Football: Chattanooga

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It's time for game 6, which means a trip across the mountains for the Catamounts to Chattanooga, Tenn.   To start out the week, lets review the preseason preview posted in early summer for the Mocs. 

Game #6. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Mocs

A preseason preview of the Catamount's sixth opponent of the 2011 football season, the UTC Mocs.

For the Catamounts sixth game of the season, the Cats will travel to Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee to play their fourth conference game against the Mocs of Chattanooga. This will mark the 38th edition of the rivalry, with the Mocs owning a 21-16 overall record against the Catamounts, while the Cats trail 12-7 in games against the Mocs played in Chattanooga.

For the past two seasons, the slogan for the Mocs football program has been, “Restore the Glory.” Head Coach Russ Huesman was hired in December 2008 to bring back the championship tradition that he helped to build as a Moc player from 1978-81. Twenty-two games into his tenure, Coach Huesman has taken a team that went 1-11 in the year prior to his arrival and rebuilt them into a nationally respected squad, that was ranked No. 20 in the nation on Oct. 25. The Mocs have been picked No. 3 in the SoCon this season, just behind ASU and GSU.

Chattanooga has 16 starters returning from last season's squad, including five on offense, eight on defense and three on special teams, with a total of 38 lettermen returning (16 on the offensive side of the ball, 18 on defense). Senior B.J. Coleman will return as QB after starting all 22 games over the last two seasons. with a solid corps of wideouts returning, led by All-American Joel Bradford. Bradford was No. 2 in the nation with 1,284 receiving yards in 2010. The offensive line took a big hit with the loss of three senior starters, including two All-SoCon performers, while the defensive line lost two starters.

The Mocs ranked second in the Southern Conference and No. 8 in the nation with their passing game, Chattanooga put up 277.2 yards of passing offense per game last season. While known for their passing, the Mocs have established an effective running game.

To beat the Mocs on the road will be difficult, however, they will have played both ASU and GSU by the time the Cats travel to Chattanooga. If they have been successful against either team, this will be a very difficult game for the Cats. I think the Mocs will probably be 3-3 or maybe even 2-4 coming into this game. If they are 2-4, a highly motivated Catamount squad can make this game very interesting and leave Chattanooga with a win.

Update:  This past Saturday the 23rd-ranked Chattanooga Mocs (2-4/0-3) dropped a 28-27 decision at No. 1 Georgia Southern in Statesboro, dropping the Mocs to an 0-3 SoCon record, with conferences losses to ASU, the Citadel, and GSU.

Prediction: WCU 21 - UTC 14