A Look at Today’s Opponent: Chattanooga

u Chattanooga comes to Cullowhee looking to keep its NCAA FCS playoff hopes alive, holding a 7-3 overall record and looking to advance to the postseason for the first time since 2016 ... the Mocs are ranked 15th in the latest Stats Perform FCS Top 25 and 17th in the FCS Coaches poll ... UTC is one of 12 teams that has been ranked in the Stats Perform FCS poll each of the 12 weeks, reaching a high of seventh this season; u Chattanooga has dropped two of its last three games against nationally-ranked opponents, falling at #24 Furman (24-20) and at home against ninth-ranked Samford (35-24); u Chattanooga has put together its 25th season with seven or more triumphs – and the first since 2016 (9-4) ... UTC has had five seven-win seasons since 1997 – current head coach Rusty Wright was an assistant coach for all four previous and this year's seven-win season; u Chattanooga is one-win shy of its 13th, 8-win season – most recently winning nine in the 2016 campaign ... It would be the fifth, 8-win season since 1980; u The Mocs were picked by both the league head coaches AND the voting members of the media in the preseason to win the 2022 SoCon regular-season title, currently tied for 3rd. u Entering the week, Chattanooga ranks sixth in the SoCon in scoring offense, averaging 29.1 points per game overall – an average that jumps to 30.3 ppg in SoCon play ... the Mocs are limiting opponents to an average of just 19.5 points per game on the year defensively; u Chattanooga is fifth in total offense (405.9 yds/gm) – fourth in passing offense at 241.5 yds/gm and sixth in rushing at just 164.4 yds/gm; u Chattanooga's defense ranks second overall (321.0 yds/gm), fourth against the pass in allowing just 211.4 yds/gm but LEAD the SoCon against the run limiting teams to 109.6 yds/gm; u Chattanooga RB AILYM FORD became the first Mocs running back to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark in three seasons, entering the weekend with 3,341 career rushing yards ... Ford ranks second in the SoCon in rushing with an average of 121.9 yards per game – a mark that ranks him eighth nationally in the NCAA FCS ... In two previous meetings against the Catamounts u Ford is a two-time All-SoCon selection (2019, 2021) and a two-time All-America selection as both a freshman in 2019 and sophomore in 2021 ... Ford was the 2019 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year and finished fifth in voting for the 2019 Jerry Rice Award given to the National FCS Freshman of the Year; u Ford scored multiple TDs in seven of his last 10 games, rushing for two last week against Samford ... He has 25 TD (23 rush/2 rec) in his past 20 games – and 34 total touchdowns (32 rush/2 rec) over 31 career games; u Chattanooga's strong defensive unit is led by senior defensive lineman – and preseason SoCon

Defensive Player of the Year – DEVONNSHA MAXWELL ... A three-time, first-team All-SoCon selection, Maxwell was the league's top defensive player in 2021 ... Maxwell is on the watch list for the

Buck Buchanan Award given to the nation's top defender at the NCAA FCS level; u ABOUT CHATTANOOGA HEAD COACH RUSTY WRIGHT: A Chattanooga alum who shared the field with NFL Hall of Famer TERRELL OWENS, Wright took over at his alma mater in December 2018 ... His coaching includes three stints at Chattanooga – his career began as an assistant at UTC in 1996, coaching the Mocs until 2002 ... Other stops in his career include Butler (defensive coordinator, 2004), Miami (Ohio), 2005-08), Gardner-Webb (defensive line, 2008), Furman (linebackers, 2010), Reinhardt (defensive coordinator, 2011-12), Chattanooga (linebackers/special teams, 2013-16), and Georgia State (linebackers/special teams, 2017-18); u Wright has a 2-0 record against Western Carolina as a head coach, making his first trip to Cullowhee Saturday – UTC's first visit to the 'Whee since 2018 ... Wright owns an 8-5 record in SoCon road games and is 18-9 overall in league play heading into the regular-season finale.

ABOUT CHATTANOOGA

SCOUTING THE MOCS QUICK FACTS:

Location: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chattanooga, Tenn . Founded: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1886 Enrollment: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11,728 Colors: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Navy, Old Gold, Silver Conference: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Southern (SoCon) Facility (Capacity): . . . . . . . Finley Stadium (20,668) Chancellor: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr . Steve Angle Athletics Director: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Wharton Senior Woman Administrator: . . . . . .Laura Herron Head Coach: . . . . . Rusty Wright (Chattanooga, '96) Record at UTC: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-16 (4th season) Overall Record: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Same Basic Offense: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Multiple Basic Defense: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Multiple 3-4

2022 SCHEDULE / RESULTS:

Sept . 3 WOFFORD * Sept . 10 at Eastern Illinois Sept . 17 NORTH ALABAMA Sept . 22 at Illinois

Oct . 1 at ETSU *

Oct . 15 VMI * Oct . 22 #11 MERCER * Oct . 29 at #24 Furman *

Nov . 5 at The Citadel *

Nov . 12 #9 SAMFORD *

Nov . 19 at Western Carolina *

W, 31-0 W, 38-20 W, 41-14 L, 31-0 W, 24-16 W, 41-13 W, 41-21 L, 24-20 W, 31-21 L, 35-24 1 pm

HEAD COACH RUSTY WRIGHT