SCHEDULE | TICKETS

CHATTANOOGA---The home opener is right around the corner as the Chattanooga Mocs host the Kennesaw State Owls Saturday evening at Finley Stadium. It's the first meeting between the two schools separated by approximately 94 miles. It's one that certainly presents a challenge for the Mocs looking to bounce back from last week's opener loss at North Alabama.
 
"All of (what went wrong at UNA) is fixable," Coach Rusty Wright said. "I told them Monday 'to grab the good part' that was on film. There was a lot of good. Harness the good stuff and learn from the mistakes.
 
"Practice is off to a good start this week as we prepare for a very talented Kennesaw State team."
 
There was plenty to be excited about offensively with nearly 500 yards of offense and one of the best QB statistical debuts. Defensively, big plays were the tipping point the six UNA touchdowns accounting for 206 of the 517 yards on the other side of the ledger.
 
"We just didn't do things that we'd been doing up until this point," Wright noted immediately after the game. "I'm not taking anything away from them, give those guys credit. They played their tails off and made plays when they had to. They just played like they had played a game already, and we played like we had not.
 
"It took us a little while to get going but once we got going we looked pretty good, but we just weren't consistent. That's it. We need to do what we're supposed to do all the time."
 
Kickoff Saturday is at 6 p.m. Tickets are on sale on GoMocs.com with season still available as well as a special mini-plan along with the single-game variety. It airs on ESPN+ and the Mocs Sports Network. It's a big night of promotions and plans. It's also the first of two in a row at home with The Citadel next weekend on Sept. 16. Get the complete skinny below…
 
Kennesaw State (1-0) at Chattanooga (0-1)
Sept. 9 | Finley Stadium; Chattanooga, Tenn. | 6 p.m.
 
MEDIA
TV: ESPN+ - ESPN+ - Chris Goforth (PxP), Scott McMahon (Analysis) & Dave Keylon (Sideline)
Radio: 96.1 FM, 100.3 FM & 1070 AM - Jim Reynolds (PxP), Todd Agne (Analysis) & Will Poindexter (Sideline). Also available online at GoMocs.com.
App: Go Mocs & Varsity Network
 
COACHES
Chattanooga: Rusty Wright (Chattanooga '96) | UTC: 22-18 (5th) | Career: Same | vs. KSU: 0-0
Kennesaw St.: Brian Bohannon (Georgia '93) | KSU: 69-24 (9th) | Career: Same | vs. UTC: 0-0
 
SERIES
Game: 1st Meeting | Record: 0-0 | Home: 0-0 | Away: 0-0 | SoCon: n/a | Last 5: 0-0 | Streak: n/a
 
OPENERS

• Coming off 10th winning season since 2009...33rd in 115 years of football.
• 77-35-3 (.683) in home openers all-time...15-10 (.600) at Finley Stadium
• Rusty Wright is 3-1 (.750) in home openers.
• The last opponents transitioning from FCS to FBS on the schedule? 2013:  at Georgia State (W, 42-14), at Appalachian State (W, 35-28) & at Georgia Southern (L, 21-23).

 
NOTES TO KNOW

• 488 yards total offense with 311 in the air and 177 on the ground Saturday night. It was the most passing yards in an opener since 318 in the Aug. 30, 2018 win over Tennessee Tech. Most total yards in an opener since 492 on Sept. 4, 2010 in the 42-41 loss to Appalachian State.
• Ailym Ford Career Rushing Record Countdown: 99 carries, 519 yards, 12 rush TDs.
• Jay Person and Ben Brewton are closing in on becoming the 5th and 6th with 20 or more career sacks. Person (17.5) needs 2.5, while Brewton (15.5) is 4.5 shy.

 
VS. KENNESAW STATE
First-ever meeting with KSU. The Owls started their program in 2015 so there haven't been a lot of opportunities to match up. FCS Independent in year one of transition to FBS (1st season in 2024). They are the closest DI opponent (stadium-to-stadium):

• 94.3 miles | Kennesaw State | Finley to Fifth Third Bank Stadium
• 99.1 | Tennessee Tech | Finley to Tucker Stadium
• 103.0 | Middle Tennessee | Finley to Floyd Stadium
• 112.0 | Tennessee | Finley to Neyland Stadium
• 113.0 | Jacksonville State | Finley to JSU Stadium

 
TOP 20 IN NATIONAL TEAM RANKINGS

Offense	Defense
Tied for 1st in sacks allowed (0)	9th in 3rd down conversions (16.7%)
7th in passing offense (311.0)
8th in first downs (29)
9th in TFL allowed (3)
11th in total offense (488.0)
16th in time of possession (34:19)

 
 
TOP 20 IN NATIONAL INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

Offense	Defense	Special Teams
2nd total off.: Chase Artopoeus (351.0)	T1st in forced fumbles: Ben Brewton/Alex Mitchell (1)	4th in FG per game (2.0)
5th in all-purp. yds: Javin Whatley (162.0)	T3rd in fumble recoveries: Bo Spearman (1)
6th in pass yds: Chase Artopoeus (311.0)	5th in TFLs: Jay Person (3)
9th in rec. yds: Javin Whatley (106.0)	T9th in pass breakups: Bo Spearman (2)
13th in yds/comp: Chase Artopoeus (14.1)
17th in comp/gm: Chase Artopoeus (22.0)
19th in rec/game: Javin Whatley (6)

 
PROMOTIONS
This week at Finley Stadium is jam-packed with promotions. In order of appearance…

• Youth Night
  All youth 12 & under (any sport & spirit squads) in uniform get a free ticket into the game with a paying adult. Ticket must be picked up at the ticket booth prior to entering the stadium.
• Giveaway Item: Headbands to first 1,000 in attendance
• Mini Mocs Walk
  Young Mocs are welcome to join the band and spirit groups Spirit Walk. This initiative was headed up by the alumni office. The Spirit Walk is when the band and spirit squads march through the First Horizon Pavilion to lead tailgating fans into the stands for pregame festivities.
• Academic Night
  The Mocs honor all student-athletes who completed 2022-23 with a 3.0 grade point average.
• Mocs Flock Finley
  The annual first-year student dash from the Finley Stadium onto the field takes place right after the academic recognition pre-game.
• Night of Champions
  The Mocs SoCon Championship teams and individuals will be honored on the field during media timeouts including the Championship Ring Presentation for the 2022 soccer program.

 
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE
The Mocs 2023 schedule is linked above. Five homes games are included with visits from Kennesaw State, The Citadel, Western Carolina, ETSU and Furman. Season tickets start at just $60 for general admission. Click the link above, go to the Go Mocs app or call (423) 266-MOCS (6627) to purchase.
 
EVERYTHING IS CASHLESS NOW ON GAMEDAYS
No cash will change hands at Mocs athletics venues in 2023-24. That includes tickets, concessions, merchandising and even parking. Be prepared to pay by credit card when coming to enjoy the hard-working efforts of our student-athletes and coaches.
 
CONCESSION ADDITIONS
Finley Stadium has added some new wrinkles along with old standbys in providing premier service to its visitors. One is the Fort Finley Grab+Go Market with snacks and beverages. The lineup just inside the St. Elmo Gates also includes Windy City Eatz, Chestnut Bakes, The Kettlecorn Man, Miller's Original Lemonade, The Max Grilleworks and Reggie's BBQ & Nachos. Go here for more information.
 
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