Chattanooga Football Game Notes
Chattanooga Mocs (1-7, 1-4 SoCon) at No. 8/9 Samford Bulldogs (5-2, 3-1 SoCon)
Seibert Stadium (6,700) – Birmingham, Ala.
Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017 – 3:05 p.m. (E.D.T.)
Radio:  Mocs Sports Network (Real 96.1 FM – Flagship) - Jim Reynolds (pxp), Todd Agne (color), Will Poindexter (sideline)
TV: ESPN3 – Curt Bloom (pxp), Chad Pilsher (analyst), Hattie Breece.
Online: Live audio, ESPN3 & live stats links on GoMocs.com

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team is back on the road in Southern Conference action this weekend.  The Mocs travel to Samford, for a 3:00 p.m. (E.D.T.) game on Saturday, Oct. 28, in Birmingham, Ala. 
 
UTC came up one play short of a big win over The Citadel last week.  The Mocs had four tries from the Bulldogs' 11-yard line to take the lead late, but could not score.  The 20-14 loss dropped UTC to 1-7 overall and 1-4 in SoCon action. 
 
Samford is 5-2 and 3-1 in SoCon action.  These Bulldogs are tied for No. 8 in the STATS FCS Top 25 and No. 9 in the FCS Coaches Poll.  Samford used a 24-21 win at No. 5 Wofford last weekend to climb into the top 10 for the first time since 1993. 
 
Chattanooga enters the game No. 1 in the SoCon in passing yards allowed, but has to face the No. 1 passing attack in the league.  Samford is No. 6 in the FCS with 334.9 passing yards per game, while the Mocs are No. 12 in the country, allowing 165.6 yards through the air. 
 
Overall, Samford is third in the SoCon in scoring (30.0) and total offense (416.3) and seventh in the league in rushing (81.4).  Defensively, the Mocs are allowing 29.5 points per game, which is seventh in the SoCon.  UTC is fifth in the league in total defense (359.3).   
 
Turnovers continue to be a problem for Chattanooga after giving the ball away three more times last week against The Citadel.  UTC is -13 in the turnover margin and have not caused a turnover in the last four games.
 
Chattanooga has been hit hard by injuries this season, having lost its top two quarterbacks for an extended period of time.  True freshman Cole Copeland has started the last three games, setting freshman records with 317 passing yards and 30 completions on 42 attempts against Furman.  He is 69-112 (61.6%) for 678 yards, two touchdowns and eight interceptions in three games.
 
The Mocs are looking to avoid their first five-game slide since 2008, but will have to break Samford's nine-game home winning streak to get the win.  The last time UTC defeated a top 10 opponent was a 38-17 win over No. 10 Jacksonville State on Sept. 10, 2011 in Finley Stadium.  The last time it happened on the road was a 30-9 win at No. 10 Appalachian State on Oct. 8, 1983. 
 
MOCS SPORTS NETWORK
The Mocs Sports Network broadcasts the game on the radio on Real 96.1 FM 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 Real 96.1 FM on their mobile device.
 
MOCS ON ESPN3
Nine of the 11 games on the Mocs slate are on the ESPN family of networks, including the Samford game.  This week's contest is produced by Samford with Curt Bloom (pxp), Chad Pilcher (analyst) and Hattie Breece (sideline).  UTC kicked off against Jacksonville State on ESPN, while the LSU game was on the SEC Network.  The Mocs final two games are also scheduled for an ESPN3 broadcast. 
 
QUICK NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOCS
General
• Tom Arth is in his first season with the Mocs ... he came to UTC from John Carroll University where he was the NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year ... 40-8 record the previous four years at JCU.
• School-record streak of 51 consecutive weeks ranked was snapped after the UT Martin game ... prior to that, the last time UTC was out of the top 25 was Oct. 28, 2013 ... it was the sixth-longest active streak in the nation.   
• 57-56 all-time at Finley Stadium ... 38-43 in SoCon home games.
• 31-12 in league play since the start of the 2012 season ... 26-9 since 2013.
• The Mocs' four-game losing streak is the longest since 2008. 
 
