The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team begins its stretch run of Southern Conference action this weekend at The Citadel. Kickoff at Johnson Hagood Stadium is set for Noon on Saturday, Oct. 18.
The Mocs are currently ranked No. 15 in the Football Championship Subdivision Coaches Poll with a 3-3 overall record. UTC is also No. 17 in the Sports Network Top 25, the other ranking recognized by the NCAA. Picked to win the SoCon title in the preseason, Chattanooga is 2-0 in league play for the first time since 1984.
The last time the Mocs started 3-0 in league action was 1983.
The Citadel is 2-4 overall and 0-1 in SoCon action. The triple-option Bulldogs have played a tough schedule that includes losses to FBS No. 2 Florida State (12-37) and FCS No. 3 Coastal Carolina (16-31). They also lost to FCS No. 22 Charleston Southern (18-20) and league foe Wofford (13-17). Their two wins are against Gardner-Webb (37-14) and last week’s overtime victory against Charlotte (63-56) and they are 2-1 at home.
The Mocs-Bulldogs series dates back to 1926 and includes 47 meetings. UTC has faced The Citadel more than any other opponent in school history, holding a 28-17-2 advantage.
Saturday’s game pits one of the best rushing attacks in the country against a stout UTC defense. The Citadel ran for 553 yards in last week’s win over Charlotte, the most in the FCS in a single game this season. The Bulldogs are second in the country in rushing, averaging an eye-popping 325.3 yards per game on the ground.
The Citadel has three backs who rank in the top 10 in the SoCon in rushing yards, led by senior quarterback Aaron Miller (96.3 ypg) who is second in the league. He is the current SoCon Offensive Player of the Week after carrying 22 times for a career-high 197 yards and a score, while completing 13 of 22 passes for another 136 yards and two touchdowns against Charlotte.
Senior running back Jake Stenson is eighth with 61.8 yards per game, while sophomore running back Tyler Renew is No. 9 at 55.8 ypg. Cam Jackson is the league’s Freshman of the Week after accounting for 241 yards, including his first career 100-yard rushing game. He carried 12 times for 116 yards and found the end zone twice.
The Mocs put the SoCon’s top rushing defense on the field, allowing just 131.7 yards per game. UTC held Tennessee to just 52 rushing yards through three quarters, and 105 for the game, in its last outing. Chattanooga also leads the league and is No. 13 in the FCS in total defense, giving up 299.7 yards per game.
Senior All-American defensive end and Buck Buchanan Award candidate Davis Tull leads the Mocs defense. He is tops in the SoCon in TFLs (11.0) and sacks (6.0). He is currently No. 3 on the SoCon all-time sacks list with 32.5 in his career, just four behind the record held by Appalachian State’s Josh Jeffries (1999-02).
Senior DL Derrick Lott is third in the SoCon in TFLs (7.5) and sacks (4.0), while sophomore DB Dee Virgin is second in the league with eight passes defended.
Offensively, the Mocs are led by junior QB and Walter Payton Award candidate Jacob Huesman. Huesman is averaging nearly 180 yards of total offense per game and has eight TD passes against five interceptions. He is yet to throw a pick against FCS competition this season.
Special teams have been special for Chattanooga this season. UTC is second in the nation in punt return average (22.1 ppg), thanks to two returns for touchdowns by senior Tommy Hudson. Sophomore C.J. Board also had a 41-yard return against VMI. Senior Nick Pollard is second in the SoCon and No. 15 in the nation in punting (42.2). His rugby style has the Mocs on top of the league and No. 12 in the nation in net punting (38.0).