2023 Chattanooga Mocs Football
at Mercer – Oct. 14 – Five Star Stadium – Macon, Ga.
Postgame Notes
 
GENERAL
- The Chattanooga Mocs captured a 22-10 win over Mercer Saturday afternoon in Macon…now 5-2, 4-1 in the Southern Conference…the Bears are 4-3, 2-2 in SoCon play.
- Entered the game ranked 20th AFCA FCS Coaches Poll and 25th in the Stats Perform Top 25…Mercer was receiving votes in both polls.
- 80-81-1 as a ranked team (55-53 at the FCS level)…32-58-1 on the road, 24-38 at FCS level…4-3 all-time against Mercer when ranked (1-2 in Macon)…last ranked win on the road? Sept. 23 at No. 17 Samford (47-24).
- 23rd ranked week in the Rusty Wright Era…14-10 under Wright as a ranked team, 2-1 vs. Mercer.
- Five wins in the first seven games for the 30th time in school history…last? 2022.
- Win clinches at least a .500 season in SoCon play…28th in 46th league campaign…have never finished below .500 under Wright.
- All-time SoCon record at 168-167-2…1st SoCon matchup was in 1977…won championships in 1977*, 1978*, 1979, 1984, 2013*, 2014, 2015* (*co-champs).
- Game captains: RB Ailym Ford, DB Reuben Lowery III, Edge Jay Person & OL Reid Williams.
 
SERIES
All-Time Meetings: 34
Record: 22-11-1 | Home: 17-4-1 | Away: 5-7 | SoCon: 5-5 | Streak +2

• Last 5: 3-2 | Last 10: 5-5 | Last 20: 12-7-1
• Series dates back to 1909…Mocs and Bears meat 24 times from 1909-41 before Mercer cut its program with UC holding a 17-6-1 advantage.
• Resumed in 2014 with the Bears move to the SoCon.
• Scoring average in home games vs. Mercer (since 2014): 33.6 ppg…in Macon: 14.3.

 
COACH
Rusty Wright (Chattanooga '96)

• Record: 27-19 | Home: 14-7 | Away: 13-12
• vs. Mercer: 3-2 | Home: 1-1 | Away: 2-1
• vs. SoCon: 22-11 | Home: 11-5 | Away: 11-6

 
Most Wins - 1st 5 years
Russ Huesman (2009-13): 31
Bill Oliver (1980-83): 29
Joe Morrison (1973-77): 28
Rusty Wright (2019-23): 27
Buddy Nix (1984-88): 26
Frank Thomas (1925-28): 26
Buddy Green (1994-98): 22
Scrappy Moore (1931-35): 21
 
SOUTHERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS
With today's win, the Mocs are essentially tied for first with Western Carolina and Furman at 3-0 with a 1-game advantage in the win column and deficit in the loss.
Western Carolina: 3-0 (5-1 overall)
Furman: 3-0 (5-1)
Chattanooga: 4-1 (5-2)
Mercer: 2-2 (4-3)
VMI: 2-1 (3-3)
Samford: 2-3 (3-4)
ETSU: 1-2 (2-4)
Wofford: 0-4 (0-7)
The Citadel: 0-4 (0-7)
 
TEAM
- Defense limited Mercer to 280 yards of total offense with ZERO on the ground and 280 by air.
- Zero rushing yards allowed are 8th fewest yards allowed in school history...fewest since 364 days ago holding VMI to -4 on Oct. 15, 2022.
- Season-high 12.0 tackles for loss with 5.0 sacks…13th time with 12 TFLs or more…most since 12 in last season's win over the Keydets.
- Defense held Mercer without a first down for its first 14 plays of the game.
- Three takeaways tonight with two fumble recoveries (Kameron Brown & Marlon Taylor) and one interception (Kobe Joseph)…zero turnovers by the Mocs…three turnovers forced match season high set first at Samford.
- Nine of the Mocs 11 turnovers on the season have come on the road.
- Offense recorded 351 yards with 244 in the air and 107 on the ground.
- Season low for points and yards…still had six scoring drives.
- Entered today's game as the best team in the nation in the red zone...only one ranking in the top 5 in both scoring in that vital area 26 of 27 times on the campaign (96.3%) and defensively, 63.6 percent (7/11), ranking fifth.
- Mocs went 5-5 in the red zone with one touchdown and four field goals.
- Mercer was 2-3 in red zone with a touchdown, field goal and turnover.
 
INDIVIDUAL
- Clayton Crile set a new school record for field goals made in a game…Dennis Waters first set the record against ETSU on Oct. 1, 1988...later matched by Matt Vick at Wofford (9/30/2000), Craig Camay at Jacksonville State (9/8/2007) & Camay again vs. Western Carolina (10/31/2009).
- Five FG is a new single game high in the FCS...ties DI high with three FBS kickers...Crile is the only one that was a perfect 5-for-5.
- Crile is now 10-10 in three games as primary place kicker (10-11 for the year)…combines with Jude Kelley for 18-21 (85.7%) including 16-16 from 45 yards or closer.
- School-record 16 points for Crile today…broke the mark of 15 set by Waters, Vick and Henrique Ribeiro (Western Carolina (11/1/2014)…37 points in the last three games…kickers account for 78 points for the year (41-Kelley).
- Team-high eight tackles for Kobe Joseph…first career start as a Moc…fourth quarter interception clinched the victory.
- 4.0 tackles for loss for edge Jay Person…ties career high set in the win last year at ETSU…now 1.5 shy of 50 for his career (48.5).
- Person's sack gives him 20 for his career…5th Moc to top 20 for a career.
- DE Ben Brewton had 1.5 sacks including the final play of the game…he's now at 19.0 for his career.
- WR Jamoi Mayes collected his 100th career reception in the second quarter…nine catches for 119 yards for the game.
- Mayes' career numbers vs. Mercer (4 games): 25-372, 2 TD.
- WR Javin Whatley topped 1,000 career receiving yards with his first catch of the day…38-yard performance today with three catches.
- WR Sam Phillips registered the lone TD of the game with a 30-yard connection with Chase Artopoeus…6th career TDs.
- QB Chase Artopoeus three for 244 yards on 19 of 28 passing with one touchdown…more on his season below.
- S Clay Fields III made his first start and recorded five tackles with one for loss sniffing out a reverse deep in Mocs territory.
- 11 different Mocs recorded at least 0.5 TFL.
 
ARTOPOEUS WATCH
Top 5 Passing Yards Thru 1st 7 Games
Chris Sanders (2000) – 2,273
Chris Sanders (1999) – 2,052*
Chase Artopoeus (7G) – 1,950*
B.J. Coleman (2010) – 1,871
Nick Tiano (2018) – 1,828
 
Top 5 Total Offense Thru 1st 7 Games
Chris Sanders (2000) – 2,249
Chase Artopoeus (7G) – 2,078*
Chris Sanders (1999) – 2,024*
Nick Tiano (2018) – 1,987
B.J. Coleman (2010) – 1,872
* indicates most in 1st 7 games as a Moc
 
OPPONENT SCOREBOARD
(4) Furman 27, at (RV) Samford 21
VMI 17, at The Citadel 13
at ETSU 41, Wofford 10