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Saturday, November 14, 2026Nov 14

So close: Chattanooga fans watch as Mocs playoff effort comes up short

UTC fans Charlotte and Lucien Ellington, and Bill Bratton, from left, cheer for the Mocs at Jefferson's on Georgia Avenue during the playoff against New Hampshire.
UTC fans Charlotte and Lucien Ellington, and Bill Bratton, from left, cheer for the Mocs at Jefferson's on Georgia Avenue during the playoff against New Hampshire.
photo UTC fans Charlotte and Lucien Ellington, and Bill Bratton, from left, cheer for the Mocs at Jefferson’s on Georgia Avenue during the playoff against New Hampshire.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Mocs football fans filled Jefferson’s on Georgia Avenue on Friday night, decked in blue and gold, cheering for their team that appeared in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinals for the first time ever.

Many fans wore jerseys, others had UTC hats, and everyone was saying to each other over baskets of fries and cans of beer, “What if we win?”

It was a fair question for a fan base that was enjoying the team’s first postseason appearance in 30 years, and it was magnified by a dominating first half for the Mocs, who took a 21-15 lead into the halftime break.

The mood was electric as fans watched the Mocs challenge No. 1 seed New Hampshire on ESPN2.

Joe Levine, assistant director of the UTC Mocs Club, said he expected a big turnout for the game.