CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Reinforced by a 103-yard, two touchdown performance from
Quentin Hayes, The Citadel (2-3, 2-1 SoCon) orchestrated a dominant road display at SoCon adversary Chattanooga (1-4, 0-1 SoCon), bullying the Mocs throughout the key league matchup en route to a 28-10 victory Saturday evening at Finley Stadium.
KEY NOTES
-- Under center,
Quentin Hayes took over early at quarterback following an injury to
Cobey Thompkins, proceeding to rack up a season-best 103 yards on the ground with a pair of touchdown scores; the Air Force transfer added a strong 7-of-8 outing for 63 yards through the air as well
-- Thompkins, who exited in the first quarter due to injury, ran the offense efficiently on the team's initial drive, notably finding
Whit Hobgood on fourth-and-short from the 14-yard line for the Bulldogs' first score of the game; the redshirt freshman returned late in the contest, concluding the game 4-of-6 passing for 34 yards with a touchdown while also contributing 67 yards rushing via seven carries
--
Sebastien Boyle paced the running back corps as The Citadel battered the Mocs defense on the ground throughout the contest, notching 82 yards on 16 rushes;
Garrison Johnson Sr. logged 10 carries as well for 54 yards with one score, notably breaking off a 26-yard scamper up the left sideline for his lone touchdown
-- Overall, the Bulldogs' 336 yards on 58 carries blew the previous season-best out of the water, topping a 210-yard performance at Gardner-Webb two weeks ago
--
Javonte Graves-Billips registered a solid night at wideout as well, pulling down five catches for 37 yards;
Kemani Brown added two receptions as well for 21 yards while Hobgood secured the first touchdown catch of his career on the opening drive for The Citadel, reeling in a tough catch near the right sideline before diving for the pylon
-- Defensively,
Cale Williams led the squad with seven tackles while also collecting the lone turnover of the game, swiping a late interception on an impressive diving play to cut short a promising Mocs drive in the fourth quarter;
Mikey Rosa contributed five tackles, including one tackle-for-loss, with a forced fumble and two QB hurries while
Sayre Smothers and
Je'Mazin Roberts recorded four tackles apiece
-- Notably, The Citadel defense may only have been credited for the single turnover -- a
Cale Williams interception -- on the game, but the unit generated an additional three turnovers-on-downs as well, holding UTC to zero points in the second half after just surrendering 10 points during the initial two periods
-- Finally, the time-of-possession heavily leaned in favor of The Citadel due to well-establish ground game, concluding in a 36:13-to-23:47 edge for the Bulldogs
--
Garrison Johnson Sr., who usually wears No. 22, donned No. 16 against the Mocs in honor of the late Stanley Myers, a former standout at quarterback for the Bulldogs and recent inductee into the The Citadel Athletics Hall of Fame, who passed away suddenly two years ago to date
-- #FireThoseCannons --
