For coach Heath Eslinger and the Chattanooga Mocs, 2012-13 shows a big-time schedule for a program with big-time aspiratons.

Season Opener: Fri. Nov. 16 -  23-time NCAA champion University of Iowa comes to town to open the 2012-13 season ... The Hawkeyes have a two-time NCAA champ, an NCAA runner-up, world and Olympic champion in head coach Tom Brands and a No.3 finish at the NCAAs this past March ...  A great way for the Mocs to open the 66th wrestling season  .

.. UTC is 0-1 with Iowa, falling 47-0 two years ago in Iowa City.

“This is great for our program, the University, the community and the sport of wrestling," said coach Eslinger.  "Iowa has a great tradition and to have them here in Chattanooga is going to be great.”

 “It will also be great to have former UTC Coach Terry Brands back. He did a lot to boost our program and it will be good to have him back in Maclellan Gym.”

(note: Terry Brands is an assistant coach at Iowa)

 Tough Opener: Fifteen years to the day - Nov. 16, 1997 - UTC hosted Oklahoma State at Maclellan Gym to open that season ... No.2 OSU won, 39-9

A Few Strong Foes at Home Over the Years:

No.15 Stanford ... Mocs won, 22-15 (Nov. 20, 2012)

No. 19 Missouri was at Big Mac (Jan.16, 2010) and won 24-14

No.2 Cornell came to town (Feb.1, 2009) with Baylor School alum and NCAA champ Jordan Leen and won, 32-7 ...

No.5 Central Michigan won 26-11 (Feb. 17, 2008)

No.9 Ohio State ... Mocs won, 19-16 (Nov. 10, 2007)

No.4 Iowa State won, 27-9 (Nov. 29, 2003)

No.2 Oklahoma State won, 39-9 (Nov. 16, 1997)

No.11 Kentucky won 27-17 (Feb.23, 1980)

No.1 Oklahoma A&M, won 34-0 (Feb 10, 1950)

 

Madison Square Garden: Sun. Dec. 16 ... It doesn't get any better than this ... "The Grapple at the Garden" ... the Mocs wrestle in the Garden in New York City .. what a great early Christmas present that coach Eslinger has for his guys ... move over Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant.

10:30 a.m. - UTC vs. Rutgers

12:30 p.m. - UTC vs. Oklahoma State  (SU was 6th at the NCAAs)

other teams competing are Iowa, Ohio State, Nebraska, Maryland, Hofstra and Bucknell

The Mocs are 0-6 with Oklahoma State .. The Cowboys have wrestled the Mocs three times in Chattanooga, the first time coming Feb. 10, 1950 in the old UC gym as the Oklahoma A&M Aggies won, 34-0 ... and had won 55 duals in a row dating back to 1937 and were defending NCAA champs and ranked No.1 .. the Cowboys also wrestled at Maclellan Gym, Nov. 16, 1997, in the Mocs season opener ... No.2 OSU won 39-9

Southern Scuffle; Jan. 1-2 ... The Mocs host the Southern Scuffle at McKenzie Arena wirh many of the same teams from this past season, includng NCAA champion Penn State.

Penn State won the 2012 Scuffle with the Mocs taking 7th with one champion in Nick Soto.

**The complete 2012-13 season will be released by UTC shortly.

 

contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net