Recap |  Final Stats |    Post-Game Notes
Georgia Tech 63, Western Carolina 21
Bobby Dodd Stadium - Atlanta, Ga.
Thurs., Sept. 1, 2011

With the loss ...
- Western Carolina dropped its seventh-straight game dating back to last season including the fourth-consecutive road loss;

- The Catamounts have lost five-straight in the head-to-head series with Georgia Tech;

- WCU dropped its third-straight season opener on the road (2009 at Vanderbilt; 2010 at North Carolina State)

Post-Game Notes:
- WCU's game at Georgia Tech marked the third time in the past four years that the Catamounts opened the season against a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference (2008 at Florida State; 2010 at North Carolina State);

- Western Carolina's 21 points against Georgia Tech marked the most against a NCAA FBS team since scoring 26 against the Yellow Jackets back in 1994 ... WCU scored 20 against North Carolina State during the 2003 season ... the 21 points in the first half were also the most for WCU in the opening two quarters of football in a game since scoring 24 against Georgia Southern on Oct. 25, 2008;

- Defensive tackle Rainey Ala (90), playing in his first game for the Catamounts, came away with Western Carolina's first takeaway of the season, falling on a Yellow Jacket fumble in the backfield late in the first quarter in Tech territory ... the junior transfer later blocked a field goal opportunity with Isaiah Moore returning it 69 yards for a touchdown as time expired in the first half;

- Brandon Pechloff's two-yard plunge into the end zone midway through the second quarter represented the sophomore's first career rushing touchdown;

- Pechloff posted career-highs in pass attempts (33), completions (20) and passing yards (180) while also rattling off a career-long 16-yard rush in the loss at Georgia Tech;

- Junior transfer running back Michael Vaughn capped a 13-play drive with his first rushing touchdown at Western Carolina - a four-yard run up the middle;

- Western Carolina scored two rushing touchdowns against Georgia Tech on Thursday night... the Catamounts only had seven rushing scores a season ago - five by Michael Johnson who was inactive for the season-opener with a shoulder injury;

- Georgia Tech had six scoring drives of four-plays or less;

- WCU's 13-play, 64-yard drive matched the season-long in terms of plays on a scoring drive from a season ago ... the Catamounts moved 76 yards in 13 plays against Furman last year;

- The Catamounts threw the ball to 11 different receivers on the night with Deja Alexander leading the way in receptions (6) and yards (64) for Western Carolina.

Miscellaneous Notes:
- Team captains for Thursday night's game were five Catamount seniors - #14 Josh Cockrell; #34 Ricky Schwarz; #40 Brandon Vaught; #85 Andrew Rogers and #98 Trey Selby: ... Georgia Tech won the opening coin toss and elected to defer; Western Carolina received the season-opening kickoff.

- An announced attendance of 42,132 saw Western Carolina and Georgia Tech open the 2011 season.