Bucs look to get The Rail back in Johnson City for first time since 2018

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Sept. 30, 2022) – The fourth edition of The Rail Rivalry comes to Johnson City this Saturday when ETSU hosts No. 10 Chattanooga at 3 p.m. inside William B. Greene, Jr. Stadium. 

THE RAIL RIVARLY

Date: Saturday, Oct. 1

Location: Johnson City, Tenn. | Greene Stadium

Teams: RV/RV ETSU (2-2, 0-2) vs. #10/12 Chattanooga (3-1, 1-0)

Weather: 55°; 60% chance of rain

Live Stats: ETSUBucs.com (StatBroadcast)

Live Video: ESPN+

TV Crew: Keith Brake (play-by-play); Mark Hutsell (analyst)

Live Audio: WXSM-AM 640 |104.9 NASH ICON

Radio Personnel: Jay “Voice of the Bucs” Sandos, Matt Wilhjelm (analyst), Robert Harper (sideline), Don Helman (stats)

Twitter: @ETSUFootball

Game Sponsor: Food City

THINGS TO KNOW

No. 1 – Time Change: Saturday’s game was originally scheduled for 7:30 p.m., but due to expected weather from Hurricane Ian, the game has been pushed up to 3 p.m. For all the latest updates and information, call 423-439-3878 or visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the football schedule page.

No. 2 – Ticket Information: Fans can purchase tickets for Saturday’s game against Chattanooga, as well as season tickets for basketball, online. For more information, click here. Students can pick up their tickets all week at the Carrier Center located on the second floor of the Culp Center or at the gate on gameday.

No. 3 – Rail Rivalry: In 2018, ETSU and Chattanooga announced its in-state rivalry would add a new tradition with the introduction of the “Rail Rivalry” where the winning team would take home “The Rail” trophy. The rail is made from a former railroad tie that once connected Johnson City and Chattanooga and weighs 108 pounds to represent the halfway point between the two cities — separated by 216 miles.

No. 4 – Cheers! – Starting Saturday, fans will be able to purchase beer inside William B. Greene, Jr. stadium. To accommodate this, the bookstore will be relocating to the main entrance on the east side of the stadium. For more information related to beer sales at the stadium, click here.

No. 5 – No Buc Walk: Due to weather unpredictability, the Buc Walk will not take place for Saturday’s game against Chattanooga. The team will instead shuttle across campus to William B. Greene, Jr. Stadium.

SAYLORS JOINS ELITE GROUP

In last Saturday’s 45-3 rout over Robert Morris, Jacob Saylors joined an elite group of Buccaneers after rushing for 163 yards and three touchdowns … Saylors became just the third ETSU running back to eclipse the 3,000 career rushing mark … The Jasper, Tenn. native has 3,011 career rushing yards on 456 carries … Saylors, who moved into third all-time on the Buccaneer career rushing list, joined former teammate Quay Holmes (4,264) and Brandon Walker (4,095) as the only ETSU players to rush for over 3,000 yards … Last season, the talented back paired up with Walter Payton finalist Quay Holmes to become ETSU’s first-ever 1,000-yard rushers in the same season … Saylors set a career high in rushing yards with 1,019 and posted 10 rushing touchdowns … The Tennessee native is also known as an all-purpose specialist, recording 25 kick returns last season for 720 yards (28.8 average) … Saylors’ 4,922 all-purpose yards rank third-most among FCS active leaders and his 6.6 yards per rush lead all active FCS leaders.

PLAYING FOR THE RAIL

Saturday marks the fourth all-time game played for The Rail … ETSU captured the first Rail Rivalry game with a 17-14 victory over No. 24/20 Chattanooga on Sept. 29, 2018 in Greene Stadium … The Mocs have won the last two rivalry games with a 16-13 win on Oct. 17, 2019 and last year’s 21-16 win in Chattanooga … The three Rail Rivalry games have been decided by a combined 11 points.

STRONG STARTS EQUATE TO WINS

When the Blue and Gold get off to a strong start this season, it equates to Buccaneer victories … In ETSU’s two wins this season, the Bucs are outscoring the opposition, 76-0 in the first half … In the wins over Mars Hill and Robert Morris, the Bucs have outscored them 34-0 in the first quarter and 42-0 in the second … In ETSU’s losses, the Blue and Gold are being outscored 23-14 in the first half … In the wins, Jacob Saylors is averaging 113.0 rushing yards and has rushed for five touchdowns, while Tyler Riddell has completed 68% of his passes for 311 yards and four touchdowns ... As a team, the Bucs are outscoring the opposition, 89-10, in the two wins, including a 31-0 mark off turnovers ... The Bucs are rushing for 198.5 yards and throwing for 177.0 yards in the victories.

