Chattanooga Football Game Notes
No. 12t/11 Chattanooga Mocs (2-1, 2-0 SoCon) at No. 11/13 Furman Paladins (3-1, 3-1 SoCon)
Paladin Stadium (16,000) – Greenville, S.C.
Saturday – March 20, 2021 – 12:00 p.m. (E.S.T.)
Radio:  Mocs Sports Network (WFLI 1070 AM / 97.7 FM – Flagship) - Jim Reynolds (pxp), Todd Agne (color), Will Poindexter (sideline)
TV: ESPN+ – Mark Childress (pxp), Jay Sonnhalter (analyst)
Online: Live audio, ESPN+ & live stats links on GoMocs.com
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team is back on the road this weekend, traveling to No. 11/13 Furman for a Southern Conference showdown.  Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. (E.D.T.) on Saturday, March 20, in Paladin Stadium in Greenville, S.C.
 
There are no single-game or walk-up tickets available for purchase to the Furman game. UTC is allotted a limited number of tickets for families of the coaches and student-athletes.  Fans can check the full broadcast on ESPN+ or the radio call on the Mocs Sports Network flagship station 97.7 FM/1070 AM WFLI. 
 
Chattanooga moved up to No. 11 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, despite not playing last week.  The Mocs are also tied for 12th in the first AFCA Coaches Poll released on Monday.  The Mocs are 2-1 overall and 2-0 in SoCon action.  Their loss was a 13-10 defeat at Western Kentucky in the fall.
 
Furman is No. 11 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and No. 13 in the Stats Top 25.  The Paladins are 3-1 overall, with all four games part of the spring SoCon schedule.  Furman is coming off a 17-13 win at ETSU last weekend.  The Paladins' lone loss was a 14-13 setback at VMI on Feb. 27. 
 
TICKETS
Only immediate family on the pre-arranged pass list are allowed admission for this game.  There are no ticket sales for the general public.  Tickets for the Mocs' home games on March 27 against Mercer and April 10 against Samford went on sale on March 1 on GoMocs.com.
 
MOCS SPORTS NETWORK
The Mocs Sports Network broadcasts the game on the radio on WFLI 1070 AM / 97.7 FM in Chattanooga.  Jim Reynolds has the play-by-play for his 41st season, 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. Mark Childress (pxp) and Jay Sonnhalter (analyst) have the call. 
 
ESPN+/Nexstar
Furman is producing this weekend's game for ESPN+ and select Nexstar stations. Nexstar affiliates with the opportunity to air games are: ECBD (Charleston), WGHP (Greensboro/High Point), WJHL (Johnson City), WWCW (Lynchburg/Roanoke) and WYCW (Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville), WMYT (Charlotte) and WMUB (Macon).
 
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".
 
QUICK NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOCS
General
• Former Moc and former UTC assistant coach Rusty Wright is in his second season as head coach at UTC.
• Wright is 8-7 with the Mocs ... 7-3 in SoCon games.
• UTC's No. 11 ranking is the highest since the end of the 2016 season.
• Mocs are 67-60 all-time at Finley Stadium ... 47-46 in SoCon home games.
• UTC is coming off its 19th winning record in SoCon play ... seventh since 2009.
 
Offense
• 18 letter winners and eight starters back from 2019 ... four starters return to the offensive line. 
• Senior Drayton Arnold is the starting QB ... 35-68 (51.5%) passing for 535 yards, two TDs and one INT in three games.
• Sophomore Ailym Ford led the Mocs and all freshmen in the FCS and FBS with 108.1 rushing yards per game in 2019 ... had 92 yards at WKU and DNP vs. Wofford ... he is yet to play in a spring game due to injury.  
• Senior OL Cole Strange has started 32 consecutive games, mostly at left guard ... preseason All-American and preseason first team All-SoCon.
• Senior TE Chris James converted from QB in 2019 and earned 1st Team All-SoCon ... second on the team with 23 catches, third with 257 yards overall in 2019 ... threw for a TD pass and caught seven others in his first year at the position ... set a school mark for TDs by a TE ... preseason All-American in 2020-21 ... will not play in the spring 2021 season due to injury. 
• Senior RB Tyrell Price is back for a fifth year ... he was the starter and preseason All-SoCon heading into 2019 when an injury ended his season after just two games ... leads the team with three rushing TDs.
• Strange (1st Team), Ford (2nd Team), James (2nd Team) and offensive linemen Harrison Moon (2nd Team) and McClendon Curtis (2nd Team) all made the spring 2021 preseason All-SoCon team. 
• Senior WR Reggie Henderson leads the team with 11 catches for 190 yards.
 
