WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & SportsMocs climb in polls, earn SoCon honors after big win

Bradford, Dothard earn SoCon awards
CHATTANOOGA (UTC) -- Two University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football players garnered Southern Conference Player of the Week honors Monday following Saturday's 38-17 win over No. 10 Jacksonville State.

Wide receiver Joel Bradford is the SoCon offensive award-winner and linebacker Wes Dothard is defensive honoree after leading the Mocs to their first win over a top-ten team since 2000.

Bradford, a senior from Chattanooga, tied his career high with 15 receptions and racked up 162 receiving yards and one touchdown. His 162 yards are the highest single-game total in the FCS this season. This is his third career SoCon Player of the Week honor.

Dothard, a sophomore from Carrollton, Georgia, recorded five tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown against JSU. The 6-foot-1, 235-pounder also added a forced fumble, one pass break-up and one quarterback hurry while anchoring a defense that gave up just 17 second-half yards.

Mocs climb in polls after big win
CHATTANOOGA (WRCB) -- Chattanooga's first win over a top-ten team since 2000 pushed the Mocs to their highest ranking in two decades.

After routing No. 10 Jacksonville State 38-17 Saturday at Finley Stadium, UTC (1-1) climbed nine spots to No. 14 in the lastest Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS poll and jumped eight spots to No. 17 in the latest FCS Coaches' Top 25. Both polls were released Monday.

The top-20 rankings are the highest for the Mocs since they were ranked No. 9 in 1992. Chattanooga is also in the polls for a third straight week, marking the most consecutive weeks UTC has been ranked to start the year in school history.

Jacksonville State dropped to No. 17 in the Sports Network/Fathead.com poll (three spots behind UTC), but managed to stay one spot ahead of the Mocs in the Coaches' poll at No. 16.

Seats available for Mocs' road trip to Eastern Kentucky
CHATTANOOGA (UTC) -- The UTC Athletics Department is planning a bus trip to the football game at Eastern Kentucky this weekend.

This trip is open all Chattanooga football fans and will depart from McKenzie Arena at 1:00 p.m. (E.D.T.) on Saturday, Sept. 17. Tickets for the just over four hour trip are $59 for UTC Mocs Club members and $69 for non-members. This cost includes transportation, lunch on the bus and admission to the game.

Fans who already have a ticket can get on the bus and lunch for just $55. For more information, or to reserve your spot, contact UTC Mocs Club Assistant Director William Kent (william-kent@utc.edu - (423) 425-4233).

Information provided by UTC Sports Information and GoMocs.com.