Mocs Visit No. 13 Wofford With SoCon Title Still in Play

  • Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Chattanooga Mocs Football Game Notes
Chattanooga Mocs (5-4, 4-2 SoCon) at No. 13 Wofford Terriers (7-2, 5-2 SoCon)
Gibbs Stadium (13,000) – Spartanburg, S.C.
Saturday – Nov. 10, 2012 – 1:30 p. m. (E.S.T.)

Radio:  Mocs Sports Network – ESPN Radio 105.1 FM (flagship) – Jim Reynolds (pxp), Todd Agne (analyst), Will Poindexter (sideline)

Online:  ESPN3 – Darren Goldwater (pxp), Doug Chapman (analyst) – Live Audio Live Scoring on GoMocs.com

It has been a long time since the Mocs have been in the hunt for a Southern Conference football championship this late in the season, but that is exactly what is on the line this weekend. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga visits No. 13 Wofford for a 1:30 p.m. (E.S.T.) kickoff with conference title hopes up in the air for both teams.

The Mocs are 5-4 overall, 4-2 in SoCon action, and working towards their first SoCon title since 1984. They are one of four teams in the league with two losses, including the Terries who are 5-2 in SoCon action and 7-2 overall. UTC needs two more wins to grab a share of the SoCon title, while Wofford can do the same with a win on Saturday.

This game has been a pivotal one in each of the last two meetings. Last season, UTC led 27-14 in the fourth quarter and looked like it had wrapped up its third straight winning season. However, Wofford scored twice late in the game, including the go-ahead touchdown with 37 seconds left, to give the Mocs their third 28-27 loss on the year.

In the 2010 season finale, UTC visited Gibbs Stadium needing a win to get into the FCS Playoffs for the first time since that championship season in 1984. UTC fell behind early and could not hang with the Terriers in a 45-14 loss.

SOCON TITLE PICTURE
Georgia Southern is done with its league slate and has wrapped up at least a share of the SoCon trophy. The Eagles and 6-2 in league games and 7-2 overall. Their last two contests are out of conference against Howard (Nov. 10) and at Georgia (Nov. 17).

The Mocs cannot win the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Playoffs because the best they can do is tie Georgia Southern. The Eagles own the tiebreaker over UTC because of their 39-31 OT win against the Mocs on Oct. 27.

Appalachian State hosts Furman on Saturday in its season finale. The Mountaineers are 7-3 overall and 6-2 in the SoCon. If ASU is in a three-way tie with Georgia Southern and UTC, it gets the at-large bid because of wins over both the Mocs and the Eagles.

RADIO & ESPN3 BROADCAST
Fans can catch the game on the radio on the Mocs Sports Network. The flagship station is ESPN Radio 105.1 FM in Chattanooga. Jim Reynolds is in his 33rd year as the play-by-play man for the Mocs. Todd Agne has the color commentary with Will Poindexter as the sideline reporter.

The game is also broadcast on ESPN3.com as a part of the SoCon broadcast package. Darren Goldwater has the play-by-play while Doug Chapman handles the analysis. A link for the broadcast is available on the schedule page on GoMocs.com.

SEASON NO. 105
The Chattanooga Mocs are in their 105th season of football in 2012. The University of Chattanooga was founded in 1886 and football began play in 1904. No teams were fielded in 1917 and 1918 due to World War I. There was also a two-year hiatus from football action during World War II in 1943 and 1944. The Mocs have an all-time record of 493-502-35 (.496) and have won 10 conference titles.

COACHES AT A GLANCE
Russ Huesman is 22-20 in his fourth year at Chattanooga after being hired as the 22nd head coach at UTC on Dec. 22, 2008. A 1983 graduate of UTC and a former defensive back, Huesman guided Chattanooga to a 6-5 mark in 2009, equaling the number of wins UTC had seen in the previous three years combined. The Mocs are 1-2 against Wofford under Huesman.

Prior to his return to Chattanooga, Huesman spent the 25 seasons building a reputation as one of the top defensive-minded assistant coaches in the country. He spent five seasons as the defensive coordinator at the University of Richmond before joining UTC and also coached at Memphis (1998-2003) and William & Mary (14 yrs), serving as the Defensive Coordinator for the 1996-97 seasons. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Huesman played prep football at perennial power Moeller High School, where he lettered for four years under head coach Gerry Faust.