Defense
• 22 letter winners and eight starters back.
• Senior Brandon Dowdell is a two-time first team All-SoCon defensive back with six career INTs.
• Senior Jordan Jones led the SoCon with 12 passes defended in 2019 ... has two this season.  
• Junior Devonnsha Maxwell tied for the SoCon lead with 7.0 sacks in '19 ... second with 13.0 TFLs in'19 ... 16.5 career sacks is third all-time at UTC ... has 4.0 sacks and 5.0 TFLs in spring play.  
• Junior Ty Boeck was second on the team and sixth in the SoCon with 101 tackles in 2019 ... currently second on the team with 23 tackles.
• Senior DB Jerrell Lawson missed the last four games of '19 with an injury ... he was a preseason All-SoCon pick heading into 2019. 
• Leads the SoCon and No. 8 in the FCS in total defense (237.7).
• Leads the SoCon and No. 3 in the FCS in passing yards allowed (70.0).
• Leads the SoCon and No. 9 in the FCS in red zone defense (10/13 - 77.6%). 
• Second in the SoCon and No. 16 in the FCS in scoring defense (16.7).
• Maxwell (1st Team), Boeck (1st Team), Dowdell (1st Team), Person (2nd Team) and Jones (2nd Team) all made the 2021 spring preseason All-SoCon team.
 
Special Teams
• Mocs entered the spring without an experienced kicker active on the roster after the graduation of Victor Ulmo in December 2020 ... expected starter and Arkansas State transfer Aaron Sears is out with an injury ... junior punter Gabe Boring and freshman Skylar Wilson handle the kicking duties.
• Borind was named the SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week after the Wofford win ... 52.3 yards on three punts, including a 72-yarder in the fourth quarter.
• Wilson was 3-3 on PATs and 1-2 on FGs, missing from 40 and making from 26, in his debut against Wofford ... hit a 33-yarder at The Citadel ... 5-5 on PATs and 2-3 on FGs this spring.
• Mocs lead the SoCon and are No. 3 in the FCS in net punting (42.8).
• Boring is third in the SoCon in punting (42.4). 
 
NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT FURMAN GAME
• Mocs are one of 15 FCS teams that played in the fall.
• A win for the Mocs would mean that all SoCon teams except UTC and VMI would have at least two losses after the weekend.
 
NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE FURMAN SERIES
• This is the 50th meeting between these two teams.
• Furman leads the all-time series 30-19.
• The Mocs snapped a 15-game losing streak with a 36-28 win at Furman on Oct. 23, 2010.
• UTC has won six of the last 10 games, but Furman has won the last three.
• UTC has a better road record (11-13) than home mark (8-17) against Furman.
• Mocs lost last year's meeting 20-35 at Finley Stadium.
• Furman beat the Mocs 16-10 in UTC's last trip to Greenville on Nov. 3, 2018.
• UTC's last win in the series are a 21-14 victory at Paladin Stadium on Sept. 17, 2016.   
 
UTC-FURMAN CONNECTIONS
• UTC head coach Rusty Wright was the linebackers coach at Furman in 2010. 
• UTC running backs coach Ricky Spradling was an assistant coach at Furman from 2013-16.
• UTC receivers coach Adam Mims was an All-American receiver at Furman from 2007-10.
• Furman freshman OL Wyatt Hughes (63) is from Chattanooga's McCallie School.
• Furman freshman DL Seth Johnson (94) is from Chattanooga's Baylor School.
• Furman sophomore WR Luke Shiflett (12) is from nearby Northwest Whitfield HS in Dalton, Ga.
 
