STATS | NOTES | QUOTES | GALLERY
 
CHATTANOOGA---The 15th-ranked Chattanooga Mocs just fell short of win No. 8 with a 32-29 loss at Western Carolina Saturday afternoon. The loss puts the Mocs at 7-4 overall and 5-3 in the Southern Conference. Western ends its season at 6-5, 4-4 in league play.
 
The Mocs dominated possession. The offense ran 92 plays, sixth-most in school history, and maintained ball control (36:48) for more than 60 percent of the contest. But little plays let them down in the end.
 
"I think our effort was great," Coach Rusty Wright shared. "We just couldn't make a play when it matters. We struggled in the first half. (The interception) gave them a touchdown. We dropped a punt that wasn't that bad of a snap. We just weren't good enough.
 
"We have to figure out a way to get off the field (defensively). We have to consistently do the things we are supposed to do and be in the places we are supposed to be defensively, to go get things done. When it came crunch time for us to do it, we didn't do it."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Mocs scored first with an 18-yard Preston Hutchinson connection with Javin Whatley. The Cats struck back for the next two scores taking advantage of short fields.
 
The first was a 1-play, 20-yard effort after a fumbled punt snap led to the first of two Desmond Reid scores. The next came off a tipped pass interception gave Western the ball on the Mocs eighth. Two plays later, Reid scored on a pass in the flat from Cole Gonzales.
 
Chattanooga tied the score right before halftime marching 80 yards in 12 plays with Hutchinson hooking up with KeShawn Toney for a 3-yard scoring toss. The Mocs added the first nine after the break with Ty Boeck's sack forcing intentional grounding in the end zone for a safety and Hutchinson and Jamoi Mayes coming together for a 15-yard touchdown.
 
That made it 23-14 with 21:07 total left in the game. The Cats finally found a way to move the ball with two TDs and a field goal on drives of 61, 62 and 75 yards sandwiching a Hutchinson to Camden Overton 4th-quarter strike. The Mocs got the ball back with 53 seconds to go after a 4th-and-1 plunge from T.J. Jones.
 
Hutchinson quickly got the squad across the 50, but four straight incompletions ensued to end the contest.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
Offense
QB – Preston Hutchinson – 29-48-1 323, 4 TDs (Most since Nick Tiano's 4 at VMI in 2017)
RB – Ailym Ford – 29-102 (school-record 6th consecutive 100-yard effort)
WR – Sam Phillips – 9 catches for 106 yards (20-269 over last 2 weeks)
WR – Jamoi Mayes – 5 catches for 59 yards, 1 TD
 
Defense
LB – Ty Boeck – 11 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1 Sack (safety)
DT – Devonnsha Maxwell – 5 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1.0 sacks & 1 forced fumble
CB – Kameron Brown –1 interception (SoCon-leading 6 for the season)
Edge – Jay Person – 3 tackles, 3 QB hurries (of the team's six)
 
TEAM 
TOTAL OFFENSE – UTC: 446, WCU: 316
PASSING – UTC: 323, WCU: 224
RUSHING – UTC: 123, WCU: 92
 
RECORDS – #15 Chattanooga (7-4, 5-3 SoCon) – Western Carolina (6-5, 4-4 SoCon)
 
SERIES – Chattanooga leads the all-time series 30-18, 14-11 in Cullowhee. The Mocs are up 27-17 in SoCon matchups with the Cats.
 
3 NOTES TO KNOW
- Loss snapped a 6-game win streak in Cullowhee.11-2 in last 13 meetings overall.
 
- 5 wins in SoCon play for the 16th time (46 seasons)…nine of those came this century with three under Coach Rusty Wright in his three full seasons (2019, 2021, 2022).
 
- Redshirt freshman wide receiver Sam Phillips set the freshman record for season receptions with his second of the first quarter…passed the 36 first set by Darryl Streeter in 1984 and matched in 2001 by Jeremy Grier…his back-to-back 100-yards efforts are the first by a Mocs receiver since Bryce Nunnelly opened the 2018 campaign with four in a row.
 
QUOTABLE
"It was a blessing. It changed me and made me the man I am today. I am forever grateful for it.  All of the coaches that brought me here. I appreciate Coach Wright and every coach I have had since I came to Chattanooga. I am thankful." - Devonnsha Maxwell on his UTC career
 
"The boys played hard...they always play hard. We just have to capitalize and finish drives on offense. The defense played hard too. We just all have to step up and make plays when it is time to make plays. That is all it comes down to is making plays." - Senior OL McClendon Curtis
 
NEXT GAME – Check ESPNU at 12:30 p.m., Sunday to learn the Mocs fate on the FCS Playoff selection show.
 
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