Chattanooga Football Game Notes
UT Martin Skyhawks (1-1, 0-0 OVC) at No. 15 Chattanooga Mocs (0-2, 0-0 SoCon)
Finley Stadium (20,668) – Chattanooga, Tenn.
Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017 – 6:04 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 – Chris Goforth (pxp), B.J. Coleman (analyst)
Online: Live Audio, ESPN3 & Live Stats Links on GoMocs.com
 
The Chattanooga Mocs are set to open the home portion of the 2017 schedule against in-state rival UT Martin this weekend.  UTC started with two games on the road and is looking for its first win of the season. 
 
Chattanooga is ranked No. 15 in both of this week's FCS Polls.  The Mocs fell one spot in the Coaches Poll and two in the STATS Top 25 after losing 45-10 at No. 12 LSU last weekend.   
 
UT Martin is currently receiving votes in the STATS Top 25 and brings a 1-1 record to Finley Stadium.  UTM had an impressive showing in a 45-23 loss at Ole Miss last week.  They posted 334 yards of offense and twice held a nine-point advantage in the first half, before falling to the Rebels. The Skyhawks scored a 36-0 win over Clarion in the season opener on Aug. 31.       
 
Game time is set for 6:04 p.m. (E.D.T.) from Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn.  Chris Goforth is handling the play-by-play for ESPN3, joined by former Moc B.J. Coleman as the analyst. 
 
This is just the fifth meeting between these two teams.  UTM scored a 31-21 win in Chattanooga in the last meeting on Aug. 29, 2013. 
 
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.
 
TICKETS
Tickets 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 opens on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 12:00 p.m. All other ticket windows open at 3:00 p.m. on gameday.
 
WALKER HAYES TO PLAY PREGAME
Up-and-coming country artist Walker Hayes is playing the pregame Mocs Block Tailgate, powered by EPB and presented by iHeart Media on Chestnut Street, beginning at 5:00 p.m. This is a FREE concert open to all fans.
 
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.
• Ranked in the FCS Top 25 for 51 consecutive weeks ... sixth-longest active streak in the nation.
• 57-52 all-time at Finley Stadium.
 
Offense
• Mocs have 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.
• Despite playing two of the toughest defenses around, the Mocs are still third in the SoCon in passing offense with 196 yards per game in the air. 
• Junior WR Joseph Parker is currently third in the league in receptions per game (6.0) and fifth in receiving yards per game (80.0). 
• Sophomore QB Nick Tiano is fourth in the SoCon in total offense per game (222.5).
• Senior RB Darrell Bridges had a strong showing at LSU with 88 rushing yards and a TD on 15 carries. 
 
Defense
• 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.   
• Senior Lucas Webb has three career pick-6s ... school record and tied for the SoCon record ... 10 career INTs is tied for sixth all-time at UTC ... twice been tagged as a preseason All-American.
• Senior LB Tae Davis is tied for second in the SoCon with 10.5 tackles per game. 
• Junior LB Tavon Lawson is tied for sixth in the SoCon with 9.5 tackles per game. 
• UTC is currently third in the SoCon in red zone defense - 12/16 (75.0%)
• Mocs are averaging 5.5 TFLs per game, ranking third in the SoCon. 
• Senior LB Dale Warren led the SoCon with 19.0 TFLs in 2016.
• 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 and has 10 starts over the last two years.  Senior Trevor Wright and junior C.J. Fritz give the Mocs a total of three returning starters in the secondary.   
 
Special Teams
• Sophomore Colin Brewer returns as the punter after earning SoCon All-Freshman honors in 2016.  He is currently fourth in the league and No. 20 in the FCS at 42.8 yards per kick.
• Freshman K Victor Ulmo currently leads the the SoCon in FGs, hitting three of his first four attempts.
• 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.
 
NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE UTM GAME
• This is just the fifth meeting the series ... UTC won the first three played in 1991-93. 
• UTM won the last meeting, 31-21 on Aug. 29, 2013, in Chattanooga. 
• Three of the four games in the series have been in Chattanooga.  The only one in Martin,Tenn., was a 26-7 Mocs' win on Sept. 2, 1993.
• Since 2010, the Mocs lead all collegiate programs in the state of Tennessee is wins with 53.  UT Martin is third with 47.
• This is the second opponent from the OVC the Mocs face this season.  UTC lost to No. 5 Jacksonville State 27-13 on Aug. 26. 
 
