Postgame Notes
Eastern Kentucky 49, Western Carolina 17
Roy Kidd Stadium
Richmond, Ky. | Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020
Att: 3,009
 
With the loss...

• Represents Western Carolina's fourth-straight loss dating back to last season;
• Is WCU's second-straight loss to EKU in the all-time series, relegating WCU to 2-4 against the Colonels … WCU also dropped to 1-3 in games played in Richmond, Ky., against EKU;

• Western Carolina freshman placekicker Paxton Robertson nailed a 52-yard field goal at the 14:08 mark of the second quarter in Saturday's road loss … It was Robertson's first career field goal attempt, representing a career-long boot … the 52-yard kick tied for the eighth-longest field goal in WCU program history and was the longest successful field goal kick since 2000 when Josh Jones nailed a 52-yarder in a win over Lenoir-Rhyne (9/9/00);

• Robertson's 52-yard field goal also represents the longest by a FCS kicker to date in the 2020 season;

• Western Carolina's defense forced four takeaways in Saturday's road loss, recording two interceptions and recovering two fumbles … Roman Johnson forced a fumble on his second career quarterback sack with Ricky Palao recovering the football and returning it for a touchdown … Ronald Kent Jr., forced his second career fumble, punching the football loose and Aaron Gethers recovering downfield … Gethers added a second takeaway with his first career interception while Trevor Childers intercepted a pass that was deflected by Ty Harris;

• WCU's four defensive takeaways were the most by the Catamounts this season and the most since creating five takeaways in the road win at VMI (11/2/19) … WCU forced and recovered four Keydet fumbles and had one interception last November;

• Ricky Palao's 54-yard scoop-and-score fumble recovery return for a touchdown was the first for a Catamount defender since former Catamount LB A.J. Newman and DL Nate Link combined on a fumble recovery score at Chattanooga back in 2017 (9/30/17);

• Western Carolina sophomore punter Brandon Dickerson matched his career-high with 10 punts on Saturday at EKU, tying a mark he set in game two of the 2019 season at NC State … Dickerson averaged 40.1 yards per punt and impressively downed seven of his 10 punts inside the Colonels' 20-yard line including one on the five-yard line and two statistically at the one-yard line;

• Freshman safety Quintin Talley finished with a career-high eight tackles … Junior counterpart A.J. Rogers matched Talley with eight tackles, matching his career-best for a third time – most recently in the road win at VMI last November;

• Redshirt sophomore WR Mahari Stribling hauled in his first career receiving touchdown on a 30-yard strike from Will Jones in the fourth quarter … Freshman WR Calvin Jones finished with a team-best – and career-high – four receptions for 28 yards while classmate Keenan Hambrick caught his first passes as a collegian, finishing with two catches for 14 yards;

• EKU's Alonzo Booth scored four touchdowns against WCU on Saturday – three rushing and one receiving … He is the first player to record four TDs in a game since Chattanooga's Derrick Craine had four rushing scores against the Catamounts back in 2015 (10/31/15).

• Saturday's game was the second for the Catamounts in a commonwealth this season – WCU opened the year in the Commonwealth of Virginia before playing Saturday in the Commonwealth of Kentucky … There are just four commonwealths in the US – Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia;

• Western Carolina played without head football coach Mark Speir who tested positive for COVID-19 in Thursday's weekly testing protocol … Though asymptomatic, Speir entered self-isolation following notification of the positive test … WCU play-by-play radio voice Gary Ayers was tagged in contact tracing and likewise did not travel to Richmond, Ky., for Saturday's game;

• WCU wore its road white jerseys over its alternate black pants on Saturday for just the second time in head coach Mark Speir's tenure … the Catamounts suffered their first loss in that uniform combination, winning the road meeting at VMI last November the first time wearing that combo;

• WCU's captain for the game was redshirt sophomore TE #86 Clayton Bardall who met his older brother, EKU OL #71 Jackson Bardall, at midfield for the coin toss … Jackson celebrated his senior day on Saturday and Clayton also took part in the honorary pregame ceremony … WCU won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff;

• Senior OL #51 Matthew Bair carried the United States flag in the pregame run-out while junior DB #4 A.J. Rogers carried the "All You Got" flag.