Chattanooga Uses Balanced Offensive Output to Overcome Furman in SoCon Showdown

CHATTANOOGA, TENN--True freshman quarterback Battle Alberson passed for 277 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 85 yards in his first career start, as he led a Chattanooga offense that racked up 529 yards in a 45-28 win over Furman Saturday afternoon before 6,306 fans at Finley Stadium.

With the win, the Mocs evened their record at 5-5 overall and 4-2 in league play, while Furman fell to 5-5 overall and 3-4 in league action.

Alberson finished the day connecting on 15-of-23 passes for 277 yards and passing scores of 25, 66, 47 and 25 yards to highlight his first-career start. He finished the day with 362 yards of total offense. The true freshman rushed for 85 yards on just seven attempts.

The Mocs were balanced on the offensive side of the ball, posting 277 yards through the air and another 252 on the ground. The Mocs out-gained Furman 529-368 in total yards, including 252-72 on the ground.

The Mocs' ground efforts were led by Ryan Ingram, who finished with 94 yards on 22 attempts. Justus Durant also added 65 yards on 16 attempts. 

Josh Williams finished as the Mocs' leading target in the passing game, hauling in six passes for 116 yards and one TD. Markell Quick added three catches for 70 yards and a score.

Trey Hedden finished the day by connecting on 19-of-27 passes for 296 yards with a pair of TDs and two INTS. His favorite target was true freshman wideout Evan James, who hauled in five passes for 146 yards and a touchdown.

How It Happened:

Furman won the toss and deferred to the second half. After Chattanooga drove it down to the Furman 9 on its first possession of the day, Raleigh Herbert came around the corner and stopped Justus Durant short on  a 4th-and-1 play to allow the Paladin offense to take over deep in their own territory and drove it 91 yards for the game's opening points with Ben Croasdale racing across the goal line from four yards out to make it a 7-0 lead with 2:20 remaining in the opening quarter. 

The key play in the scoring drive was a 61-yard connection between Trey Hedden and Evan James to get the Paladin offense deep into Mocs territory at the Chattanooga 21.]

Chattanooga would get on the board on its ensuing drive to tie the game early in the second quarter, driving 75 yards in 10 plays following a 25-yard scoring toss from Battle Alberson to tight end Landon Strickland to tie the game 7-7 with 13:40 remaining in the half.

Furman's next drive would once again result in points, as the Paladins drove it 69 yards in 10 plays to make it a 14-7 game with 7:17 left in the half after CJ Nettles scampered in from three yards out to give the Paladins the lead back.

On its next possession, Chattanooga produced its first big chunk play of the afternoon, and it resulted in the game-tying score, as Alberson found Josh Williams over the middle for a 66-yard scoring strike to make its 14-14 game with 3:29 left in the half. 

Furman would strike back just before the half, beginning with the kickoff return from true freshman Caleb Easterling. After racing 100 yards for a score last week against Mercer, Easterling set up Furman's final score before the half, returning the Mocs kickoff 76 yards down the sidelines to set up the Paladins at the UTC 23. 

Five plays later, Hedden found Kerry King on a 9-yard scoring strike with just under two minutes left in the half to make it 21-14.

It didn't take the Mocs long to tie the game, as Alberson tossed his third scoring pass of the half when he found Markell Quick for a 47-yard TD with 46 seconds remaining in the half, tying the game 21-21.

Chattanooga's squib quick backfired and it gave the Paladins a chance to take a lead into the locker room. However, the Paladins lined up for a short chip shot field goal, which was blocked by the Mocs to preserve the tie as the two teams entered the halftime locker room.

On Furman's first drive of the second half, Chattanooga took the lead on the game's first turnover as Ky Tayo picked off a Hedden pass and returned it 57 yards for a score to make it a 28-21 Mocs lead with 13:01 remaining in the third quarter. 

Following a Furman punt, Paladin defensive lineman Caldwell Bussey went down with what appeared to be a serious injury with just under 11 minutes remaining in the third quarter. 

Later in the drive, the Mocs would be faced with a 4th-and-7 and would convert it to keep a drive alive just inside the red zone. Joshua Stoneking came up with a big tackle-for-loss on a 3rd-and-1 play at the Furman 19, forcing the Mocs to settle for a 31-yard Jude Kelley field goal, as the Mocs increased their lead to 10, at 31-21, with 4:18 remaining in the third quarter.

Furman would answer back on its next possession, as Hedden found James for a 48-yard scoring strike with just under three minutes remaining in the third, as the Paladins pulled back to within three, at 31-28. 

On Chattanooga's next possession, the Mocs punched it in once again to restore a 10-point lead on a 1-yard scoring plunge from Journey Wyche to make it a 38-28 game with 7:24 remaining. 

The game-changing would come on Furman's next possession, as Hedden found tight end Joshua Burrell over the middle for 29 yards, however, as he turned his head to go up field, Burrell was hit immediately by Kam Baah-Slay, knocking the ball in the air and the ball was recovered by UTC's Kaelin Drakeford at the Furman 44 to come up with the Mocs' second turnover of the afternoon.

Six plays later, Chattanooga tacked on its final score of the day, as Alberson tossed his fourth scoring pass of the afternoon, finding Wyche out of the backfield for a 25-yard scoring pass to increase UTC's lead to 17 with 2:49 remaining after Jude Kelley's PAT.

The Paladins got the ball back once more, however, Hedden's pass was initially broken up by Kam Baah-Slay and off the carom, Amanuel Dickson officially ended the scoring threat and seal Chattanooga's fifth win of the season.

Furman closes out its Southern Conference slate next Saturday at home on Senior Day against VMI. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. EST.