STATS | NOTES | QUOTES | GALLERY
 
CHATTANOOGA --- The 11^th-ranked Chattanooga Mocs football team fell behind early and ultimately fell short in its comeback effort during a 35-24 defeat to ninth-ranked Samford in a crucial Southern Conference matchup on a chilly Saturday afternoon inside Finley Stadium. Following the loss, Chattanooga falls to 7-3 overall this season and 5-2 in league action. Samford improves to 9-1 overall and continues its perfect record in the SoCon at 7-0.
 
"The first half, we didn't tackle very well, didn't line up very well. That one's on me. I didn't think we played well enough in the first half to have a chance, I thought we played a little better in the second half," said head coach Rusty Wright.
 
"It just wasn't good enough. They got it done, and we didn't."

HOW IT HAPPENED
Samford struck first after both teams traded the game's first few possessions, connecting on a 22-yard touchdown throw and catch to go ahead 7-0 with 4:43 left in the opening quarter. Chattanooga immediately responded with a four-play, 68-yard touchdown drive in just 1:14 highlighted by a 41-yard Ailym Ford touchdown run to tie things 7-7 at the 3:22 mark.
 
Samford continued its offensive attack and posted a pair of scoring drives over the first seven-plus minutes of the second quarter to build a 21-7 lead with 7:17 left in the half. The Bulldogs would take a 28-7 lead with 1:42 on the clock before UTC ended the half with a 27-yard field goal to bring the total to 28-10 at the break.
 
Chattanooga marched 75 yards down the field in 13 plays taking up 4:25 to pull within 28-17 (10:35 3Q) before Samford responded with an 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the ensuing drive to jump back ahead 35-17 (10:17 3Q).
 
Preston Hutchinson capped off a nine-play, 70-yard drive with a two-yard scamper to pull the Mocs back to a 35-24 deficit with 1:16 left in the third quarter. UTC had a chance in the fourth quarter to make the game a one-score difference, however, a Sears 29-yard field goal attempt was blocked with 8:05 remaining in the contest.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the final quarter as Samford claimed at least a share of the SoCon regular season title with a 35-24 victory. The Bulldogs ran a total of 93 plays and amassed 474 yards of total offense while gashing the Mocs through the air with 353 yards.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
Offense
QB – Preston Hutchinson – 24-for-37, 320 yards, 2 INT, Rushing TD
RB – Ailym Ford – 24 carries, 144 yards, 2 TD
WR – Sam Phillips – 11 catches, 163 yards

Defense
LB – Kam Jones – 15 total tackles, TFL
LB – Ty Boeck – 13 total tackles
EDGE – Austin Collier – 4 total tackles, 2.0 sacks

TEAM  
TOTAL OFFENSE – UTC: 507, SAM: 474
PASSING – UTC: 320, SAM: 353
RUSHING – UTC: 187, SAM: 121

RECORDS – Chattanooga (7-3, 5-2 SoCon) – Samford (9-1, 7-0 SoCon)
 
SERIES – Chattanooga now leads the all-time series 33-11-3. Samford snapped a seven-game skid to UTC.
 
3 NOTES TO KNOW
- Ford eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in 2022 during a 41-yard TD rush in the first quarter... 1st rusher in UTC history with three 1,000-yard seasons.. .ended the day with 144 yards... 17th career 100-yard day which is a new school record passing Gwain Durden's (1977-80) 16.
- Two teams combined for 981 yards of offense with the Bulldogs netting 474… most yards in a UTC game since 1,086 in the 60-36 2019 home win over Western Carolina... Mocs accumulated 589 that day while the Catamounts recorded 497... 823 of those combined yards came on the ground with both topping 400 (400 UTC/423 WCU).
- Freshman wide receiver Sam Phillips had a career day with 11 catches for 163 yards… most catches by a Moc since Wil Young's 13 at ETSU on Sept. 29, 2018… most yards since 268 by Bryce Nunnelly at The Citadel on Sept. 9, 2018.

QUOTABLE
"The guys did what they had to do in the second half. We could have been better executing. We had opportunities to get it to a one-score game. And we just couldn't execute it. That's just what happens when you play uphill all day." – Rusty Wright on the second half effort.
 
"You want to win it. But I appreciate everything about Chattanooga, being from here, I'm so appreciative of have the chance to play here. Whenever you go out and have a chance to play football and you come back healthy, there's not much more you can ask for." – McClendon Curtis on final regular season home game at Chattanooga.

NEXT GAME – Chattanooga (7-3, 5-2 SoCon) at Western Carolina (5-5, 3-4 SoCon) – Sat., Nov. 19 – 1PM ET – ESPN+
 
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