The No. 7/8 Chattanooga Mocs travel to a familiar foe in the second round of the FCS Playoffs this weekend.  The Mocs take on rival Jacksonville State at 2:00 p.m. (E.S.T.) on Saturday, Dec. 5, in Jacksonville, Ala.
 
The Gamecocks are the No. 1 seed in the tournament and were the No. 1 ranked team in the country for the final 10 weeks of the season.  UTC advanced with a 50-20 win over No. 14 Fordham at home last weekend. 
 
JSU is 10-1 overall and its only setback was a 27-20 overtime loss at Auburn on Sept. 12.  The Mocs are 9-3 overall, including a 23-20 loss to the Gamecocks in the season-opener on Sept. 5.  UTC is trying to snap a three-game slide against JSU in the 11th meeting between these two non-conference rivals since 2004. 
 
Live stats, ESPN3 link and a link to the Mocs Sports Network radio call are all available on the football schedule page on GoMocs.com.
 
MOCS SPORTS NETWORK
The Mocs Sports Network broadcasts the game on 96.1 The Legend in Chattanooga.  Jim Reynolds has the play-by-play, with Todd Agne giving the color commentary and Will Poindexter on the sideline.  A link for a free audio broadcast is available on the football schedule page on GoMocs.com or on the "Events" tab on the mobile GoMocs.com site.  Fans can also listen to the game on the iHeart Radio app by searching for US 101 The Legend at 96.1.
 
ESPN3
The Chattanooga-Jacksonville State game broadcasts on ESPN3.  A link is available on the football schedule page on GoMocs.com.  Jim Barbar has the play-by-play with Peter Najarian as the commentary. 
 
TICKETS
Tickets for the game are available now on GoMocs.com.  Look for the link on the football schedule page that takes you straight to Jacksonville State's ticket site.  General Admission tickets are $10. 
 
IT'S ALL IN THE NAME
On first reference, it is acceptable to refer to us as the "University of Tennessee at Chattanooga".  After that, we prefer to be called "Chattanooga" or "UTC."  Our nickname is "Mocs."
PLAYOFFS
UTC is 2-2 all-time in the FCS Playoffs and its making its third appearance in school history.  The Mocs lost to Arkansas State (37-10) on Nov. 24, 1984 in their first appearance.  UTC was the No. 8 seed last year, advancing to the final eight with a win over No. 21 Indiana State (35-14) on Dec. 6, 2014.  UTC lost at No. 1 New Hampshire in the quarterfinals (35-30) on Dec. 12. 
 
NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE JACKSONVILLE STATE GAME
• This is the 40th meeting in the regional matchup...UTC leads 26-13...series dates back to 1904 and is one of UTC's oldest rivalries. 
• Following a 13-6 UTC win in Chattanooga in 1983, the series was suspended for 21 seasons until it restarted in 2004...UTC is just 2-8 since then.
• The Mocs are 5-4 all-time at Jacksonville, but just 1-3 since 2005. 
• At least one of these two teams has been ranked in each of the last six meetings.
• Each of the last three meetings have been decided by three points ... all JSU wins ... 24-21 at JSU on Sept. 8, 2012 ... 26-23 (OT) at UTC on Sept. 4, 2014 ... 23-20 at UTC on Sept. 5, 2015.   
 
QUICK NOTES TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOCS
General
• UTC head coach Russ Huesman is in his seventh season at his alma mater.  He is 50-32 overall and 36-18 in Southern Conference action.
• The Mocs led the SoCon in home attendance in the regular season for the second year in a row, averaging 11,204 in 2015 ... Chattanooga hit that mark only four previous times in school history ... three of those in the Russ Huesman era (2009, 2010, 2011). 
• A win over Jacksonville State would give the 2015 senior class 34 victories in their career, breaking the school record set by the 1980 class. 
 
