior RB Derrick Craine is on the STATS Offensive Player of the Year Watch List.  Senior offensive lineman Corey Levin is a two-time winner of the Jacobs Blocking Award as the top offensive lineman in the SoCon.
• Craine posted 222 yards against Samford on Sept. 24, earning SoCon Player of the Week honors ...  leads the SoCon and is No. 9 in the FCS with 6.9 yards per carry ... leads the SoCon and is 12th in the FCS with nine rushing TDs ... 102.1 rushing ypg is second in the SoCon and No. 12 in the FCS ... 10 carries of 20+ yards.
• Senior WR Xavier Borishade leads the SoCon with 17.8 yards/catch ... six receiving TDs is third in the SoCon ... seventh in the SoCon with 65.3 yards per game.
• Senior WR C.J. Board has caught a pass in 26 straight games, longest active streak on the team ... fourth longest at UTC.
• Junior WR James Stovall has caught a pass in 21 games in a row.
• Junior Alejandro Bennifield's pass efficiency rating is fifth in the nation (166.7) ... second in the SoCon and No. 14 in the FCS with 19 passing TDs ... 10 of his passing TDs have been 30+ yards ... 12th in the FCS in points responsible for (16.0) ... 12th in the country in completion % (65.6%). 
 
Defense
• UTC is currently second in the nation in total defense (267.8) and scoring defense (14.8) ... leads the FCS in passing yards allowed (144.2).
• Second in the SoCon in 3rd down defense (43/135 - 32%) ... No. 16 in the FCS.
• Also leads the SoCon in team pass efficiency defense (106.8) ... No. 13 in the FCS. 
• Posted back-to-back shutouts in the first two games of the season for the first time since 1964 … 18-0 vs. Tennessee Tech (Sept. 23) and 7-0 vs. ETSU (Oct. 3). 
• The shutout against Presbyterian was the fifth in the Russ Huesman era .
• Held three teams to under 200 yards of total offense this season ... Shorter (16), Presbyterian (196) and ETSU (132). 
• Held six teams to under 100 rushing yards this season ... Shorter (14), Presbyterian (86), Furman (85), Samford (46), ETSU (81) and VMI (11) ... No. 2 in the SoCon and No. 9 in the FCS in rushing defense (97.9).
• Three preseason All-Americans on defense, including Keionta Davis (DL), Nakevion Leslie (LB) and Lucas Webb (DB). 
• Davis is on the STATS Defensive Player of the Year Watch List ... his 28.5 career sacks are second all-time at UTC behind Davis Tull's SoCon-record 39.5 (2011-14) ... leads the SoCon with 8.0 this season.  
• Webb has three career pick-6s ... school record and tied for the SoCon record ... nine career INTs ... tied for ninth all-time at UTC with Coach Huesman (1978-81).
• Leslie posted his second SoCon Player of the Week honor with 19 tackles at The Citadel.  It was the most tackles by a Moc since Ryan Consiglio against Wofford in 2011.
• Junior LB Dale Warren leads the SoCon with 13.5 TFLs.
 
Special Teams
• Senior Henrique Ribeiro is on the Fred Mitchell Award Watch List for the kicker of the year outside of the FBS (FCS, DII, DIII, NAIA) ... preseason third team All-American according to College Sports Madness ... preseason first team All-SoCon.
• Ribeiro's 75.4 (43/57) career FG% is currently second all-time at UTC ... 43 makes trails only Matt Vick's (1997-00) 44 for the school record ... 150-155 on PATs (school-record) in his career.
• Ribeiro's 279 career points is the most in school history. 
• Ribeiro hit a career-long 52-yard FG at ETSU to earn his second consecutive SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week against ETSU.
• Senior C.J. Board was a second team All-SoCon returner in 2015 ... currently second in the SoCon with 10.2 yards per return.
 
BAGLEY STEPS UP
Junior Richardre Bagley took over the starting running back spot against VMI due to an injury to senior Derrick Craine.  Bagley responded with an outstanding game that included 23 carries for a career-high 189 yards and two touchdowns.  For his play, he was named Honorable Mention STATS FCS Player of the Week and SouthernPigskin.com X-Factor of the Week.  He continued that strong play with 126 yards and two scores on 19 carries at Western Carolina.  In the last two games, he has  315 rushing yards and four TDs on 42 carries (7.5 yards/carry).  He also added an 8-yard TD catch at Western Carolina.
 
