CULLOWHEE, N.C. — The Chattanooga Mocs leaned on their running game and two late interceptions to turn a tie game at halftime into a 41-18 Southern Conference road win over Western Carolina on Saturday afternoon in Cullowhee.
The win lifts Chattanooga to 5-3 overall and 4-1 in league play. Western Carolina fell to 3-5 and 1-3, and the loss was the first at home this fall for the Catamounts, who drew 11,889 fans to E.J. Whitmire Stadium for Homecoming.
The first half was tight. Journey Wyche put the Mocs up 7-3 on a short scoring run, but AJ Colombo answered with an 86-yard punt return that gave the hosts a 10-7 edge. Jude Kelley then tied it at the break with a 57-yard field goal, the longest in Chattanooga history, beating the old mark of 53 yards that stood since 1998.
After halftime the Mocs took over. Quarterback Battle Alberson ran 19 yards for a score on the opening drive of the third quarter, Kelley added a 31-yard kick, and interceptions by Jaden Nelson and Kristian Ozane on back-to-back Western Carolina series set up two quick touchdowns. Chattanooga piled up 24 points in the fourth quarter alone.
Kevin Lalin finished with 135 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including a 37-yard run to close the scoring, and Wyche added 105 yards. As a team the Mocs ran for 295 yards and held the Catamounts to two third-down conversions in 11 tries. Linebacker Zion Rutledge made a game-high 17 tackles and passed 200 for his career.
Chattanooga also snapped a four-game losing streak against Western Carolina and holds a 32-20 edge in the all-time series.
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