SCOUTING FURMAN
• 3-1 with wins over Western Carolina (35-7 - 2/20), Samford (44-37 (OT) - 3/6) and at ETSU (17-13 - 3/13) and a loss at VMI (14-13, 2/27).
• Head coach Clay Hendrix is in his fourth season at Furman ... 25-15 overall and 3-0 against UTC.
• Furman was picked second in the SoCon preseason coaches poll and first in the media poll. 
• Leads the SoCon and No. 12 in the FCS in rushing defense (82.8).
• Leads the SoCon and No. 10 in the FCS in third down defense (28%).
• Leads the SoCon and No. 8 in the FCS in fewest penalty yards per game (25.3).
• Leads the SoCon and No. 8 in the FCS in Time of Possession (35:50).
• Second in the SoCon and No. 17 in the FCS in total offense (427.0).
• QB Hamp Sisson leads the SoCon and No. 7 in the FCS with eight passing TDs and is second in the SoCon and No. 14 in the FCS in passing efficiency (148.1).
• P/K Timmy Bleekrode leads the SoCon with 44.1 punting yards per kick.
• RB Devin Wynn leads the SoCon and is No. 6 in the FCS with four rushing TDs ... also leads the SoCon and is No. 10 in the FCS with 104.5 rushing yards per game.
 
POSTGAME NOTES VS. THE CITADEL
- The 18th-ranked Chattanooga Mocs scored a two-point conversion in overtime to defeat The Citadel Bulldogs 25-24 at Johnson Hagood Stadium in Charleston, S.C.  The Mocs improve to 2-1 overall and 2-0 in Southern Conference action.  The Bulldogs dropped to 0-6 on the year and 0-2 in league play.
• UTC had a 17-7 halftime lead, but the Citadel scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to force overtime.
• Mocs QB Drayton Arnold hit TE Jay Gibson on a shovel pass in the middle for the game-winning, two-point conversion.
• UTC is 1-1 in OT games under second-year head coach Rusty Wright.
• The Citadel came into the game leading the SoCon and No. 5 in the FCS with 223.8 rushing yards per game … held to 203 today.
• Mocs held the Bulldogs to just 230 yards of total offense … UTC came into the game second in the SoCon and No. 8 in the FCS in total defense (226.5).
• UTC put up a season-high 326 yards of total offense today … 104 rushing and 222 passing.
• Mocs were just 3-11 on third down, while the Bulldogs were 10-19.
• UTC has a 15-16 record against triple-option teams since 2009 … Mocs are 9-3 against The Citadel, 5-7 against Wofford, 1-3 against Georgia Southern and 0-3 against Furman.
• UTC opened its 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 … 1st career TD for Tyus … longest pass for the Mocs since Nick Tiano hit Tyrin Summers for a 75-yard TD vs. The Citadel (Nov 16, 2019).
• Mocs and VMI are the only 2-0 teams in the SoCon.
• Citadel was flagged nine times for 122 yards in penalties … Mocs were thrown three times for 35 yards … last time at UTC opponent had 100 yards in penalties was 116 against Western Carolina on Sept. 25, 2010 … most penalty yards against a UTC opponent since Appalachian State had 135 on 12 penalties on Oct. 30,1999.  
• Mocs second drive of 11 plays and 82 yards was the longest TD drive of the season for yards.
• UTC is 3-2 in games decided by three points or less under second-year head coach Rusty Wright … two wins have been one-point victories against The Citadel.
• Mocs are 5-1 when scoring 25+ points under second-year head coach Rusty Wright.
• Drayton Arnold – Sr.-QB - 11-20 passing for 220 yards,TD and INT ... 75-yard TD pass to Juwan Tyus on the first offensive play was a career-long ... first INT of the season in the fourth quarter.
• Ty Boeck – Jr.-LB - Game-high and season-high 11 tackles ... sixth career game with 10+ tackles.
• Brandon Dowdell – Sr.-DB - Five tackles and a TFL ... added a PBU.
• Jerrell Lawson – Sr.-DB - Made eight tackles ... tied for team lead with six solos.
• Devonnsha Maxwell – Jr.-DL - Career-high 10 tackles ... tied a career-high with 2.0 sacks for the second game in a row ... has 4.0 sacks combined against triple-option Wofford and The Citadel ... 16.5 career sacks passes Kenny Sanders (1995-98) for fourth all-time at UTC ... tied for team lead with six solos.
• Jay Person – So.-DL - Tied a career-high with nine tackles ... 1.5 TFLs.
• Tyrell Price – Sr.-RB - 66 yards and two TDs on 16 carries ... scored the TD in OT to set up the winning play ... fourth career game with two rushing TDs.
• Eli Shepherd – Sr.-DL - First career start ... career-high five tackles.
• Juwan Tyus – Jr.-TE - Two catches for 88 yards ... career-high for receiving yards ... 75-yard TD catch was a career-long ... 1st career receiving TD.
• Skylar Wilson – Fr.-K - Hit from 33 yards in the second quarter ... 2-3 on FGs this season.
 
