Chattanooga Football Game Notes
Mercer Bears (2-5, 2-2 SoCon) at No. 10/9 Chattanooga Mocs (3-1, 3-0 SoCon)
Finley Stadium (20,668) – Chattanooga, Tenn.
Saturday – March 27, 2021 – 12:04 p.m. (E.D.T.)
Radio:  Mocs Sports Network (WFLI 1070 AM / 97.7 FM – Flagship) - Jim Reynolds (pxp), Todd Agne (color), Will Poindexter (sideline)
TV: ESPN+ – Chris Goforth (pxp), Scott McMahen (analyst), Dave Keylon (Sideline)
Online: Live audio, ESPN+ & live stats links on GoMocs.com
 
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team returns home to Finley Stadium this weekend.  The Mocs are set to play in front of a true home crowd for the first time since 2019 when they host Mercer on Saturday, March 27.  Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. (E.D.T.) in Chattanooga.
 
A capacity limit of 5,000 fans is set for Saturday's showdown between the Bears and the ninth-ranked Mocs.  Tickets are available now on GoMocs.com or by calling the UTC Ticket Office at (423) 266-MOCS (6627). 
 
Fans that can't make it to the game can catch the action on the Mocs Sports Network flagship station 97.7 FM/1070 AM WFLI.  The full television broadcast is also available on ESPN+.   
 
UTC is currently No. 9 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 with a 3-1 overall record and a 3-0 mark in Southern Conference action.  UTC is coming off a 20-18 win over No. 13 Furman last weekend.  The Mocs' lone loss was a 13-10 defeat at Western Kentucky in the fall.
 
Mercer is 2-5 overall and 2-2 in SoCon play.  The Bears posted a 45-28 win over Western Carolina last weekend.  They also have a 42-28 win over The Citadel on their resume.  Their two league losses came against Wofford (31-14) and VMI (41-14).  Mercer played three games in the fall, losing all three to Jacksonville State (34-28), Army West Point (49-3) and Abilene Christian (20-17).
 
TICKETS
Tickets are on sale now with a capacity limit of 5,000 fans at Finley Stadium.  Both sides of the Stadium are open to encourage fans to social distance throughout the venue. All tickets are general admission and are $10 for ages 13 and up.  To encourage social distancing, both sides of the field are open seating.  Additional COVID guidelines for home football games can be found on GoMocs.com. To order 2021 spring tickets visit the 'Tickets' tab at the top of GoMocs.com or call the UTC Ticket Office at (423) 266-MOCS (6627) during normal business hours.
 
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.
 
ESPN+
UTC produces all home games for the ESPN family of networks.  This week's contest is carried by ESPN+, with Chris Goforth (pxp) and Scott McMahen (analyst) on the call and Dave Keylon on the sideline.  
 
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 9-7 with the Mocs ... 8-3 in SoCon games.
• UTC's No. 9 ranking is the highest since going into the FCS Playoff game at Sam Houston State in 2016.
• 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 in 2019 ... seventh since 2009.
• Mocs are 3-0 in league play for the first time since 2016.
• A win today would be the longest winning streak since four in a row to start the 2018 season. 
• Last time the Mocs were 4-0 in the SoCon was a 4-0 start in 2016.
• Mocs are one of 15 FCS teams that played in the fall.
• Mocs have two wins over ranked teams in the same year for the first time since 2015.
 
Offense
• 18 letter winners and eight starters back from 2019 ... four starters return to the offensive line. 
• Senior Drayton Arnold is the starting QB ... 41-88 (46.6%) passing for 660 yards, two TDs and three INTs in four 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 33 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 four rushing TDs ... had his third career 100-yard rushing game with 111 on 20 carries and a score at Furman.
• 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 15 catches for 285 yards ... 24th in the FCS with 19.0 yards per catch. 
 
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 ... 17.5 career sacks is fourth all-time at UTC ... currently tied for the SoCon lead with 5.0 sacks and 7.0 TFLs.
• Junior Ty Boeck was second on the team and sixth in the SoCon with 101 tackles in 2019 ... currently second on the team with 31 tackles ... Stats Perform National Defensive Player of the Week and SoCon Defensive Player of the Week after two takeaways and eight tackles against Furman. 
• Senior DB Jerrell Lawson missed the last four games of '19 with an injury ... he was a preseason All-SoCon pick heading into 2019 ... second career INT at Furman.
• Sophomore Jay Person is tied for the SoCon lead with Maxwell with 7.0 TFLs. 
• Leads the SoCon and No. 8 in the FCS in total defense (220.8).
• Leads the SoCon and No. 2 in the FCS in passing yards allowed (82.8).
• Leads the SoCon and No. 19 in the FCS in scoring defense (17.0).
• Leads the SoCon and No. 12 in the FCS with 8.8 TFLs per game.
• 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 Skyler Wilson handle the kicking duties.
• Boring 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 ... third in the SoCon in punting (42.4) ... DNP at Furman.
• Wilson was 3-3 on PATs and 1-2 on FGs, missing from 40 and making from 26, in his debut against Wofford ... 42-yarder at Furman was the game-winner and longest since 2018 for a Moc ... 7-7 on PATs and 3-4 on FGs this spring.
• Mocs lead the SoCon and are No. 9 in the FCS in net punting (41.1).
 
NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT MERCER GAME
• A win would give the Mocs their 20th winning record in SoCon play ... eighth since 2009.
• UTC has not had a four-game winning streak in SoCon play since 2016. 
 
NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE MERCER SERIES
• These two teams met 24 times before Mercer stopped playing football in 1941.
• This is the 20th overall meeting and the seventh since Mercer restarted its program in 2013.
• UTC holds an 19-9-1 overall mark in the series ... 3-3 since Mercer joined the SoCon in 2014 ... Mercer has won two of the last three and three of the last five.  
• Prior to the 2014 game, the last meeting was a 40-13 win for the Mocs in Chattanooga on Nov. 26, 1941 ... this was the final game of the 1941 season ... less than two weeks later, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and sent the United States into World War II ... Mercer did not take the field again until the start of the 2013 season.
• UTC is 16-3-1 at home against Mercer in the series ... 2-1 in Finley Stadium.
• Mocs lost the last game at Finley in the series ... 13-9 on Nov. 10, 2018.  
 
RUSTY WRIGHT AND DREW CRONIC
• UTC head coach Rusty Wright worked with Mercer head coach Drew Cronic when both were assistant coaches at Furman (2010) and Reinhardt (2011-12).
 
UTC-MERCER CONNECTIONS
• UTC offensive coordinator Joe Pizzo was the OC at Mercer in 2018.
• Mercer QB Robert Riddle is from Lookout Mountain, Tenn., and a graduate of Chattanooga's McCallie School.  He played at McCallie with UTC sophomore tight end Jay Gibson and junior DL Giovanni Revere. 
• UTC junior LB Kam Jones and Mercer sophomore LB Alex Ferry are both graduates of Peachtree Ridge HS in Suwanee, Ga.
• Mercer sophomore safety Lance Wise and sophomore OL John Thomas and UTC freshman DB Reuben Lowery are all graduates of Hillgrove High School in Powder Springs, Ga.
• UTC freshman DL Marlon Taylor and Mercer safety Byron Bacon and freshman DL Jordan Swain are all graduates of Glynn Academy in Brunswick, Ga.
• Mercer junior tight end Drake Starks is from nearby Ringgold, Ga. ... he and UTC freshman OL Reid Williams are both graduates of Ringgold High School.
 
SCOUTING MERCER
• 2-5 overall and 2-2 in SoCon action ... league win are The Citadel (42-28) and Western Carolina (45-28) ... losses are Wofford (31-14) and VMI (41-14) ... went 0-3 in the fall against Jacksonville State (34-28), Army West Point (49-3) and Abilene Christian (20-17). 
• Head coach Drew Cronic is in his first season.
• 12 starters back from the 2019 team that went 4-8.
• Caleb Dowden is the current SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week after hitting a career long, 45-yard field goal in the fourth quarter against Western Carolina ... also punted four times for an average of 44.5 yards.
• Second in the SoCon and No. 8 in the FCS in first downs (16.7).
• Second in the SoCon and No. 11 in the FCS with five fumbles recovered.
• Second in the SoCon and No. 20 in the FCS in passing yards allowed.
• Leads the SoCon and No. 26 in the FCS in sacks allowed (1.29). 
• Second in the SoCon and No. 19 in the FCS in tackles for loss allowed (4.86).
 
