2023 Chattanooga Mocs Football
at #7 Austin Peay – Dec. 2
FCS Playoffs – Second Round
Paladin Stadium – Greenville, S.C.
Postgame Quotes
 
Rusty Wright, Head Coach
Opening statement after 26-7 loss to Furman.
"Couldn't be prouder of the group. Not many folks go 10 weeks straight in a football season, lose the people that we've lost during it, and still give ourselves the opportunity to keep playing. Our young people did that. It's just a tough day at the office, but I knew it was gonna be a hard day when they're a good football team. They're older and a little bit bigger than we are in a couple spots. We went out there and battled, but at the end of the day they just didn't make the mistakes that we did."

On Matthew Clemmer having to step in for the team in the second half.
"It was a medical decision so I didn't really have any choice."

On what changed after the early interception and touchdown for UTC.
"You could just tell that they hadn't played in a week. As the game went on they played some things a little better, but we knew we had to make it a little ugly and we knew we had to go out there and probably score 35, which is not the way we're built right now. They played some things a little better and we just didn't execute. We had an opportinity to execute right before the end of the first half but we really just screwed it up. That was the biggest one I was disappointed in just because it felt like we could've gotten some points there before the half and gotten a little momentum going. We just didn't get that."
 
Clay Fields III, DB, Sr.
On his early interception.
"We saw something similar last week with Austin Peay with the same type of formation and it really was the same exact play. I made the same read and this time I caught it."

On containing Tyler Huff today.
"We always try to hold on as long as we can in coverage for our defensive line, and unfortunately we couldn't do that. Now we just look ahead and work on the next thing."

On being a newcomer and coming in and playing his final year with this group.
"Coming in at first it was a little difficult because it was a different scheme than I was used to, but once I got the hang of it really it just came to me naturally. At first it was a pretty slow start, but then the second half of the season I began starting and then playing alternate positions likes safety, boundary safety, field safety and nickel. It was just a great thing for me."

Jamoi Mayes, WR, Jr.
On crossing the 1,000-yard mark on the season and 2,000-yard mark in his career.
"I just thank the coaches for putting me in a situation that I'm in and the quarterback for throwing me the ball in the right place. After that I just go and make plays."

On the injuries in the quarterback room.
"We always try to lift everybody else up if somebody goes down. We know that the next man always has to be ready. It's very frustrating to see both of my quarterbacks go down and for our third stringer to have to step in, but we had the trust in him to execute today."

On how he feels about bringing some key offensive pieces back for next year.
"Very good. I put the utmost trust in our running backs, our receivers, quarterbacks, o-line and defense. They're all my guys and I love them."

Reggie Davis, RB, So.
On how he was able to grow over the course of the season.
"It was really tough with me breaking my collarbone early in the season, but me coming back and getting back into the swing of things; I just wanted to help my brothers. We wanted to get to the National Championship, but we just came up short."

On how much the running back room has been through.
"We all know that it's next man up. We're a talented room so we don't care who's on the field, they're going to make plays when they need to be made."

On him and Lance Jackson now becoming the lead backs moving forward.
"I'm just ready to go back to work now."

Kobe Joseph, LB, Sr.
On him being able to step in and make an impact on the defense this season.
"It makes it really easy when you're playing behind an amazing front between Jay Person, Ben Brewton, Marlon Taylor and Quay Wiggles. I mean, all of those guys are incredible and should be playing at a Power 5 level, so it makes my job super easy most of the time."

On his future in football after today's game.
"I mean yeah, I've been playing for like 15 years or something, which is a long time to think of. I do have another year and I'll be coming back next year, but for some of those guys who it might be their last time stepping on the field, it's heartbreaking. At the same time, we're so incredibly thankful and blessed because a lot of us were sitting at home two weeks ago and seeing all of the playoff projections. Everyone had us projected where we were going to get left out. We didn't think we were going to be able to practice again or play again, and we were all so excited to see we had another chance. It's a shame we don't get another one next week, but I'm just so thankful that we got to play as many as we did and we got to have the season that we did."

On a lot of different guys having to step in on defense.
"We've had depth all year. People have been going down and people have been stepping up. It's just part of our defense and part of our team. As Coach Wright has been saying, 'we're a team, we're not just a group of players'. We're a great football team, and getting those guys the experience they need and the plays they need is gonna help us a lot next year. We have a lot of guys coming back and then a lot of guys that are going to have to step up in place of others."