CHATTANOOGA --- The 19th ranked Chattanooga football team barreled through the opposition over the course of the team's Homecoming game against VMI, putting together a 31-10 winning effort against the Keydets to build UTC's active win streak up to five consecutive victories.
Behind a stellar rushing attack that totaled 285 total rushing yards on the night, alongside a stout defensive effort across the board by UTC, the Mocs were able to string together their fifth-straight win and third-straight of 21 points or more in 2024.
"Good win. That's the biggest thing," head coach Rusty Wright said. "We figured out a way to win a football game. No two look the same. I give our kids credit. We kept battling and doing the things we're supposed to do. Came out in the second half, didn't turn the ball over and good things happen.
"We played well defensively. 220 yards they had, I don't know how many they had the last two drives with everybody we put in the game. Just proud of those guys. It's hard, people don't understand this, but it's hard all across this country to be at your best and be as excited as you can be for 12 weeks. It's hard. I give our kids credit."
HOW IT HAPPENED
After standing tall on VMI's opening possession and forcing a Keydet three-and-out, the Mocs marched down the field to strike first with quarterback Chase Artopoeus finding the end zone on a 17-yard read option run to give UTC a 7-0 lead.
Later that same quarter, a Reggie Davis fumble would set the Keydets up with a first down on the Chattanooga 14-yard line. Despite this, the Mocs once again brick walled VMI with a bend but don't break fight in their own red zone. Holding the Keydets to gain only six yards, VMI would have to settle for a field goal to cut the Chattanooga lead down to 7-3.
VMI was able to connect on its lone touchdown of the day early in the second quarter, with Brady Hammonds finding Egypt Nelson for a 26-yard touchdown pass to give the Keydets a 10-7 lead over the ranked Mocs. This would be the last scoring play of the day for VMI.
Once again showcasing his wheels, Artopoeus provided the Mocs with a crucial response before the half, scampering 23 yards for his second rushing touchdown of the day to help UTC regain the lead 14-10 heading into halftime.
In the second half it was all Chattanooga as the Mocs came out swinging with Reggie Davis punching in a goal line touchdown on what was ultimately a 12-play, 75-yard drive to open the half for UTC. Another long drive for the Mocs would follow, this time taking 13 plays and 79 yards before Journey Wyche found paydirt from a yard out to bolster the UTC advantage up to 28-10 early in the fourth.
Quite literally running away with the game, the Mocs offense used its rushing attack as a crutch with Chattanooga ending the game with 285 total rushing yards. One last 30-yard field goal by Jude Kelley was the nail in the proverbial coffin for VMI, as the Mocs wrapped up their Homecoming Week with a 31-10 win in front of the Finley faithful.
SCORING SUMMARY
1Q 8:06 – UTC – TD – C. Artopoeus 17-yd rush (7-0 UTC)
1Q 1:25 – VMI – FG – C. Beck 25-yd field goal (7-3 UTC)
2Q 11:54 – VMI – TD – E. Nelson 26-yd reception from B. Hammonds (10-3 VMI)
2Q 3:40 – UTC – TD – C. Artopoeus 23-yd rush (14-10 UTC)
3Q 8:42 – UTC – TD – R. Davis 2-yd rush (21-10 UTC)
4Q 14:56 – UTC – TD – J. Wyche 1-yd rush (28-10 UTC)
4Q 8:30 – UTC – FG – J. Kelley 30-yd field goal (31-10 UTC)
RECORDS/SERIES – No. 19 Chattanooga 5-3 (4-1) ∙ VMI 0-8 (0-4) ∙ Chattanooga now leads the all-time series 20-9-1.
UP NEXT – at Western Carolina – Saturday, Nov. 2 – 2:30 p.m. ET – E.J. Whitmire Stadium – ESPN+
3 NOTES TO KNOW | MORE
1 – The Mocs have won the last three SoCon games by 31, 32 and 21 points…1st time in program history winning three league games in a row by 21+ points each.
2 – 45 points allowed in SoCon play through five games…fewest to this point in the schedule since 45 in 1984...record for a season is 65 in 1984, 10.83 ppg (6G played)…this is the 40th anniversary season of the 1984 squad which was the first in Mocs history to go to the FCS Playoffs.
3 – Season-high 285 yards rushing today…most since 299 yards on 46 carries the last time VMI visited Finley Stadium (Oct. 15, 2022).
QUOTABLE | MORE
HC Rusty Wright on playing well on both sides of the ball since starting the year 0-3.
""Take the Tennessee game out of it, we didn't play that bad. We were close and we were playing some good football teams too. I didn't have any doubt that we had a chance to go play well and do things well. To our credit, our kids credit, our assistant coaches stuck to what we were doing. We haven't changed what we're doing. Probably haven't played as many good football teams as we did in the first three, but we have played some. That's credit to that group and the assistant coaches digging in and believing."
QB Chase Artopoeus on running the ball today.
"That's just how it was. I think their defense is predicated on stopping some of our guys that we have, some of the receivers that we have specifically. We started taking some play action shots and they were bailing out of there. Linebackers were matching them underneath, so that kind of left their eyes off of me and left me open lanes to run."
GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. Buy officially licensed gear in our online store. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page or on Twitter. Find out how to join the Mocs Club and support more than 300 student-athletes by clicking here.
