2022 Chattanooga Mocs Football
at ETSU – Oct. 1 – Greene Stadium
Postgame Notes
 
GENERAL
- The 10th-ranked Chattanooga Mocs earned a 24-16 victory in a Saturday matinee in Johnson City…Mocs are now 4-1 overall, 2-0 in the Southern Conference…Bucs are 2-3, 0-3 in league play.
- Entered the game ranked No. 10 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Rankings and No. 12 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25…ETSU Is receiving votes in both polls.
- Fourth straight week as a top 10 team…longest since 27-game stretch from Nov. 15, 2014-Nov. 19m 2016.
-Tied for first in the Southern Conference standings at 2-0 with Mercer and Samford.
- All-time record of 558-546-35 (.505) in 1,139th game…115th season.
- Begin SoCon play 2-0 for the first time since the abbreviated spring 2021 campaign (3-0)...opened 2-0 in three of Coach Rusty Wright's four seasons…both the prior times were followed by a win.
- 3-1 in "Rail Rivalry" games…3rd win in a row…winner of the game has possession of the most prestigious railroad tie in sports.
 
SERIES
All-Time Meetings: 45
Overall Record: 25-19-1 | Home: 16-8 | Away: 9-11-1
SoCon Meetings: 16-15 | Home: 9-6 | Away: 7-9
Streak: +3
 
COACH
Rusty Wright (Chattanooga '96)

• Record: 19-14 | Home: 10-5 | Away: 9-9
• SoCon: 15-7 | Home: 8-3 | Away: 7-4
• ETSU: 3-0 | Home: 2-0 | Away: 1-0

 
TEAM
- 4-1 start is the best since 2018 which was also 4-1...5th game both seasons was in Johnson City with the 2018 being a 17-14 loss.
- 4th largest comeback in school history...largest halftime deficit overcome...the three larger were 18 points each against Furman (10/23/2010) and The Citadel (11/14/09) and 14 at The Citadel (11/16/2019) with the latter coming in an OT win under Rusty Wright.
- Second time this season trailing at the half, first against an FCS opponent…1-1 after today's comeback from 13-0 down.
- Defense has allowed 81 points to start the year, 16.2 ppg…fewest to open a full campaign since 42 in 2016 (Shorter, 66-0; Presbyterian, 34-0; at Furman, 21-14; Samford, 41-21; 37-7 @ETSU)...fewest against five DI opponents since 88 in 1988 which included two FBS schools (@Tulane, 19-33; @Georgia Tech, 10-24; #1 Georgia Southern, 3-13; @Tennessee Tech, 41-0; ETSU, 33-10).
- Last five meetings have all been decided by a touchdown or less…2017: 10-3; 2018: 14-17; 2019: 16-13; 2021: 21-16 & today's 24-16…Mocs hold cumulative lead at 85-65.
- Defense held the Bucs without a first down for 19 straight plays from late in the second quarter to nearly the middle of the fourth quarter...ETSU had just two the entire second half.
- Defense allowed ETSU 141 yards (7.8 yds/play) in first quarter and just 93 yards (2.4 ypp) the rest of the way including a mere 44 in the second half.
- Offense gained 267 yards in the second half...+33 yards over ETSU's 60-minute totals…ended with 339 yards with 221 passing and 118 on the ground.
- 9 of 16 on third down conversions compared to 1 of 14 for the Bucs…lone conversion for the Bucs came in their first possession on a 3rd-and-9.
- Two conversion of greater than 10 yards (11 & 12)…average distance on third down was 8.1 yards for both squads.
- Mocs defense forced two fumbles but no recoveries…overcame a -3 deficit in takeaways with no turnovers for ETSU.
- 4-4 inside the red zone registering all 24 points there…14-14 for the season against FCS competition, 14-16 overall…89 red zone points this season (12 TDs/2 FG)…5.56 points per entry.
 
INDIVIDUAL
- Running back Ailym Ford ran for 101 yards on 28 carries today…now has 2,768 yards for his career…229 short of fifth place in UTC history and Derrick Crane '16 (2,997).
- 13th career 100-yard effort on the ground, second of 2022…tied for fourth all-time with Eldra Buckley '06…three shy of the record 16 by Gwain Durden '80.
- Ford is now alone in fifth with 26 career rushing TDs today…six on the season…9th career multi-TD game, eighth on the ground.
- Ford has 396 yards against ETSU with five touchdowns in three career matchups.
- Career highs for Jay Person with four tackles for loss and three sacks…fourth TFL gives him 10.0 for the season and 31.5 for his career…third sack put him over 15 for his career with 15.5…6.0 sacks for the season which leads the league.
- Person was a menace also recording three of the Mocs eight QB hurries for the contest…Ben Brewton led the way there with four, while Devonnsha Maxwell was credited with one.
- Game-high six catches for both Javin Whatley and Jamoi Mayes…third career six-catch game for Mayes and first for Whatley...combined for 149 yards with 75 for Whatley and 74 for Mayes who had the lone TD reception…four of their 12 catches converted third downs with two each.
- QB Preston Hutchinson had 221 yards completing 20 of 33 with one interception and one touchdown…he was 11 of 16 in the second half for 144 yards…he had six completions of 15 yards or more with three going to Mayes (24 long) and two to Whatley (25)…Sam Phillips had the other catch of 15+ (17).
 
SOCON SCOREBOARD
Mercer 42, at Wofford 7
Samford 34, at Furman 27
at Western Carolina 38, VMI 17
at App State 42, The Citadel 0