CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Chattanooga Mocs ran their Southern Conference winning streak to three games Saturday, pulling away from VMI for a 24-10 home win that lifted them to 5-1 in league play.
The Keydets got on the board first with a 29-yard Jack Joyce field goal late in the opening quarter. Quarterback Battle Alberson answered with a 14-yard scoring run in the second quarter, and Taylor Crumedy turned a short throw into a 66-yard touchdown just over a minute before halftime, sending the Mocs to the locker room up 14-3.
VMI cut the gap to four early in the third on a 40-yard strike from JoJo Crump to Zion Trump. Jude Kelley then hit from 46 yards, and Journey Wyche sealed it with a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Chattanooga piled up 353 yards to 241 for VMI and won the rushing battle 218-117. Kevin Lalin carried 16 times for a game-best 88 yards, while Crumedy finished with four catches for 124 yards. Alberson threw only eight passes but completed five for 135 yards. The Mocs never punted, though they did throw two interceptions.
The defense has now held opponents to 60 points across six games, the stingiest six-game run for the program since 1957. VMI managed just one punt and actually held the ball longer, but Chattanooga converted six of nine third downs and set a season high with 22 first downs.
Chattanooga came into the weekend sharing second place in the league, and the victory pushed the Mocs into a share of first. The Keydets, still looking for their first win, arrived at 0-8 and leave with another conference loss.
The Mocs also kept their run defense sharp, giving up fewer than 120 yards on the ground and holding VMI under 250 total yards for the sixth time in nine games this season.
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