Keyshawn Jackson
Photo by: Billy Weeks
11/7/2026 4:07:00 PM | Football
Postgame Quotes
Chattanooga 7, Mercer 14Â
Nov. 7, 2026 | Finley Stadium
Rusty Wright, Head Coach
Opening Statement
"Maybe a couple of decisions late probably didn't help us. You know, our guys fought their tails off. Gave themselves an opportunity to win, and you know, they made one more play than we did. And I know that bunch in there is hurting. I'm hurting for them, more than I can tell you. They spilled their guts, and I didn't help them enough."
On the message on going into overtime after Mercer missed a kick at the end of the regulation
"I mean we just continue to play. I mean, that's the thing, we had an opportunity. We talk about playing until we can't play anymore all the time. That's what happens when you go to overtime. We had a chance to make a couple of plays, and they made theirs. We don't really run the right blitz on defense when they scored a touchdown, and they make a play. But we shouldn't have been in that situation."
On how to bounce back from this loss
"Hopefully, the sun comes up tomorrow and you go back to work and you dig in and you get it figured out. We got a good group of people in that room. They have played their tails off all year. It would be disheartening for me if they didn't next week, and I don't think that's going to be the case with this bunch. I really don't, because they're good people. That's the thing is, I mean, even if we want it, we still got to go figure out a way to go get the last one."
On what he would've done differently
"At the end of the game I should've kicked the field goal there with Jude on fourth down, but I mean it was fourth and one. You know I gave the ball back to Mercer and gave them a chance to come down there and kick a field goal to win. Luckily, we got it back in overtime."
Montrell Henderson, Defensive Lineman
On the defensive performance
"We didn't get the result that we wanted. I think we played decent on defense, but we could've done better."
On how to move forward after the defeat
"We're going to come back ready to work starting tomorrow with treatment and stretching then come ready on Monday to prepare for the next game."
Zion Rutledge, Linebacker
His reaction to the loss
"That's a good football team. You have to pick between two things and that's to give up now or to keep going. I'm as humble in defeat as I am in victory. If we won, I am sure we wouldn't stop, so we're not stopping now. We have no choice but to watch it, see what we can do better and keep going."
On the effort the team gaveÂ
"We gave everything to this game. At the end of the day, God did not feel like it was the time to give it to us. Those guys in the locker room should sleep knowing there was nothing more they could give. There is nothing more I could give to this game."
Chattanooga 7, Mercer 14Â
Nov. 7, 2026 | Finley Stadium
Rusty Wright, Head Coach
Opening Statement
"Maybe a couple of decisions late probably didn't help us. You know, our guys fought their tails off. Gave themselves an opportunity to win, and you know, they made one more play than we did. And I know that bunch in there is hurting. I'm hurting for them, more than I can tell you. They spilled their guts, and I didn't help them enough."
On the message on going into overtime after Mercer missed a kick at the end of the regulation
"I mean we just continue to play. I mean, that's the thing, we had an opportunity. We talk about playing until we can't play anymore all the time. That's what happens when you go to overtime. We had a chance to make a couple of plays, and they made theirs. We don't really run the right blitz on defense when they scored a touchdown, and they make a play. But we shouldn't have been in that situation."
On how to bounce back from this loss
"Hopefully, the sun comes up tomorrow and you go back to work and you dig in and you get it figured out. We got a good group of people in that room. They have played their tails off all year. It would be disheartening for me if they didn't next week, and I don't think that's going to be the case with this bunch. I really don't, because they're good people. That's the thing is, I mean, even if we want it, we still got to go figure out a way to go get the last one."
On what he would've done differently
"At the end of the game I should've kicked the field goal there with Jude on fourth down, but I mean it was fourth and one. You know I gave the ball back to Mercer and gave them a chance to come down there and kick a field goal to win. Luckily, we got it back in overtime."
Montrell Henderson, Defensive Lineman
On the defensive performance
"We didn't get the result that we wanted. I think we played decent on defense, but we could've done better."
On how to move forward after the defeat
"We're going to come back ready to work starting tomorrow with treatment and stretching then come ready on Monday to prepare for the next game."
Zion Rutledge, Linebacker
His reaction to the loss
"That's a good football team. You have to pick between two things and that's to give up now or to keep going. I'm as humble in defeat as I am in victory. If we won, I am sure we wouldn't stop, so we're not stopping now. We have no choice but to watch it, see what we can do better and keep going."
On the effort the team gaveÂ
"We gave everything to this game. At the end of the day, God did not feel like it was the time to give it to us. Those guys in the locker room should sleep knowing there was nothing more they could give. There is nothing more I could give to this game."
Players Mentioned
DT
/ Football
LB
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Tuesday, October 27
