The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga received a home game in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs this Saturday, and the Mocs will face Fordham.
The Rams are headed into uncharted waters when they play the seventh-ranked Mocs at 1 at Finley Stadium. Not only are they bringing their football program to Chattanooga for the first time, but for the first time in three consecutive playoff appearances, they'll be on the road.
Mocs glance
› Fordham (9-2) at UTC (8-3) › Finley Stadium › Saturday, 1 p.m. › 96.1 FM
"It's going to be an atmosphere we're not used to on the road," Fordham left guard Garrick Mayweather told NYSportsDay.com. He added that the team will prepare as if it's a regular-season game.
Fordham (9-2) played 11 consecutive weekends before being off on the final week of the regular season. The Rams used that to heal somewhat from a collection of injuries built up during the season.
"It gave us some rest," Fordham coach Joe Moorhead told NYSportsDay.com. "It's a catch-22 situation. We didn't get the rest during the season. It didn't help with injuries at the tail end of the season, but we recharged. We didn't practice - just had a couple of hits and runs and refreshed."
So while the Mocs get back to work today after getting over the disappointment of not receiving a first-round bye, they are prepared to face a formidable opponent.
"We know we're going to play a really good team in Fordham. People throughout the country understand that Fordham is really good, and our focus now is getting ready to play," UTC coach Russ Huesman said Sunday. "Our athletic department stepped up and got us a bid (for a home game), which was huge and we thank them for that.
"You've got to play each and every week, and our guys are excited. I know that they'll be ready to play."
The Rams' resume includes a win over Football Bowl Subdivision opponent Army and a second-place finish in the Patriot League. The team is led offensively by running back Chase Edmonds with 1,643 yards and 20 touchdowns and quarterback Kevin Anderson with 2,854 passing yards and 29 scores. Five receivers have at least 30 catches, while three others have at least 12.
The offense averages 38.4 points and 456.6 yards per game, while the defense allows 412.5 yards and 28.8 points.
Moorehead said making the playoffs "is a credit to our kids. It will be different to be on the road but something we will adjust to. It's a welcome chance and a great spot to be in."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.