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UTC offensive breakdown: QB Battle Alberson gets keys for opener

Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / UTC quarterback Battle Alberson, shown during a July 29 practice at Scrappy Moore Field, will begin his third year with the Mocs as their starter behind center for Thursday night's opener at West Georgia. Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / UTC quarterback Battle Alberson, shown during a July 29 practice at Scrappy Moore Field, will begin his third year with the Mocs as their starter behind center for Thursday night's opener at West Georgia.

By Gene Henley August 22, 2026 5 min read

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team will open its 2026 schedule Thursday, traveling to take on West Georgia in a nonconference matchup set for a 7 p.m. kickoff at University Stadium in Carrollton.

UTC will enter Rusty Wright’s eighth season as head coach seeking to bounce back from the program’s first losing record since 2017, with the Mocs going 5-7 overall and 4-4 in Southern Conference play in 2025 as they missed the 24-team field for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the second year in a row.

With the opener now just days away, the Times Free Press is taking a position group-based look at UTC’s offense, with a defensive breakdown of the Mocs still ahead.

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