Offense
• Eighth in the league in total offense (265.9) ... ninth in rushing (67.6) and sixth in passing (198.3). 
• Eighth in the SoCon in scoring offense (17.6 ppg).
• Seventh in the SoCon on third down (32/105 - 30.5%). 
• The Mocs have given up a league-high 25 sacks.
• Senior RB Darrell Bridges had a strong showing at LSU with 88 rushing yards and a TD on 15 carries ... he also had a career-high 149 yards and two TDs on 18 carries against The Citadel.  
• Senior WR Alphonso Stewart posted a career-high 138 rec. yds and a TD on 7 rec. against Furman.
• Mocs had to replace six starters on offense, including All-American RB Derrick Craine, All-American OG Corey Levin and All-American center Jacob Revis.  Others not returning include WRs C.J. Board and Xavier Borishade and OT Hunter Townson. 
• Two offensive linemen return with SoCon postseason honors.  Senior Josh Cardiello started all 13 games and made the All-SoCon second team.  Sophomore-to-be Malcolm White returns to the offensive line after making the SoCon All-Freshman team.
 
Defense
• Senior Lucas Webb has three career pick-6s ... school record and tied for the SoCon record ... 12 career INTs is tied for third all-time at UTC ... twice been tagged as a preseason All-American.
• Junior LB Tavon Lawson is ninth in the SoCon with 8.3 tackles per game ... has missed the last two games with an injury. 
• Fifth in the league in total defense (359.3) ... seventh in scoring defense (29.5) ... ninth in pass efficiency defense (163.79). 
• Leads the SoCon in passing yards allowed (165.6).
• Senior LB Dale Warren led the SoCon with 19.0 TFLs in 2016 ... missed the first six games of the year due to a suspension. 
• Senior DL Taylor Reynolds has posted 10+ tackles in two of the last three games, including a career-high 12 against The Citadel. 
• Warren and Webb lead five returning starters on the defensive side.  Senior Taylor Reynolds is the lone returning starter on the defensive line.  Junior Isaiah Mack is also back on the interior.  He posted 7.5 sacks in 2016.  Senior Trevor Wright and junior C.J. Fritz give the Mocs a total of three returning starters in the secondary.
• Mocs have to replace six starters on defense, including All-American DL Keionta Davis, All-American LB Nakevion Leslie and first team All-SoCon DL Vantrel McMillan.  Others not returning include DBs Montrell Pardue and Cedric Nettles and DL Justin King.
 
 
Special Teams
• Sophomore Colin Brewer returns as the punter, earning SoCon All-Freshman honors in 2016.  He is currently eighth in the league at 39.7 yards per kick.
• Freshman K Victor Ulmo is five for six on FG this season, including a career-long 44-yarder at Mercer.
• Ulmo is replacing K Henrique Ribeiro, the school's career scoring leader at UTC with 307 points ... 76.2% (48/63) career FG% is second all-time at UTC ... eight-time SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week is tied with Appalachian State's Sam Martin (2009-12) for the SoCon mark.
• True freshman Brandon Dowdell took over the punt return duties at VMI and posted 42 yards on two tries ... had a 37-yard return against The Citadel ... averaging 13.5 yards on eight attempts ... returned kickoffs the last two games and had two 50-yarders against The Citadel.     
• Sixth in the league in kickoff coverage (40.6).
• Eighth in the SoCon in net punting (35.2).
 
MORE ON THE QB SITUATION
Senior QB Alejandro Bennifield started against Western Carolina after sitting out the first four games due to an NCAA Academic Suspension.  The preseason All-SoCon pick was knocked out of the game in the first quarter and did not return.  He did not play against Furman or The Citadel and his status for the Samford game is still unknown. 
 
Sophomore Nick Tiano, who played the first four games of the season, stepped back in, but was injured early in the fourth quarter against Western Carolina.  He did not play in the last three games and his status for Samford game is also unknown.  Freshman Dominic Caldwell came in for the final three drives against Western Carolina, tossing a TD pass to Darrell Bridges for UTC's only score of the game.  The transfer from Florida International was 1-2 with the six-yard score. 
 
During Bennifield's suspension, freshman Cole Copeland was listed as the No. 2 QB on the depth chart, but he was also attempting to redshirt.  The former two-star prep prospect from Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, Tenn., started against Furman and set UTC freshman records with 317 yards on 30/42 passing with two touchdowns and four interceptions.  He followed that with 206 yards and a pick on 22/39 passing at Mercer and also started against The Citadel.   
 
MORE ON COLE COPELAND'S DEBUT
Copeland was the first freshman to start a game at QB for the Mocs since Jacob Huesman vs. Elon (W, 24-17) on Nov. 17, 2012.  He was also the first true freshman to play at QB for the Mocs since Antonio Miller in 2004 and the first true freshmen to start at QB for the Mocs since Brian Hampton in a 21-23 loss to Furman on Nov. 18, 1995, on Chamberlain Field.  Hampton won his first start that season, 29-24 over The Citadel on Nov. 4, 1995.  Copeland's first pass was a seven-yard completion to Alphonso Stewart and he went on to complete his first eight.  His 317 passing yards were the most by a Moc since Jacob Huesman had 335 at No. 1 New Hampshire on Dec. 12, 2014.
 