THREE RECEIVERS LEADING THE SOCON IN YARDS PER CATCH
The Mocs' three starting receivers are 1-2-3 in the SoCon in yards per catch.  Senior Xavier Borishade leads the way at 17.82, while senior C.J. Board averages 16.71.  Junior James Stovall is third at 15.4.      
 
CRAINE NAMED COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Senior RB Derrick Craine is on the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District Team for the second year in a row.  Craine, a native of McDonough, Ga., has a 3.61 g.p.a. as a Health & Human Performance major.  He is one of five Mocs to earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors, and the third to do it twice.  Others include Freddie Patrick (1997), Adam Miller (2011-12), Davis Tull (2012-14) and Nick Pollard (2014).
 
MOCS RIDE LONG HOME WINNING STREAK IN SOCON PLAY
Chattanooga has won 14 SoCon home games in a row.  Its last league loss at home was against No. 2 Georgia Southern (38-31 OT) on Oct. 27, 2012.  UTC is 23-3 (.885) in home league games since the start of the 2013 season. 
 
CHANCE TO EVEN ALL-TIME SOCON RECORD AT FINLEY STADIUM
The Mocs are 38-39 all-time at Finley Stadium with a chance to even that tally on Saturday.  UTC has not seen its all-time SoCon record at Finley above .500 since the 2002 season.
 
KD'S TRIOS
Senior DL Keionta Davis twice posted three sacks in a game this season.  He had three against Samford and another three last week against VMI.  It is the third time in his career he has tallied three sacks in a game.  He is now tied for ninth in the FCS with 8.0 sacks this season.  UTC's school record for sacks in a game is 3.5 set by Davis Tull (Furman 10/12/13) and Tyler Unzicker (ETSU 11/10/01).   
 
RECEIVERS CLIMBING RANKS
Senior receivers Xavier Borishade and C.J. Board are moving up the UTC ranks for career numbers.  Borishade is currently tied for sixth all-time at UTC with 14 receiving touchdowns.  Board is currently ninth with 128 catches and needs seven more to pass Joel Bradford (2008-11) for eighth.  Board is also 10th all-time with 1,775 career receiving yards, 16 shy of passing Blue Cooper (2006-09). 
 
BENNIFIELD PUTTING UP TOP 10 NUMBERS
Junior QB Alejandro Bennifield has thrown 19 touchdown passes this season.  That is sixth all-time at UTC and just five shy of the third-highest mark in school history.  
 
CRAINE'S CAREER NUMBERS
Senior RB Derrick Craine has 2,629 career rushing yards.  He is currently fifth all-time at Chattanooga and 462 behind fourth-place James Roberts (1989-91). Craine's 28 rushing TDs are tied for third and two behind second-place Keon Williams (2010-14).  He also has 10 career 100-yard rushing games, which is fifth all-time at UTC.
 
SENIORS HAVE SCHOOL RECORD FOR WINS
The 2016 senior class has a 35-13 record with three SoCon titles.  That is the most wins in school history.  This group passed the 2015 and 1980 seniors with the victory against VMI on Oct. 22.  Coach Huesman's 1981 class is fourth all-time at UTC with 31 wins.
 
NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE WOFFORD SERIES
• This is the 23rd meeting between these two teams, dating back to 1927. 
• The series is tied at 11-11, and the Mocs have won three in a row. 
• The Mocs are 4-3 against Wofford in the Russ Huesman era (since 2009).
• Three of the last five meetings have been decided by one score or less.
 
UTC-WOFFORD CONNECTIONS
• Chattanooga senior lineman Corey Levin and Wofford QB Brandon Goodson both graduated from Dacula (Ga.) High School.  
• Chattanooga senior RB Derrick Craine and Wofford junior DL Tyler Vaughn both graduated from Union Grove HS in McDonough, Ga.
• Wofford sophomore DB JoJo Tillery graduated from Chattanooga's East Ridge High School.
• Wofford sophomore TE Chandler Gouger is from Chattanooga and graduated from Baylor.
• Wofford freshman DB Ulysses Strawter is from Chattanooga's Baylor School.
 
