Chattanooga football ranked in FCS Top 25 in first preseason poll
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (BVM) — Despite ending a strong 2020-21 spring campaign suddenly due to complications of COVID-19, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team is still getting respect from national pundits. In their June 16 FCS Top 25 poll, Athlon Sports ranked the Mocs at No. 20 in the nation following the team’s 3-2 season including a 3-1 record against Southern Conference opponents.
“The Mocs were in the thick of the SoCon title race when the school ended their spring season at the end of March,” the publication said. “They return to an outstanding conference race, which makes their strong run game and experienced defense especially important.”
Chattanooga is just one of three SoCon teams mentioned in the rankings as SoCon champs VMI are ranked No. 18 while Furman was listed as an honorable mention.
Experience will play a huge role to the Mocs when the team returns in the fall. In fact, all 11 offensive starters will return next season including senior offensive guard Cole Strange, who was honored as the SoCon’s top offensive lineman by earning the conference’s coveted Jacobs Blocking Award. In addition to Strange, Chattanooga will return four running backs, three having 100-yard games during the shortened season including senior Tyrell Price who led the team with 226 rushing yards and 2019 SoCon Freshman of the Year Ailym Ford who will return after missing the spring season. Senior tight end Chris James, a 2020 Preseason All-American according to STATS and HeroSports.com who didn’t play during the spring season, will make his return after setting the Mocs’ single-season school record for TDs by a tight end with seven in 2019.
On the defensive side of things, Chattanooga will return standout defensive lineman Devonnsha Maxwell who was named FCS second team All-American by Phil Steele last season. Leading tackler, linebacker Kam Jones, will also be returning for a Mocs defense that finished No. 6 in the country in total defense, surrendering just 245.8 yards per game.
The Mocs will open their season on Sept. 2 against fellow ranked team No. 23 Austin Peay of the Ohio Valley Conference. This will be the fourth time in five seasons that Chattanooga will play its first game against an OVC opponent and the first Mocs home opener where both teams were ranked since they took on No. 7 Jacksonville State in 2015 when the team was ranked No. 8. The Mocs are a solid 2-1 in the previous season-opening matchups against the OVC, losing to Jacksonville State 27-13 in 2015 before beating Tennessee Tech 34-10 in 2018 and Eastern Illinois 24-10 in 2019.
With key starters returning and the COVID-19 pandemic slowly disappearing in the rearview mirror, the Mocs should have a great opportunity to clinch a SoCon championship. Expectations outside of the program are high, but rest assured that the expectations are even higher in the locker room.
