Football 11/4/2018 1:07:00 AM Catamount Athletics

Post-Game Notes: Western Carolina vs. The Citadel

Post-Game Notes 

The Citadel 38, Western Carolina 24

E.J. Whitmire Stadium/Bob Waters Field  

Cullowhee, N.C. – Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018

Homecoming

Att: 10,499

With the loss …

Western Carolina suffered its sixth-straight defeat of the season, matching the longest such skid since dropping six-straight in 2016 … It was also WCU's third straight loss in its annual Homecoming game;
WCU trails The Citadel in the series 17-25-1 overall … the Catamounts have dropped six of the last eight in the series with the Bulldogs and four of the last five at home in the series.

Post-Game Notes:

After Western Carolina had built a 24-10 halftime lead, The Citadel scored 28 unanswered points in the second half while holding WCU scoreless … WCU failed to score in the second half for the first time this season – in fact, it was the first time the Catamount offense had been held scoreless in a half since failing to score in the opening half last year against Furman (10/28/17) – ironically, last year's Homecoming game;
It was the second-straight week that WCU had lost a double-digit lead in the second half … the Catamounts led by 15 in the fourth quarter at No. 25 ETSU a week prior and had a 14-point edge with possession to start the second half entering the third quarter on Saturday;
For the sixth time this season, Western Carolina scored on its opening drive with a Will Horton 24-yard field goal to trail 7-3 in the first quarter … the drive featured a 40-yard run for Adams … WCU has points on six of its nine opening drives this year including four touchdowns and two field goals;
The two teams combined for 10 fumbles in the game – five by WCU and five from The Citadel with both team's losing two apiece … WCU also surrendered a season-high five sacks to the Bulldog defense – the previous high was four, twice (at Furman; vs. Chattanooga);
Western Carolina's offense got a bulk of its yardage on five big plays on Saturday – in fact, WCU gained 217 of its 380 yards (57%) on five of its 55 total plays – a 75-yard Donnavan Spencer TD rush; a 48-yard reception by Daquan Patten; a 40-yard rush by Tyrie Adams; and two, 27-yard receptions by Jordan Mathis and Nate Mullen … On the remaining 50 plays, WCU averaged just 3.26 yards per play (163 yards in 50 snaps);
Redshirt sophomore RB Donnavan Spencer had 122 yards on 13 carries, both single-game highs for carries and yards this season for Spencer … Spencer scored on a 75-yard run to put WCU in front 17-10 at 12:42 of the second quarter, recording WCU's longest play from scrimmage this season ... Spencer had the previous long rush of 49 yards at Samford (Oct. 6) … Spencer scored again from two yards out in the second quarter … His first multiple rushing touchdown game this season gave him 10 career rushing scores;
Including Spencer's 75-yard scoring rush, the Catamounts have 14 offensive scoring plays of 20-yards or more this season;
WCU redshirt junior QB Tyrie Adams finished with 258 yards of total offense on Saturday including 74 rushing yards and 184 yards through the air … He jumped from 11th into eighth in the WCU single-season record book, currently with 2,650 yards of offense this year;
WCU tight end Owen Cosenke, who ranked tied for the most receiving TDs in the SoCon this year with eight – was held without a reception on Saturday – the second-time this season that has occurred (vs. Chattanooga; vs. The Citadel);
Redshirt sophomore DB Michael Murphy gave WCU the lead with a fumble return for a touchdown from 48 yards outs, which along with a Will Horton extra point gave the Catamounts a 10-7 advantage at 6:22 of the first quarter … the last time the Catamounts scored on a fumble recovery was on Sept. 30, 2017 when A.J. Newman and Nate Link teamed up to score on a recovery against Chattanooga … Murphy also has an interception return for a touchdown this season against VMI for 46 yards;
Senior LB Mitchell Chancey has recorded double-digit tackles in every game this season, recording a career-high 19 tackles against The Citadel to lead WCU for the day … Chancey continues to pace the SoCon with a 12.1 tackle per game average, the only defender with double-digit tackles this season;
Junior DB John Brannon forced a fumble by the Bulldogs in the second quarter that was recovered by senior LB Jacquez Williams at the WCU 44 … It was the second fumble recovery of the day for the Catamounts … the turnover led to a WCU RB Spencer touchdown;
Sophomore DL Ricky Palao and LB Ty Harris were both credited with 11 tackles apiece ... It represented a career-high for Palao and the third, double-digit tackle game for Harris in his career;
WCU had two punts blocked in the third quarter by The Citadel that both lead to touchdowns – one on a recovery returned two yards for a score … WCU has had three punts blocked this season;
Catamount redshirt senior punter Berryman officially punted once on Saturday, giving him 200 punts for his career and sole possession of sixth-place in the WCU career record books … He is five punts away from Kenny Pauley's 205 during 1990-93;
The visiting Bulldogs threw just one pass in the game coming in the first half which fell incomplete … The Citadel finished the game without a passing yard ... the visiting Bulldogs controlled the ball on the ground 21:55 to 8:05 in time of possession in the first half, claiming nearly a 10-minute edge for the game – 34:52 to 25:08;

Miscellaneous Notes:

WCU's team captains for Saturday's evening's game were: senior RB #7 Corey Holloway, who was not dressed … redshirt senior DB #29 Marvin Tillman … senior OL #63 Zach Weeks; and redshirt senior P #83 Ian Berryman;
Redshirt senior OL #75 Nathan Dalton carried out the American flag and senior LB #48 Mitchell Chancey carried the “All You Got” flag when the Catamounts took the field Saturday;
The Citadel won the opening toss and elected to receive;
The 2018 WCU Homecoming Queen was Hannah Sink, a senior from Kernersville, majoring in communication sciences and disorders … the 2018 WCU Homecoming King was Jonah Weston, a junior from Raleigh, majoring in communications;
Susan Brummell Belcher, the wife of late Chancellor David O. Belcher, received the Distinguished Service Award as part of the 2018 Homecoming Awards – she also led the Catamount football team onto the field prior to Saturday's game, reminiscent to a tradition started by her late husband, former Chancellor Dr. David Belcher, with the Freshman Run ... the other Homecoming Award winners were: Elizabeth Ransom, Academic Achievement Award; Kenny Messer, Professional Achievement Award; and Mary Beth Fallin Hunzaker, Young Alumni Award.