WARREN BACK IN THE LINEUP
Senior LB Dale Warren returnd to the lineup for the first time, recording seven tackles at Mercer.  He sat out the first six games of the season due to an NCAA suspension.  He also posted seven tackles last week against The Citadel.  The preseason All-American led the SoCon with 19.0 TFLs last season. 
 
WEBB SCORING ON DEFENSE
Senior DB Lucas Webb scored on a 28-yard fumble return at VMI.  It was the fourth defensive score of his career, which is now second in SoCon history.  Furman's Ryan Steed has the record with three pick-sixes and two fumble returns for a TD from 2008-11.  Webb and Steed and both tied with four others with the most pick-sixes in SoCon history. 
 
NOTES ON LAST WEEK'S LOSS TO THE CITADEL
• The Chattanooga Mocs dropped a 20-14 game to The Citadel at Finley Stadium today.  The Mocs fall to 1-7 overall and 1-4 in SoCon play.  The Bulldogs improved to 4-3 and 2-3 in league action.
• UTC is 30-19-2 all-time against The Citadel, but has lost two in a row.  The Mocs are 18-7-1 at home and 6-5 at Finley Stadium.
• Darrell Bridges' 61-yard TD run in the first quarter is the longest rush of the season for the Mocs … first TD scored in the first quarter for the Mocs since the VMI game.
• UTC posted 143 rushing yards, second only to the 148 in the VMI game on Sept. 23 … The Citadel came into the game leading the SoCon in rushing defense (108.3).  
• UTC allowed 405 rushing yards in the game … last time UTC allowed 400+ rushing yards was 542 against Georgia Southern in a 49-10 loss on Sept. 25, 1999.
• UTC led 14-7 at the half … only the second time this season (VMI) the Mocs had a lead at the break.
• The Mocs turned the ball over on three INTS … UTC is -13 in the turnover margin and has now gone four games in a row without forcing one.
• UTC only allowed one sack in the game, the fewest since VMI on Sept. 23.
• Eight different Mocs caught a pass in the game.
• Darrell Bridges – Sr.-RB - Season-high and game-high 149 yards and two TDs on 18 carries ... most rushing yards by a Moc this season ... 61-yard TD run in the first quarter is the longest rush of the season for the Mocs ... six rushing TDs on the season ... only Moc to carry the ball today … Copeland was sacked once for -6 yards.
• Cole Copeland – Fr.-QB - 17-31 for 155 yards and three INTs ... hit eight different receivers today.
• Tae Davis – Sr.-LB - Career-high 2.5 TFLs ... eight total tackles.
• Brandon Dowdell – Fr.-DB - 37-yard punt return ... longest since C.J. Board had a 72-yarder against Wester Carolina last season ... had two KOR of 50 yards ... longest since Xavier Borishade had a 53-yarder against Wofford last season. 
• D.J. Jackson – Fr.-DB - Career-high six tackles in his first career start.
• Joshua Phillips – Sr.-LB - Career-high five tackles off the bench.
• Taylor Reynolds – Sr.-DL - Career-high 12 tackles ... 1.5 TFLs.
 
