SCHEDULE | TICKETS
 
CHATTANOOGA---The Chattanooga Mocs and ETSU Bucs meet for the 47th time this weekend. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m., at Greene Stadium on the ETSU campus in Johnson City campus. It's a matchup that was dubbed the "Rail Rivalry" in 2018.
 
The Rail is a retired railroad tie that was said to once connect Chattanooga and Johnson City. It weighs 108 pounds which represents the halfway point between the two cities. It also carries quite the reputation.
 

The most prestigious railroad tie in college football @RailRivalry1961 has called Chattanooga home for four years now.@GoMocsFB needs to make it five as they look to avoid an 0-2 hole in SoCon play.#GoMocsFB x #ClimbTheMtn | @Local3Sports pic.twitter.com/dm8SqCloLA

— Ben Bobick (@BenBobickLocal3) October 1, 2024

 
Here's your last look at the weekend's matchup.
 
Is there anything being done around this game for disaster relief in NE Tennessee?
Absolutely. Both schools are coming together to support the communities devastated by the rains from Hurricane Helene. Students at UTC started a donation drive you can learn more about here. ETSU also has donation stations on their campus as well as at Food City Fan Zone tailgate area Saturday along with bins at the entrance gates.
 
How close is this rivalry between the two?
In 32 SoCon meetings, the Mocs lead the series 17-15 and are 26-19-1 all-time. So there have been plenty of close calls. Chattanooga is 6-1 since the Bucs returned to the league in 2016. Plus, as you saw above, they are playing for the most prestigious railroad tie in sports.
 
What's the Rail Rivalry tally so far?
The Mocs have won four straight after a narrow defeat in the first matchup in 2018. The two sides first met in 1961 with 32 of the 46 meetings coming while the two have shared membership in the Southern Conference.
 
When is the last time we played so many ranked & FBS teams in a row?
Somebody did their homework. Caught our comms staff off guard with this one. With ETSU ranked at No. 23 this week in the Stats Perform Top 25, it marks a seventh time in eight games the Mocs face a ranked FCS team or FBS squad. It's never happened before. There was a 5-game run carrying over from 2016 to the start of 2017. There was a 6-in-7 stretch in 1959 before the move to DI. But those old schedules were packed with SEC competition and what is FBS now wasn't necessarily then.
 
What's this race to 2k?
The junior wide receiver trio of Sam Phillips, Javin Whatley and Chris Domercant are all closing in on an impressive career milestone. Each is within 400 yards of 2,000 receiving yards.
 
Phillips: 128-1,765
Domercant: 95-1,741
Whatley: 100-1,616
 
Phillips and Whatley's numbers have all come at Chattanooga. Domercant's total includes 1553 yards & 84 catches in 24 games at Stonehill (2021-23).
 
What makes this notable? Only seven Mocs have topped that milestone led by Stefpon Hawkins (1996-99) with 2,375.
 
Week 6: (RV) Chattanooga (1-3/0-1) at (23) ETSU (3-2/1-1)
Game Time: 3:30 p.m. | Greene Stadium (7,694) | Johnson City, Tenn.
Series: 26-19-1 (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
 
Notes

• Phillips is all kinds of notable early in 2024. Over four games, he's just the third Moc this century to post 480 or more yards receiving joining Bryce Nunnelly (654-2018) and Joel Bradford (506-2010).
• How many have 500 through first five? Three:
  721-Bryce Nunnelly (2018)
  578-Joel Bradford (2010)
  529-Cos DeMatteo (2000)
• Chase Artopoeus needs 277 yards total offense for 4k in his career.
• The Mocs have rushed for 9,175 yards in 56 games under Wright, 163.8 yards per game.
• More receivers…Phillips has 128 career catches with Whatley joining him at the century mark last Saturday with an even 100. Domercant is next sitting at 95.
• Phillips & Whatley continue their climb towards the UTC top 10 for career receiving yards. Phillips (1765) is 99 yards shy of Rocky Turner (1968-71) in 10th, while Whatley needs 250 yards to catch the former N.Y. Jet.
• Alex Mitchell leads the squad with 37 tackles including 19 solo stops which are more than all but four others have total: Jordan Walker (25), Reuben Lowery III (25), Josh Battle (22) & Chris Victor (20).
• Secondary has seven games in last two seasons with five or more PBUs with a high of nine last year against ETSU (2023). It's happened 14 times in the Rusty Wright era.
• Jude Kelley's nine points against Portland State was his fifth with nine or more points in eight games. He averages 7.4 points per game for his career.
• Congrats to Torrez Finney. The former Mocs FB/DT earned a UFC contract on Tuesday with a first round TKO of Abdellah Er-Ramy at Dana White's Contender Series 74 in Las Vegas. Finney, who played in 21 games for the Mocs from 2017-20, is now 10-0 in his MMA career.

 
Tickets on Sale

• 3-game mini-plans | Link
• 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

 
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