Chattanooga Football Game Notes
No. 18 Chattanooga Mocs (1-1, 1-0 SoCon) at The Citadel Bulldogs (0-5, 0-1 SoCon)
Johnson Hagood Stadium (11,332) – Charleston, S.C.
Saturday – March 6, 2021 – 1:00 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+ – Dave Weinstein (pxp), Jason Kempf (analyst)
Online: Live audio, ESPN+ & live stats links on GoMocs.com
 
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team hits the road this weekend for a Southern Conference showdown at The Citadel.  Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. (E.S.T.) at Johnson Hagood Stadium in Charleston, S.C.
 
There are no single-game tickets available for purchase to The Citadel game.  UTC is allotted 150 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 into the STATS PERFORM FCS Top 25 following last week's 24-13 win over No. 11 Wofford in Finley Stadium.  The Mocs are 1-1 overall and 1-0 in SoCon action.  Their loss was a 13-10 defeat at Western Kentucky in the fall.
 
The Citadel is 0-5 on the year and 0-1 in SoCon play.  The Bulldogs went 0-4 in the fall, dropping games to South Florida (27-6), No. 1 Clemson (49-0), Eastern Kentucky (37-14) and Army (14-9).  They were open the first week of spring play and lost to Mercer (42-28) last weekend. 
 
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.
 
ESPN+
The Citadel is producing this weekend's game for ESPN+.  Dave Weinstein provides the play-by-play while Jason Kempf is the analyst.
 
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.
• Mocs are 66-60 all-time at Finley Stadium ... 46-46 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 ... 24-48 (50.0%) passing for 313 yards, one TD and no INTs in two 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. 
• Senior OL Cole Strange has started 31 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 ... DNP vs. Wofford. 
• 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.
• 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. 
 
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 ... second with 13.0 TFLs ... 14.5 career sacks tied for fourth all-time at UTC. 
• Junior Ty Boeck was second on the team and sixth in the SoCon with 101 tackles in 2019.
• Senior DB Jerrell Lawson missed the last four games of the year with an injury ... he was a preseason All-SoCon pick heading into 2019. 
• Leads the SoCon and No. 4 in the FCS in passing yards allowed (91.5).
• Second in the SoCon and No. 8 in the FCS in total defense (226.5).
• Second in the SoCon and No. 8 in the FCS in scoring defense (13.0).
• Leads the SoCon and No. 7 in the FCS in turnover margin (+4).
• 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 do not have an experienced kicker active on the roster ... expected starter and Arkansas State transfer Aaron Sears is out with an injury ... junior punter Gabe Boring and freshman Skylar Wilson will 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.
• Mocs lead the SoCon and are No. 3 in the FCS in net punting (44.6).
• Boring leads the SoCon in punting (44.1). 
 
NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE CITADEL GAME
• Mocs are one of 15 FCS teams that played in the fall.
• This is the first official game spring game at The Citadel.
 
NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE CITADEL SERIES
• This is the 54th meeting in the series.
• The Mocs have faced The Citadel more than any other opponent.
• UTC holds a 32-19-2 advantage in the rivalry that dates back to 1926.
• The Mocs have won eight of 11 in the series.
• Chattanooga is 13-12-1 at The Citadel.
 
CITADEL-UTC RIVALRY IS A HOT ONE
This is one of the more heated rivalries in the league over the last few meetings. UTC has won eight of 11 since 2009, but eight of the last nine encounters have been battles.
 
Last year, the Mocs entered the fourth quarter down 26-12 to The Citadel at Finley Stadium before walking away with a 34-33 win.  It was the third-largest comeback in school history.
 
In 2018, the Mocs led 21-7 in the second quarter before The Citadel tied it at 21-21 and forced overtime.  UTC won on a trick play, two-point conversion pass from Bryce Nunnelly to Jordan Giberti. 
 
In 2017, UTC carried a 14-7 lead into the locker room, only to see that fade into a 21-14 loss.  The Mocs gave up three INTs and 405 yards of rushing offense. 
 
The 2016 meeting in Charleston saw the Mocs only give up two touchdowns in a 22-14 loss to the eighth-ranked Bulldogs.  UTC was held to just 295 yards of total offense (240 pass, 55 rush) on just 47 plays in that outing.  Chattanooga allowed a season-high 342 rushing yards to the triple-option Bulldogs.
 
In 2015, UTC ran out to a 21-0 halftime lead before a 31-23 victory gave the Mocs a share of the SoCon title.  Chattanooga posted a fourth quarter comeback in the 2013 meeting, scoring with just over two minutes remaining for a 28-24 win on Oct. 26. The Mocs had to overcome a 17-7 halftime deficit in that victory. 
 
In 2012, the Bulldogs were ranked No. 11 in the nation when they hosted the 1-3 Mocs. The Citadel had just posted wins over No. 3 Georgia Southern and No. 7 Appalachian State, before losing an FBS game at N.C. State. The Mocs went into Johnson Hagood Stadium and put on a dominating performance in a 28-10 victory for one of the biggest road wins in school history.
 
