Aug. 31, 2006

Final Stats

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina tailbacks Darius Fudge and Mike Malone each rushed for over 90 yards and combined for three touchdowns while as the Catamounts opened the 2006 season with a 42-0 victory over Chowan Thursday night at E.J. Whitmire Stadium/Bob Waters Field. With the win, Western has now won nine straight home openers and improved to 23-9 all-time in such games since the opening of Whitmire Stadium in 1974.

In addition to Fudge (17 carries for 93 yards with two TDs) and Malone (14 carries for 91 yards and 1 TD), Western was led by preseason All-Southern Conference safety Mitchell Dukes, who intercepted his second career pass and returned the ball 18 yards for a touchdown, while Eddie Cohen caught four passes for 85 yards and a score.

The Catamounts, who scored touchdowns on four of its first five possessions, got on the board midway through the first quarter as Bennett Swygert, who was seeing his first action since 2004, hit junior Michael Hines on a 26-yard touchdown down the right sideline. Swygert sat out last season after multiple surgeries on his knees and shoulders only to return to the starting lineup and complete 8-of-16 passes for 156 yards and two TDs.

Late in the first quarter, Swygert put Western in scoring position with a 27-yard pass to Cohen and a 17-yard pass to Chris Jefferson, setting up an eight-yard Fudge touchdown. Swygert and Cohen accounted for most of WCU's yards on the next possession, hooking up for a 29-yard pass and a 15-yard score.

On Western's final possession of the half, Fudge rushed for 32 yards on the 50-yard drive, including a one-yard TD, to put the Cats' up 28-0.

Chowan threatened at the end of the first half, putting together an impressive 12-play, 58-yard drive which took 6:04 off the clock. However, on fourth-and-four on the WCU 22, WCU junior linebacker Travis Hill tipped a pass, which was intercepted by senior Bruce Lee for one of four Catamount picks. Western took a knee on the ensuing play to run out the clock in the half.

The second half began with Western being forced to punt for the first time in the contest. However, three plays later, the Cats scored on Dukes' interception return.

Western capped the scoring early in the fourth quarter as Malone had all four carries in a 32-yard drive, including a six-yard score.

Defensively for Western, Hill had seven stops, while Josh Smith, Shelton Gaffney and Brandon Drumgoole each had six tackles. Gaffney added an interception, as did Carlton Bailey.

For Chowan, quarterback Sam Williams had 16 rushes for 50 yards, while completing 8-of-17 passes for 55 yards with four interceptions. Jack Ross added 34 yards rushing on 15 attempts. Ronnie Field paced the Hawk defense with seven tackles with Matt Virgil adding six stops.

Western Carolina will have next week open before returning to Whitmire Stadium on Sept. 16 to host Eastern Kentucky. That game, which will also be Western's Athletics Hall of Fame weekend, will start at 6:00 pm and be the first of three game versus preseason top 20 teams. The Colonels were tabbed 20th in the I-AA preseason poll. The following week, Western will travel to preseason number five Furman before returning home to host preseason number 12 Georgia Southern.