Mocs Travel to VMI For Final SoCon Road Trip of the Year

(gomocs.com) CHATTANOOGA—The 15th-ranked Chattanooga Mocs hit the road for the last time in Southern Conference play with a foray into the heart of Virginia. VMI is next team up for the Mocs and it’s a place that’s been difficult over the years.

Chattanooga has lost 1-score games on the last two trips – 31-24 in 2019 & 37-34 (OT) in 2021 – after a 63-7 triumph in 2017. The Keydets have been a difficult out for nearly every opponent with a lot of grind-it-out matchups.

The Mocs try to continue a season story on offense and continue trending the right way defensively. With the ball, the Mocs average 36+ points per game, lead the nation in first downs & are in the hunt to set a new time of possession record.

Defensively, the Mocs limit first downs well (tops in the league despite playing more games), but it’s the last two games that really pop. The unit allowed just 13 points and 74 rushing yards combined at Mercer and the home win over ETSU.

Kickoff Saturday is at 1:30 p.m., on ESPN+. It’s also available on Mocs Sports Network (radio).

What to Know…

Offensively:

• Most points in a season & per game? 486 in 2014 (34.7 ppg). On pace currently for 382 over 11 games (34.7).
• Offense is averaging a robust 6.10 yards per play. Record is 6.22 in 2000.
• The wide receiver trio of Sam Phillips (46-476), Jamoi Mayes (45-737) & Javin Whatley (35-639) exceeded their season total from 2022 with the fourth catch of the 1st quarter in Week 8. Last year: 115-1682 (9TD). This season: 126-1852 (13TD).
• Chase Artopoeus is tied for 10th in season TD passes (17) at UTC. One behind 8th-place duo of Kenyon Earl (1994) and Ryan McCall (2002) and three from becoming 7th Mocs QB with 20+. Artopoeus has five multi-TD games.
• Gino Appleberry tied his career high with two rushing TDs…ran 20 times for 71 yards. Appleberry combined with Reggie Davis (15-68) for 35 rushes and 139 yards.
• O-Line play is big reason the offense leads the NATION in first downs (195) & is 15th nationally and first in the league in time of possession (34:04).
• Tight ends Camden Overton (4) and Evan Brown (1) are two of eight Mocs with TD receptions in 2023.

Defensively:

• Defense limited ETSU to 120 yards total offense, fewest since 90 at North Alabama on Sept. 2, 2021. 9th time with 200 or fewer allowed in the Rusty Wright/Lorenzo Ward Era (2nd in 2023).
• Bucs threw for just 46 yards, lowest total since 9 at Wofford on Nov. 6, 2021. 7th time under Wright/Ward with less than 100 pass yards (2 in 2023)…27th with less than 200 (4 in 2023).
• Defense corralled the ETSU rushing attack with just 74 yards (2.5/carry). 74 given up the last two games combined. 17th time with less than 100 yards on the ground under Wright/Ward (3 in 2023).
• Defense leads the SoCon in sacks. D-line combines for 19.
• DE Ben Brewton (6.0) is the SoCon leader in sacks. Edge Jay Person (T2nd, 4.5) & DT Quay Wiggles (T9th, 3.0) & are also top 10.
• Person leads league with 11.5 TFLs. Brewton (7th, 7.0) & NT Marlon Taylor (T10th, 5.5) are top 10.
• Eight different student-athletes have career starts in the UTC secondary: Kam Brown (22), Josh Battle (17), Jordan Walker (16), Reuben Lowery III (16), Romeo Wykle (9), Telly Plummer (4), Demetrius Coleman (3) & Clay Fields III (2).
• Brown collected his 10th career pick last Saturday and is one of 14 Mocs with double digits.
• LB room has seen a steady rotation of snaps. Starters Alex Mitchell and Bo Spearman are T1st & third in tackles, respectively, while Kobe Joseph, Kameron Brown and Zion Rutledge are used liberally.

Something Special:

• Clayton Crile handled all the kicking duties the last four weeks with 12-14 on FGs scoring 47 points and averaging 44.5 yards per punt on 15 attempts with seven downed inside the 20.
• Kickers combined for 88 points – Clayton Crile (47) & Jude Kelley (41). That’s 11.0 per game.
• Crile is one of two punters in the SoCon (James Platte, Citadel) without a touchback.
• Crile leads the SoCon in FG Made (12) in just four games as PK.
• Crile has a league-high 27 touchbacks in 56 kickoffs with nearly all flying through the end zone.

A Win…

• Keeps pace at the top of the standings with one game remaining against Furman. The Paladins are 4-0 and the Mocs at 5-1.
• 26th season with seven or more triumphs. Last? 2022. There are five since 1997 with the other four coming 2013-16. Rusty Wright was an assistant coach for all four.
• Ties Rusty Wright for the second-most wins over first five years as a Mocs head coach: Russ Huesman (31), Wright (29) & “Brother” Bill Oliver (29).