Chattanooga Football Game Notes
No. 4/6 Chattanooga Mocs (2-0, 0-0 SoCon) at Furman Paladins (0-2, 0-1 SoCon)
Paladin Stadium (16,000) – Greenville, S.C.
Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016 – 7:04 p.m. (E.D.T.)
Radio:  Mocs Sports Network (96.1 The Legend – Flagship) - Jim Reynolds (pxp), Todd Agne (color), Will Poindexter (sideline)
TV: ESPN3 (CW in Chattanooga) – Bob Mihalic (pxp), Don Clardy (analyst)
Online: Live Audio, ESPN3 Broadcast and Live Stats on GoMocs.com

The fourth-ranked Chattanooga Mocs open Southern Conference play at Furman this weekend.  Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. (E.D.T.) on Saturday, Sept. 17, at Paladin Stadium in Greenville, S.C.  Catch the game on the Mocs Sports Network on 96.1 The Legend, ESPN3 or locally on the CW. 
 
Chattanooga is No. 4 in this week's FCS Coaches Poll.  That is one off from the school record No. 3 ranking reached last season.  UTC held steady at No. 6 in the STATS.com FCS Top 25.  Furman is receiving votes in the STATS poll.   
 
The Mocs bring a 2-0 mark that includes shutouts over Shorter (66-0) and Presbyterian (34-0).  UTC currently leads the nation in scoring defense, total defense (106.0 ypg), passing yards allowed (56.0) and team pass efficiency defense (62.24) and is third in the FCS in rushing defense (50.0 ypg).
 
Furman is 0-2 against a tough schedule.  The Paladins trailed No. 12 Michigan State 21-13 in the fourth quarter and had the ball in the Spartans' territory before falling 28-13 in the season opener.  Last week, they dropped a 19-14 battle at No. 15 The Citadel after leading in the fourth quarter.  Furman is currently second in the SoCon in total defense, allowing 329.5 yards per game. 
 
The Paladins own the all-time series 27-18.  However, UTC has won five of the last six and three in a row in Greenville, S.C.  The Mocs, winners of the last four meetings, have not won five in a row against Furman since the series began in 1928. 
 
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, or the TuneIn radio app, by searching for US 101 The Legend at 96.1 on their mobile device.
 
ESPN3/CW
Catch the Furman game nationally on ESPN3 this week.  It is also available in the Chattanooga area on the CW network with listings available below.  Bob Mihalic has the play-by-play, while Don Clardy is the analyst.   
Electric Power Board (EPB) - 6 or 306
Broadcast - 53.1
Comcast - 6 or 435
DirectTV - 53
Dish Network - 53 or 7334
 
QUICK NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOCS
General
• Head coach Russ Huesman is in his eighth season at his alma mater.  He is 52-33 (.612) overall and 36-18 (.667) in Southern Conference action ... 17-10 (.630) in SoCon road games.
• No. 4 national ranking is the highest since a school-record No. 3 listing the week of the Mercer game on Nov. 7, 2015. 
• The 2016 senior class has 29 wins.  The school record is 33, set by both the 2015 and 1980 classes. 
• 53-51 all-time at Finley Stadium …  UTC is over .500 at Finley for the first time since the 2002 season … 25-10 in the Huesman era.
• Won 12 SoCon home games in a row … last league loss at home was against No. 2 Georgia Southern (38-31 OT) on Oct. 27, 2012.
• 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). 
 