Wofford head coach Mike Ayers (Georgetown, Ky. '74), the winningest coach in school history, is in his 25th season at the Terrier helm with a record of 169-113-1. Ayers has spent 28 years as a collegiate head coach and has a record of 180-133-2 that includes a three-year stint as the head coach at East Tennessee State from 1985-87. Ayers earned Southern Conference Coach of the Year honors from the league coaches in 2000, 2003 and 2007 and by the media in 2000, '02, '03 and '10. Ayers was the 2003 recipient of the Eddie Robinson Award as Division I-AA's National Coach of the Year and also earned the 2002 Division I-AA National Coach of the Year award from the College Sporting News in addition to being the runner-up for the Robinson Award.

NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOCS

  • The Mocs are 17th in the nation in total defense, allowing 308.0 yards per game ... that is good for No. 2 in the Southern Conference.
  • UTC is No. 20 in the nation in third-down defense (33.0%).
  • Chattanooga is No. 9 in the nation and second in the SoCon in Time of Possession (32:43).
  • UTC is No. 13 in the nation in passing defense, allowing just 166.3 yds/gm.
  • The Mocs are one of the least penalized teams in the nation at 37.4 penalty yards per game. That ranks No. 8 overall and No. 2 in the SoCon.
  • UTC is +7 in turnovers, second in the SoCon and No. 13 in the FCS.
  • UTC is 3-0 on the road in SoCon play this season ... the Mocs have never won four SoCon road games...UTC has not gone undefeated in SoCon road play since 1990 when they were 2-0.
  • Sophomore DE Davis Tull leads the SoCon and is No. 4 in the nation with 10.0 sacks ... he also leads the SoCon with 13.5 TFLs...he has 6.0 sacks in his last four games.
  • Freshman QB Jacob Huesman has a UTC freshman record 130 completions on the year ... his 11 TD passes are No. 2 on the Mocs' all-time freshman list. He needs three more to pass Kenyon Earl (1991) for the top spot on that list. He has 100 yards rushing and passing in each of the last two games. He is trying to become the first Moc to run for 100 yards in three straight games since Eldra Buckley in 2006.
  • Sophomore K/P Nick Pollard is No. 3 in the SoCon and No. 20 in the nation, averaging 42.0 yards per punt. He is using the same rugby-style punting as Joel Bradford did last year.
  • Chattanooga is No. 15 in the nation and third in the SoCon with a 37.9 net punting average.
  • Two-time All-SoCon defensive back Kadeem Wise has 10 career interceptions and is tied for No. 5 all-time at UTC. He is ninth among active NCAA FCS players for career INTs.
  • UTC is coming off a 5-6 2011 record which included five losses by a total of 12 points. The Mocs lost three games by a 28-27 tally.
  • UTC has three members of its defense on various preseason All-American teams, including junior linebacker Wes Dothard, senior defensive lineman Josh Williams and junior defensive back Kadeem Wise.
  • UTC is picked to finish fourth in the SoCon by the league's coaches and media.
  • Chattanooga had eight players named to the preseason All-SoCon teams, including three on the first team defense (Williams, Dothard, Key).
  • Despite returning 17 starters, UTC is still a very young team in 2012 ... there are just seven seniors on the roster ... 13 starters on the current two-deep are sophomores and freshmen.

NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT WOFFORD

  • The Terriers are ranked 14th in the FCS Coaches Poll and 13th in the Sports Network poll.
  • Wofford looks to return to the NCAA playoffs for the third straight season in 2012.
  • Wofford is ranked second in the nation in rushing offense (372.8) and 25th in the nation in total offense (425.0). The Terriers finished first in the nation in rushing in each of the last two seasons (297.7 in 2010 and 364.6 in 2011).
  • Senior FB Eric Breitenstein is third in the nation in rushing yards per game (155.1) and is the 2011 SoCon Offensive Player of the Year, 2012 Preseason Player of the Year and on the Walter Payton Award Watch List. He needs 38 yards to break the school record for career rushing yards.
  • Wofford is No. 10 in the nation in scoring offense at 35.8 ppg.
  • The Terriers lead the SoCon and are No. 12 in the nation in scoring defense at 17.6 ppg.
  • Wofford leads the SoCon and is No. 12 in the nation with a +8 turnover margin.
  • The Terriers are 4-0 at home this season.
  • Wofford is last in the FCS with 52.1 passing yards per game.

NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE UTC-WOFFORD GAME

  • The two teams have the fewest turnovers in the SoCon. Wofford has the least with eight (6 fumbles & 2 INTs) while the Mocs are second with nine (4 fumbles & 5 INTs).
  • Wofford is 25th in the nation in total offense (425.0) while the Mocs are 17th in the nation in total defense (308.0).
  • Both teams are playing for a share of the SoCon title. If Wofford wins, they will be in a tie with Georgia Southern at 6-2 in SoCon action. If UTC wins, they still need another win next week against Elon to earn a share of the crown. The loser of the game is knocked out of the race.
  • The Mocs are 1-3 against ranked teams this season...5-11 under Huesman.

NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE WOFFORD SERIES

  • This is the 19th meeting in the series that dates back to 1927.
  • Only three games were played prior to 1997, all UTC wins.
  • Wofford owns a 10-8 overall advantage.
  • The Mocs are 2-6 on the road, and have lost six-straight in Spartanburg, S.C. The last road win for the Mocs was 31-3 on Oct. 3, 1998.
  • Wofford has won two straight, five of the last six and is 10-3 since 1999.

CHATTANOOGA 45 AT WESTERN CAROLINA 24 - NOV. 3, 2012

  • UTC trailed 24-22 after three quarters, but scored 23 in the fourth for the win...the Mocs are just 4-14 when trailing after three quarters in the Russ Huesman era. The other three fourth quarter comebacks for the Mocs in the Huesman era were at Western Carolina and The Citadel (home) in 2009 and at Furman in 2010.
  • At the half, Western Carolina had 24 points, 255 yards of offense and 13 first downs. The Mocs defense shut out the Catamounts in the second half, while allowing just 33 yards of offense and one first down.
  • The 45 points are a season-high for the Mocs.
  • UTC had two plays for over 50 yards in one game for the first time this season...Jacob Huesman had a 51-yard TD run in the third quarter...Kendrix Huitt had a 74-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.
  • Huitt and Huesman's 50-yard+ TD runs were the first for the Mocs of that length since Bryan Fitzgerald had a 65-yarder at Arkansas on Oct. 6, 2007.
  • Freshman RB Kendrix Huitt (137) and freshman QB Jacob Huesman (130) both had 100+ yards rushing today...first time two UTC rushers ran for over 100 yards since Bryan Fitzgerald (134) and Erroll Wynn (115) against Appalachian State in 2007.
  • UTC's 367 rushing yards are a season-high and the most since putting up 404 in a 49-14 win against VMI on Oct. 15, 1994.
  • Sophomore QB Terrell Robinson capped off a 13-play, 98-yard drive in the fourth quarter icing the game with a three-yard TD run...it is the longest scoring drive in terms of yards for UTC in the Russ Huesman era.
  • UTC is 3-0 in SoCon road games this season...the Mocs are 9-6 on the road in league play in the Huesman era.
  • Chattanooga is 5-1 on the year and 17-3 under Huesman when outrushing its opponent (367-112).
  • Shane Heatherly (Sr. - LB) - Career-high 10 tackles ... recovered a fumble ... hails from nearby Waynesville, N.C.
  • Jacob Huesman (Fr. - QB) - 130 rushing yards and two TDs on 12 carries ... scored on a 51-yard rush in the third quarter...also had a five-yard TD run in the fourth quarter...second time with two rushing TDs in a game ... 364 rushing yards and three TDs in last three games ... six rushing TDs this season ties Kenyon Earl (1991) for No. 2 on the Mocs' freshman list...record is seven by James Roberts (1989) ... 14-21 passing for 107 yards, one TD and two INTs ... threw his first INT since the Appalachian State game on Sept. 22 ... passes Stan Nix (1987) for second-most passing yards by a freshman at UTC with 1,249 yards...record is 1,643 by Kenyon Earl (1991).
  • Kendrix Huitt (Fr. - RB) - Career-highs with 137 yards on 15 carries and one TD ... 74-yard run in the fourth quarter is the longest play of the year for the Mocs...longest TD run for UTC since Eldra Buckley had a 76-yarder against Tennessee Tech on Aug. 31, 2006.
  • J.J. Jackson (Sr. - RB) - Career-high 63 rushing yards on eight carries ... career-long 24-yard rush in the first quarter ... also had three catches for 24 yards.
  • D.J. Key (Jr. - DB) - INT in the second quarter...second of the year and fifth of his career ... added nine stops ...
  • Henrique Ribeiro (Fr. - K) - 32-yard FG in the second quarter ... 2-3 on the year...first since the season opener at South Florida (Sept. 1).
  • Terrell Robinson (So. - QB) - 30 yards and a TD on five carries ... three catches for a team-high 31 yards.
  • Davis Tull (So. - DE) - Recorded his SoCon leading 10th sack of the season ... third highest single-season total at UTC...record is 12.0 by Josh Beard (2009) and Tyler Unzicker (2001) ... moves into second place on the Mocs' all-time sack list with 15.0 in his career ... leads the SoCon with 13.5 TFLs...fifth-highest total in school history.
  • Kadeem Wise (Jr. - DB) - INT in the fourth quarter ... second of the season and the 10th of his career ... passes head coach Russ Huesman (1978-81), among others, to tie for fourth-place now on the Mocs all-time INT list.