SCOUTING SAMFORD
• Head coach Chris Hatcher is in his third season leading the Samford program.  He is 18-12 overall and 139-69 in his 18th year as a head coach overall.  He lost both of his previous meeting with the Mocs but won three times as the head coach at Georgia Southern from 2007-09.
• The Bulldogs' 24-21 win at then-fifth-ranked Wofford last week marked Samford's first win over a top-five ranked FCS opponent since Oct. 10, 1992 when the Bulldogs earned a 46-14 win over third-ranked Eastern Kentucky.
• This week's top-10 ranking is the first for Samford since 1993.
• Junior QB Delvin Hodges is the reigning SoCon Offensive Player of the Week.  The Walter Payton Award Watch List member was 37-for-54, completing touchdown passes of 9, 11 and 23 yards on the day en route to his second 400-yard game of the season and sixth of his career, extending his SoCon record in that category. The contest also marked the fifth time this season that Hodges has thrown for at least three touchdowns. He leads the league in passing yards (2,326) and touchdowns (20) on the year.
• Senior DB Omari Williams helped secure the Bulldogs' 24-21 road win over No. 5 Wofford on Saturday, intercepting a pass in the corner of the end zone with six seconds left in the contest to earn SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors. After Samford had taken a three-point lead with 1:28 to play, the senior from Birmingham, Alabama, picked off the Terriers' third-down attempt for his second interception of the season and ninth of his career. Williams also added nine tackles on the day, six of which were solo stops, and two pass breakups.
• As a team, Samford leads the Southern Conference and is No. 6 in the FCS in passing offense, averaging 334.9 yards per game.
• The Bulldogs also lead the league in kickoff returns (23.7 ypr.)
• Tied for seventh in the FCS and leads the SoCon in opponent 4th-down conversions (18.8 percent).
• Samford is fifth in the nation in fewest penalty yards per game (34.29) and tied for sixth in fewest penalties per game (3.86).
• Individually, Devlin Hodges is fourth in the FCS in passing and leads the league in passing yards per game (332.3) ... leads the SoCon in total offense per game (342.3 ypg.).
• Kelvin McKnight is third in the FCS and leads the SoCon in receptions per game (8.9) ... eighth in the country and leads the SoCon in receiving yards per game (118.7) ... leads the SoCon in scoring (8.6 ppg.) and all-purpose yards per game (129.9).
• Darius Harvey is the SoCon leader in kickoff return average (23.8 ypr.).
• Austin Barnard leads the league in punting (46.0 ypk.).
• Omari Williams is the league leader in passes defended (1.57 pg.).
• Jordan Weaver leads the league in scoring by kick (6.9 ppg.) ... made four FGs at VMI ... game-winner from 27 yards with 1:28 left at Wofford. 
 
NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE SAMFORD SERIES
• This is the 43rd meeting between these two teams in a series that dates back to 1906.
• UTC is 29-10-3 overall ... 7-2 since Samford joined the SoCon in 2008.
• UTC is 8-5 all-time against the Bulldogs on the road.
• Mocs have won three in a row.
• Most of this series was played between 1906 and 1968. There was a 30-year gap in games between 1968 and 1998. UTC is 10-3 against Samford since the 1998 season.
 
UTC-SAMFORD CONNECTIONS
• UTC senior DL Taylor Reynolds and Samford freshman Nathan East both went to McAdory High School in McCalla, Ala.
• UTC senior LB T.J. Jenkins and Samford junior TE Clarke Miller are both from Plant HS in Tamps, Fla.
• UTC senior OL Josh Cardiello and Samford freshman WR Tanner Alexander both went to Buford High School in Buford, Ga.
 
NOTES FROM LAST YEAR'S 41-21 WIN OVER SAMFORD
• The Chattanooga Mocs scored a 41-21 win over Samford in Southern Conference action at Finely Stadium on Sept. 24, 2106.  UTC improved to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in league action. Samford dropped to 2-1 and 0-1 in SoCon play. 
• UTC is 4-0 for the first time since the 1979 season when it started 5-0 … that was Coach Russ Huesman's sophomore year.
• The Mocs had a season-high 521 yards of total offense … most since 560 against Fordham on Nov. 28, 2015.
• 13th SoCon home win in a row … last loss was against No. 2 Georgia Southern on Oct. 27, 2012 (38-31 OT).
• UTC had five sacks in the game for -32 yards … two by Dale Warren and three by Keionta Davis … Mocs came into the game No. 6 in the FCS with 3.2 sacks per game.
• The Mocs held the ball for 39:18 in today's game.
• UTC held Samford to 2-14 on third down … Mocs came into the game No. 3 in the FCS in third down defense.
• Mocs are 7-2 against Samford since the Bulldogs joined the SoCon in 2008.
• UTC converted a pair of fourth downs in the third quarter to keep drives alive. One was a fake punt that resulted in a 35-yard Derrick Craine run.
• Mocs are 47-9 when allowing less than 24 points under Russ Huesman (since 2009) … 43-8 when scoring over 24 points.
• This is win No. 31 for the senior class, tying for third all-time at UTC with 1981 and 1982 … '81 squad was Coach Huesman's senior year.
• Richardre Bagley – 70-yard TD catch in the first quarter was a career-long ... finished with four catches for a career-long 79 yards ... also ran seven times for 12 yards.
• Derrick Craine – Career-high 222 rushing yards and two TDs on 23 carries ... third highest rushing total in UTC history … most since Charles McNeil's school-record 235 against Kentucky State on Nov. 24, 2001 ... highest rushing total in the FCS this season ... averaged 9.7 yards per carry and did not have a negative attempt ... 14 carries for 194 yards in the second half ... came into the game leading the SoCon with 6.5 yards per carry ... 2,371 career yards moves him into No. 8 all-time at UTC, passing Carey Henley (1958-61), Robert Smith (1967-70) and Tyrone Coleman (1995-98) ... 9th career 100-yard game … 6th all-time at UTC ... 23 career TDs … fifth all-time at UTC.
• Alejandro Bennifield – 19-34 passing for 2 TDs and an INT ... 236 passing yards ... ran 14 times for 45 yards and a score ... 11 passing TDs and three rushing TDs this season.
• Malcolm Colvin – 1st catch by a TE this season ... 12-yard grab was a career-long.
• Keionta Davis – Tied a career-high with 3.0 sacks ... finished with six total tackles.
• C.J. Fritz – Career-high eight tackles.
• Henrique Ribeiro – Career-long 48-yard FG in 4th quarter gave the Mocs a 34-14 lead ... also hit from 46 yards to go 2-2 on FGs … 3-4 this season.
• Alphonso Sterwart – Four catches for 30 yards.
• Dale Warren – Career-high and tied for game-high 10 tackles ... career-high 2.0 sacks ... 3.0 TFLs overall.
• Trevor Wright – Second career INT ... also had 2 PBUs.
 