POSTGAME NOTES VS. FURMAN
• The Chattanooga Mocs scored a 20-18 win at No. 11/13 Furman in Greenville, S.C., on March 20 … Mocs move to 3-1 overall and 3-0 in SoCon action with the win … Furman dropped to 3-2 overall and 3-2 in league action.
• Second win over a ranked team for the Mocs this season (24-13 vs. No. 11 Wofford on 2/27) … first time with two wins over ranked teams in a season since 2015.
• This game featured … seven turnovers combined between the two teams (UTC 3, Furman 4) ... two miscues on a snaps for punts by the Mocs ... three turnovers on downs by the Mocs ... a dropped fair catch on a kickoff by the Mocs that put them on their 1-yard line ... blocked PAT by UTC.
• First blocked PAT since Isaiah Mack vs. Western Carolina on Oct. 31, 2015.
• There were only a combined 10 points scored off the seven turnovers (UTC 7, Furman 3).
• Mocs outgained Furman 138 (96 rush, 42 pass) to 1 (1 rush, 0 pass) in the first quarter.
• Total offense in the first half ... UTC - 227 (100 rush, 127 pass) ... Furman - 70 (9 rush, 6 pass) ... UTC led 10-6.
• Mocs had a season-high 390 yards of total offense … 172 rushing, 218 passing ... season-high 47 carries for 172 rushing yards ... season-high 19 first downs for UTC ... season-high 36:37 time of possession … highest since 37:57 in a 34-17 win at Mercer 10/5/19.
• Furman was held to 170 yards of total offense … 49 rushing, 121 passing ... fewest yards allowed by the Mocs in the 50-game series ... fewest yards allowed by the UTC defense since 148 vs. Mercer on Nov. 10, 2018. 
• UTC was flagged for a season-high 11 penalties for 105 yards … Furman had three for 25 yards … most penalty yards for UTC since 119 in Rusty Wright's first game as head coach against Eastern Illinois in 2019. 
• Mocs held Furman to 2/13 on third down … converted 7/16 of their own.
• Third game this season decided by three points or less … all on the road … lost at WKU 13-10 on Oct. 5 … beat The Citadel 25-24 (OT) on March 6 … 4-2 in games decided by three points or less under Rusty Wright.
• 5-1 under head coach Rusty Wright when allowing 24 points or less.
• Gino Appleberry – So.-RB ... carries for 85 yards and a score ... season-highs for yards and attempts.
• Drayton Arnold – Sr.-QB ... 6-20 passing for 120 yards and two INTs ... ran six times for 17 yards ... 46 yards punt late in the game nearly pinned the Paladins on the one-yard line before rolling into the endzone.
• Ty Boeck – Jr.-LB ... two takeaways in the game ... first career INT in the first quarter ... fifth career fumble recovery in the first quarter … second this season ... team-high eight tackles.
• Ben Brewton – So.-DL - First career takeaway with the fumble recovery that sealed the win.
• Cole Copeland – Jr.-QB - 5-9 passing for 93 yards ... first action since the final game of the 2017 season when he was a true freshman ... 42-yard completion to Jamoi Mayes was a career-long.
• Reggie Henderson – Sr.-WR - Four catches for 95 yards ... career-long 50-yard catch in the third quarter.
• Kam Jones – Jr.-LB - Career-high 3.5 TFLs ... most TFLs in a game since Isaiah Mack had 4.0 vs VMI (10/27/2018) ... six tackles overall
• Jerrell Lawson – Sr.-DB - Second career INT ... added three tackles and two PBUs.
• Devonnsha Maxwell – Jr.-DL - 2.0 TFLs, one sack and three total tackles ... forced a fumble, blocked a kick and had two hurries.
• Jamoi Mayes – Fr.-WR - Career-long 42-yard catch from Cole Copeland.
• Jay Person – So.-LB - Five tackles, including 1.5 TFLs with 1.0 sacks ... added a pair of hurries.
• Tyrell Price – Sr.-RB - Game-high 111 yards on 20 carries ... fourth rushing TD of the year ... two catches for 36 yards ... third career 100-yard game … first since 135 at WCU in 2018.
• Skyler Wilson – Fr.-K - True freshman walk-on who handled all kicking and punting duties today with starting punter Gabe Boring not available ... 2-2 on FGs ... 22-yard FG in the first quarter ... 42-yard FG in the fourth quarter … longest by a Moc since Victor Ulmo kicked a 42-yarder vs. Wofford on Oct. 6, 2018 … eventual game-winner ... 4-5 on FGs this year ... 7-7 on PATs this year ... connected on one punt for 41 yards.
 
