2023 Chattanooga Mocs Football
ETSU – Oct. 21 – Finley Stadium – Chattanooga, Tenn.
Postgame Notes
 
GENERAL
- The 20th-ranked Chattanooga Mocs earned a 34-3 victory over ETSU inside Finley Stadium Saturday afternoon…now 6-2, 5-1 in the Southern Conference…the Bucs are 2-5, 1-3 in SoCon play.
- 4-1 in Rail Rivalry matchups…5th straight year the Rail resides in the Scenic City.
- Entered the game ranked 20th AFCA FCS Coaches Poll and 21st in the Stats Perform Top 25.
- 25th ranked week under Rusty Wright, 163rd all-time…Russ Huesman's (32-20) 52 holds the program lead ahead of Scrappy Moore 44 weeks…however, neither came close to Wright's total in first five seasons at the helm…other coaches (ranked weeks): Buddy Nix (19), Harold Wilkes (9), Bill Oliver (8), Tom Arth (4) & Buddy Green (2).
- 83-79-1 as a ranked team (58-52 at the FCS level)…51-21 at home, 34-14 at FCS level…6-3-1 vs ETSU as a ranked team, 3-1 in Chattanooga..
- Six wins in the first eight games for the 20th time in school history…last? 2022.
- Clinched 5th straight SoCon winning season (all under Wright)…23rd all-time…tied for 2nd most by a Mocs head coach (Buddy Nix), one behind Russ Huesman (6).
- Clinched overall winning season…59th all-time (116 campaigns)…42nd with six or more wins, 4th under Wright.
- All-time SoCon record at 169-167-2…1st SoCon matchup was in 1977…won championships in 1977*, 1978*, 1979, 1984, 2013*, 2014, 2015* (*co-champs).
- 76-64 record in Finley Stadium.
- Game captains: DB Reuben Lowery III, Edge Jay Person & OL Reid Williams.
 
SERIES
All-Time Meetings: 46
Record: 26-19-1 | Home: 17-8 | Away: 9-11-1 | SoCon: 17-15 | Streak +4

• Last 5: 4-1 | Last 10: 7-3 | Last 20: 10-10
• Series dates back to 1961…Mocs and Bucs met 14 times outside of conference play with a 9-4-1 advantage.
• 7-1 since the Bucs returned to the SoCon in 2016.
• One of six opponents beaten 25 or more times: The Citadel (35), Samford (34), Western Carolina/Tennessee Tech (30) & Jacksonville State (26).

 
COACH
Rusty Wright (Chattanooga '96)

• Record: 28-19 | Home: 15-7 | Away: 13-12
• vs. ETSU: 4-0 | Home: 3-0 | Away: 1-0
• vs. SoCon: 23-11 | Home: 12-5 | Away: 11-6
• Ranked: 15-10

 
Most Wins - 1st 5 years
Russ Huesman (2009-13): 31
Bill Oliver (1980-83): 29
Rusty Wright (2019-23): 28
Joe Morrison (1973-77): 28
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 the winner of Western Carolina and Furman at 4-0 with a 1-game advantage in the win column and deficit in the loss. 
Furman: 4-0 (6-1)
Chattanooga: 5-1 (6-2)
Western Carolina: 3-1 (5-2 overall)
Mercer: 3-2 (5-3)
Samford: 3-3 (4-4)
VMI: 2-2 (3-4)
ETSU: 1-3 (2-5)
The Citadel: 0-4 (0-7)
Wofford: 0-5 (0-8)
 