Offense
• Senior QB Jacob Huesman is the first in Southern Conference history to win three coaches Offensive Player of the Year honors.  He is also on the STATS Offensive Player of the Year Watch List.   
• Junior offensive lineman Corey Levin is a two-time winner of the Jacobs Blocking Award as the top offensive lineman in the SoCon.
• UTC is third in the SoCon behind triple-option teams The Citadel and Wofford, and No. 13 in the nation, in rushing yards (241.8).
• RB Derrick Craine (96.3) and QB Jacob Huesman (95.6) are two of the top three in the league in rushing ... Craine leads the SoCon and is No. 12 in the FCS with 13 rushing TDs. 
• The Mocs are currently third in the FCS on third down (86/168 - 55.3%).
• Chattanooga is No. 11 in the FCS in Time of Possession (33:09).
• Craine needs one more 100-yard game to break the season record of seven set by Eldra Buckley in 2006. 
 
Defense
• Chattanooga sacked Samford's Michael Eubank six times for -38 yards … most sacks in a game for the Mocs since recording six against Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 18, 2010 ... UTC also had five sacks at VMI and against Fordham ... the Mocs lead the SoCon with 32 sacks.
• Mocs are allowing a SoCon-low 20.8 ppg.
• UTC leads the SoCon and is No. 14 in the FCS in passing yards allowed (175.3).
• The Mocs have posted a pick-6 in four games ... five defensive scores overall this season is the most since 2011 ... 17 in the Huesman era and 14 in the last four years.   
• Junior DL Keionta Davis leads the SoCon in sacks (11.5) and TFLs (15.0) ... he is No. 7 in the FCS in sacks ... the single-season school record is 12.5 set by Davis Tull in 2012.   
• The Mocs lead the SoCon and are No. 24 in the nation in total defense (327.9 ypg).
 
Special Teams
• Junior Henrique Ribeiro is first team All-SoCon pick and on the Fred Mitchell Award Watch List ... he is also a six-time SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week.
• Ribeiro is averaging 43.2 yards per punt ... third in the SoCon.
• Ribeiro is 17-21 (81.0%) on FGs this season ... No. 9 in the FCS in FGM and No. 14 in %.
• Junior C.J. Board had a career-long 48-yard punt return against Jacksonville State ... he is a second team All-SoCon returner. 
 
MOCS VS. NO. 1
UTC has two wins in 11 tries against the No. 1 ranked team in the country in school history. The Mocs defeated No. 1 Marshall 33-31 at home on Oct. 2, 1993. Chattanooga also bested No. 1 Furman 21-14 at home on Sept. 29, 1984. UTC has faced Georgia Southern five times when the Eagles were ranked No. 1.
Below is the list of the 11 games against top-ranked teams for the Mocs.
Defeated No. 1 Furman at home - 21-4 - Sept. 29, 1984
Lost to No. 1 ETSU on the road - 14-34 - Sept. 19, 1987
Lost to No. 1 Georgia Southern at home - 3-13 - Sept. 17, 1988
Lost to No. 1 Georgia Southern on the road - 13-34 - Nov. 11, 1989
Defeated No. 1 Marshall at home - 33-31 - Oct. 2, 1993
Lost to No. 1 Marshall on the road - 20-56 - Oct. 1, 1994
Lost to No. 1 Marshall on the road - 0-45 - Oct. 5, 1996
Lost to No. 1 Georgia Southern on the road - 10-49 - Sept. 25, 1999
Lost to No. 1 Georgia Southern on the road - 7-70 - Sept. 22, 2001
Lost to No. 1 Georgia Southern on the road - 27-28 - Oct. 8, 2011
Lost to No. 1 New Hampshire on the road - 35-30 - Dec. 6, 2014
 
NOTES ON THE RANKINGS
UTC is currently No. 7 in the STATS FCS Top 25 and No. 8 in the FCS Coaches Poll.  The Mocs have been ranked as high as No. 3 in both polls this season, a school record.  This is the 13th week in a row Chattanooga is ranked in the top 10.  UTC has been ranked in the Top 25 for 34 consecutive weeks, dating back to Nov. 4, 2013.  That is the ninth longest active streak in the FCS.  UTC has been among the Top 25 for 37 weeks in the Russ Huesman era (since 2009).  The Mocs are 23-14 when ranked under Huesman.
 
