Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina football opens its delayed but much-anticipated 2020-21 season on Saturday, traveling to Lynchburg, Va., to face the 22nd-ranked Liberty Flames. Kickoff from Williams Stadium is set for Noon and will be broadcast on ESPNU with a simulcast available online through ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
 
The game will also be broadcast on the Catamount Sports Network with an air time of the Pepsi Tailgate Show at 11:00 am. Fans across western North Carolina can hear the game locally on nine CSN affiliates: in Cullowhee on 90.5 FM WWCU; in Dillsboro on 95.3 WWOO; 105.7 FM and 540 AM WRGC "The River" in Sylva; 104.9 FM and 1050 AM WFSC in Franklin; WISE Sports Radio 1310 AM and 102.9 FM in Asheville; and 970 AM WYSE in Canton, with live streaming audio online at CatamountSports.com.
 
With the Southern Conference schedule postponed until the spring, WCU is one of the few NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams competing in the fall semester with less than 15-percent of the 127 FCS programs scheduling games. In the SoCon, only The Citadel (0-4), Mercer (0-3) and Chattanooga (0-1) have played this fall semester with WCU becoming the fourth while the remaining five schools will not play until February.
 
WCU's first of three nonconference road games include two against NCAA FBS-schools – the first of which is Saturday at Liberty, which reclassified to FBS Independent back in 2019. Off to the best start in program history, the Flames have vaulted into the national Top 25 which makes it the second-consecutive ranked foe that WCU will meet after finishing the 2019 season nearly one calendar year ago at No. 5 Alabama. The Flames enjoy the nation's second-longest active winning streak at nine behind Notre Dame's 13-straight victories, while the nine-consecutive wins at home are tied for the ninth-longest streak in the FBS.
 
Offensively, the Catamounts return nine starters including all five upfront along the offensive line and leading play-makers at running back (Donnavan Spencer), wide receiver (Daquan Patten), and tight end (Owen Cosenke). But the biggest loss will be replacing the program's all-time leader in total offense in QB Tyrie Adams. Junior Will Jones, who started three games in place of Adams a season ago, and junior transfer Mark Wright have battled through preseason camp and both are expected to see playing time at Liberty as the coaching staff has stated numerous times that the Catamounts want to gain valuable experience while competing this fall.
 
Liberty's defense has stymied offenses to date this season including limiting Virginia Tech's strong rushing attack to just over 200 yards total a week ago in the Commonwealth upset victory in Blacksburg.
 
WCU's defense returns seven starters including leading tacklers in seniors Ty Harris and Trevor Childers, with dynamic play-making corner Ronald Kent back on the outside. Under first-year defensive coordinator Andy McCollum, the Catamounts face a big challenge in Liberty's offense which is averaging 38 points per game (tied for 19th in the NCAA) while averaging 470.6 yards of total offense per game (23rd nationally). Transfer quarterback Malik Willis, who started his career at Auburn, ranks 17th in the nation in rushing with 603 total yards – tops among all QBs nationally – while running back Joshua Mack has 466 yards on the ground entering the weekend.
 
On special teams, the team's leading scorer from last season, placekicker Julian Pletz (40 points) returns as does the punting tandem of Brandon Dickerson and Caleb Ferguson.
 
Western Carolina looks for its first season-opening victory against a NCAA D-I team since 2002, which ironically was at Liberty (Aug. 31, 2002 – W, 23-3). The Catamounts also try for their first-ever victory over a FBS opponent (0-57) and first against a nationally-ranked team (0-5).
 
Western Carolina vs. Liberty – All-Time Series History:
• Saturday marks the seventh all-time series meeting between Western Carolina and Liberty on the football gridiron … the series stands tied at three wins and three losses apiece (3- 3) dating back to 1996 … WCU has won two of the three previous meetings in Lynchburg;
 
• Liberty has won the last two series meetings coming in 2006 and 2008 … Liberty's consecutive victories came on the heels of WCU winning two-straight in back-to-back seasons in 2001 and 2002;
 
• This year's match-up is the first series meeting since 2008 – and the first since the Flames reclassified to a NCAA FBS Independent in 2019.
 
Game 1: Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020 – Noon
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Williams Stadium – 25,000 – limited to 1,000 by COVID)
Records: No. 22 Liberty (7-0) vs. Western Carolina (0-0)  
SATURDAY'S BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Television: ESPNU / ESPN3
     PBP: Matt Warner; Color: Joe Jauch; Sideline: Emily Austen
 
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
     PBP: Gary Ayers; Color: Daniel Hooker; Sideline: Greg McLamb; Producer: Jeff Bryson
 
Catamount Sports Network Affiliates:

• Cullowhee – 90.5 FM, WWCU
• Dillsboro – 95.3 FM, WWOO
• Sylva – 105.7 FM / 540 AM, WRGC
• Franklin – 104.9 FM / 1050 AM, WFSC
• Asheville – WISE Sports Radio 102.9 FM / 1310 AM
• Canton – WYSE Sports Radio 970 AM
• Online: CatamountSports.com

Keep track of everything related to Catamount Football and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (FB.com/CatamountSports), and Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountsFB).