Post-Game Notes
Western Carolina 35, Mercer 21
Mercer University Stadium
Macon, Ga. - Saturday, October 18, 2014
Att: 9,277

With the Win ...
- Western Carolina opens the 2014 Southern Conference season at 3-0 ... It is the first 3-0 start to a SoCon season for the Catamounts since 1994 ... It is just the third time since WCU joined the SoCon in 1977 that the Catamounts have opened the conference slate 3-0;

- The win coupled with Chattanooga's road victory at The Citadel keeps WCU tied for first place atop the league standings;

- Western Carolina is now 5-2, the first-time a Catamount football team has opened a season 5-2 since 1976 ... the 1976 squad finished the season at 6-4 overall;

- The road victory is the second for the Catamounts this season, representing the most wins away from Cullowhee in a single-season since 2010 (at Gardner-Webb, at The Citadel) ... According to available research and available records, Saturday's road win was WCU's first-ever victory in the state of Georgia;

- The Catamounts have the most overall seasonal victories since also winning five back in 2005;

- Saturday's matchup between Western Carolina and Southern Conference newcomer, Mercer, was the first-ever between the two schools on the football gridiron.

Post-Game Notes:
- WCU's defense welcomed two players back to the lineup on Saturday afternoon including defensive back Ace Clark, who started in the secondary, and linebacker Tyson Dickson, who came on midway through the first quarter ... Clark missed the Wofford game due to injury and Dickson has been out since mid-September, sidelined for four games due to injury;

- For a second-straight week, WCU's defense put points on the board with the first touchdown by the defensive unit of the year ... Sertonuse Harris punched the football loose and Jaleel Lorquet scooped and scored from 10 yards out to give WCU the early, 7-0, advantage;

- It was the first-time since Caleb Hawkins fell on a fumble in the end zone against Samford in Cullowhee in 2012 that the Catamounts scored on a fumble recovery;

- Lorquet added a second fumble recovery later in the first half, representing the first two fumble recoveries of his career ... He also has two career interceptions, most recently coming at Chattanooga in 2012;

- Redshirt sophomore WR Spearman Robinson hauled in a career-high three receiving touchdowns including strikes of 33, three and 42 yards ... It is his FIRST career, three receiving touchdown game ... He leads the Catamounts with eight receiving scores this fall;

- Robinson's three receiving TDs are the most for a Catamount since teammate Karnorris Benson had three receiving scores against Mars Hill last season;

- Spearman Robinson finished with 108 receiving yards, his third career 100-yard receiving outing and his second this season;

- Junior QB Troy Mitchell matched a career-high with three touchdown passes in the road victory, matching his total from the aforementioned Mars Hill victory;

- Redshirt junior WR Karnorris Benson scored his first receiving touchdown of the season on a double-pass by the Catamounts ... Troy Mitchell passed the ball to Terryon Robinson who found a streaking Benson for the 39-yard score ... the TD was the 14th career receiving score for Benson and the first career touchdown pass by Robinson on his second career pass attempt;

- Western Carolina lead at intermission for the sixth time in seven games this season ... It was the second-time this year the Catamounts carried a

-10 lead into intermission, also leading SoCon-foe Furman, 21-10, at the break back on Sept. 27;

- Defensive back Trey Morgan came away with his team-leading fourth interception of the season in the second half ... Morgan now has five career intercepttions;

- Junior linebacker Sertonuse Harris finished with 14 total tackles including 12 solo stops ... He was just two total tackles shy of his career high of 16 set in 2013 against The Citadel ... He matched a career-best with a quarterback sack.

Miscellaneous Notes:
- Western Carolina's team captains for Saturday afternoon's game were: junior QB #10 Troy Mitchell; senior QB #18 Garrett Brown; junior tailback #20 Darius Ramsey; senior DB #28 Ace Clark; and senior LB #37 K.P. Hicks ... Mercer won the coin toss and deferred , WCU received the opening kickoff;

- Defensive lineman #79 Helva Matungulu carried the American flag out during pregame while freshman running back #21 Detrez Newsome carried the "All You Got" colors on Saturday.