NOTES FROM LAST YEAR'S 20-17 WIN AT WOFFORD ON OCT. 24, 2015
• The No. 5 Chattanooga Mocs posted a 20-17 win at Wofford in last year's meeting. 
• Junior Henrique Ribeiro nailed a 38-yard FG as time expired for the win … it was UTC's first game-winning FG as time expired since Esteban Lopez had a 38-yarder on last play to beat No. 19 Georgia Southern 27-26 at Finley Stadium on Sept. 23, 2006.
• The Mocs snapped a seven-game losing streak at Wofford … it was UTC's first win in Spartanburg since a 31-3 victory on Oct. 3, 1998.
• The Mocs trailed 9-7 at the break … fewest points in the first half for the Mocs since only scoring three at Tennessee on Oct. 11, 2014.
• The Mocs evened the overall record with Wofford at 11-11.
• The Mocs were just 2-10 on third down … came into the game No. 11 in the FCS at 50%.
• Chattanooga was No. 6 in the country in time of possession (34:22), but Wofford held the ball for 35:39 in the game.
• C.J. Board – Tied a then-career-high with six catches ... 41 receiving yards.
• Derrick Craine - 14 carries for a game-high 90 yards and a TD.
• Keionta Davis – Then-career-high six tackles ... added a PBU.
• Isaiah Mack – Career-high 10 tackles … big numbers for an interior lineman ... career-high 2.5 TFLs ... forced and recovered a fumble.
• Henrique Ribeiro – 2-2 on FGs, connection from 34 and 38 yards ... first career game-winner at any level ... averaged 42.5 yards on four punts with a long of 57.
 
SCOUTING WOFFORD
• Head Coach Mike Ayers is the dean of the SoCon Coaches ... has 193 wins at Wofford in his 29th season and 204 career wins in 32 seasons overall as a head coach
• The Terriers finished fourth in the nation in 2015 with 300.0 rushing yards per game ... 298.0 in '16.
• Lorenzo Long enters the game with 3,015 career rushing yards to rank 7th in school history ... he currently leads the SoCon and is No. 9 in the FCS with 106.7 rushing yards per game ... he also leads the league and is No. 5 in the FCS with 12 rushing TDs. 
• The offensive line was third in the country last season with only 0.73 sacks allowed per game. They have allowed three sacks in the 2016 season (0.33) to rank third.
• In the fourth quarter, Wofford is outscoring opponents 90 to 38, with 14 of the points scored by The Citadel.
• The Terriers black shirts are second in the nation in rushing defense (67.2), 11th in scoring defense (18.2) and fifth in total defense (272.9).
• In the SoCon Preseason Coaches Poll, Wofford was picked sixth.
• Nick Colvin earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors this season.
• The Wofford defense has allowed just one 100+ yard rusher in the last 32 games.
• On defense, 11 players have sacks, 24 have a tackle for loss, five have interceptions and six have fumble recoveries.
• Kicker David Marvin was tabbed as the SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week for games played on
November 5. In addition, Marvin was named as the STATS FCS National Special Teams Player of the
Week. Marvin booted a 54-yard field goal in the second quarter and then kicked a 57-yard field
goal on the final play of the second quarter to give the Terriers a 20-13 halftime lead. His 57-yard
effort tied the league record for longest made field goal. The senior averaged 43.8 yards on four
punts and placed two inside the Furman 20-yard line.
• The Terriers had four players recognized by the league's coaches on the 2016 Preseason All-SoCon
team, with two on the first team and two on the second team. Leading the Terriers on the first team were offensive lineman Anton Wahrby and defensive lineman Miles Brown. Wahrby, a senior from Karlskrona, Sweden, started all eleven games in 2015 at right tackle. Brown, a sophomore from Washington, D.C., started all eleven games as a true freshman last season. Second team honorees include running back Lorenzo Long and offensive lineman Dequan Miller.
 
MOCS RANKED FOR 45 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS
The Mocs are No. 7 in the FCS Coaches Poll this week.  This is the 19th consecutive week Chattanooga is ranked in the top 10.  UTC has been ranked in the Top 25 for 45 consecutive weeks, dating back to Nov. 4, 2013.  That is the sixth-longest active streak in the country.  The Mocs have been among the Top 25 for 49 weeks in the Russ Huesman era (since 2009) and are 31-16 when ranked under Huesman.  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.