Jude Kelley
Photo by: Willis Glasgow
10/24/2026 7:18:00 PM | Football
2026 Chattanooga Mocs Football
Postgame Notes at Western Carolina
Oct. 24 – Cullowhee, N.C. – Whitmire Stadium
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SETTING THE SCENE
- The Chattanooga Mocs rolled to a 41-18 at the Western Carolina Catamounts Saturday afternoon in Whitmire Stadium…UTC is 5-3, 4-1 in the Southern Conference while Western moves to 3-5, 1-3 in the league.
- 38-28-1 (.575) coming off a bye all-time…3-2 vs Western Carolina…9-game win streak vs FCS competition after a bye week…11-1 following last 12 bye weeks prior to an FCS matchup (10-1 vs SoCon).
- Chattanooga came into the game tied for second in the league lead at 3-1…4-1 remains in second place, a half-game behind ETSU at 4-0.
- 4-1 start in the SoCon for first time since 2024…clinches at least a .500 record in the league for the ninth consecutive season including all eight under Rusty Wright.
- Mocs snap 4-game losing streak…lost those meetings by a mere 16 points.
- Wright is third on the Mocs coaching win list at 47…he is three wins shy of joining Scrappy Moore (170) & Russ Huesman (59) at the 50+ win level.
- Wright is second on the Mocs coaching win list at 37 SoCon victories…he is three wins shy of joining Huesman (42) at the 40+ win level.
- 3-2 on the road in 2026. 24-16 (.600) under Wright against FCS competition, 19-10 (.655) in the SoCon. 11-4 (.733) in SoCon road games over the last four seasons (2023-current).
- 119th season of football at Chattanooga…game number 1,190…586-569-35 (.507) all-time record…50th as a DI program.
- 50th season in SoCon for the Mocs...game number 361...183-176-2 (.510).
- Game captains: DB Nick Coates, DE Orlando Daniels, RB Kevin Lalin & OL Devin Lively.
- The Mocs won the toss & chose to defer…fourth time in eight games winning the coin toss.
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COACH RUSTY WRIGHT
Season: 8 | Game: 84
Overall Record: 47-37…47-29 vs. FCS opposition.
SoCon Record: 37-20…3-4 vs Western Carolina…1-2 at Whitmire Stadium.
SERIES
Meeting: 52
Record: 31-21 | SoCon: 29-20
In Cullowhee: 14-12 | SoCon: 13-11
Streak: +1 | in Cullowhee: +1
Last 5: 1-4 | Last 10: 5-5 | 20: 15-5
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TEAM NOTES
- Trailed 10-7 with 2:29 left in the second quarter…Jude Kelley's school record 57-yard field goal with 0:06 on the clock tied it at the break…the Mocs got the ball to start the third and quickly drove 75 yards in four plays to take a lead they'd never relinquish.
- 41 points scored today ties season high (Wofford).
- Scored on six of the last seven drives of the games including five of six in the second half.
- 24 points scored in the fourth quarter…second quarter of 24 points this season tallying 24 against Wofford in the second period in September.
- 295 yards rushing…fourth time in five games with 200+…206 of those yards came in a dominant second half performance.
- 53 rushes…fourth time with 50+…4-0 when rushing 50 or more times this season.
- Season-high five touchdowns…most since five against Stetson on Sept. 13, 2025…most in a SoCon game since six against Western Carolina on Sept. 28, 2019.
- 398 yards total offense is a season high…bests the 394 at Eastern Kentucky.
- Limited Western's offense to 18 points and 350 yards…the Catamounts were averaging 49.0 points per game at home this season.
- Mocs won the turnover battle with two interceptions and nary a giveaway of their own…the two teams were tied for fourth nationally in turnovers lost with four…two interceptions give the Mocs eight on the season…they were the 10th and 11th takeaways overall.
- Defense ended the game with five tackles for loss and one sack…five or more TFLs in seven of the eight contests this season.
- 86-yard second quarter punt return for Western Carolina's AJ Colombo is the first against the Mocs since Caleb Downs at Alabama on Nov. 18, 2023 (85 yards)…first by an FCS opponent since 2004, 57 yards by Erick Harris from Liberty.
