Post-Game Notes
Western Carolina 33, Newberry 26
E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field
Cullowhee, N.C. - Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018
Att: 12,111
With the win ...
- Western Carolina stretched its current series win streak to nine-straight games over Newberry, holding an 11-4 series lead that includes a 7-2 mark in games played in Cullowhee;
- WCU halted a two-game winless drought dating back to last fall, tallying its first win since Nov. 4 at The Citadel (31-19);
- Western Carolina improved to 16-27 in season openers since joining the Southern Conference in 1976 … It was just the third win in its last seven opening games – all three have come against NCAA Division II competition from the South Atlantic Conference (Mars Hill, 2012 & 2015; Newberry, 2018);
- WCU improved to 34-11 in home openers since moving into E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field … WCU has won 16 of its 19 openers since 2000;
- Gave WCU head coach Mark Speir his 27 career victories in Cullowhee.
Post-Game Notes:
- Redshirt junior QB Tyrie Adams accounted for 343 yards of total offense including throwing for 262 yards and rushing for 81 yards … Having scored just three rushing touchdowns in his first two seasons, Adams set a new career high with three rushing scores in the season-opening victory;
- Adams first pass of the season was a completion for 51 yards to redshirt sophomore WR Daquan Patten – it was his first collegiate reception … Patten finished with a team-high tying four catches for a career-best 92 receiving yards;
- Adams moved into seventh-place in WCU's record books for career passing yards, now with 5,124 yards – by-passing former WCU QB Ronnie Mixon (5,099 from 1979-82) … Adams also moved into third in program history with 423 career pass completions, climbing three spots with his 17 pass completions vs. Newberry;
- Junior RB Connell Young, who last year played at wide receiver before moving back to the running back position this year, had career highs in rushes (18) and rushing yards (97) on Saturday night;
- Sophomore PK Will Horton had the first multiple field goal game of this career, kicking field goals of 29 and a career-long 42 yards … His previous career long was a 40-yarder coming in the 2017 upset victory over nationally-ranked Samford … Horton did see his consecutive string of successful PAT tries come to an end on his second try of the night … the long run of successful PATs ended at 32-consecutive;
- WCU had four defenders record double-digit tackles in the season-opening win over Newberry – each posting an individual career high including Mitchell Chancey (12), Devarius Cortner (11), Jacquez Williams (10), and Michael Murphy (10))l
- Freshman LB Kalen Allen blocked a Newberry extra point attempt at 11:43 of the fourth quarter;
- Senior wide receiver Jordan Mathis threw the second touchdown pass of his collegiate career, connecting with tight end Austin Phillips from nine yards out at 5:30 of the second quarter;
- Redshirt freshman backup QB Will Jones made his collegiate debut on Saturday, entering the game on numerous occasions as starter Tyrie Adams' helmet popped off … Jones made his first career carry count for 11 yards and a first down in the second quarter during a Catamount scoring drive;
Miscellaneous Notes:
- WCU's team captains for Saturday'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 Ian Berryman;
- Western Carolina held its eighth-annual “WCU Freshmen Run,” a tradition began by late Chancellor Dr. David O. Belcher;
- WCU's season-opening crowd of 12,111 was the largest since 2016 when 12,283 packed Whitmire Stadium / Waters Field for an Oct. 1 meeting with The Citadel … Saturday's announced attendance was its largest for a home-opening game since 12,348 witnessed a 42-14 victory over Mars Hill to open the 2015 season;
- The 12,111 fans in Cullowhee was the largest crowd Newberry has played football in front of in the modern era.
