Oct. 16, 2010

Box Score |  Notes

Spartanburg, S.C. - Randy Pressley picked off an option lateral, returning the fumble 51 yards for his first collegiate points to give Western Carolina a 14-9 lead midway through the second quarter on Saturday afternoon at Gibbs Stadium. However, No. 14/17 Wofford rattled off 36 consecutive points to erase the deficit en route to a 45-14 win in Southern Conference action.

All told, the Terriers amassed 590 yards of total offense including 501 on the ground in handing Western Carolina its first road loss in its last three tries while capturing their fifth-straight victory on the year.

Three Terriers finished with over 100-yards rushing in the win led by Mitch Allen with 178 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns. Full back Eric Breitenstein added 149 yards and a pair of scores while running back Donovan Johnson chipped in 123 yards - all but five yards coming in the second stanza.

Trailing 9-0 in the second quarter, Western Carolina took advantage of an Angelo Brown interception that set them up with excellent field position. With starter Zac Brindise under center, the Catamounts moved 42 yards in six plays, highlighted by a pair of double-digit yard rushes by sophomore Michael Johnson and capped by a one-yard plunge by the second-year tailback.

Johnson finished with 69 yards rushing on 20 carries in the losing effort. Three of his six career rushing scores have come in his two games against the Terriers.

Six plays after getting on the scoreboard, the Catamounts would take their lone lead of the game as Pressley, playing the pitch-man as his assignment, snared a Mitch Allen lateral and raced 51 yards down the right sideline to pay-dirt. Blake Bostic's point after gave WCU a 14-9 lead with six minutes to play before the break.

Wofford (5-1, 3-0 SoCon), however, marched 80 yards in just seven plays on its next possession, keyed by a 44-yard quarterback keeper by Allen and capped with a nine-yard rush by the signal caller to give the Terriers the lead for good, 15-14, after the point after failed.

Western Carolina failed to run out the first half clock, punting back to the Terriers who took advantage with a two-play, 49-yard drive that culminated with a 47-yard pass from back-up QB Brian Kass to Brenton Bersin to give Wofford a 22-14 edge at intermission.

After an initial stop by the Catamount defense, Wofford scored on four of its next six second half possessions, tallying 23 points to fend off the Catamounts which struggled to gain offensive consistency. Brindise, who earned the start, completed 8-of-14 passes for 64 yards with two interceptions while true freshman Brandon Pechloff, who alternated series with his junior counterpart, completed 3-of-10 for 41 yards and a pick.

A trio of Catamount receivers each hauled in three passes apiece, led by tight end Andrew Rogers with 43 yards while junior Josh Cockrell had three catches for 25 yards. Sophomore Jacoby Mitchell had three catches for just 13 yards.

One continued bright spot for the Catamounts was the continued inspired play of junior Nate Harris. The Holly Springs, N.C., native amassed a career-best 240 all-purpose yards including a career-high 192 kickoff return yards.

Defensively for the Catamounts, sophomore linebacker Rock Williams led the way with 13 tackles including a dozen solo stops while senior Mitchell Bell recorded 11 total hits. In addition to his fumble return for a score, Pressley added eight tackles while Brown posted six tackles in addition to his second career interception.

The Catamounts return home next Saturday, Oct. 23 to host to arch-rival Appalachian State in the annual "Battle for the Mountain Jug." Kickoff from E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field is scheduled for 3:00 pm before a live SportSouth television audience.