LAST TIME VS. MERCER - 34-17 WIN - 10/5/2019 - MACON, GA.
• The Chattanooga Mocs scored a 34-17 win over Mercer on Oct. 5, 2019 … UTC improved to 3-3 overall and 2-0 in SoCon action … the Bears dropped to 2-4 and 1-2 in league play.
• UTC scored its first win at Mercer since 1929 … 19-9-1 in the all-time series … 3-3 since Mercer joined the SoCon in 2014 ... UTC had lost two in a row and three of the last four coming into today's game … 3-6 at Mercer in the series ... 1-2 in Five Star Stadium.
• The Mocs gave up a 98-yard KOR for a TD … first one allowed since Wofford's Lennox MaAfee had a 100-yarder on Nov. 12, 2016.
• UTC trailed 14-7 after the KOR for a TD … Mocs then scored 20 unanswered points.
• Mocs have trailed after the first quarter in four games this season … 2-2 in those games … 5-11 over the last three years.
• UTC led 17-14 at the break … 3-0 when leading at the half this season … 10-1 over the last three years.
• Mocs led 27-14 after the third quarter … 3-0 when leading after three quarters this season … 11-1 over the last three years.
• Mercer only ran seven plays for -3 yards in the second quarter.
• Mocs held Mercer to just 29 rushing yards on 25 attempts … lowest rushing total for the Bears since restarting the program in 2013 ... fewest rushing yards allowed by the Mocs since giving up 27 to Indiana State in the FCS Playoffs on Dec. 6, 2014.
• The defense recorded 10 pass breakups led by Jordan Jones with three. That's the second time this season with 10, also defecting 10 in the opener against Eastern Illinois.
• 625 yards rushing over last two games is most in back-to-back games since Sept. 7-14 running up 671 in wins over Georgia State (401) and Austin Peay (270).
• Mocs have nine rushing TDs in last three games.
• UTC offense line allowed just its second sack of the season.
• Mocs had three takeaways in the game … three fumble recoveries and an INT … UTC is +5 in turnover margin last two games … +1 for the year.
• Put up 415 yards of total offense (225 rush, 190 pass) … first time with back-to-back games with 400+ yards of offense since the first two games of the 2018 season.
• Mocs held the ball for 12:41 in the second quarter … 37:57 in the game … highest TOP for the Mocs since 38:43 at VMI on Sept. 27, 2017.
• Ty Boeck – So.-LB ... Team-high 12 tackles ... career-high 2.0 TFLs ... forced two fumbles and recovered one ... 10+ tackles in each of the last three games.
• Kameron Brown – Fr.-DB - INT in the second quarter ... second of the season.
• Ailym Ford – Fr.-RB - Season-high 32 carries for 116 yards and a TD ... third 100-yard game of the season ... most carries in a game since Terrell Robinson had 32 against Furman on Oct. 29, 2011 ... 5 TDs and 557 yards on 122 carries this season.
• Reginald Henderson – Jr.-WR - Three catches for 43 yards ... best numbers since the season-opener against Eastern Illinois.
• Chris James – Sr.-TE - Career-high three catches for 48 yards and a TD ... second score of the season ... career-long 34-yard reception.
• Jordan Jones – Jr.-DB - Career-high three PBUs ... added a tackle and a fumble recovery.
• CaMiron Smith – So.-DB - Tied a career-high with four tackles ... most this season … most in a SoCon game.
• Tyrin Summers – So.-WR - Career-high and team-high four catches ... career-high 22 receiving yards.
• Jeffrey Wood II – So.-RB - Career-high 74 yards on nine carries ... added two catches for 27 yards ... career-long run of 34 yards.
 
BOECK NAMED NATIONAL & SOCON POW FOLLOWING FURMAN PERFORMANCE
Junior Ty Boeck led the Mocs' stout defensive effort in a 20-18 win at Furman on March 20.  He posted two takeaways and a team-high eight tackles to earn both Stats Perform National Defensive Player of the Week and Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Week presented by GEICO.
 
It was the first time Boeck earned national recognition and was his second career SoCon honor.  He was the league's player of the week after posting 12 tackles, including 2.0 TFLs and a pair of forced fumbles against Mercer in 2019.  In the win at Furman, he had a diving interception to end the Paladins' first drive.  "That was my first interception since middle school," joked Boeck after the game. On Furman's second play of their next possession, Boeck recovered a fumbled handoff, setting the tone for the rest of the afternoon. The Paladins were held to just 170 yards on 57 plays for the game.  It was the fewest total yards allowed in the 50-game series with Furman.
 
MOCS BACK IN THE TOP 10
UTC climbed two spots to No. 9 in the STATS PERFORM FCS Top 25 this week.  It is the highest ranking for the Mocs in the STATS poll since heading into the FCS Playoff game at Sam Houston State in 2016.  VMI is the next SoCon team in the rankings, checking in a No. 14 this week.  Furman follows at No. 20.  ETSU is receiving votes.  The Mocs are also No. 10 in this week's AFCA Coaches poll.  VMI is No. 13 and Furman No. 18 in that top 25, with ETSU also receiving votes from the coaches.  
 
LETTERMEN/STARTERS RETURNING/LOST
UTC returns a total of 43 lettermen from the 2019 campaign.  There are 18 on the offensive side of the ball, 22 on defense and three specialists.  There are 17 starters back, including eight on offense, eight on defense and the long snapper.
 
SEASON NO. 113
Coming off of the year-long celebration of 150 years of college football in 2019, the Mocs are competing in their 113th season.  The University of Chattanooga was founded in 1886 and football officially 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 548-539-35 (.504) and have won 13 conference titles.