TEAM
- The 34 points for the Mocs are the most by a team in the series since the 2016 win (37-7) in Johnson City.
- The 31-point margin of victory is the largest in the series for the Mocs…largest spread since a 68-7 loss in Johnson City on Nov. 15, 2003.
- Defense limited ETSU to 120 yards total offense…fewest since 90 at North Alabama on Sept. 2, 2021...9th time with 200 or fewer allowed in the Rusty Wright/Lorenzo Ward Era (2nd in 2023).
- Bucs threw for just 46 yards…lowest total since 9 at Wofford on Nov. 6, 2021...7th time under Wright/Ward with less than 100 pass yards (2 in 2023)…27th with less than 200 (4 in 2023).
- Defense corralled the ETSU rushing attack with just 74 yards…2.5 per carry…74 given up the last two games COMBINED…today's numbers are the 17th time with less than 100 yards on the ground under Wright/Ward (3 in 2023).
- 29 first downs for the offense ties for second-highest total of the season (at North Alabama)…high is 33 vs. Western Carolina.
- 35:59 time of possession for nearly a 16-minute advantage…7th time in eight contests winning the possession battle…2nd-best number behind the last home game: 41:03 vs Western Carolina.
- 418 yards of total offense (159 rush/259 pass)…5th time this season over 400.
- +2 in turnover margin with three fumble recoveries and an interception…season-high for takeaways (4)…had a fumble & interception on a tipped ball offensively.
- Four sacks…nine the last two weeks…came into the day leading the SoCon with 20 (now 24)…six away from 30 sacks for the third straight years: 2021 (32), 2022 (35)…also had eight QB hurries.
- Offense scored TDs on first three possessions…4th time this season scoring TD on opening drive.
 
INDIVIDUAL
- The wide receiver trio of Sam Phillips (46-476), Jamoi Mayes (45-737) & Javin Whatley (35-639) exceeded their season total from 2022 with the fourth catch of the 1st quarter in Week 8…last year: 115-1682 (9TD)…this season: 126-1852 (13TD).
- Phillips led all receivers with six catches today (62 yards)…Mayes had a game-high 92 yards on five receptions with two scores.
- Safety Clay Fields III tied the program record with four pass breakups including three straight plays in the second quarter…previous four PBU games LB Doug Faatiliga (2009 vs. The Citadel), DB Buster Skrine (2009 vs. Western Carolina) & David McCrary (1984 vs. App State).
- Fields' four PBU's lead a season-high nine with two by Kobe Joseph & one each from Jay Person, Kam Brown & Reuben Lowery III.
- DB Kam Brown grabbed his 10th career pick…14th Moc with double-digit interceptions…tied for ninth all-time with Jackie Washington (1988-91), Reggie Solomon (1984-87), Kenny Booker (1983-86), Tom Patrick (1971-73) & Joe Lee Dunn (1965-68).
- Three fumble recoveries: Josh Battle, Shamar Jones & Jamarr Jones.
- QB Chase Artopoeus threw for 249 yards before giving way to backup Luke Schomburg in the fourth quarter…completed 17 of 24 passes with two touchdowns and one pick.
- 17 passing TDs for the season for Artopoeus…5th multi-TD game.
- RB Gino Appleberry tied his career high with two rushing TDs…ran 20 times for 71 yards.
- Appleberry combined with Reggie Davis (15-68) for 35 rushes and 139 yards.
- Edge Jay Person had a team-high six tackles with two for loss (both sacks)…forced a fumble, had a pass breakup and a QB hurry…second sack was the 50th TFL in his career, the third Moc with 50+: Davis Tull '14 (60.0), Devonnsha Maxwell '22 (55.5) & Person (50.5).
- DE Ben Brewton recorded his 20th career sack today…6th Moc with 20 or more: Maxwell (37.5), Tull (37.0), Keionta Davis (31.0), Josh Williams (23.5), Person (22.0) & Brewton (20.0).
 
AILYM FORD
Mocs senior running back Ailym Ford missed the game with an injury. Postgame, Coach Rusty Wright announced Ford is out for the season with a lower body injury. Ford is the school record holder with 19 100-yard games and is the only Mocs rusher with three 1,000-yard seasons. He has 785 career carries for 3,928 yards and 36 rushing TDs (38 total). He finishes three carries, 123 yards and seven rush TDs shy of Jacob Huesman's '15 program records.
 
ARTOPOEUS WATCH
Top 5 Passing Yards Thru 1st 8 Games
Chris Sanders (2000) – 2,644
Chris Sanders (1999) – 2,432*
B.J. Coleman (2010) – 2,257
Chase Artopoeus (2023) – 2,199*
Nick Tiano (2018) – 2,113
 
Top 5 Total Offense Thru 1st 8 Games
Chris Sanders (2000) – 2,683
Chris Sanders (1999) – 2,400*
Chase Artopoeus (2023) – 2,332*
Nick Tiano (2018) – 2,312
B.J. Coleman (2010) – 2,261
* indicates most in 1st 8 games as a Moc
 
OPPONENT SCOREBOARD
Samford 27, at VMI 14
(3) Furman 29, at (14) Western Carolina 17
at Mercer 31, Wofford 17