TUESDAY PRESSER | GAME WEEK PRIMER | GAME NOTES
 
CHATTANOOGA---It's an eventful week for the Chattanooga Mocs football programs. Senior Bowl invites, Senior Day festivities along with it being the Military Appreciation game. To paraphrase Crash Davis, "we're dealing with a lot of stuff here".

No matter the festivities, one constant remains...the Mocs and The Citadel Bulldogs square off at Finley Stadium Saturday afternoon with a lot on the line. Chattanooga looks to rise to 7-4 and keep hope alive for the FCS Playoffs, while the Bulldogs want to end the season on a high note and play the role of spoiler.
 
Seven wins is important in a couple of ways. One, it put the Mocs squarely on the FCS Playoff committee radar with a strong resume. It would also be the 25th 7-win season all-time and seventh over the past 38 campaigns. That in itself is a solid send off for a special group of seniors.
 
There are five SIXTH-year seniors for the Mocs who played their entire careers at Chattanooga: Rashun Freeman, Jordan Jones, Jerrell Lawson, Eli Shepherd & Cole Strange. That group represents 142 career starts. All 17 participating in Senior Day are graduate or post-baccalaureate students holding undergraduate degrees.
 
It's another battle of strength vs strength. The Mocs lead the Southern Conference in total defense, passing defense, rushing defense and scoring defense ranking among the FCS' elite defenses. The Bulldogs come in as the best rushing attack in the league and No. 4 nationwide. It's the Mocs wall averaging 101.5 yards per game against the Bulldogs battering ram producing 262.1 per contest.
 
The game kicks off at 1:30 p.m., on ESPN+. Active and veteran military get a free general admission ticket by showing their military ID or credentials. There are also $5 general admission tickets for their family that can be purchased when picking up the free ticket.
 
Chattanooga vs. The Citadel
Game 11 | Nov. 20 | Chattanooga, Tenn. | Finley Stadium (20,660)
 

Team	Record	SoCon	Stats Perform Top 25	AFCA Coaches Top 25
Chattanooga	6-4	5-2	RV	RV
The Citadel	3-7	2-5	---	---

 
 
MEDIA
TV - ESPN+: Chris Goforth (PxP), Scott McMahen (Analyst) & Dave Keylon (Sideline)
 
Radio - WFLI 97.7 FM/1070 AM: Todd Agne (PxP), Craig Cecil (Analyst) & Will Poindexter (Sideline)
 
Listen Live - Radio broadcast is available for free online at GoMocs.com & on the Varsity Network App.
 
SERIES VS. THE CITADEL
Game: 55th | Record: 33-19-2 | H: 19-7-1 | A: 14-12-1 | SoCon: 26-15-1 | Last 5: 3-2
W, 25-24 (OT); Mar. 6, 2021; Charleston

• Drayton Arnold hit TE Jay Gibson on a shovel pass in the middle for the game-winning, two-point conversion.
• 1-1 in OT games under then second-year Rusty Wright.
• Opened first offensive possession with a 75-yard TD strike from Drayton Arnold to Juwan Tyus...career-long TD pass for Arnold, career-long catch for Tyus...longest pass for the Mocs since Nick Tiano hit Tyrin Summers for a 75-yard TD vs. The Citadel (Nov 16, 2019).

More on the series & notes from last meeting on page 11 of the Chattanooga game notes.
 
COACHES
UTC: Rusty Wright (Chattanooga '96) | UTC: 15-12 (3rd) | Career: Same | vs. Cit: 2-0
Citadel: Brent Thompson (Norwich '97) | Cit:31-37 (6th) | Career: Same | vs. UTC: 2-3
 
3 NOTES TO KNOW

• Just 52 points allowed over last five games (10.4 ppg)…SoCon opponents average 13.3 points per contest against the Mocs defense.
• Offense topped the 2,000 mark (2,034) in rushing yards last weekend. That's just the 7th over last 30 years: 3145 (2015), 2951 (2014), 2682 (2016), 2549 (2013), 2372 (2019) & 2268 (2005). It's happened in both of Coach Rusty Wright's full seasons.
• 15 picks are the most since 17 in 2017 and are tied for fifth nationally but are No. 1 in interceptions per pass attempt (.056) by opponent.

 
TICKETS
Tickets are available by calling (423) 266-MOCS (6627) or online here at GoMocs.com. Fans also can go through the GoMocs app available on Android and Apple IOS devices in their respective app stores.

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