CHARLESTON (Interstat) — Chattanooga defeated Citadel 27-8 in an NCAA Football Championship Division game at Johnson Hagood Stadium on Saturday, using a steady offense and a swarming defense to secure a road win. The visiting Mocs improved to 3-2. The Bulldogs fell to 1-3. Chattanooga, nicknamed the Mocs, scored in every phase and never let Citadel, nicknamed the Bulldogs, establish a consistent rhythm. The game was played in Charleston, S.C., at Johnson Hagood Stadium. Chattanooga’s defense limited the Bulldogs to eight points, all in the third quarter.

Chattanooga quarterback Battle Alberson guided the Mocs. Alberson, a 6-foot-2, 204-pound quarterback from Gulf Breeze, Fla., completed 8 of 12 passes for 74 yards and rushed seven times for 39 yards and one touchdown. His mobility helped Chattanooga extend drives and convert key situations. Citadel quarterback Quentin Hayes, a 6-foot, 195-pound quarterback from Enterprise, Ala., completed 2 of 5 passes for no yards and ran 14 times for 28 yards and one touchdown. Hayes often faced pressure from Chattanooga’s front.

Citadel’s defense received production from several players. Khaleb Bridges made three tackles. Tre’ McLeod, a 6-foot-2, 184-pound safety from Darlington, S.C., added three tackles. Jalen Wright, a 5-foot-11, 235-pound linebacker from Birmingham, Ala., recorded four tackles and half a sack. Beau Shugarts, a 6-foot-3, 262-pound defensive lineman from Evans, Ga., also had four tackles and half a sack. Zeb Stroup, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound defensive back from Mount Airy, N.C., finished with four tackles. J’hari Mosley, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound defensive back from Shelby, N.C., made seven tackles. Zyion Brown, a 6-foot-1, 235-pound linebacker from Lorain, Ohio, led the Bulldogs with eight tackles.

Citadel also got contributions on offense and special teams. Nick Armentano, a 5-foot-8, 171-pound wide receiver from Westport, Conn., had one reception for no yards and one kick return for no yards. Whit Hobgood, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound tight end from Charleston, S.C., caught one pass for 3 yards and a touchdown. Abijah Webb, a 5-foot-11, 220-pound wide receiver from Townville, S.C., had three receptions for 7 yards. Ismael Zamor caught one pass for 12 yards. Derek Kee, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound wide receiver from Trenton, Tenn., had one reception for 15 yards. Braylon Knauth, a 5-foot-8, 170-pound wide receiver from Orlando, Fla., ran twice for 11 yards, caught two passes for 16 yards and returned three punts for 15 yards. Michael Lorino, a 6-foot, 185-pound running back from Birmingham, Ala., ran five times for 15 yards and caught two passes for 3 yards. Gavin Garcia, a 5-foot-8, 187-pound running back from Catawissa, Pa., ran 15 times for 60 yards and caught two passes for 5 yards. Nick Billoups completed 11 of 15 passes for 61 yards and ran nine times for 58 yards.

Elsewhere for Citadel, Nick Porada made two tackles. Jack Weil, a 6-foot, 180-pound kicker from Mount Pleasant, S.C., punted seven times for 259 yards. Evan Kiely, a 6-foot-4, 216-pound kicker from Turlock, Calif., also appeared. Jabraivon Woodard, Boyce Bankhead, Dru Darby and Nikolas Mirabella each made one tackle. Dru Darby is a 6-foot-2, 215-pound linebacker from Roebuck, S.C. Nikolas Mirabella is a 6-foot, 195-pound defensive back from Tampa, Fla. Savionne Rogers and Brandan Green each made two tackles. Jude Kelley, Chattanooga’s 6-foot-1, 174-pound kicker from Acworth, Ga., handled kicking duties. D’Angelo Sheppard, a 6-foot-1 defensive lineman from Savannah, Ga., made two tackles. Rhyder Poppell, a 5-foot-10, 220-pound running back from Tallahassee, Fla., made two tackles. Maurice Bonneau Jr., a 6-foot-3, 215-pound linebacker from Rock Hill, S.C., recorded two tackles and one sack. Peyton Betts, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound defensive back from Irmo, S.C., made three tackles. Temarcus Elam, a 6-foot, 205-pound defensive back from Augusta, Ga., made three tackles. Andrew Jackson recorded three tackles and one quarterback hurry. David Alexander made three tackles.

Chattanooga’s defense produced several key stops. Davon Kiser, a 5-foot-7, 150-pound wide receiver from Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., had one reception for 7 yards, one kick return for 16 yards, three punt returns for 65 yards and one touchdown. Kam Baah-Slay, a 6-foot-3, 181-pound defensive back from Nashville, Tenn., made three tackles. Jestin Gilmore, a 6-foot-2, 213-pound defensive end from Tuscaloosa, Ala., made three tackles. Orlando Daniels, a 6-foot-5, 239-pound defensive end from Canton, Mich., made four tackles. LaRawn Robinson, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound linebacker from Centereach, N.Y., made four tackles and one sack. Martez Cooksey Jr., a 5-foot-10, 185-pound defensive back from Antioch, Tenn., made six tackles. Kristian Ozane, a 5-foot-11, 223-pound linebacker from Westlake, La., made 11 tackles. Zion Rutledge, a 5-foot-11, 226-pound linebacker from Powder Springs, Ga., led Chattanooga with 13 tackles. Ryan Bell, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive end from Atlanta, made three tackles. D.J. Adams, a 6-foot, 167-pound defensive back from Cleveland, Tenn., made three tackles.

Chattanooga’s offensive supporting cast also contributed. Ashton Schumann had two receptions for 10 yards. Erik Bussmann had two receptions for 10 yards. Landon Strickland, a 6-foot-3, 194-pound tight end from Union Grove, Ala., had two receptions for 44 yards. TJ Worthy ran twice for 13 yards. Harrison Bey-Buie, a 5-foot-10, 205-pound running back from Bettendorf, Iowa, ran four times for 17 yards.

The Mocs opened scoring early. Jude Kelley missed a 31-yard field goal in the first quarter. Later in the first, Jack Weil punted 37 yards to the Chattanooga 44, and Kiser returned it 56 yards for a touchdown. Kelley’s extra-point attempt failed, leaving Chattanooga with six points in the first quarter. Chattanooga added seven points in the second quarter. The Mocs then scored 14 in the third quarter, while Citadel scored eight in the third. Chattanooga’s touchdowns included a 12-yard run by Kevin Lalin, a 26-yard run by Lalin and a 25-yard run by Alberson. Kelley kicked extra points after Lalin’s second score and Alberson’s score. Evan Kiely missed a 41-yard field goal for Citadel. Citadel’s eight points came in the third quarter, with Quentin Hayes and Whit Hobgood contributing to the scoring effort.

Chattanooga entered the game after a win over Wofford, a loss at Eastern Kentucky, a loss to Tennessee Tech and a win at West Georgia. Citadel entered after an overtime loss to Charleston Southern, a win at Charlotte and a loss at Wofford. Chattanooga next plays at East Tennessee State, then hosts Samford, travels to Western Carolina, hosts Virginia Military Institute, hosts Mercer, travels to Furman and travels to Alabama. Citadel next plays at South Carolina State, then hosts East Tennessee State, travels to Texas A&M, hosts Tennessee Tech, travels to Mercer, hosts Furman, travels to Virginia Military Institute and travels to Western Carolina.

Before the game, Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Citadel 27, Chattanooga 22. Interstat’s ELO system projected Chattanooga with a 64.4 percent probability to win. Citadel had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -10.5. The total score of 35 went over the over-under line of 47.5.