Postgame Notes
Samford 42, Western Carolina 37
E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field
Cullowhee, N.C.
Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019
Att: 9,060
 
With the loss …
- Western Carolina was relegated to its fifth-consecutive defeat dating back to the spring of 2021 – and a third-straight loss in SoCon play;
 
- The Catamounts suffered their fourth-consecutive loss in the head-to-head series with the Samford Bulldogs, falling to 3-16 overall in the series including a 2-7 mark in games played in Cullowhee;
 
- WCU dropped to 23-22 overall in Southern Conference openers dating back to 1977 … the Catamounts are now 15-6 when the first SoCon game is played in Cullowhee.
 
Postgame Notes:
- The two teams combined for 1,030 total yards – 527 by Samford, 503 by WCU – coming on 188 total offensive plays – 97 by WCU and 91 by Samford … WCU's 503 yards of offense are its most of the season and the second-time this year the unit has eclipsed the 500-yard mark … the 321 passing yards by the Catamounts are the most since throwing for 322 at VMI on Nov. 2, 2019;
 
- Quarterback Rogan Wells accounted for 441 yards of total offense including 321 yards passing and 120 yards rushing, the most by a Catamount this season … Wells is the second WCU player to eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark the season as TJ Jones ran for 115 yards in the season-opener against EKU … Wells was also credited with a reception on a batted pass that ended up right back in his grasp;
 
- Redshirt freshman WR Raphael Williams matched his WCU career-high set in the season-opener against EKU with eight receptions while establishing a new receiving benchmark with 132 yards against Samford, just ahead of his 122 yards against EKU … Williams also caught his first touchdown passes as a Catamount, finishing with two receiving scores … the two TD receptions on Saturday were the most in a single-game by a WCU player since the 2018 season – Daquan Patten (2, at Furman on Sept. 29, 2018); Owen Cosenke (2, at Furman on Sept. 29, 2018); and Owen Cosenke (2, at ETSU on Oct. 27, 2018);
 
- It's the second time this season that WCU had teammates hit the 100-yard mark both rushing and receiving – TJ Jones (115 yds rushing) and Raphael Williams (122 yds receiving) accomplished it in the opener against EKU with Rogan Wells (120 yds rushing) and Raphael Williams (132 yds receiving) doing so against Samford;
 
- Western Carolina's defense forced FIVE takeaways in the loss to the Bulldogs including intercepting Samford QB Liam Welch FOUR times and forcing a sack-fumble … the WCU defense scored its first points of the season on Kareem Taylor's scoop-and-score, 16-yard fumble return after sacking Welch … WCU cashed-in two of its takeaways for points;
 
- WCU recorded 9.0 tackles for loss against Samford, the most for the squad since posting nine against ETSU on Nov. 9, 2019;
 
- Freshman DB Andreas Keaton intercepted two passes in Saturday's league-opener against Samford, first picking off Liam Welch on the Bulldogs' first drive to thwart a would-be scoring drive at the eight-yard line … Keaton added his second INT midway through the third quarter, returning it 22 yards to the two-yard line that led to a Catamount rushing TD that put WCU ahead for the first time, 24-21;
 
- Keaton's two interceptions on Saturday mark the first multiple INT game for a Catamount since JerMichael White recorded a pair of interceptions at Gardner-Webb on Sept. 14, 2018;
 
- Senior transfer LB Kareem Taylor matched his WCU career-high with 10 tackles against Samford, matching the 10 stops he recorded in his debut against EKU … It's his second double-digit tackle performance for the Catamounts … Fifth-year senior LB Ty Harris also tallied 10 tackles against Samford marking the 15th double-digit tackle performance of his career;
 
- LA Rogers-Anderson recorded a career-best eight tackles, eclipsing the six he recorded at Samford in the spring 2021 season … He was credited with a tackle for loss for the fourth-time since coming to Cullowhee;
 
- Taylor's fumble recovery, scoop-and-score was the THIRD by a Catamount defender over the past two seasons – Ricky Palao returned a fumble for a score at EKU last fall and also Nigel Manns returned a fumble for a TD at North Carolina in the fall of 2020;
 
- Ty Harris moved into 10TH on Western Carolina's career tackles chart on Saturday with 316 career stops, by-passing student-athlete alums Everett Spellman (11th – 314, 1984-87), Louis Cooper (12th, 312 – 1981-84), and Clyde Simmons (13th – 307, 1982-85) … With 1.5 tackles for loss, Harris now has 22.5 TFLs over his five-year career, just 8.5 tackles for loss shy of 10th-place John Scott (31, 1995-98);
 
- Junior CB Ronald Kent Jr. added his 23rd career pass break-up, moving to within ONE of matching the three-way tie for fifth in WCU's record book at 24 (Ahmad Green, 2000-02; Eric Johnson, 1996-98; and Lee McCall, 1978-80) … Kent tallied his second career interception in Saturday's game against Samford with Cameron McCutcheon recording his first INT as a Catamount;
 
- Catamount placekicker Richard McCollum accounted for seven points on Saturday, kicking his third field goal of the season on a 25-yarder and connecting on four PATs … Punter Brandon Dickerson downed four of his eight punts inside the Bulldog 20-yard line with his first 50-yard punt coming on a 56-yarder;
 
Miscellaneous Notes:
- WCU's team captains for Saturday's afternoon's game were: senior RB #8 Kenny Benjamin; senior LB #9 Kareem Taylor; senior LB #37 Ty Harris and redshirt junior OL #62 Michael Harper;
 
- Fifth-year senior WR #86 Daquan Patten carried the American flag to lead the team onto the field prior to Saturday's Southern Conference opener against Samford;
 
-  Samford won the coin toss and deferred to the second half … Western Carolina received the opening kickoff;
 
- Saturday's game endured over a two-hour lightning delay