For the second straight year, Finley Stadium will be the site of an NCAA FCS playoff game as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga hosts Fordham University Saturday at 1 p.m. in a round of 16 game.
The Mocs (8-3) are co-champions of the Southern Conference with The Citadel and the Mocs received the automatic bid by beating the Bulldogs Nov. 14 at Finley. The UTC-Fordham winner takes on No.1 seed Jacksonville (Ala.) State Dec.5 in Jacksonville.
FCS Playoffs: The 24-team bracket consists of eight first round games this weekend with those winners playing one of eight seeded teams which received a first round bye.
"We didn't do enough to gain one of the eight seeds since we lost to Mercer as we put ourselves in this position (no first round bye)," said UTC coach Russ Huesman.
"Yet we are thrilled to be in the tournament and host a first round game. There are many teams around in the country who did not make the tournament and would love to trade places with us."
Southern Conference Well Represented: While the Mocs host Fordham, co-champ The Citadel travels to Coastak Carolina this weekend with the winner facing No.8 seed Charleston Southern .
Fordham Football Facts: Known as the Jesuit University of New York and located in the Bronx, Fordham (9-2) finished second in the Patriot League to Colgate (who travels to New Hampshire in a first round game).
Fordham also lost to Villanova (14-7) in the second game of the season.
The Rams beat Army (37-35) and the Univ., of Pennsylvania (48-45) both on the road.
Close Wins: Fordham has won three games by six points or less, including a 47-41 overtime victory against Holy Cross.
Lots of Points: Fordham has scored 40 or more points five times, including a 59-42 win against Lehigh.
Fordham Stats: Top runner is soph All-American Chase Edmonds - 20 rushing TDs ... 149 yards per game
Top QB - Kevin Anderson 259 passing yds/game ... led Patriot League in TD passes (29)
Top Tackler - Stephen Hodge (9.9 tackles per)
Famous Alum: The 1936 Fordham front line was known as the Seven Blocks of Granite.. one of the lineman waspro football hall of famer Vince Lombardi who grew up in Brooklyn ...
While Lombardi as one of the Seven Blocks of Granite, his coach Jim Crowley was one the famous Four Horsemen of Notre Dame from the 1924 national championship team ... The Four Horsemen were known as Death Destruction, Pestilence and Famine ... Crowley was Destruction.
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net