First Look
The Chattanooga Mocs are back on the road for the final two weekends of the regular season. It starts Saturday at No. 8 Mercer in Macon, Ga. The matchup is scheduled for a 3 p.m., kickoff on ESPN+ as well as over the airwaves via WFLI in Chattanooga.
 
Matchup: Chattanooga (5-5/4-2) at #8 Mercer (8-1/7-0) | Nov. 15 | Five Star Stadium | 3 pm
Resources: Game Notes | Stats | Schedule | Roster
 
Media
TV: ESPN+ - Frank Malloy (PXP) & Phil Cox (Analysis)
 
Radio: WFLI Chattanooga (96.1 FM, 100.3 FM & 1070 AM) - Jim Reynolds (PxP), Todd Agne (Analysis) & Craig Cecil (Sideline). Also available online at GoMocs.com.
 
App: Go Mocs & Varsity Network
 
Coaches
Chattanooga: Rusty Wright (UTC '96) | UTC: 42-32 (7th) | Career: Same | vs. Mercer: 3-3
Mercer: Mike Jacobs (Ohio St. '01) | MU: 19-4 (2nd) | Career: 93-21 (10th) | vs. UTC: 1-0
 
Series
Game: 36th | Record: 22-12-1 | H: 17-5-1, A: 5-7 | Last 5: 2-3 | Streak: -1
 
3 Notes to Know

• 3rd opponent this season currently ranked in the FCS Top 10: (5) Tennessee Tech, (6) Tarleton State & the Bears at eight.
• 10-1 in last 11 SoCon road games…18-7 under Coach Rusty Wright.
• 16-3 after the last four midseason byes: 3-1 (2025), 5-0 (2024), 3-1 (2022) & 5-1 (2021).

 
About the Mocs

• Won four of last five games.
• Started 21 different defensive players this season: DT (3), DE (4) LB (4), CB (4), Safety (3) & Slot (3).
• 40-plus points four times this season (63-Stetson, 42-ETSU, 49-at Samford, 45-Furman). That's the most since four in 2016 (3-DI opp.) and most against all DI opposition since 2014 (4). Last time with five? 1979 (41-Western Kentucky, 45 at Furman, 59-Middle Tennessee, 42-at Western Carolina & 42 at Illinois State). Most in school history.
• Averaging 30.9 points per game. Looking to become seventh offense in school history with 30+ for a season. The last? 2016 (34.2). Need to score 51 points over last two weeks to do it.
• Turnover turnaround...Mocs were -5 in takeaways through 1st five games. +5 in last five.
• Stats Perform National Freshman of the Week was Mocs QB Battle Alberson. He also claimed SoCon Player of the Week honors. First National Player of the Week honor since 2023. K/P Clayton Crile earned the special teams honor for his school-record 16-point performance in the 22-10 win over Mercer on Oct. 14 in the last visit to Macon.
• Led the first Mocs offensive effort with 200+ yards rushing (252) & passing (277) this season. 1st since 609 yards (299 rush/310 pass) in the Oct. 15, 2022 win over VMI.

 
About the Bears

• On an 8-game win streak.
• One of the Mocs oldest rivals. First matchup was Nov. 4, 1909. The two teams played 24 times from 1909-41 before Mercer shuttered the locker room doors for a few decades.
• In the 11 SoCon matchups, the Mocs average 37.4 points in their wins and 11.7 in losses.
• Clinched at least a share of the SoCon title in last weekend's win at Western Carolina.
• 1-1 vs ranked Mercer team: 2022, 41-21, W, #11. 2024, 3-10, L.
• Balanced attack. Top 10 nationally in first downs gained (7th-231) and allowed (5th-150).
• Pass attack ranks second in the nation (346.6 ypg).
• Fourth best rush defense in the country (75.2 ypg).
• QB Braden Atkinson leads the nation in pass yards (364.6 ypg) & completions/game (25.3).
• DL Andrew Zock is second nationally in TFL (1.78) & third in sacks (1.22).

 
Hear Mocs: Coach Rusty Wright was joined Tuesday by safety Kaelin Drakeford and quarterback Battle Alberson for the Mocs weekly press conference. They took questions from all three TV network affiliates as well as newspaper and radio coverage. You can view it here.
 
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