Offense
• Chattanooga's 100 points in back-to-back games are the most for UTC in consecutive games since a 72-14 win over Appalachian State (10/7/78) and a 28-21 win over Jacksonville State (10/14/78) in the 1978 season. 
• The Mocs are second in the SoCon and No. 15 in the FCS in total offense (468.5).  UTC's 235.0 rushing yards per game are second in the league and No. 19 in the nation, while the passing offense (233.5) is third in the conference.  
• UTC's 50.0 ppg is second in the SoCon and No. 7 in the FCS.
• Chattanooga leads the nation in Team Passing Efficiency (265.54).
• The Mocs have 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 has 2,070 career rushing yards and is 189 shy of breaking into the top 10 at UTC ... his 20 rushing TDs are tied for fifth all-time at UTC.
• Senior WR Xavier Borishade leads the nation with 39.3 yards per catch ... he leads the SoCon and is in the top 10 in the FCS in receiving TDs (4), receiving yards per game (118.0) and scoring (12.0). 
• Senior WR C.J. Board has caught a pass in 19 straight games, longest active streak on the team.
• Junior WR James Stovall has caught a pass in 13 games in a row ... four-game TD streak with five total, dating back to last season ... currently No. 2 in the SoCon and No. 15 in the FCS with 22.8 yds/rec.
• Junior Alejandro Bennifield's pass efficiency rating leads the nation (300.7) ... No. 2 in the FCS in passing TDs (8) and points responsible for (54) ... eight passing TDs is the most by a UTC quarterback in consecutive games since 2004 ... eight of his 19 completions are TDs. 
• UTC's 66 points in the season opener was the fifth game in the Huesman era with 50+ points … first with 60+ points.
 
Defense
• UTC currently leads the nation in total defense (106.0), including just 16 yards allowed (14 rush, 2 pass) in the season opener against Shorter ... also leads the nation in scoring defense, having not allowed a point in the first two games.
• Leads the nation in passing yards allowed (56.0 ypg) and pass efficiency defense (62.24) ... leads the SoCon and is No. 3 in the nation in rush defense (50.0 ypg).
• Chattanooga also leads the FCS in third down defense (13.3%) and first downs allowed (15).
• Seven sacks in the first two games lead the SoCon and are No. 6 in the FCS.
• The Mocs have posted back-to-back shutouts for the first time since the 1964 season … 18-0 vs. Tennessee Tech (Sept. 23) and 7-0 vs. ETSU (Oct. 3) ... the last time they did it three times in a row was the end of the 1957 season and the first game in 1958. 
• The shutout against Presbyterian was the fifth in the Russ Huesman era (since 2009).
• Chattanooga has 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.
• Webb has three career pick-6s ... school-record and tied for the SoCon record.
• Webb has nine career INTs ... tied for ninth all-time at UTC with Coach Huesman (1978-81).
• Senior DL Vantrel McMillan leads the SoCon and is No. 2 in the nation with 4.0 sacks ... he also leads the SoCon with 6.0 TFLs. 
 
Special Teams
• Freshman Colin Brewer leads the SoCon and is No. 2 in the nation with 49.2 yards per punt.
• UTC is No. 1 in the country in net punting (46.7). 
• 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 74.0 (37/50) career FG% is currently second all-time at UTC ... fourth in made FGs at UTC, two shy of Rodney Allen (1989-92) for third ... 121-124 on PATs (school-record) in his career.
• Ribeiro's 232 career points is third all-time at UTC ... 11 points shy of Matt Vick (1997-00) for second.
• Senior C.J. Board was a second team All-SoCon returner in 2015 ... he is currently second in the SoCon in yards per return (7.2). 
 
BENNIFIELD NAMED CFPA NATIONAL PERFORMER OF THE WEEK
Thanks to a five-touchdown performance against Presbyterian, junior QB Alejandro Bennfield is the current College Football Performance Award National Performer of the Week.  In just his second career start at QB, Bennifield was 11-15 passing for 279 yards and four touchdowns.  Those were career marks for completions, attempts and yards.  He also ran 13 times for 34 yards and another score.
 
MOCS IN SOCON OPENERS
In 39 years in the Southern Conference, the Mocs have won their league opener only 14 times ... UTC is 7-15 when opening SoCon play on the road ... 7-10 at home ... UTC has won each of its last two SoCon openers ... prior to that, the last time UTC won a league opener was 2007.
 