The 2011 game was the other side of the coin for UTC fans. The 15th-ranked Mocs took a 27-0 lead into halftime. The Citadel stormed back with 28 unanswered points in the second half to post a 28-27 win.
 
UTC captured a three-point squeaker (31-28) in 2009.  The Citadel's Andre Roberts, currently with the Buffalo Bills, scored on a rain-soaked 43-yard punt return with 1:46 left to play to give the Bulldogs a 24-21 win in 2008.
 
SCOUTING THE CITADEL
• Opened spring play with a 42-28 loss at Mercer last week.
• The Citadel scored 28 points in the second half. It is the highest-scoring second half since the Bulldogs scored 35 points in the second half against Samford on Nov. 10, 2018.
• The last time the Bulldogs scored 28 points in any half was on Oct. 12, 2019 against Western Carolina. The Citadel scored 28 points in the first half.
• The Citadel accumulated 413 yards of offense, with 338 yards coming on the ground.
• Jaylan Adams led the ground attack with 144 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries.
• Cooper Wallace added 128 yards and a touchdown on just nine carries.
• The game marked the first time the Bulldogs had a pair of 100-yard rushers since the 2018 game against WCU.
• 73-yard rush by Cooper is the longest since Dante Smith broke off a 73-yard run against Chattanooga in 2019.
• Wallace's touchdown run is the longest since Cam Jackson went for 74 yards against Newberry on Sept. 2, 2017.
• Wallace added 76 yards on four kickoff returns, and five yards on one reception to finish with 209 all-purpose yards.
• Raleigh Webb caught four passes for 35 yards and a touchdown ... TD reception was the 17th of his career, moving him into sole possession of second place on the school's all-time list.
• Brian Horn led the defense with nine tackles and a sack.
• Carson Hatchett got his first start of his career and recorded nine tackles, including a tackle-for-loss.
• Willie Eubanks III added eight tackles ... fourth in the SoCon with 10.2 tackles per game.
• The Bulldog defense held Mercer to just three yards of offense in the third quarter.
• Bulldogs lead in the SoCon with 223.8 rushing yards per game.
 
VS. THE TRIPLE-OPTION
UTC has a 14-16 record against triple-option teams since 2009.  The Mocs are 8-3 against The Citadel, 5-7 against Wofford, 1-3 against Georgia Southern and 0-3 against Furman.
 
POSTGAME NOTES VS. WOFFORD
• The Mocs scored a 24-13 win over No. 11 Wofford … UTC improves to 1-1 overall and 1-0 in SoCon action … Wofford drops to 1-1 and 1-1 in league action.
• This is head coach Rusty Wright's first win over a ranked team … 1-3 vs. ranked teams.
• Last win over a ranked team was a 23-21 win at No. 8 Samford on Oct. 28, 2017 … highest ranked home win since a 38-17 win over No. 10 Jacksonville State on Sept. 10, 2011.
• Mocs held Wofford to less than 200 yards (199 = 148 rush + 51 pass) of total offense for the first time since 177 at North Dakota State on Dec. 9, 2017.
• UTC's first win over Wofford since a 20-17 win on Oct. 24, 2015 … snapped a four-game losing streak in the series … Wofford leads the all-time series 15-12 … UTC is 9-6 at home and 7-6 in Finley Stadium.
• Mocs were +2 in the turnover margin after recovering a muffed punt and a Brandon Dowdell interception … UTC is +4 on the year in the turnover margin.
• Gino Appleberry – SO.-RB - 46 yards and a score on 14 carries ... first career rushing TD ... added one catch for four yards.
• Drayton Arnold – Sr.-QB - 15-25 passing for 223 yards and a score ... career-highs all around ... ran five times for six yards ... TD pass was for two yards to TE Jay Gibson.
• Gabe Boring – Jr.-P - 72 yards punt in the fourth quarter iced the game ... longest punt since Nick Pollard's 78-yarder against Wofford on Nov. 9, 2013 ... finished with three punts for 52.3 yards ... all three were i20.
• Brandon Dowdell – Sr.-DB - Second on the team with seven tackles ... added 1.0 TFL ... first INT of the season … sixth career.
• Jay Gibson – So.-TE - Three catches for eight yards and a score ... 2-yard TE catch was the first of his career.
• Reginald Henderson – Sr.-WR - Game-high seven catches for 102 yards ... first career 100-yard game ... Kam Jones – Jr.-LB - Career-high and game-high 10 tackles.
• Andrew Manning – So.-WR - Three catches for 77 yards ... career-highs for both.
• Devonnsha Maxwell – Jr.-DL - Tied career highs with 3.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks ... added six tackles overall.
 
