2022 Chattanooga Mocs Football
Wofford – Sept. 3 – Finley Stadium
Postgame Notes
 
GENERAL
- The 12th-ranked Chattanooga Mocs captured a 31-0 win against Wofford Saturday evening in the Southern Conference and season opener for both teams.
- The win puts the Mocs atop the SoCon standings ahead of a 7-way tie for second at 0-0.
- Entered the game ranked No. 12 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 and No. 13 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll.
- 63-51-1 (.552) in season openers…45-18 (.714) when opening at home.
- 77-35-3 (.683) in home openers all-time...14-10 (.583) at Finley Stadium.
- 1-1 when opening the season with a SoCon opponent. Last time? Sept. 4, 2010, a 42-41 loss to No. 3 Appalachian State at Finley.
41 loss to No. 3 Appalachian State at Finley.
- 23-23 (.500) in Southern Conference openers...13-7 (.650) at home...2-0 (1.000) vs. Wofford.
 
SERIES
All-Time Meetings: 29
Record: 14-15 | Home: 10-6 | Away: 4-9

• 11-15 in SoCon matchups…7-6 in Finley Stadium.
• Last 5: 3-2 | Last 10: 6-4 | Last 20: 8-12
• 2-0 in SoCon openers.

 
COACH
Rusty Wright (Chattanooga '96)

• Record: 16-13 | Home: 9-5 | Away: 7-8
• vs. SoCon: 14-7 | Home: 8-3 | Away: 6-4
• vs. Wofford: 3-1 | Home: 2-0 | Away: 1-1
• 2-2 in season openers…first win was his first contest at UTC against next week's opponent Eastern Illinois.
• 4-0 is SoCon openers.

 
TEAM
- First shutout in an opener since 66-0 win over Shorter on Sept. 1, 2016…first in 27 years against a DI opponent beating Charleston Southern 41-0 on Chamberlain Field on Sept. 2, 1995.
- Defense allowed 230 yards on the day and just 3.5 yards per play…by contrast the Mocs offense accumulated 361 yards and 7.2 yards per snap.
- Defense limited the Terriers to 97 yards on 45 rushes (2.2 per carry) and 133 passing yards on 14 of 21 passing…the Mocs collected three turnovers with an interception and two fumble recoveries…+2 on takeaways with a lost fumble offensively.
- Running game netted 190 yards on 31 carries…had just four yards lost all by the quarterback.
- The Mocs have run for 190 or more yards 15 times in 29 games under Rusty Wright including nine of the last 11…did so behind an offensive line with four new starters on it and the one returner (McClendon Curtis) moving from right guard to left tackle.
- Defense stopped both Wofford trips into the red zone with time turnovers…one was Ben Brewton's recovery of Jay Person's strip sack…other was Ty Boeck's fumble recovery after an errant Terrier snap…Chattanooga scored on all three red-zone entries with two touchdowns and a field goal.
- Mocs scored via the rush (2), air (1), special teams (FG) and defensive tally (pick 6).
- Wofford possessed the ball for 35:06.
 
INDIVIDUAL
- Ailym Ford ran for 156 yards on 18 carries tonight…his 45th yard, gained midway through the second quarter, put him into the top 10 in career rushing yards passing Robert Smith who accumulated 2,284 yards from 1967-70.
- Ford is now eighth with 2,400 career yards…passed Tyrone Coleman (1995-98) with 2,354 and Keon Williams (2010-14) is eighth with 2,379…bypassed both during the next note.
- 86-yard third quarter touchdown is tied for 7th longest run from scrimmage at UTC with Dick Hostetler vs. Tampa on Oct. 1, 1954...longest since Jerry Ellison's (former Rusty Wright teammate) went 95 yards for a TD against Boise State on Sept. 5, 1992.
- Ford's 39-yard second quarter reception is his career long catch…two catches for career-high 46 yards…202 all-purpose yards is second highest and most since 209 (200 rush/9 rec) in the 2019 win over ETSU.
- Reuben Lowery III's second quarter pick 6 was his first career interception...last pick 6 at Chattanooga was Rashun Freeman's at Samford last season on Oct. 24 (2 yds).
- Lowery's 45-yard return is the longest pick 6 since Lucas Webb's 71 yarder in 2015 FCS Playoff win over Fordham...longest against a SoCon opponent since 70 yards by Wes Dothard in 2013 triumph at Samford.
- Devonnsha Maxwell's first quarter sack topped the 30 mark for his career (30.5)…he's third on the school record list behind SoCon record holder Davis Tull's (2011-14) 37.0 and Keionta Davis (2013-16) in a precarious second with 31.0.
- Jay Person's strip sack in the second quarter was his first forced fumble of the year...6th of his career recording three last season alone…he added six tackles with a total of 2.5 for loss.
- Ty Boeck's third quarter fumble recovery is the sixth of his career…led all tacklers with seven.
- Austin Collier added five stops…he has 11 in his last two games, 10 in the prior 11.
- Preston Hutchinson made his first start at QB after transferring in January from Eastern Michigan…was a tidy 11-18 with zero turnovers throwing for 171 yards…connected with eight different pass catchers.
- Redshirt freshman Sam Phillips led the squad with three catches for 34 yards.
 
OPPONENT SCOREBOARD
at Northern Illinois 34, Eastern Illinois 27
at Indiana State 17, North Alabama 14 (OT)
at Indiana 23, Illinois 20
at No. 11 ETSU 44, Mars Hill 7
at Wake Forest 44, VMI 10
Delayed in 3^rd quarter: at Auburn 35, No. 23 Mercer 7
at Furman 52, North Greenville 0
at Campbell 29, The Citadel 10
at Samford 27, Kennesaw State 17
Western Carolina 52, at Charleston Southern 38