SCHEDULE | TICKETS
 
CHATTANOOGA---It's another big week in Southern Conference play with first place once again on the line. The 18th-ranked Chattanooga Mocs travel to Western Carolina for a Saturday afternoon showdown on ESPN+.
 
The Mocs are tied for first with Mercer at 4-1. The Catamounts and ETSU are just a half-game back at 3-1. The Bucs are at the Bears so there are major implications in the upper half of the standings.
 
The Catamounts boast a high-flying offensive unit that leads the SoCon in several categories. It'll be quite a test for the Mocs defense which has proven to be the stingiest in league play this season.
 
It allows averages of 9.0 points and 244.4 yards per game of total offense allowed in league play. That breaks down to 123.6 on the ground and 120.8 by air. The unit has allowed just 47 first downs over last four games. Western Carolina averages 24.4 per game.
 
Offensively, the good guys will look to continue a strong run of their own. That side of the ball is averaging a shade over 32 points per game during the 5-game winning streak controlling the clock. In the five wins, the average time of possession is 35:18. In the three losses? 26:57.
 
It's a weekend with everything to play for, but that's exactly where every team wants to be this time of year. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
 
Week 10: (18) Chattanooga (5-3/4-1) at Western Carolina (4-4/3-1)
Game Time: 2:30 p.m. | Whitmire Stadium (13,742) | Cullowhee, N.C..
Series: 30-19 (History) | Media: ESPN+; Mocs Sports Network; Live Stats
Game Notes: GoMocs.com | Captains: Chase Artopoeus, Jay Gibson, Reuben Lowery III, Quay Wiggles, Reid Williams
 
Daily Stories – Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday
 
Coaches
Chattanooga: Rusty Wright (UTC '96) | UTC: 35-25 (6th) | Career: Same | vs. WCU: 2-2
WCU: Kerwin Bell (Florida '88) | WCU: 21-20 (4th) | Career: 114-62 (16th) | vs. UTC: 2-1
 
Media
TV: ESPN+ - Pete Yanity (PxP) & Daniel Hooker (Analysis).
 
Radio: Radio: WFLI Chattanooga (96.1 FM, 100.3 FM & 1070 AM) & 99.1 FM Cleveland - Jim Reynolds (PxP), Todd Agne (Analysis) & Will Poindexter (Sideline). Also available online at GoMocs.com.
 
App: Go Mocs & Varsity Network
 
Series
Game: 50th | Record: 30-19 | SoCon: 28-18 | H: 17-8, A: 13-11 | Last 5: 3-2 | Streak: -2
 
vs. Western Carolina
- Western has won the last two meetings; however, Chattanooga has captured 15 of the last 19 including seven of nine in Cullowhee.
- Catamount rankings in SoCon:
Scoring Offense: 3rd (29.1) | Scoring Defense: 7th (27.8)
Total Offense: 1st (468.6) | Total Defense: 8th (446.0)
Rush Offense: 5th (138.8) | Rush Defense: 9th (201.5)
Pass Offense: 1st (329.9) | Pass Defense: 7th (244.5)
- Catamounts have one Chattanooga area player: DT Jamichael Wilson (Brainerd). D-line coach Brian Cochran was an assistant at Chattanooga under Tom Arth.
- The Mocs have one player from the Western Carolina area: OL Will Buchanan (Asheville). TE coach Zeb Speir is the son of former Catamounts head coach Mark Speir.

Stat Stuff
Among National Leaders
2nd, Interceptions (14)    
3rd, Sam Phillips-Rec. Yds/Gm (104.8)
3rd, Leroy Harris III-Fumble Rec. (2)
6th, Pass Yds/Comp (14.36)    
8th, Takeaways (17)
9th, TFLs Allowed (3.63)
9th, Chase Artopoeus-Pass Yds/Comp (14.40)
11th, TO Margin (+1.00)
12th, Defensive TDs (2)
13th, Time of Poss. (32:25)
14th, Chase Artopoeus-Pass Yds (1,800)
16th, Sam Phillips-Yds/Rec (19.06)
17th, Chase Artopoeus-Yds/Pass Att (8.33)
20th, Sam Phillips-Rec. Yds (629)

SoCon Team Leaders
Interceptions Thrown (5)
Pass Yds/Comp (14.36)
Sacks Allowed (1.25)
TFLs Allowed (3.63)
Turnover Margin (1.00)
Turnover Lost (9)

SoCon Individual Leaders
Sam Phillips, Rec Yds/Gm (104.8)
Sam Phillips, Rec Yds (629)
Chase Artopoeus, Pass Yds/Comp (14.40)
Leroy Harris III, Fumble Rec (2)
Jude Kelley, FG/Game (1.25)
 
Notes

• No. 18 in the latest Stats Perform Top 25 & No. 25 in AFCA Coaches poll.
• 5-game winning streak is the first since 2017-18. The Mocs won the 2017 regular season finale over ETSU and then opened with four in a row in 2018.
• A win Saturday would be the first 6-game win streak for the program since 6-0 start in 2016.
• Started 4-1 in the league in the last four seasons: 2021 (5-1), 2022 (5-1) & 2023 (6-1).
• Takeaway margin in first three games? -1. +10 over last five with 12 interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
• RB Reggie Davis ran for a career-high 131 yards against the Keydets and is is 2nd in the SoCon in rushing yards (660). He topped 1,000 yards (1,018) for his career during the contest.
• Three Mocs are within 103 yards of 2,000 receiving yards for their collegiate careers. Two – Javin Whatley (1,959) & Sam Phillips (1,914) – have been in the Scenic City from the start, while Chris Domercant (1,897) played his first three seasons at Stonehill.
• Won the last three SoCon games by 31, 32 and 21 points. First time in program history winning three league games in a row by 21+ points each.
• 45 points allowed in SoCon play through five games are the fewest to this point in the schedule since 45 in 1984. The 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.
• 86-87-1 when ranked...36-62-1 road...71-47-1 when ranked vs. unranked (30-31-1 road).
• 5-4 when ranked #18...2-3 on the road...3-2 as #18 vs. unranked opponent (0-2 road).
• 4-4 vs. WCU when ranked (2-2 road)...4-3 when ranked vs unranked WCU (2-2 road).

 
Tickets on Sale

• Single Game | Link
• A voucher for tickets is at each of the five branches of the Chattanooga Public Library.
• There is also a skybox available for rental each game | Link

 
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. NIL opportunities can be found here in the Opendorse NIL Marketplace.