Postgame Notes - at Furman

Postgame Notes
Furman 47, Western Carolina 40
Paladin Stadium
Greenville, S.C. | Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022
Att: 9,617

With the Loss…

Western Carolina suffered consecutive defeats for the first time this season, falling to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in Southern Conference play in 2022;
Western Carolina dropped its fourth-consecutive road game this season coming on the heels of having won four-straight away from Cullowhee to end 2021 and to open this season at Charleston Southern … WCU's four-straight road losses include at Georgia Tech, at Samford, at Mercer, and at Furman;
The Catamounts dropped their fourth-straight road game in the head-to-head series at Furman ... WCU was denied consecutive victories in the series with the Paladins after last year's thrilling 43-42 win at home.

Post-Game Notes:

For the third time this season, Western Carolina's offense eclipsed the 600-yard mark in total offense, just missing the 700-yard plateau for a second time with 691 yards at Furman – the second-most put up by WCU in a game this season … Paced by a career-high 104 yards on the ground through just under three full quarters of action by QB Carlos Davis, the Catamounts rushed for a season-high 229 yards on the ground;
Davis was just the second 100-yard rusher the Catamounts have had this season, joining freshman Desmond Reid who ran for a season-high 175 yards against Presbyterian … Davis accounted for 313 yards of total offense at Furman including 209 yards passing and the 104 rushing yards;
Freshman back-up quarterback Cole Gonzales accounted for 253 passing yards on Saturday all coming on five total drives beginning in the third quarter … He led three scoring drives in relief of starter Carlos Davis, finishing 12-of-16 (75%) for 253 with scoring strikes of 42 and 69 yards to Censere Lee – coming on consecutive offensive plays from scrimmage for the WCU offense;
WCU had two receivers eclipse the 100-yard mark on Saturday as freshman WR Censere Lee caught a career-high five passes for a career-best 164 receiving yards and two touchdowns with redshirt sophomore Raphael Williams hauling in eight passes for 102 yards and a score … It was the first time since 2019 that WCU had two receivers with over 100 receiving yards as WR Daquan Patten (5-for-103 yds) and RB Donnavan Spencer (2-for-110 yds) both went over the century mark at VMI;
WCU's 30 completions were spread between just seven different players – four wide receivers (Raphael Williams, Censere Lee, David White, and Toler Keigley), two running backs (TJ Jones, Jalynn Williams) and the tight end (Ajay Bellanger);
With Davis (104 yards rushing) and both Lee (164 yards receiving) and Williams (102 yards receiving) each going over the 100-yard mark, it was the first time since Oct. 23, 2021, at The Citadel that WCU had teammates post 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game … TJ Jones (15-132 yards) and Williams (12-for-147 yards) did that at The Citadel a year ago in scoring WCU's first victory under head coach Kerwin Bell;
WCU limited Furman to a season-low 66 yards passing on Saturday, though the Paladins found success on the ground by amassing an opponent-high 426 yards rushing … WCU had held four of its previous six opponents to 101 yards or fewer on the ground (VMI, 76 yards; Charleston Southern, 89; Presbyterian, 100 yards; Samford, 101 yards);
Western Carolina's 20 points in the fourth quarter represented the first and most points allowed by Furman in the final quarter this season … the Paladins entered Saturday's game having outscored its opposition 31-0 through its first six games on the year;
Transfer LB Va Lealaimatafao paced the Catamount defense with a WCU career-best 10 tackles including a pair of solo stops … DB Jaylen Floyd recorded a team-best 1.5 tackles for loss among his three stops, also forcing a fumble for the defense … Rod Gattison had five tackles and forced a fourth-quarter fumble that was recovered by Samaurie Dukes that gave WCU a chance to rally in the final frame on Saturday;
After being held without a sack at Mercer, the six-quarter drought ended when EJ Porter sacked Furman QB Tyler Huff while looking to setup a shovel pass in the third quarter of Saturday's road loss … WCU continues to rank tied for second in the NCAA FCS with 26 total sacks on the season;
The turnover battle was even for just the second time this season with both teams having one takeaway – Furman with a first half interception and WCU with a second half fumble recovery;
Furman returned the opening kickoff of the second half 97 yards for a touchdown on Saturday … It was the first kick return for a TD allowed by the Catamounts since 2020 when EKU's Davion Ross returned a kickoff 94 yards for a score;
Catamount punter Brandon Dickerson punted just three times at Furman with two sailing 50+ yards including a career-long boot of 61 yards … Dickerson averaged 50 yards per punt;
Placekicker Richard McCollum connected on a pair of field goals from 20 and 27 yards out, but had his first attempt of the season blocked on his first 27-yard attempt in the first quarter … McCollum is 11-of-13 on field goals this season – he ranks second in the SoCon with his 11 successful field goals, his 84.6% success rate, and his 62 points scored (8.9 pts/gm);
McCollum's final PAT attempt on Saturday was blocked, halting his impressive school-record streak at 85-consecutive made PATs … McCollum had made 29-straight this season after finishing 42-of-42 a year ago with his streak dating back to the COVID-altered spring 2021 season.

Miscellaneous Notes:

WCU's captains for Saturday's game were RB #0 TJ Jones … DB #1 Cameron McCutcheon … DB #10 Taurus Dotson, and LS #55 Kevin Thompson … LB #7 Hayward McQueen carried the United States flag out during the team's pregame field entrance;
Furman won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half … WCU received the opening kickoff.

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