Mocs Prepare For Season Opener in the Lions Den at North Alabama

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) The Chattanooga Mocs crank up a new season Saturday as they visit North Alabama.
While head coach Rusty Wright hasn’t announced his starting quarterback for the opener, he will still carry a talented team into the Lions den, featuring two players chasing UTC history.

Said head coach Rusty Wright:”Get one opportunity to open up a season. Start a season. Then the journey starts.”
Never hurts to start the journey with a veteran defense either.
Said Wright:”It’s probably. The overall team speed-wise. Football-wise. Best team we’ve had since I’ve been here. That’s one thing we can do is run. I don’t think they’re scared. I think they will strike you, which has been a lot of fun at practice.”
Ailym Ford ain’t afraid to strike anybody coming out of the backfield.
He enters his 5th season, and he can feel all that work in the weight-room paying off since his freshman season.
Said Ford:”So as far as bench pressing and squat, I’ve probably went up around 120 pounds. I’m a little bit heavier now. Like more muscle mass, when I first got there. Was more fat. Now more muscle like I said. Working on my balance and flexibility, and that helps me bounce off tackles a lot.”
Said defensive end Jay Person:”We tackle him a lot in practice and everything, but I tell everybody, he don’t run the same like he does in games on Saturdays.”
Ford and Jay Person are a couple of vets chasing Mocs history.
Said Wright:”Those two. They’re as good a football players as there are in this country. It’s special that we have them, and I’m thankful that we have them. I hope Jay breaks the sack record. I hope Ailym smashes the school rushing record and nobody ever touches it again.”
For now, Ford is just ready to smash North Alabama.
Said Ford:” Climbing the mountain man. Go Mocs.”

Mocs and North Alabama kick at 7pm.