NO. 12 WOFFORD 28, CHATTANOOGA 27 - NOV. 19, 2011

  • Chattanooga ended the year with a 28-27 loss to No. 12 Wofford ... the Mocs dropped to 5-6 overall and 3-5 in SoCon action...Wofford improved to 8-3 overall and 6-2 in the SoCon.
  • UTC's five losses to FCS teams came by a TOTAL of 12 points, including three 28-27 losses.
  • UTC posted 350 yards of total offense...its most since totaling 388 against Western Carolina...Chattanooga had 229 yards at the break but managed just 121 in the second half.
  • UTC allowed a TD to Wofford in the first quarter...the Mocs had shutout their opponents in the first quarter in the previous seven games...it was also the first TD allowed by Chattanooga in the opening half in four games.
  • Chattanooga had 141 passing yards in the first half...that is the most for any GAME since posting 253 against The Citadel on Oct. 1...UTC finished with 232.
  • Wofford's Donovan Johnson had 141 rushing yards while Eric Breitenstein finished with 140. It is the first time UTC has allowed two 100-yard rushers since Appalachian State had three top the century mark in 2008.
  • Breitenstein ran the ball 30 times, the most against Chattanooga since Elon's A.J. Harris carried the ball 31 times in 2010.
  • WR - Marlon Anthony - SO - Four catches for a career-high 86 yards ... 44-yard TD reception in the first quarter is the longest of his career ... finished with five TD catches on the season.
  • LB - Wes Dothard - SO - 10 tackles, including two for loss ... fifth game this year with 10+ tackles.
  • RB - Marquis Green - FR - Nine carries for 47 yards.
  • DB - D.J. Key - SO - Third INT of the season ... finished with six tackles.
  • TE - Faysal Shafaat - FR - Season-high five catches ... season-high 48 receiving yards ... 2nd TD of the season.
  • FB - Taharin Tyson - FR - Season-high 43 yards on 14 carries.

YOUTH MOVEMENT
Of the 3,167 yards of total offense produced by the Mocs this season, all but 339 yards were put up by sophomores and freshmen. That means that underclassmen account for roughly 89% of the Mocs offense. Of the Mocs 31 touchdowns, 29 have been by freshmen and sophomores. With 17 total starters returning, the Mocs have a lot of experience back. However, UTC is still a young team in 2012. There are only seven seniors on the roster. Of the 62 Mocs that participated in a game last season, 22 were freshmen and another 17 were sophomores. There are 13 sophomores and freshmen who are listed as starters on the two-deep, including nine on offense, three on defense and two specialists.

IT'S ALL IN THE NAME
On first reference, it is acceptable to refer to us as the "University of Tennessee at Chattanooga". After that, we prefer to be called "Chattanooga" or "UTC." Our nickname is "Mocs."

ROSTER, DEPTH CHART AND BREAKDOWNS
An updated roster can be found on pages 10-11 of the .pdf of the game notes. There is a roster breakdown on page 12 and a list of the starters and letter winners returning and lost on page 13. An updated depth chart is on pages 14-15.

ROBINSON IS EVERYWHERE
Sophomore QB Terrell Robinson has shown off his versatility in the last five games, scoring five TDs and throwing for another. He had 97 rushing yards and a score on 22 carries to go with 4-5 passing for 73 yards and a TD at The Citadel. He got the start at QB against Furman and was 7-10 passing for 86 yards. He also had eight catches for 81 yards and two TDs while running four times for 29 yards and another score against the Paladins. Robinson is currently second on the team in scoring with five TDs (3 rec, 2 rush) and a 2-pt. conversion and has thrown for two more TDs.

HUESMAN CLIMBING THE MOCS FRESHMAN RECORD BOOKS
Freshman QB Jacob Huesman is putting up some impressive numbers this season. He has twice been named the SoCon Freshman of the Week and is racking up yards rushing and passing.

Rushing

  • Leads the team and and all SoCon freshmen with 80.8 yards per game.
  • 727 rushing yards are the most at UTC since Bryan Fitzgerald had 798 in 2007...fourth most by a freshman in school history.
  • Six rushing TDs are the second most by a UTC freshman...needs two more for the record.
  • Has three 100-yard rushing games, including each of the last two outings.
  • 170 yards and two TDs on 26 carries against No. 2 Georgia Southern ... most rushing yards by a Moc since Bryan Fitzgerald had 181 at Presbyterian on Sept. 19, 2009 ... second most rushing yards by a QB in school history (197 - Richard Manning at Ole Miss on Nov. 9, 1968) ... second most rushing yards by a freshman in school history (202 - James Roberts at ETSU - 10/14/89).

