PREVIEW: Final Non-Conference Matchup Is SEC Leader
(Photo Courtesy of Laura O’Dell/GoMocs.com) Cole Strange and the Chattanooga Mocs head north up I-75 Saturday for the final non-conference contest of the regular season
STORY | GAME NOTES | STATS | SCHEDULE | TICKETS
CHATTANOOGA—The 22nd-ranked Chattanooga Mocs remain on the road for the final regular season non-conference matchup of the season. The squad heads north to match up with SEC leading Kentucky at Kroger Field in Lexington.
The Mocs are coming off a dominant defensive performance in a 20-0 win at North Alabama this past Saturday. The record book for both programs got a proper dusting off in the process. Chattanooga got touchdowns from Ailym Ford (1 yd run) and Jerrell Lawson (pick 6) bookended by field goals by Aaron Sears (26, 38 yards).
It was the defense that brought out the records search. Chattanooga held its hosts below the 100-yard mark in total offense. That was a first against a DI opponent since 1987 at VMI (68 yds) for the Mocs, while you had to go all the way back to 1985 for the last time the Lions were limited to double digits, oddly enough that came in an NCAA Playoff win (14-7) over Fort Valley State.
Kentucky opened SEC play with a 35-28 triumph over visiting Missouri. Chris Rodriguez, Jr., ran 27 times for 207 yards and three TDs for the Cats. He added a receiving score to tie the UK record for TDs in a game with four. It was a record book weekend all over it seems.
This is the first meeting between the two schools. It’s the 127th all-time against the current membership of the league with wins over Tennessee, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt over that time.
Game 3: No. 22 Chattanooga (1-1/0-0) at Kentucky (2-0/1-0 SEC)
Sept. 18 | Lexington, Ky. | Kroger Field (61,000)
|
Team |
Record |
SoCon |
Stats Perform Top 25 |
AFCA Coaches Top 25 |
|
Chattanooga |
1-1 |
0-0 |
RV |
22 |
|
Kentucky |
2-0 |
— |
RV (AP) |
RV (Coach) |
MEDIA
TV – SEC+: Mike Morgan (PxP), Ben Hartsock (Analysis) & Paul Carcaterra (Sideline)
Radio – WFLI 97.7 FM/1070 AM: Jim Reynolds (PxP), Todd Agne (Analysis) & Will Poindexter (Sideline)
Listen Live – Radio broadcast is available for free online at GoMocs.com & on the Varsity Network App.
SERIES VS. KENTUCKY
Games: 1st Meeting | Record: 0-0 | Home: 0-0 | Away: 0-0
Last Meeting: n/a
– Florida, Missouri & Texas A&M are the only teams remaining unplayed in the league
– Last win vs. SEC: 14-6, Nov. 8, 1958 at Tennessee
COACHES
Chattanooga: Rusty Wright (Chattanooga ‘96) | UTC: 10-9 (3rd) | Career: Same | vs. UK: 0-0
Kentucky: Mark Stoops (Iowa ‘88) | UK: 51-50 (9th) | Career: Same | vs. UTC: 0-0
3 NOTES TO KNOW
- Jerrell Lawson’s 38-yard pick 6 last weekend was just his third career interception. However, it’s the second time he went house hunting (Tennessee Tech-2018).
- Devonnsha Maxwell’s three sacks in four fourth quarter plays gave him a new career high for quarterback mauling…the second gave him 100 career tackles. It was eighth career multi-sack affair.
- The Mocs defense is in an uphill battle to repeat a 2016 feat. Saturday was the first shutout since a 34-0 victory over Presbyterian on Sept. 10, 2016 when UTC opened the season with back-to-back shutouts (Shorter 66-0). UK averages 40 points per contest. The Mocs have not had back-to-back shutouts against DI opponents since the move up from DII in 1977. There’s just one SEC shutout on the ledger, the 5-0 triumph over Tennessee on Dec. 2, 1905.
3 STATS TO KNOW (Rushing Edition)
- Ford’s 111 yards Saturday night was his seventh 100-yard effort of his career. That ties him for 10th all-time with Charles McNeill (1998-01). His next ties him for ninth with Jerry Ellison (1991-93) and halfway to the career record of 16 held by Gwain Durden (1977-80).
- Tyrell Price’s next TD is No. 15 on the ground, 16th overall. He’s five short of the top 10 all-time for rushing TDs.
- 12 of the 19 games under Rusty Wright had a Mocs back top the century mark (14 total times).
TICKETS
Here is the link to UK’s ticket page. It’s also found on the football schedule page on GoMocs.com by scrolling to the Kentucky game and click the “Tickets” link.
Home tickets are available by calling (423) 266-MOCS (6627) or online here at GoMocs.com. Fans also can go through the GoMocs app available on Android and Apple IOS devices in their respective app stores.
NEXT 3 WEEKS FOLLOWING SATURDAY
Sept. 25: BYE WEEK
Oct. 2: Western Carolina, 1:30 p.m. | Current Record: 0-2/0-0 | This Week: Samford
Oct. 9: at No. 22 VMI, 1:30 p.m. | Current Record: 1-1/0-0 | This Week: at Cornell
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