Ford propels Chattanooga to 31-21 victory over The Citadel

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Ailym Ford rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns to lead Chattanooga to a 31-21 victory over The Citadel on Saturday.

Ford put Chattanooga (7-2, 5-1 Southern Conference) on top for good early in the second quarter when he capped a seven-play, 57-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to give the Mocs a 10-7 lead.

Ford’s 6-yard scoring run early in the third quarter made it 17-7, Preston Hutchinson connected with freshman Camden Overton for a 36-yard touchdown and the Mocs led 24-7 heading to the final period.

Ford carried 29 times for Chattanooga and he also caught three passes for a team-high 67 yards. Hutchinson completed 12 of 20 passes for 202 yards with one interception.

Peyton Derrick totaled 118 yards on 11-of-13 passing for The Citadel (2-7, 2-5) with two touchdowns and an interception. Freshman Christian Hilton and Cooper Wallace had the touchdown catches. Freshman Johnny Crawford III had a 1-yard scoring run to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead.