Postgame Notes - at No. 12 Mercer

Postgame Notes
#12 Mercer 49, Western Carolina 6
Five Star Stadium
Macon, Ga. | Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022
Att: 10,927

With the Loss...

Western Carolina suffered its seventh-consecutive loss in the head-to-head series with the Bears, falling to 2-7 all-time in the series since winning the first two matchups back in 2014-15 … the Catamounts dropped to 1-4 all-time in Macon, Ga.;
The Catamounts dropped an eighth-straight loss to nationally ranked NCAA FCS competition since last winning over a ranked opponent at home over Samford back in 2017 … WCU also suffered its 45th-straight ROAD defeat against a ranked FCS opponent.

Post-Game Notes

Western Carolina's high-octane, high-powered offense was limited to a season-low 249 yards of total offense including a season-low 74 rushing yards and a low of 175 yards through the air … Saturday marked just the third time under head coach Kerwin Bell that WCU's offense had been limited to fewer than 300 yards of total offense – 178 in a loss at FBS-foe Oklahoma and 277 in a road loss at Chattanooga;
WCU was limited to just 17 completed passes on Saturday, the fewest by the Catamounts over the past two seasons – the previous low was 18 completions twice in 2021 (at Chattanooga, vs. Mercer);
WCU's 175 passing yards are the fewest produced by WCU against an NCAA FCS team under Bell – and second lowest as Oklahoma held the Catamounts to just 123 through the air … WCU was held under 100 yards rushing for just the third time over the past two seasons – 55 yards at Oklahoma (2021), 46 yards at Chattanooga (2021), and 55 yards at Mercer (2022);
For a second time this season, PK Richard McCollum provided all the scoring for WCU in the road loss at Mercer, connecting on a pair of 43-yard field goals on consecutive possessions in the third quarter … McCollum also scored all 12 points for WCU in the road loss at nationally ranked Samford … McCollum has started a new consecutive field goal streak, currently at three-straight after seeing his previous streak of 19 made field goals snapped vs. VMI;
McCollum is 9-of-10 on field goals this season including 4-for-4 from the 40-to-49-yard range … For his career, McCollum has eight field goals made in that same 40+ range (8-for-10);
Junior TE Clayton Bardall matched a career-high with four receptions going for a career-best 89 yards including a career-long reception of 47 yards … Bardall previously caught four passes twice against Samford (2019 and 2020-21) … Bardall entered the game with just three receptions for 43 yards, matching and exceeding the season production in one game;
WCU had just two explosive "chunk plays" against Mercer – both on receptions from Cole Gonzales to Clayton Bardall on passes of 32 yards and 47 yards … Mercer had just four long plays with just one – a 46-yard pass from Fred Payton to Devron Harper – going for a touchdown;
Freshman DB Samaurie Dukes was credited with a career-high nine tackles including four solo stops in the road loss at Mercer … Lee Campbell also posted a career-high with eight stops while classmate Hayward McQueen matched his career-best with five stops for a third time this season;
DE Jaylen Davis punched the fumble loose in the fourth quarter with DT Marlon Alexander posting his first career fumble recovery at WCU;
WCU's defense was officially held without a sack for the first time this season … the Catamounts entered Saturday's game leading the NCAA FCS with 24 sacks;

Miscellaneous Notes:

WCU's captains for Saturday's game were RB #0 TJ Jones, DB #1 Cameron McCutcheon, DE #6 KJ Milner, OL #74 Tyler Smith … LB #53 EJ Porter carried the United States flag out during the pregame team entrance;
Mercer won the opening coin toss and elected to receive … Mercer received the opening kickoff with WCU receiving the opening kickoff to start the second half.

Print Friendly Version