Ryan Bell
Photo by: Ray Soldano
Postgame Notes vs Tennessee Tech
9/5/2026 10:21:00 PM | Football
2026 Chattanooga Mocs Football
Postgame Notes
Sept. 5 – Tennessee Tech – Finley Stadium
SETTING THE SCENE
- The Chattanooga Mocs lost 24-9 against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Finley Stadium Saturday evening…Mocs are 1-1, Golden Eagles move to 2-0.
- Tennessee Tech came into the contest ranked No. 12 in the Stats Perform Top 25 and No. 13 in the AFCA Coaches Poll…the Mocs are among others receiving votes in both.
- Despite the inclusion of Tennessee Tech into Southern Conference membership on July 1, 2026, tonight's contest was a previously scheduled non-conference matchup…both squads have a full 8-game SoCon slate ahead.
- 42nd meeting with the Golden Eagles ties for 6th most frequent opponent: 59-The Citadel, 56-Furman, 51-Western Carolina, 50-Samford, 48-ETSU, 42-TTU/Jacksonville State.
- Tech is one of four opponents the Mocs have beaten 30 or more times: 36-The Citadel, 35-Samford, 31-Western Carolina, 30-TTU.
- 119th season of football at Chattanooga…game number 1,184…582-567-35 (.506) all-time record…50th as a DI program.
- 79-37-3 (.677) in home openers all-time…17-12 (.586) in Finley Stadium.
- Game captains: DB Nick Coates, RB Kevin Lalin, OL Devin Lively, LB Zion Rutledge.
- Tennessee Tech won the toss and chose to defer…opponents have won the toss in both contests.
COACH RUSTY WRIGHT
- 43-35 in his eighth season…43-27 vs. FCS opposition.
- 21-13 at Finley Stadium all against FCS competition.
- 0-2 against TTU…0-1 at home.
SERIES
Meeting: 42
Record: 30-12
In Chattanooga: 20-7
Last 5: 3-2 | Last 10: 5-5 | 20: 11-9
TEAM NOTES
- Defense held TTU to 237 total yards with 76 on the ground and 161 in the air…they averaged just 3.9 yards per play.
- The 237 yards are the fewest against an FCS opponent for the Golden Eagles since 229 against Gardner-Webb on Nov. 11, 2023.
- Offense was limited to 227 yards of its own with a little better production at 4.5 yards per play…190 of that came on the ground…26th time under Wright and offensive coordinator Joe Pizzo that the Mocs had 190 or more rushing yards in a game.
- Both teams were 3-3 in the red zone…Tech scored three touchdowns while the Mocs settled for field goals.
- The Mocs offense had two turnovers on interceptions…the Golden Eagles converted those short fields into 14 points.
- Defensively, there were six pass breakups for the Mocs…that's 11 in two games led by Keyshawn Jackson with four, one tonight.
- Chattanooga limited the Golden Eagles to 38 yards on 18 plays over their first five drives…2.1 yards per play over that stretch…they scored a touchdown on their sixth possession, the final one of the first half on a 45-yard, 8-play drive.
- 24:25 in time of possession after 36:43 at West Georgia in the opener…the offense held the ball for 9:36 over the first quarter before going 14:49 the rest of the way.
PLAYER NOTES
- RB Journey Wyche had 113 yards on 12 carries in his first appearance of the season…second career 100-yard effort.
- That came one week after Kevin Lalin's 128 yards at West Georgia…last time with back-to-back 100-yard rushing efforts to start the season? 2006 when Eldra Buckley began with five in a row: 18-204/3 TD vs Tennessee Tech and 24-105 at Memphis.
- 43-yard Wyche scamper early in the fourth quarter flipped the field in a drive that ended with a 39-yard Jude Kelley field goal cutting the deficit to eight, 17-9.
- Lalin ran for 64 yards on 13 carries…he has 2,450 career yards including his time at Limestone and Catawba…he's now 69 all-purpose yards shy of 3,000 for his career.
- K Jude Kelley tied his career high with three field goals tonight…also had three on Oct. 19, 2024 in the win over Wofford.
- Kelley topped the 200-point mark as a Moc…now has 205 at Chattanooga, 225 including his time at Georgia Tech.
- LB Kristian Ozane led the defensive unit with eight tackles including sharing a tackle for loss and making his first career interception…it was his second start at Chattanooga.
- FS Kam Baah-Slay posted four tackles with two pass breakups…ties his career high for PBUs set last fall in the win over Furman.
- WR Erik Bussmann's three catches led the receiving unit…they're the first three of his career.
- WR Ashton Schumann needs three catches to reach 150 in his collegiate career, while he is just 77 yards shy of 2,000.
SOCON SCOREBOARD
at Wofford 17, Gardner-Webb 13
at Tennessee 56, Furman 9
The Citadel 43, at Charlotte 41 (3OT)
at ETSU 48, Tusculum 14
Western Carolina at Campbell
at Mercer 62, Presbyterian 3
VMI at Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m.
