2022 Chattanooga Mocs Football
Illinois – Sept. 22 – Memorial Stadium
Postgame Quotes

Rusty Wright, Head Coach
Opening statement after the 31-0 loss. 
"Yeah you know that touchdown we gave up right at the end of the first half is on us. That is what it is. That's just a matter of the guys having their eyes in the right spot. I think we gave up one to go 24… that's on us as coaches. We got to put those kids in better spots. That's two weeks in a row that we've done that same-type pressure-type deal, and we're just stupid. There's no other way around it. That's not those kids fault, that's on us. That's what I told the kids at halftime, I said, 'One's on the offense, one's on the defense, and one's on the coaches.' We kicked the ball like we've never kicked the ball before."

On Illinois physical play. 
"I don't think defensively we got pushed around like we did offensively. Offensively, we got our butts kicked. It was a good ol' fashioned tail whippin' there. We didn't block some things right, and again its not on those kids, its on the coaching. I didn't give them a chance to handle it and be better prepared."

On the secondary. 
"Yeah you know that touchdown we gave up right at the end of the first half is on us. That is what it is. That's just a matter of the guys having their eyes in the right spot. I think we gave up one to go 24… that's on us as coaches. We got to put those kids in better spots. That's two weeks in a row that we've done that same-type pressure-type deal, and we're just stupid. There's no other way around it. That's not those kids fault, that's on us. That's what I told the kids at halftime, I said, 'One's on the offense, one's on the defense, and one's on the coaches.' We kicked the ball like we've never kicked the ball before."

McClendon Curtis – Sr.-OL
On the overall physical play in the game:
"They have a physical defense.  They had somebody in every gap and it was just man-on-man and see who the better guy is.  We just have to improve from this and look forward to next week."

On testing himself against this level of play:
"It does make you better.  It shows you what you have to do and what you have to improve on.  It tells you that technique is key.  Sometimes you can get away with it playing guys that are not as big as these guys. You have to use your technique to be able to move them.  That is what it showed us tonight." 

Looking forward to the ETSU game and the next week of preparation:
"Just looking forward to another week going 1-0. Everybody has to do their part.  Let's flush this one.  Learn from it, yes.  Move on, prepare the right way so we don't have the same result as we did tonight." 

Devonnsha Maxwell – Sr.-DL
On the experience of playing at this level:
"It was a great experience.  It did not end how we wanted it to end and I am bothered by that.  We just have to get better from this.  I have a day to get over it and then on to the next one."

Was the short week a tough adjustment?
"For some, yes. But for the older guys not as much.  I thought we handled it well.  I took advantage of it and felt better coming into the game." 

Reuben Lowery III – So.-DB
On the experience of playing at this level:
"Definitely a great learning experience for the defense as a whole, allowing us to play against good competition and a very sound and disciplined team.  It showed that we need to be sound and disciplined ourselves.  It showed a lot of things that we can improve on.  Overall, looking at the big picture, it was good for us." 

Looking forward to the ETSU game:
"Like McClendon said, we are just trying to go 1-0 next week.  Every conference game is an important game.  Just trying to dominate each day and prepare the best way possible."