Postgame Notes
VMI 30, Western Carolina 7
E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field
Cullowhee, N.C. | Saturday, March 6, 2021
 
Saturday's result…

• Represents Western Carolina's sixth-straight loss to open the 2020-21 season and the eighth-consecutive defeat dating back to the end of the 2019 season;
• WCU's 0-6 start to the 2020-21 season is the slowest for a Catamount football team since the Tom Young-led 1953 Catamounts opened the year 0-8 as a part of a 1-9 seasonal finish;
• VMI halted Western Carolina's 17-game series winning streak which dated back to 1991;
• Saturday's loss was WCU's first-ever against VMI in games played in Cullowhee … VMI was 0-13 in Cullowhee all-time dating back to 1980 … WCU continues to lead the all-time series with the Keydets, 23-4;
• WCU dropped its second-straight home-opener coupled with the 2019 season-opening loss to Mercer which halted the Catamounts' five-game win streak in home openers.

• Senior tailback Donnavan Spencer rushed for a WCU season-high 98 yards on Saturday – 95 of which came in the second half … After Saturday's game, Spencer has 1,741 career rushing yards … Adding one receiving yard against VMI, Spencer now has 2,331 career all-purpose yards;

• Freshman running back Mikai Stanley recorded his first career rushing touchdown, plunging in from five yards out in the fourth quarter to put the Catamounts on the scoreboard … Stanley finished with 14 total yards against the Keydets with six rushing yards and one reception for eight yards … Stanley's rushing TD is the fourth by WCU this season – and the second by a Catamount running back;

• For the first time in three weeks, the Catamount offense failed to score points on its opening possession … WCU had posted back-to-back touchdown drives in the two road games at Furman and Samford after finishing 0-for-3 in first drive points in the three fall games;

• Senior LB Ty Harris recorded the 12th double-digit tackle performance of his career with a team-best 14 stops against VMI … Defensive back Rod Gattison recorded a career-high seven tackles while Jaquarius Guinn was credited with a career-best three stops including two solo … DL Laquavion Haynes tallied two tackles including his first career tackle for loss;

• One week after tallying his WCU-best two pass break-ups, CB Aaron Gethers surpassed that tally with three passes defended against VMI … the Boston College transfer has each of his five PBU's over the past two games;

• For the second-straight week, the Catamount defense failed to force a takeaway in the home loss at VMI … WCU had forced 12 turnovers through its first four games of the season … With one interception wrestled away by VMI, WCU still has a +3 in the turnover margin (12 gained, 9 lost);

• Freshman kicker/punter Paxton Robertson boomed a career-long 58 yard punt against the Keydets ... He punted five times for a 41.60 average, downing two of his five punts inside the VMI 20-yard line including one at the five-yard line and another at the 15.

• WCU's captain for the game was senior TE #84 Owen Cosenke, a native of Aldie, Va. … WCU won the opening coin toss and elected to defer to the second half;
• Senior LB Trevor Childers carried the "All You Got" flag during the pregame run out while OL Michael Harper carried the U.S. Flag.