Sept 27, 2003

Final Stats

Johnson City, Tenn. - Thanks to one of the best games in WCU history by senior wide receiver Lamont Seward, Western Carolina rolled up 446 yards of total offense and held the ball for 39:10 en route to a 28-21 victory over East Tennessee State Saturday afternoon at the Memorial Center.

Seward, a preseason All-Southern Conference pick, caught 12 passes for 176 yards to move to seventh on the WCU all-time list for receptions (147). Seward's 12 catches, 11 of which went for first down yardage, marks the second-best, single-game effort in WCU history, tying his own number from his freshman year versus Wofford. The 176 yards, Seward's ninth career 100-yard game, is the 12th-best single-game total. The Warrenton, N.C., native has now caught at least one pass in 32 consecutive games and at least one in 36 of his 38 career contests.

As impressive as Western was on offense, the Cats committed five turnovers and saw an extra point and field goal blocked. However, the Catamount defense was dominant, allowing the Bucs to only 76 yards of total offense. Western Carolina will improve its league-leading rushing defense total by holding ETSU, who featured the SoCon's top rusher, to just 56 team rushing yards on 26 attempts (2.2 yards per rush). The WCU defense also kept pressure on the ETSU quarterbacks as the Bucs were just 3-for-20 passing for 20 yards.

The game, Western's last in the Memorial Center as ETSU will discontinue football after the 2003 season, had some of the oddest scoring plays in a single game. Both teams scored on blocked kicks, while ETSU added a TD on a fumble recovery after one of its own players intercepted a pass.

The Buccaneers stumbled out of the gate as two early miscues by ETSU (2-3, 0-2 Southern Conference) led to a 14-0 lead for Western Carolina (3-2, 2-0 SoCon) early in the first quarter.

Western was forced to punt on its first possession of the game. However, James Conklin forced the Bucs' Allen Davis to fumble, which WCU's T. Alford recovered on the ETSU seven. (The punt, a 55-yarder by Stanton Horne, was the only punt by Western on the day.) Catamount quarterback Brian Gaither scored from one yard out on the game's first touchdown with 11:59 remaining in the first quarter. Just over a minute and a half later, on ETSU first offensive possession, sophomore John Bush blocked a Buccaneer punt at the ETSU two-yard line and it was picked out of the air by Alford, who ran it into the end zone.

Trying to get back into the game, the Buccaneers embarked on a 17-play, 78-yard drive that took 7:19. The drive was aided by five Catamount penalties, including a five-yard encroachment flag as the Buccaneers were attempting to punt. Western had also blocked a field goal attempt on the drive, but a pair of penalties allowed the Bucs to keep possession. Gavin Varner capped the drive with four consecutive rushes, including the final run that he punched into the end zone from one yard out for his third rushing touchdown of the season.

Western Carolina came right back on their next drive, putting another touchdown on the board to make the score 20-7. The Cats got into the end zone following a nine-play, 67-yard drive that featured two big plays by Gaither. On two third and long plays, he completed a pass to Seward for 35 yards and one to Brian Rucker for 23 yards. Gaither then tossed his first touchdown pass of the day as he found Michael Reeder for a four-yard score. ETSU senior nose tackle Brandon Calton would block the extra-point attempt.

East Tennessee State closed the gap to 20-14, as the Bucs scored on an interesting play late in the first half. After another long drive by the Catamounts, WCU set up for a field goal from the ETSU six-yard line with 1:04 left in the second quarter. Senior linebacker Scott Brumett broke through the line and blocked the attempt. The ball rolled to the five-yard line, but it was still a live ball as junior safety Gerald Sensabaugh scooped it up and raced 95 yards down the sideline for a touchdown.

After an ETSU three and out on their first possession of the second half, Western Carolina began another sustained drive that resulted in a touchdown. Gaither again completed some clutch passes on the drive, including a six-yard strike to Seward on fourth and four and a beautiful pass across his body to Seward for 18 yards down to the one. From there, Bush scored on a one-yard run, and Alford ran for the two-point conversion.

Late in the third quarter, the Buccaneer defense again made a memorable play that got the Bucs right back in the ball game. With just five seconds left in the third, senior cornerback Tony Tiller stepped in front of a Gaither pass for his first interception of the season, but as he came down the ball was stripped by Seward. Senior safety Montreal Harkley was in the right place at the right time, as he scooped the ball up in stride and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown.

But that was all of the scoring the Bucs could muster, as the Catamount offense controlled the clock in the fourth quarter. ESTU only had the ball for four plays an 16 yards in the fourth. The Cats held the ball for the first 4:23 in the period before losing possession on a nice interception by Tiller. After the Bucs' four-play, 1:58-minute drive, the Cats ran out the remaining 8:44 for the win. During that final drive and facing third and 11, Gaither completed a key 17-yard pass to Seward to key the drive alive. Running backs Manny DeShauteurs (23 rushes for 92 yards), Nicholas Wishart (18 rushes for 67 yards) and Bush(six rushes for 18 yards) had 12 rushes, including a fourth down conversion by Bush, to run out the clock.

Despite four interceptions, it was a strong day for the Catamount offense as Gaither completed 22-of-32 passed for 281 yards and a touchdown, moving to ninth on the WCU career passing yardage list. The 281 yards was also Gaither's second best career game, trailing his best effort (286 yards versus Liberty in 2001) by just five yards.

Albert Reid and Rod Dunlap tied for the Catamount lead with six tackles. Reid also had four tackles for a loss and two pass breakups. Dunlap added three TFLs, while Nick McNeil had two tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

ETSU redshirt freshman quarterback Carl Meadows, who was second in the SoCon in passing, had a tough afternoon, completing just 3-of-19 passes for 20 yards. Varner, who came into the afternoon leading the SoCon in rushing (123.5 yards per game), also struggled, with 26 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown.

Redshirt freshman linebacker Mike Cullen threatened an ETSU record as he had an incredible 20 tackles in the loss. His performance is just two tackles behind the Buccaneer record holder, Nakia Thomas, who had 22 tackles against Appalachian State in 1993. Other defensive standouts for the Bucs include Tiller, who had two interceptions, Harkley, who tallied 12 tackles, two for a loss, and senior linebackers Matt Palmer and Mike Cornegay, who each had 11 tackles.