LAST TIME VS. THE CITADEL - 34-33 WIN - 11/16/2019 - FINLEY STADIUM
• The Mocs posted a 13-point fourth quarter comeback in a 34-33 win over The Citadel.
• The Mocs gave up a safety on their first possession … first allowed since the Wofford game on Nov. 20, 2016.
• Senior quarterback Nick Tiano and junior WR Bryce Nunnelly hooked up for a 27-yard TD strike in the first quarter … 12th time they have connected for a score … fourth most by a duo in school history.
• Mocs offense in the first quarter … 9 plays for 116 yards … eight rushing and 116 passing.
• Mocs offense in the second quarter … 12 plays for 10 yards … -2 rushing and eight passing.
• Mocs offense in the third quarter … 15 plays for 41 yards … 41 rushing and 0 passing.
• Mocs offense in the fourth quarter … 24 plays for 249 yards … 101 rushing and 148 passing.
• Starting center Noah Ramsey knocked out of the game in the first quarter … right guard Cole Strange (Jr.) moved over to center for the first time in his career … Gabe Dew (Jr.) played right guard for the first significant snaps of his career.
• The Mocs gave up a season-high four sacks in the game … came into the contest having only allowed eight all season … that was second in the SoCon and No. 7 in the FCS.
• Freshman T.J. Cammack made his first start on the defensive line … he is 17th Moc to start in their first game this season.
• Third-largest comeback in school history. The Mocs came back from 18 down in wins at Furman (10-28/36-28) on Oct. 23, 2010 and Nov. 14, 2009 in Finley Stadium against The Citadel (3-21/31-28). It's also the third-largest in the fourth quarter behind the same two contests. It was 18 at Furman, but 15, 13-28, against the Bulldogs.
• First fourth-quarter comeback since the Samford win in 2017 … Mocs trailed 21-20 in that one before winning 23-21.
• UTC put up a season-high 268 passing yards.
• The Citadel's Dante Smith posted a 73-yard run in the third quarter down to the UTC22.  Longest run allowed by UTC this season … Mocs were able to keep The Citadel out of the end zone and only allow a FG.
• The Citadel's Ryan McCarthy's 53-yard TD catch in the second quarter was the longest allowed by UTC this season.
• The Citadel was flagged seven times for 78 yards … most penalty yards by a Mocs opponent this season … most penalty yards by the Bulldogs this season.
• Second one-point win in a row in the series … Mocs are 32-19-2 in the series … UTC has faced The Citadel more than any other opponent … UTC has won eight of 11 … 19-7-1 at home and 7-5 at Finley Stadium.
• The Mocs made two redzone stops tonight … once on downs and the other a missed FG.
• The Citadel was 10/18 on third down, while the Mocs were 2/10.
• The Mocs possessed the ball for 9:57 in the first and fourth quarters amassing 365 yards of offense. In 12:02 in the middle of the contest, it was 51 yards. The Bulldogs had 326 yards in the middle of the contest bookended by 173 over the first and final 15.
• Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks – Sr.-RB - 119 rushing yards and two TDs on 19 carries ... third straight 100-yard game ... six rushing TDs this season, despite missing four games.
• Devonnsha Maxwell – So.-DL - Season-high seven tackles.
• Jay Person – Fr.-LB - Career-high nine tackles.
• Tyrin Summers – Jr.-WR - 75-yard catch and run in the first quarter was the first TD of his career.
• Nick Tiano – Sr.-QB - 11-29 passing for a season-high 268 yards, two TDs and an INT ... ran seven times for 54 yards and the game-winning score … sacked four times for a loss of 23 yards to finish with 31 rushing yards ... eighth rushing TD of the season ... 475-826 (57.5%) passing for 595 yards and 33 TDs in his career ... 12th 200-yard passing game ties Kenyon Earl (1991-94) for sixth all-time at UTC.
- 13-13 as a starting QB … ninth-most wins in school history.
 
MAXWELL EARNS NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Junior defensive lineman Devonnsha Maxwell was among the honorable mentions for the Stats Perform FCS National Players of the Week.  Maxwell tied career highs with 2.0 sacks and 3.0 tackles for loss in the Mocs' 24-13 win over No. 11 Wofford.  UTC's defense held the Terriers' triple-option attack to less than 200 yards (199 = 148 rush + 51 pass) of total offense for the first time since 177 yards at North Dakota State on Dec. 9, 2017. Maxwell finished with six tackles and also forced a fumble to lead the stout defensive effort. 
 
MOCS BACK IN THE FCS TOP 25
The Chattanooga Mocs cracked the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 this week.  Coming off a 24-13 win over No. 11 Wofford, UTC checks in at No. 18 for the first time this season. The Mocs are ranked for the first time under head coach Rusty Wright.  They last time UTC was in the top 25 was Week 5 of the 2018 season.  Coming off a 27-20 win over No. 17 Samford, UTC took a No. 20 national ranking to ETSU where they fell to the Buccaneers 17-14 on Sept. 29.
 
BORING NAMED SOCON PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior punter Gabe Boring was named the Southern Conference Special Teams Player of the Week, following the win over Wofford. Boring punted three times for an average of 52.3 yards in Saturday's 24-13 win over the 11th-ranked Terriers. All three of his kicks were downed inside the Terriers' 20-yard line. The junior from Pikeville, Tennessee, unleashed a career-long 72-yard punt with just 30 seconds left in the game to flip the field and ice the Mocs first win over a ranked team since a 23-21 win at No. 8 Samford on Oct. 28, 2017. The 72-yarder was tied for the 10th longest punt in school history and the longest since Nick Pollard's 78-yarder against Wofford on Nov. 9, 2013.  Boring also kicked off four times for an average of 59.0 yards.