2023 Chattanooga Mocs Football
at #17 Samford – Sept. 23 – Seibert Stadium – Birmingham, Ala.
Postgame Notes
 
GENERAL
- The Chattanooga Mocs claimed a 47-23 victory at Samford Saturday afternoon…Mocs are now 3-1, 2-0 in the Southern Conference…the Bulldogs are 1-3, 0-2 in SoCon play.
- Entered the game receiving votes in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll…Samford was No. 17 in it & No. 20 in the Stats Perform Top 25.
- 200th matchup against a ranked opponent...42-158 all-time in those matchups...11-106 on the road.
- Evened the all-time SoCon record at 166-166-2…1st SoCon matchup was in 1977.
- 1-1 in the state of Alabama this season…6-5 in the last 11 games in the state.
- Series dates back to 1906…48th all-time matchup is (currently) tied for third most in school history with Western Carolina behind The Citadel (57) and Furman (52).
- The 34 series wins are second most against an opponent behind 35 against The Citadel…third are the Catamounts and Tennessee Tech at 30 apiece.
- Game captains: RB Ailym Ford, DB Reuben Lowery III, Edge Jay Person & OL Reid Williams.
 
SERIES
All-Time Meetings: 48
Record: 34-11-3 | Home: 22-6-2 | Away: 12-5-0 | SoCon: 12-3-0 | Streak +1

• Last 5: 4-1 | Last 10: 8-2 | Last 20: 16-4
• Won 8 of the last 9 meetings
• 4th meeting with a ranked Samford team...3-1 in those matchups...2-0 in Birmingham

 
COACH
Rusty Wright (Chattanooga '96)

• Record: 25-18 | Home: 14-6 | Away: 11-12
• vs. Samford: 3-1 | Home: 0-1 | Away: 3-0
• 5-6 against ranked opponents (1-1 vs ranked Samford)

 
TEAM
- 1st back-to-back 40-point efforts since 41 in the 2022 wins over VMI and Mercer in Finley Stadium.
- 95 points in back-to-back games since the 1928 SIAA Champions scored 100 in a 21-14 win over Centenary (Oct. 27) followed by 79-0 over Southwestern (Nov. 3). Most in three straight? 170 adding the 70-0 rout of Louisville the week prior to Centenary.
- 34 first-half points are the most by the Mocs since 37 on Sept. 28, 2019 in the 60-36 win over Western Carolina.
- Third straight game with a touchdown on the opening drive…today's was a 46-yard hookup between Chase Artopoeus and Tyler Smith…scored on five of first six full drives (4 TDs/1 FG).
- 0:11 between the first two TDs of the game for the Mocs is the shortest span between scores on record.
- Chattanooga was 4-4 on red zone opportunities with three touchdowns and one field goal…held the Bulldogs for 2-5 with a TD and field goals.
- Topped 20 first downs against this week with 23…96 on the season (24/gm).
- Entered the contest leading the league in total offense (442.3/gm)…posted 429 today with 323 passing and 106 rushing.
- Season-high passing yards…tops the 311 registered at North Alabama.
- Two pick 6s today: 38 yards by Alex Mitchell and 78 for Kam Brown (DB)…last time with multiple defensive scores in the same game? Nov. 26, 2016...Montrell Pardue with a 99-yard fumble return and Trevor Wright a 41-yard pick 6 against Weber State in the FCS Playoffs…last time with pick 6s in same game? Sept. 6, 2014...Dee Virgin (55) and Lucas Webb (37) both did the trick against Jacksonville State.
- Three takeaways with zero turnovers.
- The Bulldogs were 50 percent on third down conversions with eight of 16…the eight are two more than the Mocs defense allowed in the first three games combined…entered the game second in the nation (18.2%) in third-down defense.
- The offense was 58.3 percent (7/12) on third downs…big reason for the 32:43/27:17 advantage in time of possession.
 
INDIVIDUAL
- First career interception for Alex Mitchell…pick 6 returned 38 yards…1st Moc since Reuben Lowery III to record a pick 6 on his first interception…Lowery's came in last year's 31-0 season-opening win over Wofford.
- DB Kam Brown's 78-yard pick 6 was the second of his career...last Moc with two or more was safety Jerrell Lawson vs. Tennessee Tech (26) on Aug. 30, 2018 and at North Alabama (38)...longest pick 6 since D.J. Key's 85-yarder against Western Carolina on Oct. 15, 2011.
- 11th multi-TD day on the ground for Ailym Ford but first of the season…also has a two receiving TD game as well (2022-North Alabama).
- Ford had 53 yards to with his two TDs on 18 carries…3,770 career yards…career record watch (numbers needed for new mark): 45 carries, 282 yards & nine rush scores.
- Third 100yd receiving game in a row for Jamoi Mayes with 114 today on four catches…now has 417 through four games…most since 546 during Bryce Nunnelly's 2018 All-America season…Nunnelly opened with four 100yd games in a row with the fourth coming in the win over Samford.
- WR Sam Phillips tied his career high with 11 receptions (98 yds)…previous high was set in last year's matchup with the Bulldogs…his 2-game numbers against Samford: 22 rec., 261 yds.
- QB Chase Artopoeus was 21-26 for 323 yards and a score…zero interceptions…completed passes to six different receivers…330 yards total offense with seven rushing.
- Artopoeus is the fifth Chattanooga QB with 1,000 yards passing in his first four games…his 1,110 yards this season the 4th-highest total to this point behind Chris Sanders (1,208-1999), Nick Tiano (1,170-2018) and B.J. Coleman (1,123-2010).
- Artopoeus has 1,226 yards of total offense to date…most in the first four games of a Mocs career…second only to Nick Tiano's 1,295 in 2018, his second campaign with the program.
- Team-high nine tackles for Josh Battle including eight solo stops…top four tacklers were all in the secondary followed by slot safety Romeo Wykle (8), fellow safety Jordan Walker (8) and cornerback Reuben Lowery III (6).
- Lowery added a forced fumble recovered by Irondale, Ala., native Bo Spearman…2nd recovery of the season for Spearman, third career.
- Another two FG game for Jude Kelley…fourth in a row…8-10 on the season…career long 48-yarder in the third quarter…11 points gives him 41 for the season (10.3/gm).
 
OPPONENT SCOREBOARD
at Furman 38, Mercer 14
at VMI 17, Wofford 14
at Western Carolina 77, Charleston Southern 21
The Citadel at S.C. State, 6 p.m.