Box Score Oct. 25, 2008
Final Stats |
Notes |
Cullowhee, N.C. -
Western Carolina defensive lineman Gene Singletary scored his first career touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, rumbling 31 yards on an interception return that gave the Catamounts a 28-point, 31-3, cushion. However, Georgia Southern recorded 35 unanswered points including 28 in regulation to force overtime en route to a 38-31 heart-breaking loss in Southern Conference action Saturday afternoon at E.J. Whitmire Stadium/Bob Waters Field.
The loss relegates Western to its 20th-straight defeat in SoCon play and 14th consecutive at the hands of Georgia Southern.
"It's a very disappointing loss," said WCU head coach Dennis Wagner during post-game comments to the media. "We had an opportunity to beat a good team in Georgia Southern. Today was a tale of two halves. They made some adjustments (at the break) and we did not move the ball offensively in the second half."
The Eagles racked up 503 yards of total offense in the win, including a staggering 367 in the second half alone. During their second half rally, the Eagles outgained Western, 367-to-48 in total offense.
Trailing by a score, 31-24, after a reverse-option pass, Georgia Southern held the Catamount offense to a three-and-out and less than two minutes of possession time to set up the eventual tying score. With just under three minutes to play from their own 35-yard line, the Eagles moved to mid-field in four plays before an 11-yard sack by red-shirt freshman Chris Everett backed GSU into a third and 20 from their own 39. An incomplete pass set up a fourth and long, but the Eagles were able to garner a drive-saving automatic first down on a pass interference call down the far sideline.
Four plays later, including a 41-yard strike from QB Antonio Henton to Terence Hall, Henton found Tim Camp from five yards away to knot the game at 31.
WCU had one last opportunity with the ball with 32 seconds remaining in the game, but only managed 10 yards on four plays, including a seven-yard loss on a sack before punting it away to end the half.
In the extra session, GSU running back Adam Urbano, who finished with 83 yards on 11 carries in the win, found running room around the right edge, galloping all 25 yards in a single play to give the Eagles the seven-point edge, 38-31.
On WCU's alternating OT possession, a pair of incomplete passes and two GSU sacks sealed the win for the Eagles, which now have played three overtime games on the season with a 2-1 record (W vs. Northeastern; L vs. Wofford).
"It hurts. That's the only way you can say it, it hurts," junior linebacker Adrian McLeod, who finished with a career-high 15 tackles and his first career interception. Senior LB Michael Shaw led WCU with a career-best 16 tackles, including one for a loss and half a sack, while also tallying his first career INT.
Red-shirt freshman running back Quan Warley was the offensive workhorse for the Catamounts in the losing effort. The Thomasville, N.C., native led WCU with 102 yards on the ground - his second career, 100+ yard rushing game - and was the Catamounts' top receiver, hauling in four catches for 50 yards including a career-long 30 yarder.
Sidelined much of the second half with a knee injury, WCU's leading receiver, red-shirt sophomore Marquel Pittman, was held without a catch for the first-time in his career.
Capitalizing on three of Georgia Southern's four first half turnovers, Western Carolina (2-7, 0-5 SoCon) raced out to a 24-0 halftime advantage. After the Catamounts were forced to punt on their first possession, Henton - who accounted for three of GSU's seven giveaways on the afternoon - fumbled the ball back to purple and gold on their first offensive play from scrimmage.
Aided by a roughing the kicker penalty and two additional GSU infractions, Western moved 48 yards in eight plays following the fumble to take the lead, 6-0, as red-shirt freshman QB Zack Jaynes found red-shirt sophomore Adam Hearns on a three-yard strike for early lead.
The Catamounts stretched the advantage to nine on a 37-yard field goal from junior Blake Bostic early in the second quarter.
Two Eagle interceptions set up Western for its next two offensive scores. On a third and seven from the GSU 44, McLeod jumped a stop route on the far hash mark for his first career INT. Following his 11-yard return, Jaynes connected on a 40-yard strike down the near sideline with freshman Andrerius Thomas for the longest past-and-catch in the two rookies careers.
Jaynes finished 13-of-33 for 144 yards and two touchdowns.
On the ensuing possession, Eagle back-up quarterback Lee Chapple was picked off by sophomore Mitchell Bell, who's 32-yard return set up Warley from nine yards out two plays later. Jaynes again found Hearns in the purple end zone on the two-point attempt to give WCU a 24-0 lead which it held through intermission.
Georgia Southern (4-4, 2-4 SoCon) managed to light the scoreboard for the first time in the wining moments of the third quarter. Freshman PK Adrian Mora capped an otherwise promising 11-play, 48-yard drive with a 34-yard field goal to pull the Eagles within three touchdowns, 24-3, until Singletary's INT at the line of scrimmage and subsequent return made it a 28-point edge, 31-3.
The interception return for a score was WCU's first since 2006 when Angelo Brown returned a pick 45 yards for a score at The Citadel (1021/06). In a twist of irony, the two teams went into OT that day in Charleston, falling to the Bulldogs, 30-27.
Georgia Southern tallied its first touchdown on the day with 10:43 remaining in regulation, sparking the 35-unanswered points and setting up the final minute fireworks, capped by Urbano's 25-yard, game-winning rush.
"We've been in a lot of close games. Today, we finally got over the hump," said GSU head coach Chris Hatcher.
For GSU, Henton finished with 154 yards on 14-of-26 passing with two TDs, two picks and a fumble, while Chapple, who later left with a right ankle injury, was 10-of-14 also with two picks and one scoring strike. Wide receiver Raja Andrews - who became Georgia Southern's all-time leader in pass receptions (99) - caught eight passes for a game-high 121 yards and two TDs in the victory.
Western Carolina returns home next Saturday, Nov. 1 to host the Chattanooga Mocs at Whitmire Stadium/Waters Field. WCU will honor its five newest inductees into its Athletics Hall of Fame -former football players John Ruta (1962-65), Alonzo Carmichael (1983-86) and Brad Hoover (1996-99) along with track and field star Tony McKennie (1986-90) and baseball standout Jason Beverlin (1992-94).
Also, there will be a special recognition of the 1983 Catamount Football team celebrating the 25th anniversary of its appearance in the NCAA Division I FCS (I-AA) National Championship game.
