2023 Chattanooga Mocs Football
at #8 Alabama – Nov. 18 – Bryant-Denny Stadium – Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Postgame Notes
 
GENERAL
- The 16th-ranked Chattanooga Mocs lost 66-10 at No. 8 Alabama Saturday afternoon at Bryant-Denny Stadium…now 7-4 overall…the Tide are 10-1.
- Entered the game ranked 16th in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll and 18th in the Stats Perform Top 25…Alabama was No. 8 in the FBS AP & Coaches Polls.
- 7-win regular season for the 26th time in school history…
- 27th ranked game week under Rusty Wright, 165th all-time…Russ Huesman's 52 (32-20) 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).
- 1st SEC opponent since 2021…that was the narrow 28-23 loss at Kentucky which won the 2022 Citrus Bowl.
- 84-81-1 as a ranked team (59-53 at the FCS level).
- 14-28 when both teams are ranked…3-21 on the road.
- Today's attendance was 100,077...3rd 100k contest with privilege to watch Mocs play…largest crowds to see the Mocs are 101,821 in Bryant-Denny in 2016 & 100,170 at Bryant-Denny in 2013.
- Mocs await 12:30 p.m., Sunday announcement for selection in the FCS Playoffs…slated for broadcast on ESPNU…last entry was 2016 when completing the regular season at…Alabama.
- Game captains: Edge Jay Person & OL Reid Williams.
 
SERIES
All-Time Meetings: 14
Record: 0-14 | Home: 0-1 | Away: 0-13 | Streak -14

• Last 5: 0-5 | Last 10: 0-10 | Last 20: 0-14
• Series dates back to 1908.
• 1st meeting since 2016.

 
COACH
Rusty Wright (Chattanooga '96)

• Record: 29-21 | Home: 15-8 | Away: 14-13
• vs. Alabama: 0-1 | Home: 0-0 | Away: 0-1
• vs. SEC: 0-3 | Home: 0-0 | Away: 0-3
• When Ranked: 16-12
• vs. Ranked Opp.: 5-9 (0-1 FBS)

 
TEAM
- First loss after a bye week for Coach Rusty Wright…1-1 on the road…prior four opponents all came in Southern Conference pley:
2019: 16-13 vs. ETSU
2020-21: 20-18 at No. 11 Furman
2021: 45-17 vs. Western Carolina
2022: 41-13 vs. VMI
- 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).
- Just the second time in the Rusty Wright era an opponent scored on its first three drives of the game with the other coming in 2019 at Tennessee…Vols scored all 45 points in first eight drives with a punt on the fourth.
- Gino Appleberry's 40-yard second quarter touchdown rush was the first score in the series since Sept. 3, 1994…QB Kenyon Earl had second period TD rushes of two and 10 yards to cut a 21-0 first quarter deficit to 21-13 before an eventual 42-13 Tide win.
- The touchdown was the longest scoring play from scrimmage against an FBS program since Jacob Huesman's 70-yard hookup with Tommy Hudson on August 28, 2014 at Central Michigan…longest offensive scoring play against a Power 5 since the 62-yard strike by Tony Pastore in 2008 to Jordan Hazard at Florida State.
- 85-yard punt return for score by Caleb Downs is first allowed by Mocs since the 2017 trip to LSU...that was a 65 yarder by D.J. Chark.
- Season-low 233 yards of total offense…126 on the ground & 107 in the air.
- Season-high 574 yards total offense surrendered…most points since 68 at ETSU on Nov. 15, 2003.
- 33:31 time of possession…puts season total at 32:57…currently third best in school history and most since 33:45 in 2014.
 
INDIVIDUAL
- 1st career start for redshirt freshman QB Luke Schomburg…native of Huntsville, Ala….started for injured starter Chase Artopoeus.
- Schomburg was 10 for 21 for 107 yards with an interception.
- 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.
- Appleberry's second quarter 40-yard touchdown run was his career long scoring rush and third-longest overall behind 41 yards at Eastern Illinois (2022) and at Wofford (2023).
- Appleberry's 40-yard dash was the longest play from scrimmage against a "Power 5" opponent since Ailym Ford's 48-yard run at Kentucky in 2021.
- It was topped to open the third quarter by 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.
- Jay Person's sack was his 8.5 of the season (16.0 TFLs)…entered the contest tied for the Southern Conference lead in sacks & TFLs…26.0 for career and 55th tackle for loss.
- Person's 55.0 TFLs is third all-time at Chattanooga behind Davis Tull '14 (60.0) and Devonnsha Maxwell '22 (55.5).
- Josh Battle had a team-high nine tackles…ties career high set in the win at Samford earlier this season…26 stops (17 solo) in three games in the state of Alabama this year.
- Career-high eight tackles for Telly Plummer.
- Long snapper Cody Olszewski played in his 50th career game…every contest in the Rusty Wright era…just the 10th Moc with 50 appearances…two off career record of 52 by Tennessee Titan OL Corey Levin (2013-16) and LB Nakevion Leslie (2013-16).
- DB Kam Brown is one behind Olszewski with 49 played…he's played each of his five seasons at Chattanooga with no redshirt campaign…Person and Ben Brewton played No. 48 each.
 
OPPONENT SCOREBOARD
at Wofford 19, Furman 13
at VMI 27, Western Carolina 24
UT Martin at Samford (late)
The Citadel at ETSU (late)