2024 Chattanooga Football
Postgame Notes & Records
August 31, 2024 – at Tennessee – Neyland Stadium
 
SETTING THE SCENE
- The Chattanooga Mocs lost 69-3 at Tennessee in Neyland Stadium today…it was the season opener for both teams.
- Chattanooga entered the contest ranked No. 8 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll and No. 9 per Stats Perform.
- Tennessee was No. 15 in both the AP and USA Today Coaches Poll.
- 63-53-1 in season openers…15-32 on the road.
- Last time opening the season against an FBS opponent? 2014…dropped a narrow 20-16 decision at Central Michigan…also played the Vols later that season.
- First time opening the season against an SEC school since Sept. 3, 1994, a 42-13 loss at #11 Alabama.
- Game captains: Chase Artopoeus, Jay Gibson, Reuben Lowery III, Quay Wiggles & Reid Williams…won toss and chose to defer.
 
COACH RUSTY WRIGHT
- 30-23 in his sixth season…15-15 all-time on the road.
- 2-4 in season openers…0-3 on the road.
- 0-4 vs. SEC opposition, all on the road…0-2 vs. Tennessee.
 
FOR STARTERS
- First career start for junior offensive lineman Tyrell Ragland…the Knoxville native transferred from Carson-Newman in the summer of 2023 and missed the season due to injury…he transformed his body from arriving at 360 pounds to 308 this summer paving the way to a healthy beginning and opportunity to win starting job at left guard.
- Also first career starts for RG B.J. Ragland (Chattanooga, Tenn.), RB Reggie Davis, WR Chris Domercant, CB Taylor Smallwood, CB D'Arco Perkins-McAllister, DE Joseph Bakhole & DE Chris Victor.
- WR Sam Phillips has started all 25 games of his career…junior from Cartersville looks to extend that streak near his hometown with the Mocs traveling to Atlanta facing Georgia State.
 
QUICK NOTES
- Kobe Joseph made his third career interception…career long 71-yard return to the UT 10…longest return since Kam Brown's 78-yrard pick 6 at Samford last Sept. 23.
- Joseph has 131 career return yards on his three Chattanooga picks…that puts him 22 yards outside the top 5 in program history behind D.J. Key's (2010-13) 153.
- Sam Phillips had five catches for 54 yards…he topped the 1300 yard mark for his career today (109-1,339)…now 60 shy of school record career receptions (Emmanuel Hassell, 169, 2004-06).
- QB Chase Artopoeus had 141 yards passing on 12 of 23 with no turnovers…Luke Schomburg came off the bench in the fourth quarter completing his lone pass for 12 yards.
- RB Reggie Davis had 20 carries for 51 yards…true freshman Journey Wyche made his first career appearance gaining 23 yards on six totes.
- 43-yard field goal for Jude Kelley in the third quarter is the second-longest of his career…nailed a 48-yarder at Samford last season…9-12 for his career overall, 2-4 from 40+.
- Alen Karajic's 55-yard attempt in the third was a near miss of setting a new school record…the current mark of 53 yards was set on Sept. 3 26 years ago by Scot Kielbock vs. Samford in 1998.
- 414 yards passing today for the Vols is the first 400+ effort by an opponent since 410 by No. 17 Appalachian State on Oct. 30, 2004…the Mocs won that game in a 59-56 shootout in Finley Stadium…that day, the two teams combined for 950 passing yards (540-UTC).
- Mocs gained 227 yards – 74 rush & 153 pass…144 of those came in the second half - 42 rush & 102 pass.
- 30:46 to 29:14 advantage in time of possession…31 of 53 games led by Rusty Wright have resulted in 30 or more minutes in time of possession.
- 1 of 14 on third down for the contest…0-6 with nine or more yards & 0-3 from 4 or less…average distance was 9.9 yards.
- Blocked punt returned for a TD by the Vols in the fourth quarter was the first since 2019…that came at VMI on Nov. 23., in Lexington, Va.
- Offensive line allowed just one sack today…breaks a string of three straight games without a sack – at Alabama, at Austin Peay & at Furman…just one sack and 11 total TFLs allowed over that stretch.
- Defense recorded two sacks and four TFLs…1.0 for Joseph Bakhole and 0.5 shared by Jaden Gaines and Ky Tayo…23 sacks over the last eight contests (2.9 per game).
- Multiple sacks recorded in 35 of Wright's 53 games.
- Allowed one or fewer sacks 36 times over that span.
 
SOCON SCOREBOARD
(TH) Wofford 21, Gardner-Webb 20
(TH) Mercer 63, Presbyterian 10
(TH) William & Mary 41, VMI 7
(TH) #24 N.C. State 38, #19 Western Carolina 21
ETSU at App State, 3:30 p.m.
Samford at West Georgia, 6 p.m.
#9 Furman at #6 Ole Miss, 7 p.m.