MORE ON THE STRONG STARTS

ETSU scored 42 first-half points in last Saturday’s win at Robert Morris … The 42 first-half points marked the most by a Buccaneer in a half of football since the Blue and Gold scored 48 against Chattanooga on Nov. 15, 2003 when ETSU won 68-7 … ETSU’s scoring surge at Robert Morris was ignited by a blocked punt from Erek Campbell, which led to Harold O’Neal scoring on a 15-yard return … The blocked punt was the first by a Buccaneer player since Kaman Cooper accomplished the feat against Mars Hill on Sept. 1, 2018, while it was the second straight game ETSU played at Robert Morris where the Bucs blocked a punt – Justin Gilliam accomplished the feat in the Bucs’ 2015 trip to Pittsburgh.

T0 30 AND BEYOND…

ETSU is 17-1 when scoring at least 30 points since restarting the program in 2015 … ETSU has won its last 13 games when scoring at least 30 points following the lone setback at Furman on Sept. 30, 2017.

THE COMFORT OF GREENE

The Bucs boast a .733 winning percentage when playing games in the friendly confines of William B. Greene, Jr. Stadium ... Entering its sixth season of existence, Greene Stadium has held 22 wins for the Blue & Gold, while yielding just eight losses ... The Bucs finished with a perfect 7-0 record at home last season, becoming one of 16 FCS programs to go undefeated at home last year ... ETSU finished 4-2 inside Greene Stadium in its first season in 2017, following that season up with a 5-1 home mark in 2018. ETSU finished 3-3 at home in 2019 with wins over Shorter, Austin Peay and Mercer ... The Bucs competed in three games inside Greene Stadium during the 2021 spring season ... During that three-game span, ETSU finished with a 2-1 record ... In the 30 games played inside its home, ETSU is outscoring the opposition, 885-620, holding its foes to 20.7 points per contest. 

ABOUT CHATTANOOGA

• Chattanooga, who enters Saturday’s game with an overall record of 3-1 (1-0 in SoCon) suffered its first loss Thursday night at Illinois, 31-0 
• The Mocs, who are ranked No. 10 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and No. 12 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, opened the season with a 31-0 win over Wofford, followed that up with a 38-20 win at Eastern Illinois and defeated North Alabama 41-14 on Sept. 17
• Chattanooga is averaging 362.3 yards per game (200.3 passing/162.0 rushing) and allowing 325.5 yards per contest (225.3 passing/100.3 rushing)
• The Mocs are averaging 27.5 points per game and allowing 16.3
• In its three games against FCS teams, Chattanooga is averaging 36.7 points and allowing just 11.3 … Overall, the Mocs are outscoring foes, 110-34 in those three games, outscoring teams 45-10 in the second half and 24-0 in the fourth quarter … The Mocs have also scored 41 second-quarter points
• The Mocs are averaging 435.7 yards per game in those three games and allowing just 266.7 … Chattanooga is posting 250.7 passing yards and 185.0 rushing yards in those contests, while allowing 188.7 passing and 78.0 rushing yards per game
• Chattanooga’s defense has forced seven turnovers (four fumbles, three interceptions) and have scored 21 points off those takeaways … The Mocs have turned the ball over six times (four INTs/two fumbles) – two of those four INTs came Thursday at Illinois
• As a team, Chattanooga ranks eighth among FCS teams in red zone defense (.667), 11th in team tackles for loss (8.0), 12th in scoring defense (16.2), 13th in fewest penalties per game (4.5), 14th in win percentage (.750), 16th in passing yards per completion (14.3), 17th in fumbles recovered (4), 19th in sacks allowed (1.25), team sacks (3.25), tackles for loss allowed (4.25) and punt return defense (1.4), 22nd in rushing defense (99.5), 27th in total defense (325.5) and fewest penalties (18)
• The Mocs are converting 40% on third down chances (18-for-45) and opponents are hitting at a 39% clip (22-for-57) … Chattanooga is 10-of-12 in the red zone (83%) with nine of those 10 scores being touchdowns … Opponents are 6-of-9 in red zone chances against the Mocs (four touchdowns)
• Running back Ailym Ford is averaging 105.8 rushing yards per game and has four rushing touchdowns … Quarterback Preston Hutchinson – an Eastern Michigan transfer – is completing just under 60% of his passes and has thrown for 801 yards and five touchdowns … Hutchinson also has four rushing touchdowns … He has completed passes to 11 different players with Jamoi Mayes leading the team with nine receptions … Sam Phillips tops all players with 146 receiving yards, while four different Mocs have hauled in at least one touchdown
• Ford ranks 17th among FCS players in all-purpose yards per game (133.25), while Hutchinson ranks 19th in passing yards per completion (14.3) … Ford and Hutchinson both rank 19th nationally in rushing touchdowns (4) and Ford is seventh in rushing yards (424), ninth in total touchdowns (6), 13th in rushing yards per game (106.0) and 18th in scoring (9.0)
• Defensively, the Mocs are led by All-American and Preseason SoCon Defensive Player of the Year Devonnsha Maxwell as he has totaled 12 tackles, five tackles for loss and has accounted for 3.5 of the Mocs’ 13 sacks … Ben Brewton also has totaled 3.5 sacks, while linebacker Ty Boeck leads the team with 31 tackles … Three different players have recorded interceptions with Reuben Lowery, IlI having a 45-yard return for a touchdown
• Chattanooga was the preseason SoCon favorite in both the coaches and media poll, while eight players earned preseason all-SoCon honors – first team members Ailym Ford (RB), McClendon Curtis (OL), Devonnsha Maxwell (DL), Jay Person (DL), Ty Boeck (LB), Colin Truett (OL), Kam Jones (LB), CaMiron Smith (DB)

