2023 Chattanooga Mocs Football
at #13 Austin Peay – Nov. 25 – Fortera Stadium – Clarksville, Tenn.
Postgame Notes
 
GENERAL
- The 18th-ranked Chattanooga Mocs walked off a 24-21 FCS Playoff win at No. 13 Austin Peay Saturday afternoon at Fortera Stadium…now 8-4 overall…the Govs are 9-3.
- Clayton Crile's 35-yard Field Goal as time expired earned the win…1st walkoff FG since Oct. 24, 2015 at Wofford (20-17),
- Mocs travel to Greenville, S.C., next Saturday to meet fellow Southern Conference member Furman, the 7th seed in this year's field.
- Ranked 18th in the Stats Perform Top 25 and 19th in AFCA Coaches Poll…the Govs were No. 13 in Stats Perform and No. 10 per the coaches…1st top 10 win since Oct. 16, 2021 over ETSU (21-16).
- Fifth FCS Playoffs entry all-time (1984, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2023)…8th contest.
- One of three SoCon squads in the field…Furman has a first round bye, while Mercer defeated Gardner-Webb 17-7 today.
- It's Austin Peay's second playoff appearance (2019).
- 1st playoff road win…4-4 in playoff games…3-1 in the first round (1-1 on the road).
- 29th ranked game week under Rusty Wright, 167th 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).
- 85-81-1 as a ranked team (60-53 vs. FCS opposition)…4-4 in the FCS Playoffs.
- 13th 8-win season.
- Game captains: Edge Jay Person & OL Reid Williams.
 
SERIES
All-Time Meetings: 8
Record: 7-1 | Home: 4-1 | Away: 3-0 | Streak +1

• Last 5: 4-1 | Last 10: 7-1 | Last 20: 7-1
• Series dates back to Oct. 10, 1958.
• 1st meeting since 2021 when the Govs claimed their first win, 30-20, to open the 2021 season.
• Chattanooga was Austin Peay's first opponent in Fortera Stadium on Sept, 13, 2014, a 42-6 triumph.

 
COACH
Rusty Wright (Chattanooga '96)

• Record: 30-21 | Home: 15-8 | Away: 15-13
• vs. Austin Peay: 1-1 | Home: 0-1 | Away: 1-0
• FCS Playoffs: 1-0 | Home: 0-0 | Away: 1-0
• When Ranked: 17-12
• vs. Ranked Opp.: 6-9 (6-8 FCS)

 
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Record: 4-4 | Years Seeded: 2014 (8)
 
Year-by-Year Results
Date: Round | (Opp Rank) Opponent (UTC Rank) | Result
11/24/1984: 1st | (10) @Arkansas State (17) | L, 10-37
12/6/2014: 2nd | (21) Indiana State (8) | W, 35-14
12/11/2014: Quarters | (1) @New Hampshire (8) | L, 30-35
11/28/2015: 1st | (14) Fordham (7) | W, 50-20
12/5/2015: 2nd | (1) @Jacksonville State (7) | L, 35-41 (ot)
11/26/2016: 1st | (23) Weber State (9) | W, 45-14
12/3/2016: 2nd | (1) @Sam Houston (9) | L, 36-41
11/25/2023: 1st | (13) @Austin Peay (18) | W, 24-21
 
TEAM
- 5th straight road win against FCS competition…longest streak since five in a row in 2014 that ended in the FCS Quarterfinals at No. 1 New Hampshire (35-30).
- Allowed 300 yards total offense…138.3 below their season average…season-low 13 first downs for Austin Peay..Govs gained 193 on the ground but just 107 by air.
- Amassed 422 yards…163 on the ground and 259 in the air…ran 17 more plays (72-55)…14 first downs by passing was one better than the Govs total…converted 23 first downs overall.
- Allowed just three first downs on 13 third-down attempts.
- 34:57 time of possession…fourth-highest total of the season.
- Both teams had a turnover…came on the same play…Austin Peay intercepted a Luke Schomburg on a second quarter pass in the end zone…WR Jamoi Mayes stripped the ball from the returner who decided to bring the ball out…Mayes scored on a 4-yard return with 14 seconds prior to halftime.
- Defense recorded 7.0 TFLs for -34 yards with 3.0 sacks (-19)…offensive line allowed 2.0 TFLs (-3) with zero sacks for the second week in a row…4th game with zero sacks allowed (at North Alabama/Kennesaw State/at Alabama).
- One of two first round road wins…Sacramento State won at North Dakota 42-35.
 
INDIVIDUAL
- DE Ben Brewton is the longest serving member of the squad making his first playoff appearance…Ben signed with the Tom Arth staff beginning his career in 2018…he is one of 19 with 4+ years in the program with his six topping the list ahead of Olszewski, Brown, Ailym Ford, Jay Person & Colin Truett.
- Long Snapper Cody Olszewski played his 51st game today…he's the only player on the roster to see action in every contest of the Rusty Wright era…he's the sixth Moc to play in 51 games joining retired NFL receiver C.J. Board, Xavier Borishade & Lucas Webb…the prior two played 2013-16 while Webb starred in the secondary from 2014-17…a snap next Saturday at Furman will tie the record of 52 games played with current Tennessee Titan Corey Levin and Nakevion Leslie.
- 2nd career start for QB Luke Schomburg…21 of 36 for 259 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
- DB Kam Brown is 11th Moc to play 50 games with his start today…two tackles & two pass breakups.
- WR Javin Whatley's 29-yard first quarter TD reception was his 9th of the season…6th on the all-time season list and most since Jason Jones had 10 in 2002.
- Whatley had five catches for 97 yards and the TD…now had 968 yards for the season, 31 yards behind Jamoi Mayes with 999.
- Team-high six catches for Sam Phillips (74 yards)…the WR trio each has 600+ yards (611).
- Edge Jay Person had three tackles and a sack before leaving the game with injury in the first half…27th career sack…56th TFL moves him second all0time past Devonnsha Maxwell (55.5) and 4.0 shy of the career record of 60.0 by David Tull '14.
- Mayes' 4-yard fumble return for TD in second quarter is the first by the Mocs since Lucas Webb's 46-yarder at VMI on Sept. 23, 2017…no record of last offensive fumble return for TD.
- Game-high nine tackles for LB Alex Mitchell with 0.5 for loss, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.
- DT Marlon Taylor posted six stops with 2.0 TFLs and a sack.
- RB Reggie Davis had a career-high 97 yards on 17 carries…combined with Gino Appleberry (15-64, 1 TD) for 161 yards on 32 totes with a score.