SCOUTING FURMAN
• Head coach Bruce Fowler is in his sixth year at Furman and has a 24-37 record.
• Furman opens with a brutal schedule that included trips to No. 12 (FBS) Michigan State (L, 13-28) and No. 15 The Citadel (L, 14-19), Saturday's home contest against the No. 4 Mocs and a trip to No. 17 Coastal Carolina next week.
• The Paladins were picked seventh in the SoCon preseason coaches and media polls.  They did not have a representative on the preseason All-SoCon offensive team.  Senior DB Trey Robinson was a preseason first team pick, and is also a preseason All-American, while senior LB Carl Rider made the second team.
• Robinson leads the SoCon and is No. 6 in the FCS with 12.0 tackles per game ... Rider and Byron Johnson are tied for third in the league with 11.5 tackles per game.
• Furman is second in the SoCon in total defense (329.5 ypg).
• The Paladins lead the SoCon and are top 5 in the FCS in fewest penalties per game (3.5) and fewest penalty yards per game (28.0). 
• Furman has only allowed one sack this season ... that is 10th in the FCS.
• Junior QB P.J. Blazejowski is 36-67 passing for 325 yards, one TD and four INTs in the first two games of the season.
 
NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE FURMAN SERIES
• This is the 46th meeting between these two teams.
• Furman leads the all-time series 27-18.
• The Mocs snapped a 15-game losing streak with a 36-28 win at Furman on Oct. 23, 2010.
• UTC has won five of the last six games.
• UTC has a better road record (10-12) than home mark (8-15) against Furman.
• Chattanooga is 5-2 against Furman in the Russ Huesman era (since 2009) ... 3-0 at Furman.
• The Mocs have not won five in a row against Furman since a five-game winning streak to start the series from 1928 to 1968.
• UTC head coach Russ Huesman is 6-0 as a player and coach at Furman.
 
UTC-FURMAN CONNECTIONS
• UTC head coach Russ Huesman and Furman head coach Bruce Fowler are both from Cincinnati, Ohio, coaching at their alma maters and played in the SoCon in the late 1970's. 
• UTC linebackers coach Rusty Wright (1992-96) coached at Furman in 2010.
• UTC senior receiver Xavier Borishade and Furman senior CB Nick Miller played together at North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Ga.
• Furman senior LB T.J. Warren graduated from Chattanooga's Ooltewah High School.
• There are four players in the game from Hillgrove High School in Marietta, Ga., including Chattanooga's Richardre Bagley, Nakevion Leslie and Dy'Kari Hickey and Furman's Jaylan Reid.
 
LUKE DAVIS SAT OUT PRESBYTERIAN GAME FOR A SPECIAL REASON
Redshirt freshman linebacker Luke Davis is expected to be a staple on many of the Mocs's special teams unit this season.  However, he missed the Presbyterian game after recovering from donating stem cells to a cancer patient at Vanderbilt hospital the week before.  Each year, the Mocs take part in the "Be the Match" bone marrow registry started by Villanova head coach andy Talley.  Not only does the team recruit student to register, but they also sign up themselves as potential donors.  Davis is back in the lineup and available for action against Furman. 
 
CLOSING IN ON HIGHEST NATIONAL RANKING IN FCS HISTORY
The Mocs are up to No. 4 in the FCS Coaches Poll this week.  The highest ranking in the school's FCS history occurred last season when UTC climbed to No. 3 in both the STATS.com and FCS Coaches Polls on Nov. 2, 2015.  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.
 
LETTERMEN/STARTERS RETURNING/LOST
UTC returns a total of 46 lettermen from the 2015 campaign. It is the most returning lettermen from one season to the next in Russ Huesman's tenure.  There are 23 on the offensive side of the ball and 19 on defense and three specialists. There are 16 starters back, including eight on offense, six on defense and two on special teams.
 
SEASON NO. 109
The Chattanooga Mocs enter their 109th season of football in the fall of 2016.  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 523-515-35 (.505) and have won 13 conference titles.