Western Carolina 28, Gardner-Webb 10
Ernest W. Spangler Stadium
Boiling Springs, N.C. – Friday, Sept. 14, 2018
Att: 2,257
With the Win ...
- Western Carolina has won four-straight in the overall head-to-head series with Gardner-Webb, taking a 6-3 series lead over the Runnin' Bulldogs that includes the first meeting in 1932;
- Western Carolina has started the 2018 season at 2-0 for the first time since 2006 … WCU started 2-0 in each season from 2004-06 … It's just the seventh-time since moving to the NCAA Division I ranks that WCU has opened a year at 2-0 – and the 14th time dating back to 1931;
- Gave WCU head coach Mark Speir his 28th career victory in Cullowhee – the fifth-most by a Catamount head coach, just three shy of matching fourth-place Steve Hodgin (31-45, 1990-96);
Post-Game Notes:
- Western Carolina rushed for 325 yards under windy conditions in Friday night's road win at Gardner-Webb, a season-high for the Catamounts and the most for WCU since amassing 483 on the ground in last year's home-opening win over Davidson … the 325 rushing yards were the fourth-most by a WCU offense under head coach Mark Speir and offensive coordinator Brad Glenn – and just the sixth, 300+ rushing yard output under the same staff since 2012;
WCU 300+ rushing games since 2012:
2017 – 483 vs. Davidson
2014 – 342 vs. The Citadel
2012 – 342 vs. Mars Hill
2018 – 325 at Gardner-Webb
2016 – 316 vs. Presbyterian
2014 – 301 vs. VMI
- QB Tyrie Adams rushed for 106 yards while RB Connell Young eclipsed the 100-yard plateau for the first time in his career with 105 yards on the ground … It was the first-time since the Davidson win in the 2017 home-opener that WCU had teammates rush for 100+ yards in the same game;
- With two passing touchdowns in the road win at Gardner-Webb, Tyrie Adams now has 39 career passing TDs, tying him for third in school history … Adams matched Don Dalton (39, 1966-69);
- Adams moved into sixth-place in WCU's record books for career passing yards, now with 5,232 yards – by-passing former WCU QB Brian Gaither (5,159 from 2000-03) and is just 57 yards shy of fifth-place Don Dalton (5,289 from 1966-69) … Adams remains third in program history with 436 career pass completions, 27 shy of second-place Jeff Gilbert (463, 1981-84) … Adams' 697 career pass attempts rank him eighth in school history;
- Redshirt freshman back-up QB Will Jones orchestrated WCU's go-ahead scoring drive at the end of the first quarter into the early part of the second, capping it with his first career passing touchdown on a 15-yard strike to TE Owen Cosenke … Jones finished 3-for-4 for 42 yards, completing three-straight passes and adding 16 rushing yards in the scoring drive … Jones rushed for a career-best 22 yards in the game;
- In what proved to be a game-changing score, redshirt sophomore WR Daquan Patten hauled in his first career receiving touchdown on a three-yard strike from Adams on the final play of the first half, helping give WCU a 21-10 halftime advantage;
- Western Carolina's defense limited Gardner-Webb to a season-low 246 yards of total offense including just 97 yards rushing … It was the fourth-time over the past two seasons under defensive coordinator John Wiley that WCU's defense has held an opponent under the 100-yard rushing mark;
- Through its first two games of the season, Western Carolina has recorded 10 sacks defensively with five in both of its first two games … the Catamounts are nearly half way to their seasonal total (21) from a season ago just two games into the 2018 season … Senior LB Jacquez Williams has a Southern Conference-leading four sacks as a part of a league-leading six tackles for loss;
- Returning from injury that sidelined him in the season-opener vs. Newberry, senior safety JerMichael White intercepted two passes, the first takeaways for the Catamount football team this season and the first two picks of White's collegiate career;
Miscellaneous Notes:
- WCU's team captains for Friday's evening's game were: redshirt senior RB #7 Corey Holloway; senior DB #29 Marvin Tillman; redshirt senior OL Zach Weeks; and redshirt senior P #83 Ian Berryman … WCU won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff;
- WR #88 Brad Swan Jr. carried out the American flag and OL #69 Chase Stehling carried the “All You Got” flag when the Catamounts took the field on Friday night.
