Chattanooga will once again look to the arm and legs of senior quarterback Jacob Huesman (14), shown in action against Wofford last season, to lead them back into the FCS playoffs. The Mocs begin the season with a #5 ranking in the Lindy's pre-season poll and will face #6 ranked Jacksonville State on September 5th at Finley stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
photo by File/Dennis Norwood
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga grabbed another preseason top 10 national ranking. The Mocs are No. 5 in Lindy’s Sports FCS Top 25 heading into the 2015 campaign.
This is UTC’s highest preseason ranking of any of the major publications that released a poll for the Football Championship Subdivision. Chattanooga is No. 8 in the both the Sporting News and Athlon Sports rankings.
The preseason hype continues to build around the Mocs’ home opener against Jacksonville State on Sept. 5. The Gamecocks are just behind UTC, checking in at No. 6 in Lindy’s rankings. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. at Finley Stadium and season tickets are on sale now on GoMocs.com.
Official rankings will come out when the SportsNetwork.com and the FCS Coaches Polls are released in the coming weeks. They are the only two listings recognized by the NCAA.
Chattanooga finished the 2014 campaign at No. 8 in both of those final polls. That was the highest national ranking for the Mocs in school history.
UTC posted a program-best 10-4 record last season, including a 7-0 slate in Southern Conference action. Chattanooga returns 42 letter winners and 16 starters from that championship team.
Senior QB Jacob Huesman, the two-time SoCon Offensive Player of the Year, leads a group that welcomes back seven starters. Junior OL Corey Levin won the SoCon Jacob’s Blocking Trophy last season and is one of four All-SoCon performers returning on offense.
Sophomore Lucas Webb and junior Dee Virgin are two first team All-SoCon defensive backs who helped make up the top unit a year ago. They are among seven starters returning on defense, including five who earned All-SoCon recognition.
Lindy’s FCS Preseason Top 25
1. North Dakota State
2. Villanova
3. Sam Houston State
4. Illinois State
5. Chattanooga
6. Jacksonville State
7. Coastal Carolina
8. Eastern Washington
9. New Hampshire
10. South Dakota State
11. Montana State
12. Richmond
13. Liberty
14. Northern Iowa
15. Stephen F. Austin
16. Montana
17. James Madison
18. Eastern Kentucky
19. South Carolina State
20. Indiana State
21. William & Mary
22. Youngstown State
23. Fordham
24. McNeese State
25. Harvard