Chattanooga Basketball Postgame Notes
Mercer at No. 9 Chattanooga
Finley Stadium – Chattanooga, Tenn.
Saturday – March 27, 2021
TEAM
- The Chattanooga Mocs dropped a 35-28 game against Mercer today … UTC falls to 3-2 overall and 3-1 in SoCon action … the Bears improved to 3-5 overall and 3-2 in league play.

- Coach Rusty Wright's mantra has been player development during spring football. He proved to be a man of his word with 19 student-athletes making their first Chattanooga starts today, nine on offense and 10 on defense. Fourteen of those were freshmen including the entire offensive line. The three "returning" starters: Drayton Arnold (5th), Tyrin Summers (3rd) and Kameron Brown (3rd). 

- Mercer scored its first 14 points on short fields after UTC muffed two punts.

- Mocs had six penalties for 41 yards … all in the first half … Mercer had nine flags for 105 yards.

SERIES INFO
- Chattanooga leads 20-10-1.
- 16-4-1 at home.
- 2-2 in Finley Stadium.
- 3-4 since Mercer re-started football in 2014.
- 1-1 under head coach Rusty Wright

INDIVIDUAL
Drayton Arnold – Sr.-QB
- 9-16 passing for 123 yards and a score.
- Punted five times for a 41.4 average … long of 54.

Evan Brown – Fr.-TE
- First two catches of his career.
- 18 yards.

Zay Brown – Jr.-LB
- Career-high 10 tackles.

Cole Copeland – Jr.-QB
- 8-11 passing for 103 yards and a score.
- Career-long 18-yard run in the third quarter.
- First passing TD since ETSU on 11/18/17 as a freshman.

Lance Jackson – Fr.-RB
- First career game.
- 135 rushing yards and two TDs on 19 carries.
- Most yards by a freshman in a debut in school history.
- Most yards by a Moc this season.
- 7.1 yards per carry.
- 66 yard run in the third quarter.
- Longest since Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks had a 73-yard TD run against Western Carolina on Sept. 28, 2019.

Jelen Lee – Fr.-DB
- First career interception.
- Added six tackles.

Jamoi Mayes – Fr.-WR
- Six catches for 97 yards and a score.
- All career-highs.

Justin Sanders – Fr.-LB
- Career-high 11 tackles.

Christian Snyder – Jr.-LB
- Game-high 20 tackles.
- Most in a game since Josh Cain had 20 against Appalachian State on Nov. 2, 2002.

Tyler Walker – Fr.-WR
- Career-highs with five catches for 91 yards.

Tyler Smith – Fr.-WR
- Nine-yard TD catch.