The 25th-ranked Chattanooga Mocs head to Wofford this weekend leading the Southern Conference in scoring, rushing and total defense along with turnover margin, sacks and a few others. It’s been particularly dominant during the 3-game win streak allowing a total of 699 yards or 233 per game. That included wins over then No. 10 ETSU and Furman at home and throttling a top 5 (NATIONALLY) offensive outfit on the road at Samford.
The last two – Samford (200) and Furman (157) – became the second and third to total 200 yards or fewer against this “golden guard”. That’s just the ninth time in school history a Mocs defense has done that three times in a campaign. If they manage a fourth in Spartanburg this weekend, it’ll mark the first time since 1981 with three in a row.
That’s not the focus however, “It’s another chance to get a Southern Conference win,” Coach Rusty Wright simply put. “We’re headed to a place we haven’t played very well at. We’re 3-9 overall there. We have to find a way to win one in Spartanburg.”
The last four trips to Gibbs Stadium have ended with the two teams separated by just four points (88-92).
- 16-13 OT loss on Nov. 10, 2012
- 20-17 win on Oct. 24, 2015
- 24-21 2OT loss on Nov. 4, 2017
- 35-34 OT loss on Oct. 26, 2019
“It’s the way they make you work and earn everything,” Wright added. “We’ve had good battles there, but we just didn’t come up on the right end of it. They play well at home, so our challenge is to figure a way to go win it over there.”
There’s a lot at stake this weekend. The Mocs are one of four teams with one loss in SoCon play: Mercer (5-1), Chattanooga (4-1), ETSU (4-1) & VMI (4-1). There will be a minimum of two and maximum of three after this weekend with the Bears in an off week and the Bucs and Keydets meeting in Johnson City.
The Terriers are looking for their first league win in what’s developed into a hair-raising run. They lost by a single possession at VMI (31-23), at ETSU (27-21) and at home to Samford (27-24). Wofford is also in a good run of form in the series winning four of the last five with last spring’s 24-13 win at Finley ending a 4-game skid in the series.
Chattanooga’s defense will be put to the test by Wofford’s triple option attack. The Mocs lead the SoCon in scoring (18.0), rushing (103.8) and total (294.4) defense. The Terriers average more 100 yards per game (211.9) on the ground that the Mocs usually surrender. The old paradox applies as the unstoppable force meets the immovable object.
The game is a 1:30 p.m., kickoff on ESPN+. Wofford’s radio call is used for the TV coverage. Links to TV, live stats and the Mocs Sports Network radio call are accessible on GoMocs.com.
TICKETS
Wofford tickets can be found here or on the GoMocs.com football schedule page. 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.
MEDIA
TV – ESPN+: Jim Noble (PxP), Thom Henson (Analyst) & Van Hipp (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
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