2022 Chattanooga Mocs Football
Mercer – Oct. 22 – Finley Stadium
Postgame Notes
 
GENERAL
- The 8th-ranked Chattanooga Mocs cruised to a 41-21 victory over No. 11 Mercer on a Saturday afternoon in Finley Stadium…Mocs are 6-1 overall, 4-0 in the SoCon…the Bears fall to 6-2, 4-1 in league play.
- Entered the game ranked No. 8 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Rankings and No. 10 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25…Mercer was No. 11 in both polls
- Seven straight weeks as a top 10 team…longest since 27-game stretch from Nov. 15, 2014-Nov. 19, 2016.
- 40-24-1 all-time when ranked in the top 10...28-12 at the FCS level...eight of the losses are to ranked or FBS opponents.
- 4-0 in the SoCon standings…that puts the Mocs in first place by a half-game over Mercer (4-1)…Samford would join the top spot at 4-0 with a win at ETSU this afternoon…a Bucs win puts Samford a game out in fourth at 3-1…the Bears are tied in second with Furman at 4-1 or third if Bulldogs prevail in Johnson City....the Paladins were 41-3 winners at VMI today…Chattanooga travels to Furman next weekend.
- All-time record of 560-546-35 (.506) in 1,141st game…115th season.
- 163-163-2 (.500) in 328 SoCon games…46th campaign in the league.
- Begin SoCon play 4-0 for the first time since 2016 opening with wins at Furman (21-14), Samford (41-21) at ETSU (37-7) and Mercer (52-31).
- 6-1 is the best overall start since 6-1 in 2016…6 or more wins through seven games for the 12th time in program history: 2016 (8-1), 2015 (7-1), 1997 (6-1), 1979 (6-1), 1978 (6-0-1), 1977 (8-1), 1968 (7-0), 1931 (9-1), 1928 (6-1), 1927 (8-1) & 1905 (6-1).
- The win clinches a .500 or better season for the 71st time in school history and fourth in Rusty Wright's four seasons…happened nine times over previous 21 campaigns…58 campaigns above .500, 12 at .500 & 41 with six or more wins.
 
SERIES
All-Time Meetings: 33
Overall Record: 21-11-1 | Home: 17-4-1 | Away: 4-7
SoCon Meetings: 4-5 | Home: 3-2 | Away: 1-3
Streak: +1
 
COACH
Rusty Wright (Chattanooga '96)

• Record: 21-14 | Home: 12-5 | Away: 9-9
• SoCon: 17-7 | Home: 10-3 | Away: 7-4
• Mercer: 2-2 | Home: 1-1 | Away: 1-1

 
TEAM
- Mercer entered the contest leading the nation in takeaways with 18…Mocs did not have one today but forced six by the Bears with four interceptions and two fumble recoveries…24 points scored off the six turnovers.
- The six turnovers are the most by an opponent since seven at Samford (3 INT/4 FR) in 2017.
- Back-to-back games with no turnovers…last time that occurred was Western Kentucky and Wofford in Oct. 2020 and Feb. 2021.
- 4-0 all-time against the No. 11 ranked FCS team at kickoff…last occurrences came in 2020-21 spring at home against Wofford and a couple of weeks later at Furman.
- 447 yards of total offense with 156 on the ground and 292 by air…most yards rushing by an FCS opponent vs. Mercer this year and highest passing total including Mercer loss at Auburn….1,056 yards of total offense over the 2-game home stand.
- The Bears 64 rushing yards are a season low…5th time in seven games the Mocs have limited opponents to less than 100…60 yards on 53 carries the last two weeks, 1.1 yards per rush.
- Zero sacks for the first time since Nov. 16, 2019 against The Citadel...8.0 tackles for loss on the day ties for third-highest total this season (North Alabama).
- 41 points are the most points scored against the Bears by an FCS opponent…one off Auburn's total in a 42-16 Mercer loss on the plains…the Bears 21 points are an FCS high against the Mocs defense.
- Fourth quarter TD pass from Preston Hutchinson to Jay Gibson is just the second fourth quarter score allowed by Mercer this season…Mocs are 52-3 in the final stanza through seven games.
- Season-high four interceptions…had four on the season coming into today…most in a game since four in the 2013 home win over Western Carolina (Oct. 5)…Mercer QB entered the contest with 21 TDs against one interception in his first six contests.
 
INDIVIDUAL
- Ailym Ford recorded his 3,000th rushing yard in the second quarters…fifth Moc to get to 3,000 in a career joining Jacob Huesman '15 (4,051), Gwain Durden '80 (3,686), Mike Smith '80 (3,340) and James Roberts '91 (3,091)…now has 3,067.
- 123 yards on 22 carries for Ford today with one touchdown…15th career 100-yard rushing game is tied for second with Huesman and Smith behind Durden's career record of 16…4th of the season is three shy of the record seven by Tyrone Coleman and Eldra Buckley.
- 28th rushing touchdown by Ford…tied for fourth most in school history with former N.Y. Giant Gene Roberts '46…two shy of becoming the fourth Moc all-time with 30 or more.
- Kam Brown had two interceptions including his 53-yard pick-6 on the Bears second play…now has four on the season and six in his career.
- DT Devonnsha Maxwell recorded his 50th tackle for loss…he's 10 behind career leader Davis Tull '14 (60.0).
- QB Preston Hutchinson threw for 291 yards on 20 of 32 passing with no interceptions and three TDs…301 yards total offense for the game…tied season high for TDs (North Alabama)…5th of his career with three or more including three at Eastern Michigan.
- 4,194 career yards passing for Hutchinson…1,608 of those are at Chattanooga including 586 yards over the last two games completing 36 of 52 passes with no interceptions and five scores.
- WR Jamoi Mayes had career highs of eight catches and 121 yards…long was his 34-yard connection for a score in the second quarter…first 100-yard receiver at Chattanooga since Reggie Henderson '21 recorded seven catches for 102 yards in the Feb. 2021 win over Wofford.
- Team-high six tackles for the quartet of CaMiron Smith, Jordan Walker, Maxwell and Ty Boeck.
- First career interceptions for Walker and Shamar Jones.
- DE Ben Brewton had the team lead with 2.0 tackles for loss.
 
SOCON SCOREBOARD
Furman 41, at VMI 3
The Citadel 34, at Western Carolina 21
No. 15 Samford at ETSU, 3:30 p.m. | Live Stats