UT MARTIN NOTES
• UT Martin was picked second in the preseason OVC poll behind Jacksonville State. 
• Junior running back Ladarius Galloway had 24 carries for 188 yards and a touchdown en route to earning adidas Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player and Newcomer of the Week honors against Ole Miss last week. Averaging 7.8 yards per carry, Galloway totaled 197 yards of total offense while becoming the first UT Martin player to tally back-to-back 150-plus yard rushing games since 2006.
• Galloway currently ranks second nationally in rushing yards (345) and rushing yards per game (172.5), fifth in all-purpose yards (197.5 per game) and ninth in rushing yards per carry (8.41).
• Robert Burleigh (Sr.-OL), Kahlid Hagens (Sr.-S) and Londell Lee (Sr.-WR) all earned preseason All-American honors heading into 2017. 
• UT Martin currently leads the OVC in nine statistical categories as a team including total offense (395.5 yards), rushing offense (242.0 yards), rushing defense (73.5 yards), sacks allowed (one), field goal percentage (100 percent), kickoff coverage (40.9 yards), opponent third down conversion  (26.1 percent), opponent fourth down conversion (0.0 percent) and time of possession (33:40). The
• UT Martin head coach Jason Simpson is currently in his 12th season at the helm of the Skyhawks with an overall record of 73-55. Simpson ranks tied for seventh in OVC history in career victories while serving as the league's longest tenured head coach.
 
ALL-TIME HOME OPENERS
The Chattanooga Mocs are 73-33-3 (.683) in home openers all-time. UTC has posted an 11-8 (.579) mark in the 19 at Finley Stadium. Chattanooga was 62-21-3 (.738) in the 86 seasons played on Chamberlain Field. 
 
NOTES FROM THE LSU GAME
• The No. 13/14 Chattanooga Mocs dropped a 45-10 game at No. 12 LSU.
• The Mocs scored first on a 22-yard FG by freshman Victor Ulmo with 9:00 left in the first quarter.  It is the second year in a row the Mocs took a 3-0 lead on an SEC opponent.  UTC led 3-0 at No. 1 Alabama at the end of the first quarter.
• Mocs had 81 yards of offense in the opening quarter … 29 rushing and 52 passing … 28 yards in the second quarter … 242 for the game
• UTC had 242 yards of total offense (68 rushing, 174 passing) compared to just 97 yards of offense (-5 rushing, 102 passing) by BYU, the Tigers' Week 1 opponent.
• LSU's D.J. Chark had a 69-yard punt return in the second quarter … only the third time since 2009 the Mocs have allowed a punt return for a TD … all three came against SEC opponents … Alabama's Christion Jones (75 yards) on Nov. 23, 2013 and the Tide's Javier Arenas (66 yards) on Nov. 21, 2009.
• Colin Brewer – So.-P - 43.8 yard average on six punts ... season-long 52-yarder.
• Darrell Bridges – Sr.-RB - 88 yards on 15 carries … no negative yards ... season-long 27-yard run in the second quarter ... 16-yard TD run in the fourth quarter is the first in his UTC career.
• Tae Davis – Sr.-LB - Game-high and career-high 13 tackles ... first career sack in the second quarter.
• Bailey Lenoir – Jr.-TE - Two catches for 25 yards ... first multi-catch game of his career.
• Joseph Parker – Jr.-WR - Six catches for 104 yards ... 67-yard catch in the fourth quarter is the longest play of the season for the Mocs ... eighth time a Moc has posted 100 receiving yards against an FBS team ... last by Emmanuel Hassell (112) vs. Western Kentucky in 2006 ... fouth time a Moc has posted 100 receiving yards against a Power 5 team ... last by Willie Gillespie (110) vs. Vanderbilt in 1982.
• Victor Ulmo – Fr.-K - Made a 22-yard FG in the first quarter ... missed from 47 yards.
• Lucas Webb – Sr.-DB - Career-high 11 tackles ... second career game with 10 … last was 10 at Mercer in 2015.
 
UTC-UTM CONNECTIONS
• UTM head coach Jason Simpson was the Mocs offensive coordinator from 2003-05. 
•  UTC offensive coordinator Justin Rascati was the receivers coach at UT Martin from 2014-15.
• UTM Assistant Head Coach and co-Defensive Coordinator Fred Tate was the Mocs defensive line coach from 2008-09.
• UTC sophomore DB Jordan Jones, UTM freshman DB Deven Sims and UTM freshman LB Donnell Williams all graduated from Smyrna High School in Smyrna, Tenn. 
• UTC senior DB Trevor Wright and UTM freshman DB Takeem Young both graduated from Greeneville High School in Greenville, Tenn. 
 
SEASON NO. 110
The Chattanooga Mocs are in their 110th season of college football in 2017.  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 530-521-35 (.504) and have won 13 conference titles.
 
MOCS & ESPN
All 11 of the Mocs games are scheduled to be on the ESPN family of networks.  UTC kicked off against Jacksonville State on ESPN on Saturday, Aug. 26, at 6:30 p.m. (E.D.T.) in Montgomery, Ala.  This week's game at LSU on Sept. 9 is on the SEC Network Alternate Channel.  The remaining nine games can be found on ESPN3. 
 
TEAM CAPTAINS
Captains for the upcoming season are Alejandro Bennifield (Sr.-QB-15), Taylor Reynolds (Sr.-DL-94), Alphonso Stewart (Sr.-WR-9), James Stovall (Sr.-WR-8) and Lucas Webb (Sr.-DB-29).