2022 Chattanooga Mocs Football
North Alabama – Sept. 17 – Finley Stadium
Postgame Notes
 
GENERAL
- The 9th-ranked Chattanooga Mocs earned a 41-14 victory against North Alabama on a Homecoming Saturday evening…3-0 mark for the Mocs, 1-2 for the Lions.
- Entered the game ranked No. 9 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Rankings and No. 10 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25.
- Tied for first in the Southern Conference standings at 1-0 with Mercer and Furman.
- All-time record of 557-545-35 in 1,137th game…115th season.
- 71-62 in Finley Stadium.
- First-ever matchup against the newly-formed Atlantic Sun Conference football group…38-20-1 vs. current Atlantic Sun membership: Jacksonville State (26-16), Austin Peay (6-1), Eastern Kentucky (3-2-1), North Alabama (3-0), Central Arkansas (0-1) & Kennesaw State (0-0).
 
SERIES
All-Time Meetings: 3
Record: 3-0 | Home: 2-0 | Away: 1-0

• Last meeting was 20-0 win at UNA on Sept. 11, 2021.

 
COACH
Rusty Wright (Chattanooga '96)

• Record: 18-13 | Home: 10-5 | Away: 8-8
• vs. A-Sun: 1-0 | Home: 1-0 | Away: 0-0
• 2-0 vs. UNA.

 
HISTORIC
- Defense has allowed 34 points to start the year…fewest to open a full campaign since 14 in 2016 (Shorter, 66-0; Presbyterian, 34-0; at Furman, 21-14)...fewest against three DI opponents since 26 in 1985 (@Vanderbilt, 0-7; @ETSU, 12-0; Georgia Southern, 14-19).
- Ailym Ford topped 2,500 career rushing yards with his third carry of the first quarter…he's sixth all-time in rushing with 2,585 yards, 412 shy of the top 5 (Derrick Craine '16 with 2,997).
 
TEAM
- 3-0 for the first time since 2018 (4-0)…15th all-time: 1914 (3-0), 1922 (3-0), 1931 (4-0), 1951 (4-0), 1952 (3-0), 1960 (3-0), 1961 (3-0), 1968 (7-0), 1978 (3-0), 1979 (5-0), 1980 (3-0), 1991 (3-0), 2016 (6-0)  & 2018.
- Three straight games allowing fewer than 100 yards on the ground (234 total-78.0 ypg)…last time with less than 100 yards rushing in three straight? five in a row to open 2016 (Sept. 1-Oct. 1)…gave up just 185 in the first three (62.3 ypg) and 323 during the stretch (64.6 ypg)....last year's defense, which led the SoCon in rush defense, did it four times total…10th time under Rusty Wright.
- Eight tackles for loss for the Mocs…27 over first three games (9 per game) and 21 over last two (10.5).
- 469 yards total offense…averaged 6.6 yards per play…offense is averaging 7.14 yards per play through three games (183-1307).
- Season-high 35:11 time of possession...also season-best performance on third down (7-11).
- Offense scored on first three possessions and four of five.
- Blocked two punts with the second returned 12 yards for a touchdown…last blocked punt resulting in a TD? Marcus Pendegrass' 2-yard return after a Jason Jones block at The Citadel on Nov. 9, 2002…block was made by Quay Wiggles pushing his man back into the path of the punt…John Prince did the same thing in the first half with was recovered by Chris Houston and advanced to 4-yard line…Preston Hutchinson ran in two plays later.
- Prince's block was the first blocked punt by a Moc since Khayyan Edwards at Mercer on Oct. 5, 2019.
 
INDIVIDUAL
- Preston Hutchinson accounted for five touchdowns today with two rushing and three passing…most since five by Alejandro Bennifield against Mercer on Oct. 8, 2016 (1 rush/4 pass)...last QB with multiple of both resulting in five or more scores? Jacob Huesman vs. VMI on Oct. 4, 2014 (2 rush/4 pass).
- Back-to-back games with 2 rush TDs for Hutchinson. 1st time by a QB since Jacob Huesman, Nov. 7 & 14 at Mercer (2) and The Citadel (2)- Hutchinson threw for 303 yards completing 22 of 31 with three touchdowns and one pick…last Mocs QB to throw for 300 yards? Nick Tiano at The Citadel on Sept. 8, 2018 with 347.
- 313 yards total offense for Hutchinson...first back-to-back games with 300+ total offense since Tiano in 2018 with 336 against Samford (9/22) and 300 at ETSU (9/29).
- Ailym Ford just missed another 100-yard day…21 carries for 96 yards…137 all-purpose yards with two catches for 41 yards…both receptions were touchdowns, his first receiving scores in his career.
- Sam Phillips had a season-best five catches for 96 yards…96 yards receiving is a season high for any Moc.
- Eight different Mocs had at least one catch with seven making multiple receptions.
- LB Ty Boeck again led the defense in stops with seven…0.5 for loss (-1 yard)…scored on the blocked punt return.
- DB Reuben Lowery III had five tackles, a team-best two for loss (-8) and a pass breakup…he also saved a punt from touchback which was downed on the one by Cardavion Myers.
- Edge Jay Person had 1.5 tackles for loss in his three stops…included a half sack with Ben Brewton…now has a team-high 5.5 TFLs on the season.
- Offensive line kept the QB clean with no sacks…allowed on three TFLs…came into the contest fourth in the country in sacks allowed (2) and sixth in TFLs (6).
 
OPPONENT SCOREBOARD
at No. 20/20 Mercer 13, *The Citadel 0
Cornell 28, at VMI 22
at Western Carolina 77, Presbyterian 21
at Virginia Tech 27, Wofford 7
No. 25/24 Samford 33, at Tennessee Tech 28
*Furman 27, at No. 19/18 ETSU 14
Rankings: AFCA Coaches Poll/Stats Perform Top 25