Mocs run ETSU off the tracks for first SoCon victory of the season
Featured Stories, Team FYN Sports October 5, 2024
BY JEFF CATE (TEAM FYN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR)
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Chattanooga and East Tennessee State both wear blue and gold, share a state, share an area code, and share a rivalry known as the “Rail Rivalry” where the winning program takes home a railroad tie. The Mocs and Buccaneers met for the 47th time on Saturday afternoon and after a slow first half that saw one field goal between both teams, UTC scored with 43 seconds left in the game to leave town with the Rail Rivalry trophy for the 5th time in a row with a 17-10 over the nationally ranked Bucs at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium.
Chattanooga punted on their first possession after ETSU won the toss and deferred, but Heath Jehu launched 37-yard kick that bounced just shy of the goal line and was downed at the Bucs’ 3-yard line. ETSU would go three and out on their first offensive possession and would punt back to the Mocs, who took over in Buccaneer territory at the 49-yard line. 3 plays later, Chase Artopoeus was intercepted by Nick Hunter and returned to the Mocs’ 29-yard line. The Bucs would once again go three and out, settling for a field goal attempt. Ewan Johnson’s 46-yard attempt would miss the uprights. Chattanooga would get inside Bucs’ territory with catches by Sam Phillips and runs by Reggie Davis, but the drive would stall and force UTC to attempt a 52-yard field goal. Jude Kelley would push that attempt and the score was 0-0 after the first quarter. Both teams would combine for 104 yards total offense which included only 7 yards rushing from the Buccaneers.
D’Arco Perkins-McAllister eyeing the football for Chattanooga
The Mocs defense would force a turnover on downs and setup shop at their 30-yard line. Artopoeus connected with Phillips on a 30-yard completion down to the ETSU 31 on a one-handed snag for first down. A Davis 1 yard run and 2 incomplete passes would send Kelley back out, this time for a 48-yard field goal that he would connect on with 12:05 left in the first half to give Chattanooga a 3-0 lead. That would be the score to end a first half that saw both teams go 2 for 16 on third downs conversions.
Johnson would miss on another field goal attempt from 49 yards out to begin the second half but would connect on a 24-yard chip shot on the Buccaneers’ second possession, tying the game 3-3 with 7 minutes left in the third quarter. UTC would answer on the next possession. Artopoeus found Javin Whatley for 36 yards down to the ETSU 32 and then connected to Phillips two plays later for a 38-yard touchdown, taking the lead back 10-3 with 5:01 remaining in the quarter.
The Mocs would be in business once again going into the 4th quarter, with another 36-yard Whatley completion being the big play. After getting into the red zone, the drive would stall and then Kelley would miss a 33-yard field goal attempt with 12:31 left in the game. ETSU would get their first touchdown of the game with 6:33 left in the game to tie it up 10-10 on a Gino English 25-yard pass to AJ Johnson. Josh Battle looked to have stopped the drive 3 plays earlier with an interception on 3rd down at the UTC 8-yard line, but a roughing the passer penalty wiped the pick off and kept the Bucs drive going.
Chattanooga’s best offensive drive of the game would be its last and came at the absolute right time. The Mocs would march 85 yards in 11 plays, mixing passes to Phillips and Journey Wyche along rushes by Davis and Justus Durant to get down to the 1-yard line. ETSU looked to have caused a fumble that was recovered in the end zone for a touchback and setting the stage for overtime. But the officials ruled that ball down just before the goal line, giving the Mocs new life for the go-ahead score. Davis would be the one to punch in the go-ahead score from the 1 to give UTC the lead 17-10 with 43 seconds remaining. Beni Mwamba would drive the final railroad spike into the ground, and the heart of the Buccaneer faithful, with an interception close to midfield on the final play of the game, officially allowing UTC to ride the rails to victory.
Reggie Davis rolls in for the game winning score for UTC
Chattanooga improves to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in Southern Conference play. The Mocs head to Greenville, SC next week to take on Furman. ETSU falls to 3-3 overall and 1-1 in the SoCon, the Bucs will host Samford on October 12th.
