2021 Chattanooga Mocs Football 
Western Carolina – Oct. 2 – Finley Stadium
Postgame Notes
 
GENERAL
- The 19th-ranked Chattanooga Mocs rolled to a 45-17 Southern Conference triumph against Western Carolina...UTC is 2-2, 1-0 in the Southern Conference…the Cats are 0-5, 0-2 In the SoCon.
- SoCon opener for the Mocs…22-23 in league openers…12-7 at home.
- 53-37-1 coming off bye week…18-15 as a DI program…won five in a row and seven of last eight…2-2 all-time against WCU after an off week (2-0 Chattanooga)…7-3 in the last 10…3-0 under Rusty Wright.
- 21 first quarter points are most in 1st 15 minutes since 21 at VMI on Sept. 23, 2017, a 63-7 win…most in any quarter since 22 in the fourth period in the 34-33 win against The Citadel on Nov. 16, 2019.
- Season high offensive numbers for the Mocs: total (488 yards), rushing (271) and passing (247).
- Season-high 45 points for Chattanooga…season-low (vs FCS opponent) 17 points for Western Carolina.
- Here and Oklahoma are the only games Western Carolina has not led this season.
 
SERIES
All-Time Meetings: 47
Record: 30-17 | Home: 17-7 | Away: 13-10

• 28-16 in SoCon regular season matchups.
• 4-1 in SoCon openers against Western Carolina…3-0 at home.
• 3-game winning streak in the series…11-1 in last 12 meetings.

 
COACH
Rusty Wright (Chattanooga '96)

• Record: 11-10 | Home: 6-4 | Away: 5-6
• vs. SoCon: 9-4 | Home: 5-2 | Away: 4-2
• vs. Western Carolina: 2-0 | Home: 2-0 | Away: 0-0

 
TEAM
- Season low offensive numbers for the Catamounts: rushing (46 yards vs. all opponents), passing (231 vs. FCS opponents) and total (277 vs. FCS opponents)…only 123 yards passing and 178 total yards at Oklahoma were fewer...Catamounts came into the game averaging 33.0 points and 553.7 yards (212.7 rush/341.0 pass) against FCS competition.
- No 100-yard rusher today but three backs had 74 or more yards in Tyrell Price (82), Gino Appleberry (79) and Ailym Ford (74)…13 of the 21 games under Rusty Wright had a Mocs back top the century mark (14 total times).
- Four turnovers forced with three interceptions and a fumble recovery…three picks increase the team total to nine…season high for takeaways…+3 on the day…came into the contest +2 for the season.
- 46 yards rushing allowed on 25 carries (1.8 yards per carry)…opponents managed just 186 yards (62.0/game) and 2.4 ypc over last three games.
- Held the Catamounts to a season-low 63 plays…that's 22.5 below their 85.5 per game average.
- Nine plays of 20 or more yards…Mocs entered the game with seven "explosive" plays this season – rushing (3) or passing (4)…all three backs had at least one today on the ground: Tyrell Price (57), Ailym Ford (54) & Gino Appleberry (35 & 24)…four different receivers had at least one: KeShawn Toney (39), Jamoi Mayes (34 & 24), Ka'Nore McKinnon (24) and Tyron Arnett (20).
 
INDIVIDUAL
- DB Brandon Dowdell made his 10th career interception in the first quarter…he is the 13th Moc with 10 or more in his career…joins J. Washington '91, Reggie Solomon '87, Kenny Booker '86, Tom Patrick '73 & Joe Lee Dunn '68 with 10.
- Fellow safety Jerrell Lawson also had a first quarter pick…his fourth career INT but just the second that was NOT a pick 6.
- RB Tyrell Price's 57-yard TD run in the first quarter is the longest of his career…longest by a Mocs runner since Lance Jackson's 66 yarder against Mercer in the spring finale.
- DE Devonnsha Maxwell is No. 4 all-time at Chattanooga in sacks with 21.5…added a half-sack today…came into the game leading the SoCon and tied for 14th nationally with 3.5 (1.17/game) this campaign.
- Maxwell is 2.0 behind third-place Josh Williams' (2009-12) 23.5 and nine shy of runner-up Keionta Davis (2013-16) with 31…Davis Tull (2011-14) holds the school and conference mark (37).
- Maxwell has 33.0 tackles for loss which is 0.5 behind fifth-place Nakevion Leslie's (2013-16) 33.5 and one short of Troy Boeck (1987-90) with 34 in fourth…Troy is the father of junior LB Ty Boeck….Ty declined comment on attempts to steal TFLs from D-Max this season.
- 74 yards today for Ailym Ford…fastest high school signee to 1,500 rushing yards in school history…breaks Gwain Durden's (1977-80) 43-year record of 16 set in 1978…currently has 1,549, 103.3 per game.
- Tyrell Price had a season-high 82 yards on just seven carries…his 11.7 yards per carry edged out Gino Appleberry's 11.3…Appleberry also had a season-best number with 79 yards on seven totes.
- First career sack for LB Christian Snyder…ended the game with three tackles and a fumble recovery.
- Lawson led the squad with six tackles to go with his pick.
- Jay Person added five stops with two quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and forced fumble.
- TE Keyshawn Toney first career touchdown came in his first reception of the game…it was a 10-yard catch-and-run coming in the flat as he dodged a tackler and ran in for the score…it gave the Mocs a 7-3 lead with 9:04 to go in the first quarter…he added a 39-yarder in the third quarter.
- QB Cole Copeland threw for a season-high 239 yards and two touchdowns…completed 17 of 29 with an interception…second-highest passing total for Copeland behind 317 yards in his first career start against Furman in 2017…fourth time throwing two TDs in a game…career-best three total scores running in from a yard out in the first quarter.
 
SOCON SCOREBOARD
at The Citadel 35, VMI 24
Wofford at ETSU, 3:30 p.m. | Live Stats
Samford at Mercer, 6 p.m. | Live Stats
Furman is off