NOTES FROM THE MOCS LAST TRIP TO SAMFORD ON SEPT. 19, 2015
• The No. 10/12 Chattanooga Mocs scored a 31-21 win at Samford … UTC improves to 2-1 on the year and 1-0 in SoCon action … the Bulldogs drop to 2-1 and 0-1 in league play.
• Samford came into the game No. 2 in the nation in passing yards (399.5) and total offense (644.0) and No. 3 in scoring (51.5) … the Mocs defense held Samford to 255 yards passing and 313 in total offense.
• UTC defense allowed 84 yards and a 63-yard TD pass on the opening drive … 15 yards allowed on the next four Samford possessions to close out the half.
• Samford's Karel Hamilton had a 100-yard KOR for a TD in the first quarter.
• Mocs are 32-7 in the Huesman era when leading at the half (24-14).
• 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 dominated Time of Possession, 36:42 to 23:18.
• Richardre Bagley – 47 yards on a career-high 15 carries.
• C.J. Board – Career-highs with six catches and 92 yards ... 2nd TD catch of the season … fourth of his career.
• Xavier Borishade – Two catches for 37 yards and a TD ... 1st TD catch of the season … sixth of his career.
• Keionta Davis – Tied a career-high with 2.0 sacks ... added three tackles.
• Josh Freeman – Four tackles, including a sack and a TFL ... forced a fumble.
• A.J. Hampton – Career-high 10 tackles.
• Jacob Huesman – 150 rushing yards and a TD on 23 carries ... second rushing TD this season ... school-record 32 career rushing TDs ... 620 career carries is the new school record ... passed James Roberts (1989-91) and Mike Smith (1977-80) in the game ... 192 career points is third all-time at UTC ... passed Jack Teichmann (1982-83) with an 11-yard TD run in the second quarter ... 14-23 for 181 yards, 2 TDs and an INT ... school-record 57 passing TDs against 19 INTs ... tied with Marshall's Michael Payton (1989-92) for fourth all-time in the SoCon ... 9,663 yards of total offense is the UTC record ... one of only four in SoCon history with more than 9,000 yards ... passed Richie Williams (App. State - 2002-05) for third with his 28-yard TD pass to Xavier Borishade  ... second among active players in the FCS in total offense ... 89 total TDs is a school record and second among active players in the FCS and third all-time in the SoCon ... became the third in SoCon history with 4,000 passing yards (6,612) and 3,000 rushing yards (3,051) in a career … joined Appalachian State's Armanti Edwards (2006-09) and Georgia Southern's Greg Hill (1996-99).
• Nakevion Leslie – Team-high 11 tackles, including one for 3-yard loss ... fourth career game with 10+ tackles.
• Isaiah Mack – Season-high four tackles ... 1.5 sacks.
• Vantrel McMillan – First career INT ... added three tackles, including 1.0 sacks and 1.5 TFLs ... also forced a fumble.
• Henrique Ribeiro – 1-1 FGs … 3-4 on the year … 22-31 for his career (71%) ... 4-4 on PATs ... 55 consecutive PATs extends his school record and passes Appalachian State's Julian Rauch (2005) for fifth longest streak in SoCon history.
• Dee Virgin – Five tackles, including one for a 4-yard loss ... recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter..
 
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".