Final Stats |  Notes |   

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina freshman Detrez Newsome returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for the game's first points, and later capped a game-sealing scoring drive with a 24-yard touchdown romp as the Catamounts upended the Wofford Terriers, 26-14, on Saturday afternoon in Southern Conference action at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field.

In between Newsome's plays, it was all about defense and special teams for the Catamounts, who struggled to find much rhythm offensively and were held to a season-low 246 yards of total offense - over 150 yards shy of their season average.

Newsome finished with a game-high 180 all-purpose yards including 140 on kickoff returns, 29 rushing and 11 yards on passes caught out of the backfield. With the game still hanging in the balance with just a five-point margin, Newsome charted his seventh career rushing touchdown on the fourth quarter romp that provided the game's finally tally and sealed the victory.

WCU improved to 4-2 overall on the season and moved into a two-way tie with Chattanooga atop the SoCon standings with matching 2-0 ledgers.

On the other side of the football, the Catamount defense - which opened its week of preparation for Saturday's game by reiterating to the offense that it had its back - proved true to its Tuesday vow. WCU's defensive unit limited the nation's third-best rushing attack to a season-low 270 yards despite allowing 102 yards on the ground in the opening quarter.

Wofford was limited to 273 yards of total offense and 14 points in the loss, both season lows for the Terriers.

The WCU defenders twice stiffened in the shadow of goal posts, forcing a goal line fumble that prevented a score to end the first half as junior defensive end John McBeth punched the football loose and classmate Sertonuse Harris recovered to preserve the three-point, 10-7, halftime lead.

Then, after the WCU offense stalled at the one-yard line, the defense came away with two points on a safety as Wofford quarterback Evan Jacks couldn't handle the snap from center and was downed in the purple turf of the end zone. It was the first time the WCU defense had lit the scoreboard this season.

Linebacker Christon Gill paced the Catamount defense with 12 tackles including four solo stops and two tackles for loss, while Daniel Riddle finished with 11 total hits, four solo. Defensive back Fred Payne recorded eight tackles while linemen Ezavian Dunn, Caleb Hawkins and John McBeth were each credited with six stops apiece with the latter two tallying half a tackle for loss.

Following Newsome's 100-yard game-opening touchdown inside the game's first 12 seconds, Wofford (3-3, 1-1 SoCon) evened the game on a 13-yard Jacks touchdown run to pull the two squads even after the opening quarter.

Midway through the second quarter, the Catamount offense pulled ahead for what proved to be for good as Richard Sigmon split the uprights from 33 yards away, capping a 10-play, 51-yard drive to give WCU the 10-7 lead it would preserve into intermission.

Western Carolina was poised to punch in a second touchdown of the day early in the third quarter, but the Terrier defense stymied the Catamounts at the goal line in four plays. However, with Wofford backed up against its own goal line, the defense capitalized by pouncing on Jacks in the end zone after a mishandled snap for the team's first safety since 2006.

The Catamounts opened a nine-play drive at the end of the third quarter and capped it at the start of the fourth as Mitchell plunged forward for a one-yard score and a 19-7 advantage.

Wofford responded, though, moving 88 yards in just six plays including a 33-yard Cam Flowers rush and a 23-yard jaunt by Ray Smith before Flowers found pay-dirt on a 10-yard rush to pull the game back to within five points, 19-14.

That's when back-up quarterback Garrett Brown took over, guiding the Catamounts on a grueling 12-play, 71-yard scoring drive to victory. Brown, a local product of Asheville, N.C., orchestrated the game-sealing drive, rushing for 29 yards while successfully consuming over seven minutes of the game clock. On the drive, Troy Mitchell - who started and played much of the game despite missing practice last week due to a shoulder injury - completed an 11-yard pass to Newsome to keep the drive alive. He then polished off the final 24 yards off the left edge, rumbling into the end zone for his second TD of the day.

Troy Mitchell, who entered the game atop the SoCon's total offense charts, completed 10 of his 15 pass attempts for 101 yards and added 21 yards on the ground with a fourth quarter rushing touchdown. Six different receivers caught passes with Darius Ramsey and Karnorris Benson both hauling in three apiece.

Spearman Robinson paced WCU with 33 yards receiving on an athletic catch in the fourth quarter, while tight end Michael Helms Jr., recorded a catch on a 28-yard streak up the middle.

Wofford's Ray Smith led all rushers with 63 yards on eight carries, while QB Jacks rushed 13 times for 59 yards and a score for the Terriers. Flowers finished with 53 rushing yards and a TD for the Terrier offense. Defensively, Drake Michaelson recorded a game-high 14 tackles while Steve Cornellier posted two tackles for loss among his three total stops.

Western Carolina hits the road next weekend for the first-ever meeting with SoCon-newcomer, Mercer, on-campus in Macon, Ga. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 pm.