17 MOCS HONORED BY THE SOCON
The Mocs had a league-high 17 honored on the All-Southern Conference Coaches, Media and Freshmen Teams.  Senior quarterback Jacob Huesman became the first player in league history to be named SoCon Offensive Player of the Year three times in voting by the head coaches.  He is one of just six players in league history to earn the award more than once. 
 
Junior OL Corey Levin repeats as the Jacob's Blocking Award winner as the top offensive lineman in the league.  He is the 11th player in league history to earn the honor in consecutive years and the first since Appalachian State's Kerry Brown did so in 2006 and 2007.
 
Levin anchored an offensive line that paved the way for a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Huesman and first-team All-SoCon running back Derrick Craine. Senior offensive lineman Synjen Herren made the media's first team and was on the coaches' second team.
 
Junior defensive lineman Keionta Davis and junior linebacker Nakevion Leslie were consensus first team picks on the defensive side of the ball.  Junior defensive back Cedric Nettles made the coaches first team, while sophomore DB Lucas Webb was a first team pick by the media.  Senior DL Josh Freeman made both second teams.  He was joined on the coaches' second team by senior DL Toyvian Brand, junior LB A.J. Hampton and junior DB Dee Virgin.  Junior C.J. Board was a second team return specialist according to the coaches' votes.  Defensive backs C.J. Fritz and Montrell Pardue and DL Isaiah Mack all made the SoCon All-Freshmen team.   
 
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE STATE
• JSU enters the game with an nine-game winning streak, the 2nd-longest active streak in FCS.
• Head coach John Grass won the Roy Kidd OVC Coach of the Year Award for the second time in as many seasons.
• JSU won the 2015 Ohio Valley Conference title, its first back-to-back OVC titles since winning in 2003 and 2004, JSU's first two years in the conference. It is JSU's fifth OVC title and its 20th conference championship in program history.
• JSU had 17 All-OVC players, one year after an OVC record 18 All-OVC Gamecocks in 2014.
• JSU has appeared in the NCAA FCS Playoffs each of the last three seasons.
• JSU has been ranked for 29 consecutive weeks in the Top 10 of at least one FCS poll for and No. 1 for the 10th week in the final regular season polls.
• JSU is in the top 5 in the FCS in total offense (4th - 503.1) and total defense (5th - 277.1).
• The Gamecocks are also in the top 10 in the nation in scoring offense (8th - 37.5), scoring defense (7th - 16.3), rushing offense (7th - 278.7) and rushing defense (6th - 92.6). 
• Josh Barge has a school record 11 TD catches ... No. 7 in the FCS ... school record 36-striaght games with a catch ... 6.8 catches per game is No. 9 in the FCS.
• RB Troymaine Pope is fifth in the nation in yards per carry (7.1) ... 16th in yards per game (99.3) ... had 173 rushing yards in the first meeting.
• QB Eli Jenkins became just the second Gamecock to win the OVC Offensive Player of the Year Award, joining Ryan Perrilloux in 2009 as JSU's two recipients of the honor.
 
COACH HUESMAN'S 80TH GAME
Russ Huesman coached his 80th game against The Citadel on Nov. 14. He was 49-31 for a .613 winning percentage in the first 80 game of his time at Chattanooga. In the 80 games prior to his return to the Scenic City, the Mocs were 19-61 (.238). He's led the program to six winning campaigns in seven seasons. There was just one in the previous 11, 6-5 in 2005.
 
HUESMAN'S ASSAULT ON THE RECORD BOOKS
Senior QB Jacob Huesman is the first three-time SoCon Offensive Player of the Year and will own most of UTC's school records by the end of the season.  See the sidebar on page 7 for a detailed look at the record books. 
• Started 46 games at QB and one at receiver and has a school-record 32-14 record as a starter at QB ... 49 games played is tied with Nick Pollard (2010-14) for the most in school history.
• 14 games with 100 yards each passing and rushing.
• 246 career points is the school record.
• Just the third in SoCon history with 4,000 passing and 3,000 rushing (Armanti Edwards - ASU (2006-09), Greg Hill - GSU (1996-99)).
• Earned 13 weekly honors from the SoCon in his career (9 Off, 4 Fr.) ... tied for second all time in the league with Appalachian State's Armanti Edwards (2006-09) and one behind Georgia Southern's Adrian Peterson (1998-01) with 14.
 