Passing

  • Completing 66% of his passes (132-200).
  • Set UTC freshman record for completions (132).
  • Has 1,249 passing yards and needs 395 to pass Kenyon Earl (1991) for the UTC freshman record.
  • 11 passing TDs is second most by a freshman in school history...needs three more for the record
  • 11 passing TDs is third in the SoCon.
  • Five INTs is tied for the fewest among the top-5 passers in the SoCon.
  • Currently No. 4 in the SoCon with a 131.6 pass efficiency rating.
  • Season-high 210 yards on 16-26 passing with two TDs against Glenville State. Most passing yards by a UTC freshman since Stan Nix put up 221 in a 16-14 win over Furman on Sept. 26, 1987.

Total Offense

  • Fourth in the league with 219.6 yards of total offense per game ... most among SoCon frosh.
  • Thrown and ran for 100+ yards three times this season.
  • Has 17 total TDs (11 pass and 6 rush).
  • 347 yards of total offense (166 rush & 181 pass) at No. 24 Jacksonville State is the most ever by a UTC freshman and the most by any Moc since B.J. Coleman had 428 (432 pass/-4 rush) at Furman on Oct. 23, 2010.
  • 1,976 yards of total offense is a UTC freshman record and ninth most all-time.

DOTHARD NAMED TO BUCK BUCHANAN AWARD WATCH LIST
Junior linebacker Wes Dothard was named to the 2012 Buck Buchanan Award Watch List. Dothard is one of 20 players up for the top defensive honor in the Football Championship Subdivision presented by The Sports Network. He is also a consensus Preseason All-American. Dothard is coming off an outstanding sophomore season that included 98 tackles, five forced fumbles, two defensive scores and First Team All-American honors from the Sports Network. He currently leads the team with 74 tackles, including four for a loss, two forced fumbles and an interception.

WILLIAMS A CONSENSUS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
Senior defensive end Josh Williams has been named to various preseason FCS All-American teams heading into 2012. He is the Mocs' all-time leader in sacks with 22.5 in his career. He is second among all active players in the NCAA FCS for career sacks, trailing only Georgia Southern's Brent Russell (24.0). The Griffin, Ga., native led the SoCon in sacks last season (9.5) and earned first team honors from the league. He has started 38 of 40 games in his career. He recorded his first sack at Furman and has 17 tackles, three QBHs and recovered a fumble.

WISE NAMED TO PHIL STEELE PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN TEAM
Junior defensive back Kadeem Wise joined Dothard and Williams on the Phil Steele FCS Preseason All-American team. Wise made the fourth team while Dothard and Williams were third team selections. Wise is a two-time All-SoCon performer with nine career interceptions. He was the 2010 SoCon Freshman of the Year and a second team all-league pick in 2011. He has started every game of his career at cornerback and is the only Moc to be named All-SoCon in his first two seasons. He is currently fourth on the team with 45 tackles. He was named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Week after logging eight tackles and a pick at The Citadel on Sept. 29. He has two INTs this season and is fifth all-time at UTC with 10 in his career. He is currently ninth among active players in the NCAA FCS for career INTs.

POLLARD NAMED TO FRED MITCHELL AWARD WATCH LIST
Sophomore Nick Pollard is one of 44 student-athletes on the 2012 Fred Mitchell Place-Kicker Award Watch List the selection committee announced prior to the season. The annual Fred Mitchell Award is provided to the nation's top collegiate place-kicker among more than 750 FCS, Division II, III, NAIA and NJCAA football teams. Pollard (Smyrna, Tenn.) is coming off an outstanding 2011 season that saw him break the Mocs' freshman scoring record with 61 points. He connected on 31-of-33 PATs and was 10-of-14 on field goals, earning Southern Conference All-Freshman honors. This season he is 7-12 on FGs and 24-26 on PATs. He is also handling the punting duties and is No. 20 in the nation with 42.0-yard average per kick.

TULL LEADS THE SOCON IN SACKS AND TFLS
Sophomore DE Davis Tull has four sacks in his last three games and is leading the SoCon with 10.0 on the year. He is No. 4 in the nation in sacks and leads the SoCon with 13.5 TFLs. He is tied for 11th in the country with three forced fumbles and leads the team with six QBHs. he has six sacks in the last four games and is now second in career sacks at UTC with 15.0. Teammate Josh Williams leads that category with 22.5 and counting. Tull is threatening UTC's single-season sack record of 12.0 set by Tyler Unzicker in 2001 and matched by Josh Beard in 2009.
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