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Mocs fall to Mercer in Southern Conference opener
Team FYN Sports September 15, 2024
BY JEFF CATE (TEAM FYN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR)
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The home opener for Chattanooga after road trips to Tennessee and Georgia State, the conference opener for Mercer and the Mocs, and both teams ranked in the FCS Top 25; everything you could ask for in a college football showdown. The Bears would not wander into a trap on the road on this day. UTC had chances, but Mercer would hold Chattanooga to just 19 yards rushing in addition to not allowing a single 3rd down conversion (0 for 12) as the Bears won 10-3 Saturday night at Finley Stadium.
Both teams traded punts on the first 5 offensive possessions. Mercer’s third offensive possession didn’t result in a punt. Kameron Brown intercepted Bears’ quarterback DJ Smith’s pass at the Mercer 49 with 5:04 left in the quarter. UTC couldn’t take advantage of the early turnover as a 3-yard loss on a Reggie Davis carry on 2nd and 10 forced a 3rd and 13 that wasn’t converted, forcing another punt. Chase Artopoeus did connect with John McIntyre for 32 yards to get to the Mercer 38 on the final play of the quarter, going into the second quarter tied 0-0.
Chattanooga would get inside the red zone on two Davis runs and a 5-yard completion from Artopoeus to Sam Phillips down to the Mercer 16-yard line, making it 3rd and 2. Davis was stuffed on the 3rd and short, forcing a 34-yard field goal attempt by Jude Kelley but that was blocked. Mercer would go on an 11 play, 82-yard drive to get their first points of the night, coming on a 9-yard Brayden Smith touchdown run on 3rd and 6, giving Mercer a 7-0 lead with 5:55 left in the second quarter. The Bears would convert on a 4th and 1 to keep the drive alive. The Mocs would answer right away, getting 65 yards on a Artopoeus to Chris Domercant completion down to the Mercer 10 on the first play of the possession. Artopoeus would be sacked for a loss of 7 yards on 3rd and goal from the Mercer 7-yard line, setting up a 32-yard field goal attempt, which Jude Kelley would nail to cut the Bears’ lead to 7-3 with 3:24 left in the half.
After trading punts to begin the second half, Smith’s 13-yard punt return setup Mercer with field position inside UTC territory at the Mocs’ 45-yard line with 6:39 left third quarter. Mercer was unable to get anything going and John McConnell’s 41-yard punt was downed inside the 5-yard line, where UTC would take over at their own 3-yard line. Artopoeus appeared be sacked, fumbled the football, and was recovered by Marques Thomas who raced in for a touchdown. The play went to review and the officials ruled it incomplete, allowing the blue and gold faithful to breathe a little easier. The third quarter ended the same way the first quarter did: with either team scoring.
Mercer would eat over 5 minutes off the clock to begin the final 15 minutes, and just over 7 total minutes as the Bears drove down to the UTC 28-yard line after runs by Dwayne Rush and Micah Bell in addition to a Smith completion to Apollos Cook. The drive stalled and the Bears had to settle for a 48-yard Reice Griffith field goal attempt, which was no good with 9:43 remaining. Myles Redding would intercept Artopoeus pass on the following possession, giving Mercer the ball just inside midfield at the UTC 46 with a chance to make good on the missed field goal. The Chattanooga defense would keep Mercer out of the end zone after the Bears got inside the UTC 20-yard line, but Griffith would connect on a 35-yard field goal with 5:30 left on the clock to give the visitors from Macon, Georgia a 10-3 advantage. Artopoeus threw a dart to Sam Phillips for a 40-yard pickup down to the Mercer 32-yard line. UTC would go for it on 4th and 4, but a pass meant for McIntyre fell incomplete. Mercer would punt it back to Chattanooga with just under a minute left, giving the Mocs a final chance to get an early advantage in the Southern Conference title race. After Artopoeus was sacked on 2nd and 2 and a 10-yard loss, he found Phillips two plays later on 4th and 12 for 13 yards but that was final bright of this hard-fought battle.
“I knew it was going to be one of those type games”, Chattanooga head coach Rusty Wright said. “It was going to be tight, physical, and all that… and it was”.
“When you’re 0 of 12 on third down, I’m not sure you can win a football game”, Wright continued. “And we still had an opportunity to win a football game. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that, honestly. We’ve got to get it figured out.”
Chattanooga falls to 0-3 to begin the season for the first time since 2017. The Mocs have a bye week next week before hosting Portland State at 7pm on September 28th at Finley Stadium. Mercer improves to 3-0 and will host The Citadel on September 21.