- 32:00 in time of possession…4-0 when possessing the ball more than their opponent in 2026.
- The Mocs were six of 11 on third down while allowing Western just two conversions in 11 third down snaps.
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PLAYER NOTES
- RB Kevin Lalin topped the 3,000-yard mark for his career on his 39-yard run to start the third quarter…now has 3,083 yards including two seasons at Limestone and one at Catawba…he also topped 3,500 all-purpose yards (3,583).
- Lalin finished with 135 yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns…fourth 100-yard game this season, 17th of his career…fifth career multi-TD game, third of the season.
- K Jude Kelley's 57-yard field goal at the end of the first half is a new school record topping 53 by Scott
Kielblock vs. Samford on Sept. 3, 1998...first 50-yarder since 52 by Henrique Ribeiro at ETSU on Oct. 1, 2016…it's the eighth in school history.
- Kelley's 57 yarder also ties the Whitmire Stadium record done twice by Kirk Roach in 1987.
- Kelley scored 11 points today…now has 251 for his career which ranks third all-time…passed kicker Matt Vick '00 (242) on his record effort…trails Ribeiro '16 (307) and Jacob Huesman '15 (264).
- LB Zion Rutledge passed the 200 career tackle mark in the first three plays of the game…he came into the contest with 197…tied his career high with 17 stops including 1.5 for loss which also ties a career best.
- LB Kristian Ozane added seven tackles and registered his team-leading third interception of the season.
- WR Ashton Schumann had one catch for 12 yards…32nd straight game with a catch.
- WR Taylor Crumedy added three receptions for 79 yards…two of his catches were 37 yards each.
- SS Jaden Nelson collected his second interception of the season early in the fourth quarter…originally ruled a pick 6, replay overturned it to put the ball on the one with Lalin getting the TD a play later.
- DE Jermaine Stinson earned his first career sack in the fourth quarter.
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SOCON SCOREBOARD
ETSU 38, at VMI 0
Tennessee Tech 28, at The Citadel 13
Samford 13, at Furman 6
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For late scores that were unavailable at press time, please click this link,
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Postgame Notes at Western Carolina
Oct. 24 – Cullowhee, N.C. – Whitmire Stadium
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SETTING THE SCENE
- The Chattanooga Mocs rolled to a 41-18 at the Western Carolina Catamounts Saturday afternoon in Whitmire Stadium…UTC is 5-3, 4-1 in the Southern Conference while Western moves to 3-5, 1-3 in the league.
- 38-28-1 (.575) coming off a bye all-time…3-2 vs Western Carolina…9-game win streak vs FCS competition after a bye week…11-1 following last 12 bye weeks prior to an FCS matchup (10-1 vs SoCon).
- Chattanooga came into the game tied for second in the league lead at 3-1…4-1 remains in second place, a half-game behind ETSU at 4-0.
- 4-1 start in the SoCon for first time since 2024…clinches at least a .500 record in the league for the ninth consecutive season including all eight under Rusty Wright.
- Mocs snap 4-game losing streak…lost those meetings by a mere 16 points.
- Wright is third on the Mocs coaching win list at 47…he is three wins shy of joining Scrappy Moore (170) & Russ Huesman (59) at the 50+ win level.
- Wright is second on the Mocs coaching win list at 37 SoCon victories…he is three wins shy of joining Huesman (42) at the 40+ win level.
- 3-2 on the road in 2026. 24-16 (.600) under Wright against FCS competition, 19-10 (.655) in the SoCon. 11-4 (.733) in SoCon road games over the last four seasons (2023-current).
- 119th season of football at Chattanooga…game number 1,190…586-569-35 (.507) all-time record…50th as a DI program.
- 50th season in SoCon for the Mocs...game number 361...183-176-2 (.510).
- Game captains: DB Nick Coates, DE Orlando Daniels, RB Kevin Lalin & OL Devin Lively.
- The Mocs won the toss & chose to defer…fourth time in eight games winning the coin toss.
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COACH RUSTY WRIGHT
Season: 8 | Game: 84
Overall Record: 47-37…47-29 vs. FCS opposition.
SoCon Record: 37-20…3-4 vs Western Carolina…1-2 at Whitmire Stadium.
