{"id":885738,"date":"2026-09-09T14:02:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T14:02:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/885738\/"},"modified":"2026-09-09T14:02:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T14:02:11","slug":"preview-football-turns-focus-to-final-fcs-non-conference-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/885738\/","title":{"rendered":"PREVIEW: Football Turns Focus to Final FCS Non-Conference Test"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Chattanooga Mocs football team is back on the road Saturday evening with the easy trip up I-75 to Richomond, Ky. The Mocs and Eastern Kentucky meet at 6 p.m., on ESPN+ from Kidd Stadium.
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\nResources \u2013 Game Notes<\/a> | Series<\/a> | Live Stats<\/a> | Roster<\/a> | Tickets<\/a>
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\n2026 Chattanooga Mocs Football
\nChattanooga Mocs (1-1) at Eastern Kentucky Colonels (0-2)
\nSept. 12 | Richmond, Ky. | Kidd Stadium (20,000)
\nScheduled Start Time: 6 p.m.
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\nSeries
\nMeetings: 7th | Series: 3-2-1 (Home: 2-0-1\/Road: 1-2) | Streak: +3
\nFirst Meeting: 9-8-1973, L, 6-10 (Away) | Last Meeting: 9-17-2011, W, 23-14 (Away)
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\nMedia
\nTV: ESPN+ (PxP: Wes Chandler, Analysis: Jonathan Duff. Sideline: Michelle Knezovic)

\nRadio: WFLI Chattanooga (96.1\/100.3 FM & 1070 AM) – Jim Reynolds (PxP), Todd Agne (Analysis) & Will Poindexter (Sideline). Also available online at GoMocs.com & Varsity Network app.
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\nCoaches
\nChattanooga: Rusty Wright<\/a> (Chattanooga ’96) | Record at UTC: 43-35 (8th season) | Overall: Same
\nEKU: Walt Wells (Belmont ’93) | Record at EKU: 35-35 (7th) | Career Record: Same
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\n\tNeither coach has faced their opponent this weekend. The Mocs & EKU have not met since 2011.
\n\tUTC is 1-0 on the road in 2026. 22-14 (.611) vs FCS competition on the road under Rusty Wright<\/a>, 11-6 (.647) over the last three seasons.
\n\t3-2 under Wells vs SoCon schools: Western Carolina (2-2) & The Citadel (1-0). <\/p>\n

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\nOpeners<\/p>\n


\n\tThe Mocs and Colonels are mirror images. EKU is facing its second SoCon opponent (Western Carolina) while UTC is matching up with a second UAC member (West Georgia).
\n\tChattanooga is one of eight Southern Conference teams earning votes in at least one of the two major FCS Top 25 polls.
\n\tSixth matchup against UAC opponent. 3-2 (.600) against the league all-time which started in 2023 with all five games on the road: Austin Peay (2-0), North Alabama (0-1), Tarleton State (0-1) & West Georgia (1-0).
\n\tDefense is sixth in the country in run defense (57.0) as well as 10th in total defense (228.0) & first downs allowed (25).
\n\t52nd time starting the season 1-1. Last time at 2-1? 2023 (4-1). 1-2? 2025.
\n\tJust the seventh meeting all-time between the two schools. The Colonels won two of the first three sandwiching a 1975 tie on Chamberlain Field. Chattanooga has won the last three. Last meeting was a 23-14 win in 2011 at Kidd Stadium. LB Wes Dothard was all over the field with a career-high 10 tackles, three for nine yards lost, including a sack, a pass breakup and QB hurry. <\/p>\n

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\nA Look at Eastern Kentucky<\/p>\n


\n\t13th winningest FCS program with a .608 winning percentage per winsipedia.com (611-389-26) with two national titles (1979, 1982).
\n\tHome opener for the Colonels. 3-3 in first home game of the season under Wells including the last two.
\n\tOpened the season with a 45-21 loss at Western Carolina and 49-7 defeat at Jacksonville State.
\n\tLB Kaden Smith is the preseason UAC Defensive Player of the Year and on the Stats Perform Buck Buchanan Award.
\n\tSophomore QB Tyler Travers had an eye-catching first collegiate star completing 22-of-34 passes for 305 yards and three touchdowns at Western Carolina. <\/p>\n

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\n3 Notes to Know<\/p>\n


\n\t43-27 (.614) against FCS opposition during Wright’s tenure: Home: 21-13 (.618) | Road: 22-14 (.611).
\n\tK Jude Kelley<\/a> passed the 200-point mark as a Moc with his second field goal against Tennessee Tech (205). He has 225 including his 20 at Georgia Tech. He’s just the fourth Mocs kicker to top 200 points and seventh player overall.
\n\tMocs offensive line alums Corey Levin (2013-16) and Cole Strange (2017-21) are on the 53-man rosters with the Atlanta Falcons (Levin) and L.A. Chargers (Strange). <\/p>\n

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\nQuotable
\nCoach Rusty Wright<\/a> on Eastern Kentucky:
\n“Got a lot of respect for Walt. I’ve known Walt Wells, their head coach for almost 30 years in this business. He’s been around; does it right. There’s a lot of history and tradition down there, especially at our level. And it’s their first home game after being on the road for two weeks, so we’ll have to go play well.”
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\nWright on back-to-back 100yd games for Lalin & Wyche:
\n“Those guys up front are doing a good job. Those guys running the ball are making good cuts and making good reads when it comes to those things. Our staff’s doing a good job getting them in advantageous situations, and they’re running hard and breaking tackles.”
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\nCenter Devin Lively<\/a> on the offense:
\n“We have to find a way to execute better. We start drives well and kind of stall out. We can’t do that. At the end of the day, we don’t really care about stats. The only stat that matters is win or lose. We have to find a way to execute a little better and finish some drives and put it in the end zone to help our defense out a little bit.”
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\nDT Montrell Henderson<\/a> on the defense:
\n“I think we still can improve more in stopping the run and just being physical. It’s being in our right gap, doing the right assignment that our coach is calling. I think we’ve just bought into each other throughout the whole offseason and into the start of year. I feel like everybody is doing their job to help us do what we have to do.”
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\nFootball Ticket Quick Links \u2013 Mini-Plans<\/a> | Game<\/a>
\nAs always, for all Mocs and McKenzie Arena events, go to GoMocs.com\/tickets<\/a>. Football mini-plans and single-game tickets are available with season tickets on sale as well for men’s and women’s basketball along with wrestling. The Arena also has Leanne Morgan’s “The Time of Our Lives” Tour available.
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\nGoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs.\u00a0Wear what the teams wear in our BSN Team Store<\/a> or go to the bookstore’s official True Spirit Stop<\/a>. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> & Instagram<\/a> accounts.\u00a0Find out how to join the Mocs Club and support more than 300 student-athletes by clicking here<\/a> & by checking out NIL possibilities here<\/a>.