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday marks the 45th all-time game in the series with Chattanooga holding a slight 24-19-1 lead … The Bucs are 11-8-1 all-time against the Mocs in Johnson City, including winning the last matchup – a 17-14 victory in 2018 … ETSU won five straight in the series from 1992-96, while the Bucs scored the most single-game points in the series with a 68-7 victory in 2003 where the Bucs scored 48 first-half points.

TALE OF THE TAPE

Today marks the first time in 1,464 days that Chattanooga is visiting Greene Stadium ... The Mocs canceled their spring season in 2021 where Chattanooga was scheduled to play the Bucs on April 17, 2021, but the Mocs backed out from playing ETSU – costing the Bucs a potential spot in the FCS Playoffs ... This year, the two teams feature the top two defensive teams in the SoCon as ETSU tops the league in scoring defense (14.2 points allowed) and Chattanooga is second (16.2) ... ETSU also leads the SoCon in total defense (294.8), while the Mocs lead the SoCon in rushing defense (99.5) and the Bucs are second (119.5) ... The biggest difference among the defenses is the passing game as ETSU leads the SoCon - allowing 175.2 passing yards per game - compared to the Mocs ranking seventh at 226.0 ... Offensively, the teams are similar as ETSU is averaging 30.0 points per game and the Mocs are slightly under at 27.5 ... They rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in total offense with ETSU posting 363.5 yards per game and the Mocs are at 362.2, while the Bucs are rushing for 165 yards per game and Chattanooga is at 162 ... In terms of passing yards, the Mocs are sixth in the SoCon at 200.2, while ETSU is seventh (198.5) ... The Bucs have totaled 74 first downs in their first four games and the Mocs are at 70, while the Mocs have ETSU beat in third down conversion, 40% to 32.7%, and red zone offense, 83.3% (10-12) to 64.3% (9-14) ... Defensively, the Mocs lead the SoCon in red zone defense at 66.7% (6-9), while ETSU is third at 75% (6-8 ... Individually, Jacob Saylors (116.8) and Ailym Ford (105.8) are the top two running backs in the league ... Saylors also leads the league in scoring (10.5) and Ford is tied for fourth (9.0), and Saylors has scored seven total touchdowns to Ford’s six ... Saylors and Ford are also one-two in all-purpose yards with Saylors at 139.5 per game and Ford at 133.0. 

COVERAGE

The Buccaneer Sports Network (BSN) will provide ETSU fans with complete pregame, in-game and postgame coverage on the Bucs’ flagship station WXSM-AM 640 and affiliate station 104.9 FM NASH ICON. 

BSN begins its pregame programing one hour and 30 minutes prior to kickoff with the 30-minute Tennessee Lottery Tailgate Show, followed by the George Quarles Pregame Show presented by Tommie’s Plumbing which will lead up to 30 minutes prior to kickoff. The Appalachian Orthopedic Countdown to Kickoff will then lead into the final moments before kickoff.      

The broadcast team of “Voice of the Bucs” Jay Sandos, color analyst Matt Wihljelm, sideline reporter Robert Harper and stat-man Don Helman will provide ETSU fans all the information they need to complement their game-day activities. 

At halftime, the crew will have the Mr. Electric Halftime Show, while fans can tune into the Mullican Flooring Post Game Show for a full wrap up, with game statistics, players and coach interviews and other post-game information.   

Saturday’s game will also be broadcast on the ESPN+ with the team of Keith Brake (play-by-play) and Mark Hutsell (analyst). 

TICKETS

Fans can purchase tickets for Saturday’s game online. For more information, click here. Tickets can also be purchased by calling the ETSU Ticket Office at 423-439-3878. Students can pick up their tickets at the gate on gameday. 

For more information on Buccaneer football, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the football page.