The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wresting team returns to dual match action this weekend against Gardner-Webb.  The Mocs host the Runnin' Bulldogs in a Southern Conference showdown on Sunday, Jan. 12. 
 
Match time is set for 2:00 p.m. (E.S.T.) in McKenzie Arena.  Gate 1 and Gate 3 open at 1:00 p.m. for fan access.  Tickets are on sale now on GoMocs.com and the Gate 1 ticket office opens at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.

If you can't make it to the match, be sure to catch the broadcast on ESPN+.  This is the first home match for the Mocs to showcase on the ESPN family of network.  Chris Goforth (pxp) and Travis Jarrard (color) have the call.  
 
The Mocs are 3-6 overall and 1-0 in league duals.  UTC is coming off another successful run as host of the Southern Scuffle, finishing 13th in the 28-team field.  UTC's conference win came against Davidson (47-0) on Nov. 22.
 
Sophomores Tanner Smith and Matthew Waddell both placed at the Scuffle.  Smith was fifth at 149, while Waddell was fourth at 184.
 
Waddell and Smith are No. 20 and 23 , respectively, in this week's FloWrestling individual rankings.  Junior Fabian Gutierrez is also No. 20 at 125. 
 
Gardner-Webb also competed in the Scuffle, where they finished 26th overall.  GWU is 1-3 in dual matches and hosts Appalachian State on Thursday, Jan. 9.  Their lone win was a 22-18 victory against Franklin & Marshall on Dec. 18.   
 
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". Please do not use UT-Chattanooga, Tennessee-Chattanooga or the Moccasins.
 
CHATTANOOGA PROBABLE LINEUP
125: No. 20 Fabian Gutierrez (Jr. – 9-6, 1-0 SoCon)
133: Colton Landers (So. – 5-3, 0-0 SoCon)      
      Wade Cummings (Jr. – 3-5, 1-0 SoCon)
141: Mason Wallace (So. – 5-7, 0-0 SoCon)
      Aiden Murphy (So. – 1-9, 1-0 SoCon)
149: No. 23 Tanner Smith (So. – 15-6, 1-0 SoCon)
157: Tyler Shilson (So. – 4-7, 1-0 SoCon)
      George Carpenter (Sr. – 4-7, 0-0 SoCon)
165: Drew Nicholson (So. – 8-10, 1-0 SoCon)
174: Hunter Fortner (So. – 4-10, 1-0 SoCon)
184: No. 20 Matthew Waddell (So. – 12-7, 1-0 SoCon)
197: Rodney Jones (Sr. – 9-7, 1-0 SoCon)
285: Grayson Walthall (So. – 3-12, 1-0 SoCon)
 
HEAD COACH KYLE RUSCHELL
Kyle Ruschell was named head coach of the Mocs on Aug. 10, 2018, and is in his second season guiding the UTC program. He has an 10-13 dual record overall that includes sharing the SoCon Regular Season Title last season with a 7-7 mark and a 5-1 league tally.  He spent the previous eight seasons as an assistant coach at Wisconsin. A former member of the U.S. National Team (2014-15), he was a two-time All-American for the Badgers (2007-10).
 
LAST THREE MATCHES IN MCKENZIE ARENA
UTC's final three home matches will all be in McKenzie Arena.  This includes Sunday's action against Gardner-Webb, Feb. 2 against Appalachian State and Feb. 21 against Indiana. 
 
SCOUTING THE MOCS
• UTC is led by its three ranked wrestlers in No. 20 Fabian Gutierrez (Jr. - 125 - 9-6), No. 20 Matthew Waddell (So. - 184 - 12-7) and No. 23 Tanner Smith (So. - 149 - 15-6).
• Sophomore Colton Landers had a breakout performance at the Southern Scuffle at 133.  He went 4-1 on the opening day, but had to pull out of day 2 due to illness.
• Sophomore Drew Nicholson is 8-10 overall and went 2-2 at the Scuffle.  Six of his losses are by two points or less, including a 4-2 decision against N.C. State's 10th-ranked Thomas Bullard at the Scuffle. 
• Senior Rodney Jones is off to a 9-7 start at 197.  He is coming off a 2-2 run at the Scuffle.  
 
GARDNER-WEBB PROBABLE LINEUP
125: Will Edmiston (Fr. - 11-8)
      or Michael Pappaconstantinou (Fr. - 1-9)
133: Will Edmiston (Fr. - 11-8)
      or Michael Pappaconstantinou (Fr. - 1-9)
141: Brandon Bright (RSo. - 6-13)
149: Anthony Schiess (So. - 3-8)
157: Taylor Parks (Jr. - 7-9)
      or Evan Schenk (Jr. - 3-12)
165: R.J. Mosley (RFr. - 15-11)
174: Samuel Mora (Fr. - 7-10)
184: Christian Salter (So. - 4-11)
197: Roderick Davis (Sr. - 13-10)
285: Jeffery Linker (RSo. - 1-9)
      or Gabriel Pickett (RSo. - 3-13)
 
SCOUTING GARDNER-WEBB
• Freshman Will Edminston is 11-8 at 125, one of three with a winning record.
• Other two are R.J. Mosley (165 - 15-11) and Roderick Davis (197 - 13-10).
• GWU was picked to finish fifth in the preseason SoCon poll. 
 