Holds the following school records:
Rushing: Yards – 3,954 ... broke Gwain Durden's (1997-80) school record for career rushing yards with 112 at Mercer ... needs four yards to pass Western Kentucky's Willie Taggert (1995-98) for third all-time in rushing yards for FCS quarterbacks ... close to becoming the third QB in FCS history with 4,000 rushing yards ... TDs – 41 ... Rushes – 772 ... 100-yard rushing games - 15.
 
Passing: Yards - 8,036 ... third all-time in the SoCon ... Completions – 732 ... 37 shy of Armanti Edwards (Appalachian State - 2006-09) for second all-time in the SoCon ... Completion % - 732/1086 – 67.4% ... also a SoCon record and tops among active players in the FCS ... Passing TDs – 62 ... third all-time in the SoCon.
 
Total Offense – 12,010 ... third all-time in the SoCon and No. 18 in FCS history ... 44 shy of Idaho's Doug Nussmeier (Idaho - 1990-93) for 17th ... one of only three in SoCon history with more than 10,000 yards ... 18th in FCS history to top 12,000 yards ... Total TDs – 103 ... third all-time in the SoCon.
 
Huesman among active players in the FCS:
1st in Completion % (67.4%) and Total Offense (12,010)
2nd in Rushes (772) and Rushing Yards (3,954) and Total TDs (103)
4th in Completions (732)
5th in Passing Yards (8,036) and Rushing TDs (41)
7th in TD Passes (62)
 
HUESMAN IS ONE OF FOUR IN THE 40-40 CLUB
Jacob Huesman's two rushing touchdowns against The Citadel gave him 40 for his career.  He is just the fourth all-time at the FCS level with 40 rushing and 40 passing TDs.  His 40 rushing TDs and 62 passing TDs are both school records.  The other three to accomplish the feat are Armanti Edwards (Appalachian St. (2006-09), 65 rush - 74 pass), David Dinkins (Morehead St. (1997-00), 63 rush - 51 pass) and John Robertson (Villanova (2011-15), 48 rush - 65 pass).
 
HUESMAN CLOSING IN ON 4,000 YARDS
Jacob Huesman is 46 yards shy of 4,000 for his career.  Should he top that mark, he will be the third quarterback in FCS history to do so.  Southern Utah's Matt Cannon (1997-00 - 4,852) and Appalachian State's Amanti Edwards (2006-09 - 4,361) are the other two. 
 
CRAINE, HUESMAN CHASING SINGLE-SEASON SCHOOL RECORD
Both RB Derrick Craine and QB Jacob Huesman are closing in on the Mocs' single-season rushing record. Craine leads the team with 1,156 yards this season, followed by Huesman's 1,147.  The record is 1,233 set by former San Diego Charger and Philadelphia Eagle Eldra Buckley in 2005. 
 
CRAINE-HUESMAN 1,000-YARD TEAMMATES
Only 35 times in FCS history have teammates run for 1,000 yards in the same season.  The Mocs did it for the second year in a row.  Both Derrick Craine (1156) and Jacob Huesman (1147) topped 1,000 yards at Florida State.  Huesman (1,009) and Keon Williams (1,037) did it last year.  Gwain Durden (1,045) and Mike Smith (1,090) both did it as freshmen in 1977. 
 
KEIONTA DAVIS HAVING A GREAT YEAR
Keionta Davis leads the SoCon in sacks (11.5) and TFLs (15.0). He is already third all-time at UTC with 18.5 in his career.  That would make the top 3 in school history all under the tutelage of Russ Huesman and defensive line coach Marcus West.  Davis Tull (2010-14) – 37.0 and Josh Williams (2009-13) 23.0 are the other two.  He is one shy of the single-season school record set by Tull in 2012.  
 
RIBEIRO ONE OF THE TOP KICKERS AROUND
Junior Henrique Ribeiro is having a great year kicking and punting.  The Fred Mitchell Award Candidate is 41-41 on PATs and has a current streak of 84 in a row which is a school record and the fifth longest streak in SoCon history.  He is 17-21 (81.0%) on field goals on the year, after tying a school record with four at VMI.  He has won three SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week awards, and is also third in the SoCon in punting at 43.2 yards per kick.   
  
TWO LOSSES, SIX POINTS
Theoretically, the Mocs could be the No. 1 team in the country if it weren't for two losses by a mere six points.  UTC dropped its season opener to current No. 1 Jacksonville State (23-20) on Sept. 5.  The Mocs also lost by three at Mercer (17-14) on Nov. 7.
 
MOCS MAKE UP LAST FOUR SOCON OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
UTC is known for having one of the top defenses in the nation, but the offense has taken home the last four SoCon Offensive Players of the Month.  Derrick Craine won the honor in October, while Jacob Huesman was September's selection.  Keon Williams took the last one in November 2014, and Huesman had the October honor last season.  It is the first time in league history on school has won four straight Player of the Month honors. 
 
TEAM CAPTAINS
Five Mocs were elected captains by their teammates for the 2015 season.  Seniors Jacob Huesman, A.J. Hampton, Josh Freeman and Synjen Herren and junior Keionta Davis were chosen for their leadership on and off the field.  This is Huesman's third year as a captain, the second for Freeman and the first for the other three.   
 
LETTERMEN/STARTERS RETURNING/LOST
UTC returns a total of 41 lettermen from the 2014 campaign. There are 18 on the offensive side of the ball and 21 on defense. Two specialists also return for the 2015 season. There are 16 starters back, including seven on offense, seven on defense and two on special teams.  A complete list of starters returning and lost is available on page 13 of the Training Camp Notes.   
 
SEASON NO. 108
The Chattanooga Mocs enter their 108th season of football in the fall of 2015.  The University of Chattanooga was founded in 1886 and football began play in 1904.  No teams were fielded in 1917 and 1918 due to World War I.  There was also a two-year hiatus from football action during World War II in 1943 and 1944.  The Mocs have an all-time record of 521-514-35 (.503) and have won 12 conference titles.
 
COACH HUESMAN AT A GLANCE
A three-time SoCon Coach of the Year (2009, 2013, 2014), Russ Huesman is 50-32 (.610) in his seven years at Chattanooga after being hired as the 22nd head coach at UTC on Dec. 22, 2008.  The Mocs won 44 games in the 12 previous seasons to his arrival in 2009.  
 
Huesman was 10th in the voting for the Eddie Robinson Award for the National Coach of the Year in 2014.  He garnered 109 points, including seven first-place nods.  It was the second year in a row he was a finalist for the Robinson Award, finishing 17th in 2013.
 
A 1983 graduate of UTC and a former defensive back, Huesman guided Chattanooga to a 6-5 mark in 2009, equaling the number of wins UTC had seen in the previous three years combined.  Huesman is 42-23 against FCS teams with 15 of those losses coming against ranked opponents, including 10 in the Top 10.  He is 36-18 (.667) in SoCon action.  The program won 29 league games the previous 12 campaigns to 2009 (29-63).  He is 27-11 (.711) at home, 23-21 (.523) on the road. There were just 17 road wins in the prior 12 years (1997-2008).
 
Prior to his return to Chattanooga, Huesman spent 25 seasons building a reputation as one of the top defensive-minded assistant coaches in the country. He spent five years as the defensive coordinator at the University of Richmond before joining UTC and also coached at Memphis (1998-2003) and William & Mary (14 yrs), serving as the defensive coordinator from 1996-97. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Huesman played prep football at perennial power Moeller High School, where he lettered for four years under head coach Gerry Faust.
 
CHEER LOCAL
Cheer Local has become the mantra for Mocs Athletics in their home town of Chattanooga.  It is a perfect slogan for the football team who has 29 student-athletes from the Chattanooga area.  That is the most local talent on the roster since 2002.
 
WINNING RECORDS BECOMING COMMON AT CHATTANOOGA
UTC secured its seventh win of the year against Western Carolina, assuring the Mocs of their sixth winning season in seven years under head coach Russ Huesman.  UTC only had four winning seasons in the 23 years prior to Huesman's arrival in 2009 (1986-2008).