Oct. 13, 2007

Final Stats

Chattanooga, Tenn. - Despite a strong second half which saw the Catamounts rack up over 200 yards of offense and score 21 points, Western Carolina could not overcome a sluggish opening effort to fall at Chattanooga, 39-21, Saturday night in Southern Conference action at Finley Stadium/Davenport Field.

Down by 11 points and having seized momentum in the second half, UTC's Joseph Thornton reversed the tide by intercepting Western red-shirt freshman quarterback Adam Hearns - his second pick of the night - and returned it to the one-yard line to set-up an Erroll Wynn touchdown run to stretch the lead back out to 18, which is where the game would end.

Western's road woes continue as the Catamounts have dropped 12-straight away from home, and the loss was Western's 11th-straight in Southern Conference play.

Hearns finished with 265 yards passing on 17-of-40 passing but tossed a pair of interceptions including the one in the fourth quarter which ultimately sealed the Cats' fate. Senior receiver Eddie Cohen led all receivers with 109 yards receiving on six catches and a touchdown. It is the third-straight game the Hilton Head, S.C., native had eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark with his score coming as his fifth during the same stretch.

WCU senior all-purpose back Mike Malone also made WCU history on Saturday night as he became just the second Catamount to amass 2,000 career kickoff return yards, doing so on his fourth return in the first quarter. Malone joins former Catamount great, Kerry Hayes (1991-94) as the only two individuals to eclipse the 2,000-yard barrier in their WCU careers.

Malone, who tallied 102 yards on five first half returns was limited to just 140 all-purpose yards, however, well below his average of 187.5 entering the game which ranked second in the SoCon entering the night.

Western (1-6, 0-3 SoCon) fell behind early as Chattanooga capitalized on two Catamount miscues. First, the Mocs - aided by a downfield offensive pass interference call on WCU, forced a three-and-out on WCU's opening drive. The Mocs then blocked the punt setting themselves up with great field position. However, the Catamount defense limited UTC to a 41-yard field goal and an early, 3-0, lead.

After a second WCU punt which Stephen Brown downed inside UTC's 20 at the 10, Chattanooga extended its lead to 16 by moving 90 yards in just four plays, keyed by a career-long, 79-yard rush by Fitzgerald, who was corralled at the one-yard line after a long run down by Carlton Bailey preventing the score. Yet, one-play later, the Mocs quarterback slipped across the goal line for the score.

The Mocs again went deep into their play book early in the second quarter to extend their first half lead to 23. After Western had seemingly earned a defensive stop, forcing an apparent field goal attempt, Chattanooga's Blue Cooper raced around the right end on a fake, pulled up and found Joseph Pittman in the end zone for the 23-0 advantage.

UTC's defense extended the Moc lead late in the second quarter with their third safety in the past three games. Harper could not handle a toss sweep pitch from Hearns, fumbling on the run. He was able corral the bouncing ball but was pulled down in the end zone for the two-points.

Just before intermission, Western moved into scoring position as Hearns found senior Nick Miller on a deep route over the middle for 58 yards. Yet, after a UTC sack and penalty against the Catamounts, Western was limited to a 40-yard field goal attempt by junior Jonathan Parsons which sailed just outside the left upright to keep WCU off the scoreboard, 25-0, at halftime.

The Catamounts found a little life out of the halftime locker room. Forcing a three-and-out by the Mocs offense, sophomore Angelo Brown blocked a Jonathan Wright punt for his first career blocked kick. The Columbia, S.C., native scooped up the loose ball and stumbled into the end zone from 27-yards out to put Western on the board, 25-7.

However, the Mocs quick-strike offense answered right back with a 59-yard scoring strike to cap a brief four-play, 78-yard drive to stretch the lead to 32-7.

On the Catamounts next possession, Hearns found pay dirt with a long ball of his own over the middle after Malone managed to keep the drive alive on fourth and short. Hearns found Cohen down the middle from 39 yards out with the senior reaching over the UTC defender to haul in the strike and pull Western to within, 32-14, midway through the third quarter.

After the two teams traded punts, Hearns again orchestrated a scoring drive, moving the offense 62 yards in seven plays with sophomore Willie Harper plunging in from four yards out to narrow the gap to 11, 32-21. The drive was kept alive after Jonathan Parsons nailed a 41-yard field goal, but was roughed by the UTC special teams. WCU opted to pull the points off the scoreboard and capitalized on the new life with Harper's second career rushing TD, both coming in consecutive weeks.

Thornton's second interception of the game ultimately sealed the win for Chattanooga, the Mocs second in league play this season.

Western returns home next Saturday for its annual Homecoming game, hosting The Citadel Bulldogs at 1:00 pm at E.J. Whitmire Stadium/Bob Waters Field.