Postgame Notes
Sept. 5 – Tennessee Tech – Finley Stadium
SETTING THE SCENE
- The Chattanooga Mocs lost 24-9 against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Finley Stadium Saturday evening…Mocs are 1-1, Golden Eagles move to 2-0.
- Tennessee Tech came into the contest ranked No. 12 in the Stats Perform Top 25 and No. 13 in the AFCA Coaches Poll…the Mocs are among others receiving votes in both.
- Despite the inclusion of Tennessee Tech into Southern Conference membership on July 1, 2026, tonight's contest was a previously scheduled non-conference matchup…both squads have a full 8-game SoCon slate ahead.
- 42nd meeting with the Golden Eagles ties for 6th most frequent opponent: 59-The Citadel, 56-Furman, 51-Western Carolina, 50-Samford, 48-ETSU, 42-TTU/Jacksonville State.
- Tech is one of four opponents the Mocs have beaten 30 or more times: 36-The Citadel, 35-Samford, 31-Western Carolina, 30-TTU.
- 119th season of football at Chattanooga…game number 1,184…582-567-35 (.506) all-time record…50th as a DI program.
- 79-37-3 (.677) in home openers all-time…17-12 (.586) in Finley Stadium.
- Game captains: DB Nick Coates, RB Kevin Lalin, OL Devin Lively, LB Zion Rutledge.
- Tennessee Tech won the toss and chose to defer…opponents have won the toss in both contests.
COACH RUSTY WRIGHT
- 43-35 in his eighth season…43-27 vs. FCS opposition.
- 21-13 at Finley Stadium all against FCS competition.
- 0-2 against TTU…0-1 at home.
SERIES
Meeting: 42
Record: 30-12
In Chattanooga: 20-7
Last 5: 3-2 | Last 10: 5-5 | 20: 11-9
TEAM NOTES
- Defense held TTU to 237 total yards with 76 on the ground and 161 in the air…they averaged just 3.9 yards per play.
- The 237 yards are the fewest against an FCS opponent for the Golden Eagles since 229 against Gardner-Webb on Nov. 11, 2023.
- Offense was limited to 227 yards of its own with a little better production at 4.5 yards per play…190 of that came on the ground…26th time under Wright and offensive coordinator Joe Pizzo that the Mocs had 190 or more rushing yards in a game.
- Both teams were 3-3 in the red zone…Tech scored three touchdowns while the Mocs settled for field goals.
- The Mocs offense had two turnovers on interceptions…the Golden Eagles converted those short fields into 14 points.
- Defensively, there were six pass breakups for the Mocs…that's 11 in two games led by Keyshawn Jackson with four, one tonight.
- Chattanooga limited the Golden Eagles to 38 yards on 18 plays over their first five drives…2.1 yards per play over that stretch…they scored a touchdown on their sixth possession, the final one of the first half on a 45-yard, 8-play drive.
- 24:25 in time of possession after 36:43 at West Georgia in the opener…the offense held the ball for 9:36 over the first quarter before going 14:49 the rest of the way.
PLAYER NOTES
- RB Journey Wyche had 113 yards on 12 carries in his first appearance of the season…second career 100-yard effort.
- That came one week after Kevin Lalin's 128 yards at West Georgia…last time with back-to-back 100-yard rushing efforts to start the season? 2006 when Eldra Buckley began with five in a row: 18-204/3 TD vs Tennessee Tech and 24-105 at Memphis.
- 43-yard Wyche scamper early in the fourth quarter flipped the field in a drive that ended with a 39-yard Jude Kelley field goal cutting the deficit to eight, 17-9.
- Lalin ran for 64 yards on 13 carries…he has 2,450 career yards including his time at Limestone and Catawba…he's now 69 all-purpose yards shy of 3,000 for his career.
- K Jude Kelley tied his career high with three field goals tonight…also had three on Oct. 19, 2024 in the win over Wofford.
- Kelley topped the 200-point mark as a Moc…now has 205 at Chattanooga, 225 including his time at Georgia Tech.
- LB Kristian Ozane led the defensive unit with eight tackles including sharing a tackle for loss and making his first career interception…it was his second start at Chattanooga.
- FS Kam Baah-Slay posted four tackles with two pass breakups…ties his career high for PBUs set last fall in the win over Furman.
- WR Erik Bussmann's three catches led the receiving unit…they're the first three of his career.
- WR Ashton Schumann needs three catches to reach 150 in his collegiate career, while he is just 77 yards shy of 2,000.
SOCON SCOREBOARD
at Wofford 17, Gardner-Webb 13
at Tennessee 56, Furman 9
The Citadel 43, at Charlotte 41 (3OT)
at ETSU 48, Tusculum 14
Western Carolina at Campbell
at Mercer 62, Presbyterian 3
VMI at Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m.
Players Mentioned
DB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
K
/ Football
RB
/ Football
OL
/ Football
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
RB
/ FootballTuesday, September 08
Saturday, September 05
Tuesday, September 01
Tuesday, September 01
