On Saturday, Oct.19, ETSU made their way to Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn. to compete against one of their biggest rivals in the Southern Conference, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Mocs.
In a press conference held on October 13, 2025, Head Coach Will Healy said, “It has everything to do with our players playing the best that they can play and having the best week of preparation they can. Being ready to go play in a meaningful football game. Mainly, I want to keep getting better as a group and to play our best football. If our guys do that, then we’ll be alright.”
The first quarter of the game ended with a score of 10-7, with the Buccaneers in the lead. The second quarter was tougher than the first, with Chattanooga scoring a touchdown in their first drive of the quarter. The rest of the quarter went by with no more points being scored. The half-time score was 10-14, in favor of the Mocs.
The third quarter began with Chattanooga scoring a touchdown on their first drive. ETSU pushed through, earning the Bucs another touchdown. With a successful extra kick by Ewan Johnson, the score became 17-21, still in favor of the Mocs at the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter started off hot for the Buccaneers with a touchdown and extra point. This put ETSU back in the lead with a score of 24-21. The Buccaneer defense was able to stop the next drive by Chattanooga, and was given back possession of the ball. Cade McNamara threw 23-yards to Jeremiah Harrison, who caught the throw and scored another touchdown for ETSU, letting the Bucs lead 31-21. After another strong moment from the defense, ETSU was given the ball back, earning the Bucs another touchdown.
Still in the fourth, Chattanooga is able to score another touchdown and extra point in their next drive, making the score 38-28. With the Buccaneers unable to push forward with their offense, they are forced to give the ball back to the Mocs. Chattanooga is able to score another touchdown and extra point with this opportunity, making the game even closer with a score of 38-35. ETSU was then given the ball back, but the Mocs defense was unfortunately too strong. This gave Chattanooga the chance to score again. They took this chance by scoring another touchdown and extra point. The game ended with a final score of 38-42 Mocs, with Chattanooga scoring their winning points with only six seconds left on the clock.
The Buccaneers will be back at home in Johnson City, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 25, to compete against another SoCon opponent, Wofford College. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium.
For more information on ETSU football, you can go to ETSUBucs.com and click on the football tab.