LAST TIME VS. FURMAN - 20-35 LOSS - 11/2/2019 - FINLEY STADIUM
• The Chattanooga Mocs dropped a 35-20 Southern Conference game against No. 13 Furman at Finley Stadium today. The loss moves the Mocs to 4-5 overall and 3-2 in league action.  The Paladins take over sole possession of first place at 5-1 in the league and 6-3 overall.
• Mocs jumped out to a 9-0 lead,
• Mocs forced a fumble on Furman's opening drive and picked off a pass on the Paladins' second drive … UTC had not forced a turnover in the previous two games.
• Nick Tiano lost a fumble in the first quarter … first lost fumble by the offense since Jeffrey Wood at Jacksonville State … those are the only two by the offense this year … other two by UTC were on special teams.
• Furman put up 271 rushing yards … Mocs held them to under their 282 average which was No. 5 in FCS coming into the game.
• UTC was just 4-13 on third down today … 2-3 in the first quarter … 2-10 the rest of the way … the Paladins were 7-15 on third down and 2-2 on fourth down.
• Furman averaged 48.8 yards on four punts … UTC averaged 31.6 yards on five attempts.
• The Mocs won the turnover battles (2/1) for the first time since the Mercer game … UTC is -1 (14/15) on the year.
• Ty Boeck – So.-LB - Game-high 13 tackles ... fourth game with 10+ tackles this season.
• Brandon Dowdell – Jr.-DB - INT in the first quarter is his second of the season … fifth of his career.
• Ailym Ford – Fr.-RB - 179 yards on 21 carries … 8.5 yards per carry ... 203 carries for 1,072 yards and nine touchdowns ... became the 13th at UTC to rush for 1,000 yards in a season ... passes Jacob Huesman (904 – 2012), Gwain Durden (1,045 – 1977) and James Roberts (1,067 – 1989) for second on the Mocs' freshman rushing list … UTC freshman record is 1,090 by Mike Smith in 1977 ... ninth-most rushing yards overall in a season at UTC ... sixth-most rushing yards by a freshman in SoCon history ... passed Huesman (195 – 2012) for second in rushing attempts by a UTC freshman ... ninth-most rushes in a season at UTC ... sixth 100-yard rushing game ties the Mocs' freshman record set by Mike Smith in 1977 ... caught two passes in a game for the first time … 16 yards.
• Jay Gibson – Fr.-TE - First career catch in the fourth quarter.
• Chris James – Sr.-TE - Two catches for seven yards and a score ... TD catch was from four yards out in the fourth quarter ... tied for team-high with four receiving TDs this season ... also caught the pass on the 2-point conversion in the fourth quarter.
• Kanore McKinnon – Jr.-WR - Season-long 40-yard catch in the second quarter.
• Devonnsha Maxwell – So.-DL - 1.5 sacks ties a career-high for the third time. 
• Jay Person – Fr.-LB - First career start ... four tackles.