ALL-TIME VS. GARDNER-WEBB
The Mocs are 14-0 all-time against the Runnin' Bulldogs, inclduing a 31-11 win in last year's meeting.  UTC is 5-0 in homes matches in the series. 
 
Match-by-Match vs. Gardner-Webb (14-0)
Home: 5-0, Away: 5-0, Neutral 4-0
12-4-00 - Charleston, S.C. - W, 47-6
11-23-02 - Jefferson City, Tenn. - W, 40-9
1-21-07 - Chattanooga - W, 46-6
12-17-08 - Lebanon, Tenn. - W, 42-3
11-14-09 - Chattanooga - W, 47-0
11-20-10 - Boiling Springs, N.C. - W, 29-9
11-11-11 - Chattanooga - W, 40-3
2-1-13 - Boiling Springs, N.C. - W, 40-6
12-16-13 - Chattanooga - W, 35-3
1-16-15 - Boiling Springs, N.C. - W, 26-12
1-15-16 - Chattanooga - W, 24-13
2-3-17 - Boiling Springs, N.C. - W, 26-12
2-11-18 - Chattanooga - W, 37-5
2-1-19 - Boiling Springs, N.C. - W, 31-11
 
LAST TIME VS. GARDNER-WEBB
Chattanooga 31 - Gardner-Webb 11
Friday – Feb. 1, 2019 – Boling Springs, N.C.
141: Chris Debien (UTC) over Blake Mulkey (GWU) (Dec 9-7)
149: Tanner Smith (UTC) over Conrad Schiess (GWU) (Fall 2:09)
157: Ryan Resnick (UTC) over Evan Schenk (GWU) (Dec 6-4)
165: Tyler Marinelli (GWU) over Drew Nicholson (UTC) (TF 16-1 5:22)
174: Hunter Fortner (UTC) over Kyle Homet (GWU) (MD 11-3)
184: Ben Stacey (UTC) over Nathaniel Kale (GWU) (Dec 9-2)
197: Anthony Perrine (GWU) over Rod Jones (UTC) (Dec 5-4)
285: Connor Tolley (UTC) over Jeffrey Linker (GWU) (Fall 4:07)
125: Alonzo Allen (UTC) over (GWU) (For.)
133: Brandon Bright (GWU) over Jake Huffine (UTC) (Dec 3-2)
 
HEAD TO HEAD VS. GARDNER-WEBB
Despite having just wrestled in a dual last season and both teams competing at the Southern Scuffle, there are no projected rematches based on the probable lineups.
 
MOCS HAVE A BRUTAL NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
UTC has definitely scheduled up in non-conference action this season. The Mocs have already taken on Army (L, 18-12) and Illinois (L, 22-10). The Black Knights are off to a 4-1 start and have climbed into the rankings at No. 21 this week. UTC also traveled to No. 2 Iowa (L, 39-0), No. 19 North Carolina (L, 22-15), No. 11 Iowa State (L, 7-26) and No. 5 Virginia Tech (L, 28-3).  UTC still has a match at No. 23 Virginia on Jan. 17 and closes out the season with its third Big 10 opponent Indiana on Feb. 21.
 
SMITH NAMED STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Sophomore Tanner Smith is the current General Shale Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week for all competition from Dec. 24 to Jan. 8. The selection is made by the league office.  Smith notched a fifth-place finish at 149 pounds at the Southern Scuffle on Jan. 1-2. The sophomore from New Carlisle, Ohio, posted a 7-2 record during the two-day tournament which was highlighted by a 7-6 decision over 20th-ranked Russell Rohlfing of Cal State Bakersfield and a pin of Oregon State's Daxton Gordon. Smith now boasts a record of 15-6 for the season.  Smith is a business analytics major and currently holds a 3.85 grade point average.  SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week winners are chosen from all sports and required to have a minimum 3.3 GPA.
 
MOCS GETTING THE JOB DONE IN THE CLASSROOM
UTC topped the 3.0 mark as a team sixth time in the fall of 2019 with a 3.01 GPA.  The Mocs put 14 on the Dean's List and 17 on the A.D. Honor Roll.  Sophomore Tanner Smith and freshman Weston Wichman both had 4.0 GPAs.
 
ATTENTION ALL WRESTLING ALUMNI
We need all UTC wrestling alumni to take the C Club Challenge for $100.  Joining the C Club directly benefits Mocs wrestling, and the program with the highest percentage of alumni who join get an extra $5,000 added to their budget.  Visit www.gomocs.com/cclub to join.