2024 Chattanooga Football
Postgame Notes & Records
Nov. 2, 2024 – at Western Carolina – Whitmire Stadium
 
SETTING THE SCENE
- The Chattanooga Mocs dropped a 38-34 dual at Western Carolina on a sunny afternoon in Whitmire Stadium…Chattanooga is 5-4, 4-2 in the Southern Conference, while the Catamounts move to 5-4. 4-1 in conference play.
- The Mocs 4-2 league mark is third in the SoCon behind Mercer (5-1) and Western (4-1).
- Loss snaps 5-game winning streak.
- Loss snaps 6-game Southern Conference road winning streak…that tied the school record first set from 1977-79 and matched from 2014-15.
- Chattanooga entered the contest No. 19 in the Stats Perform Top 25 and No. 25 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll.
- 86-89-1 when ranked...36-63-1 road...71-48-1 when ranked vs. unranked (30-32-1 road).
- 5-5 when ranked #18...2-4 road...3-3 as #18 vs. unranked opponent (0-3 road).
- 4-5 vs. Western when ranked (2-3 road)...4-4 ranked vs unranked Catamounts (2-3 road).
- 117th season…574-558-35 (.507) all-time record.
- 46th year in the SoCon…174-170-2 (.506) all-time record.
- Game captains: Chase Artopoeus, Reuben Lowery III, Quay Wiggles & Reid Williams…4-3 when losing the toss.
 
COACH RUSTY WRIGHT
- 35-26 in his sixth season…28-14 in SoCon play.
- 2-3 against Western Carolina…0-2 in Whitmire Stadium.
- 17-17 in SoCon road games.
 
SERIES
All-Time Meetings: 50
Record: 30-20 | Home: 17-8 | Away: 13-12 | SoCon: 28-19 | Streak -3

• Last 5: 2-3 | Last 10: 6-4 | 20: 15-5

 
TEAM NOTES
- 38 points and 431 passing yards are the most allowed by the Mocs defense to a SoCon opponent this season…had given 45 points and 604 pass yards in previous five SoCon matchups combined.
- Offense posted its second 300-yard passing effort of 2024…averaged 22.4 yards per completion.
- Even on turnover margin…threw three interceptions while collecting one and two fumble recoveries to even the ledger.
- Time of possession went the Cats way: 36:02-23:58…Mocs are 5-1 when winning the possession battle with the lone loss coming at Tennessee.
- Six tackles for loss and two sacks…fifth game this season with multiple sacks and 39th of Wright's 61 games in charge.
- One sack and just three TFLs allowed…continues Mocs impressive run allowing just three sacks and 17 TFLs over the last six games… offensive front has allowed one or fewer sacks 42 times in the 61 games of the Wright Era.
- 33 first downs for the Cats…allowed just 35 in previous three games.
 
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- 4th career start, 2nd regular season for Luke Schomburg…1-3 as a starter…led the Mocs to first FCS Playoffs road win last November at Austin Peay…other starts came at Alabama and at Furman in 2nd round playoff encounter.
- Schomburg's first TD pass to Domercant converted a 3rd & 20. That's the 1st time since Aug 30, 2018 against Tennessee Tech that the Mocs converted a 3rd & 20+. That one was an 89-yard TD hookup between Nick Tiano and Bryce Nunnelly.
- Javin Whatley became the eighth Moc to reach 2,000 career receiving yards. Whatley now has 2,050 yards which is sixth on the list. He passed Joel Bradford (2008-11), C.J. Board (2013-16) and former teammate Jamoi Mayes (2020-23) with his 91-yard effort today.
- Whatley's 91 yards came on five catches…career vs. Western Carolina: 21-369, 5 TDs.
- Leroy Harris III's 75-yard fumble return is the longest by a Moc since Montrell Pardue's 99 yarder in the 2016 FCS Playoff win over Weber State. Longest in a regular season game.
- It's Harris' third fumble recovery…he has 130 return yards over those three recoveries…1st came at Georgia State and second was last week in win over VMI…fumble was forced on a strip sack by Marlon Taylor.
- Career-high 2.5 tackles for loss for Taylor…22.0 career TFLs with 9.0 sacks.
- The Mocs converted an onside kick to open the second half…it's the first since Nov. 14, 2009 against The Citadel with the kick by Craig Camay and recovery by Robert Harrison…today's completion was from Jude Kelley to Reuben Lowery III…Kelley is 6-7 for his collegiate career on onside kicks, 1-2 at Chattanooga.
- Kelley scored 10 points with two FGs made and four PATs…8th game with nine or more points in his 13-gane career.
- Chris Domercant had his third 100-yard receiving day…three catches for 101 yards and his first Chattanooga TD (38 yards)…now has 1,998 career yards with 445 coming at Chattanooga…TD was 17th of his career (16-Stonehill).
- Team-high nine tackles for Reuben Lowery III…added a pass breakup.
- LB Kobe Joseph added eight tackles with two for loss and a sack.
- D'Arco Perkins-McAllister collected his team-leading third interception of the season…of the team's 15, there are five Mocs with multiple picks and nine total with at least one.
 
RECORD WATCH
Pass Yards (Career):
1. Jacob Huesman (2012-15): 8,197
8. Steve Woods (1978-81): 5,026
9. Chase Artopoeus (2023-present): 4,472
 
Pass TDs (Career):
1. Jacob Huesman (2012-15): 64
6. Nick Tiano (2017-19): 35
tie. Mickey Brokas (1970-73): 35
8. Chase Artopoeus (2023-present): 29
tie. Alejandro Bennifield (2014-17): 29
tie. Brian Hampton (1995-98): 28
 
300-yd Pass Games (Career):
1. Chris Sanders (1999-00): 12
2. B.J. Coleman (2009-11): 6
3. Chase Artopoeus (2023-present): 4
 
Total Offense (Career)  
1. Jacob Huesman (2012-15): 12,248
8. Steve Woods (1978-81): 5,228
9. Antonio Miller (2004-07): 4,717
10. Chase Artopoeus (2023-present): 4,702
 
Receptions (Career)
1. Emmanuel Hassell (2004-06): 169
8. Jeremy Grier (2001-03): 144
tie. Terrell Owens (1992-95): 144
10. Sam Phillips (2022-present): 138
Javin Whatley (2022-present): 130
 
Receiving Yards (Career)
1. Stefpon Hawkins (1996-99): 2,375
2. Terrell Owens (1992-95): 2,320
3. Bryce Nunnelly (2017-20): 2,148
4. Joe Burke (1977-80): 2,145
5. Cos DeMatteo (1998-01): 2,092
6. Javin Whatley (2022-present): 2,050
7. C.J. Board (2013-16): 2,032
tie. Jamoi Mayes (2020-23): 2,032
9. Sam Phillips (2022-present): 1,950
 
SOCON SCOREBOARD
at Mercer 37, ETSU 31
at VMI 21, Furman 17
Wofford 17, at Samford 13