NOTES | QUOTES | PHOTOS

CHATTANOOGA (Nov. 18, 2023) --- The Chattanooga Mocs football team wrapped up regular season play at SEC-power Alabama on a sunny Saturday afternoon inside Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and ultimately dropped a 66-10 decision.
 
Following the season-ending defeat, Chattanooga ends with a 7-4 (6-2 SoCon) record and will await a potential FCS playoffs berth tomorrow on Selection Sunday. Alabama improves to 10-1 overall following its ninth-straight win.
 
"That's a good football team right there. That's probably the hottest football team in the country right now, no doubt about it," said head coach Rusty Wright following the game.
 
"They have a lot of confidence right now, their quarterback is playing at a high level, that's a good football team. It wouldn't have changed the outcome of the game, but we could have done things better and that was the main goal today."

HOW IT HAPPENED
Alabama received the game's opening kickoff and used a 56-yard connection from Jalen Milroe to Jermaine Burton on the first play to set up shop at the UTC11 just 11 seconds into the contest. The Tide earned a 7-0 lead at the 13:04 mark after capping off a four-play, 63-yard scoring drive with a five-yard TD pass from Milroe to Burton.
 
After the Chattanooga offense went three-and-out on its first drive, Alabama went 70 yards in five plays highlighted by another deep Milroe-Burton connection (44 yards) to take a quick 14-0 lead with 9:27 left in the first. Tide extended the lead to 21-0 with 1:30 left in the opening 15 after an 11-play, 90-yard scoring drive.
 
Milroe found tight end Robbie Ouzts from seven yards out to put the Tide ahead 28-0 with 10:42 left in the half. After Quay Wiggles came up with a third-down stop, Alabama's Will Reichard converted a lengthy 50-yard field goal to extend the hosts lead to 31-0 with 7:07 to go before half.


Gino Appleberry broke off the longest touchdown run of his career, 40 yards, to notch Chattanooga's first touchdown in the series with Alabama since 1994 and bring the tally to 31-7 (3:39). The Tide quickly answered with a five-play, 60-yard touchdown drive before the break to take a 38-7 lead at half.
 
Chattanooga scored on the opening drive of the second half after Luke Schomburg connected with Javin Whatley on a 54-yard catch and run, eventually setting up a Clayton Crile 23-yard field goal to make it 38-10 with 10:46 left in the third. Alabama punched it in from a yard out to cap off a six-play, 55-yard touchdown drive just over two minutes later to push ahead 45-10 (8:39 3Q). Caleb Downs returned a punt 85 yards to put Alabama up 52-10 (4:59 3Q) before two more Tide scores in the fourth quarter capped off the 66-10 rout.

SCORING SUMMARY
1^st Quarter
ALA – 13:04 – J. Burton 5 yd TD reception thrown by J. Milroe (XP GOOD) – 7-0 ALA
ALA – 9:27 – J. McClellan 2 yd TD rush (XP GOOD) – 14-0 ALA
ALA – 1:30 – R. Williams 11 yd TD rush (XP GOOD) – 21-0 ALA
 
2^nd Quarter
ALA – 10:42 – R. Ouzts 7 yd TD reception thrown by J. Milroe (XP GOOD) – 28-0 ALA
ALA – 7:07 – W. Reichard 50 yd field goal – 31-0 ALA
UTC – 3:39 – G. Appleberry 40 yd TD rush (XP GOOD) – 31-7 ALA
ALA – 1:03 – M. Benson 20 yd TD reception thrown by J. Milroe (XP GOOD) – 38-7 ALA
 
3^rd Quarter
UTC – 10:46 – C. Crile 23 yd field goal – 38-10 ALA
ALA – 8:39 – J. Haynes 1 yd TD rush (XP GOOD) – 45-10 ALA
ALA – 4:59 – C. Downs 85 yd punt return (XP GOOD) – 52-10 ALA
 
4^th Quarter
ALA – 13:04 – R. Young 1 yd touchdown rush (XP GOOD) – 59-10 ALA
ALA – 3:17 – J. Haynes 33 yd touchdown rush (XP GOOD) – 66-10 ALA

RECORDS – Chattanooga 7-4, 6-2 SoCon ∙ Alabama 9-1, 7-0 SEC
 
SERIES – Alabama now leads the series 14-0.
 
3 NOTES TO KNOW | MORE
1. RB Gino Appleberry accumulated 104 yards on 22 carries with a TD... 2nd straight SEC opponent the Mocs have produced a 100-yard rusher against... Ailym Ford ran for 128 at Kentucky in 2021.

2. Offensive line did not allow a sack... just 2.0 TFL for the Tide…3rd time this season with zero sacks (at North Alabama & Kennesaw State).
 
3. Javin Whatley's 54-yard catch-and-run…longest play from scrimmage vs. FBS & Power 5 opponents listed above…long pass play allowed by the Tide this season…longest since Tennessee's Hendon Hooker's 78-yard TD pass to Jalin Hyatt on Oct. 15, 2022... Whatley ended up with 69 yards on four receptions.

QUOTABLE | MORE
QB Luke Schomburg on the biggest difference between levels.
"The biggest difference is speed. Those guys are really good players and really disciplined. My mindset was to just come in and take care of the football and execute the game plan. I feel like we did a good job at that."

LB Kobe Joseph on playing at Alabama.
"It's really special being on this field with all the fans. It's an atmosphere that you dream of playing in, under different circumstances of course. But I'm so grateful to even have this opportunity."

NEXT (POTENTIAL) GAME – FCS Selection Sunday – Sunday, Nov. 19 – 12:30 p.m. ET – ESPNU
 
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