- 7-1 coming off a bye week…lone loss was 2023 at No. 8 Alabama.
SERIES
Meeting: 52
Record: 31-21 | SoCon: 29-20
In Cullowhee: 14-12 | SoCon: 13-11
Streak: +1 | in Cullowhee: +1
Last 5: 1-4 | Last 10: 5-5 | 20: 15-5
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TEAM NOTES
- Trailed 10-7 with 2:29 left in the second quarter…Jude Kelley's school record 57-yard field goal with 0:06 on the clock tied it at the break…the Mocs got the ball to start the third and quickly drove 75 yards in four plays to take a lead they'd never relinquish.
- 41 points scored today ties season high (Wofford).
- Scored on six of the last seven drives of the games including five of six in the second half.
- 24 points scored in the fourth quarter…second quarter of 24 points this season tallying 24 against Wofford in the second period in September.
- 295 yards rushing…fourth time in five games with 200+…206 of those yards came in a dominant second half performance.
- 53 rushes…fourth time with 50+…4-0 when rushing 50 or more times this season.
- Season-high five touchdowns…most since five against Stetson on Sept. 13, 2025…most in a SoCon game since six against Western Carolina on Sept. 28, 2019.
- 398 yards total offense is a season high…bests the 394 at Eastern Kentucky.
- Limited Western's offense to 18 points and 350 yards…the Catamounts were averaging 49.0 points per game at home this season.
- Mocs won the turnover battle with two interceptions and nary a giveaway of their own…the two teams were tied for fourth nationally in turnovers lost with four…two interceptions give the Mocs eight on the season…they were the 10th and 11th takeaways overall.
- Defense ended the game with five tackles for loss and one sack…five or more TFLs in seven of the eight contests this season.
- 86-yard second quarter punt return for Western Carolina's AJ Colombo is the first against the Mocs since Caleb Downs at Alabama on Nov. 18, 2023 (85 yards)…first by an FCS opponent since 2004, 57 yards by Erick Harris from Liberty.
- 32:00 in time of possession…4-0 when possessing the ball more than their opponent in 2026.
- The Mocs were six of 11 on third down while allowing Western just two conversions in 11 third down snaps.
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PLAYER NOTES
- RB Kevin Lalin topped the 3,000-yard mark for his career on his 39-yard run to start the third quarter…now has 3,083 yards including two seasons at Limestone and one at Catawba…he also topped 3,500 all-purpose yards (3,583).
- Lalin finished with 135 yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns…fourth 100-yard game this season, 17th of his career…fifth career multi-TD game, third of the season.
- K Jude Kelley's 57-yard field goal at the end of the first half is a new school record topping 53 by Scott
Kielblock vs. Samford on Sept. 3, 1998...first 50-yarder since 52 by Henrique Ribeiro at ETSU on Oct. 1, 2016…it's the eighth in school history.
- Kelley's 57 yarder also ties the Whitmire Stadium record done twice by Kirk Roach in 1987.
- Kelley scored 11 points today…now has 251 for his career which ranks third all-time…passed kicker Matt Vick '00 (242) on his record effort…trails Ribeiro '16 (307) and Jacob Huesman '15 (264).
- LB Zion Rutledge passed the 200 career tackle mark in the first three plays of the game…he came into the contest with 197…tied his career high with 17 stops including 1.5 for loss which also ties a career best.
- LB Kristian Ozane added seven tackles and registered his team-leading third interception of the season.
- WR Ashton Schumann had one catch for 12 yards…32nd straight game with a catch.
- WR Taylor Crumedy added three receptions for 79 yards…two of his catches were 37 yards each.
- SS Jaden Nelson collected his second interception of the season early in the fourth quarter…originally ruled a pick 6, replay overturned it to put the ball on the one with Lalin getting the TD a play later.
- DE Jermaine Stinson earned his first career sack in the fourth quarter.
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SOCON SCOREBOARD
ETSU 38, at VMI 0
Tennessee Tech 28, at The Citadel 13
Samford 13, at Furman 6
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For late scores that were unavailable at press time, please click this link,
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Players Mentioned
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Tuesday, October 27
Tuesday, October 20
Saturday, October 10
