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Desmond Reid ran for 175 yards and two touchdowns against Presbyterian
Mark Haskett

Football

Postgame Notes - vs. Presbyterian

Postgame Notes
Western Carolina 77, Presbyterian 21
Bob Waters Field at E.J. Whitmire Stadium
Cullowhee, N.C. | Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022
Att: 11,776
 
With the Win…
  • Western Carolina halted a three-game slide in home-openers dating back to the 2018 season that saw WCU down Newberry 33-26;
  • Represents the second-straight series win for WCU over Presbyterian – and the 10th victory in the past 11 series meetings dating back to 1970 … WCU improved to 11-9 overall against the Blue Hose all time;
  • Gives WCU a 2-1 season start, the best opening three game set for the Catamounts since going 3-0 to start the 2018 season;
  • WCU scored its second home victory under head coach Kerwin Bell after the one-point victory over Furman last November … the sixth victory for Bell at WCU, Saturday's win also represented his 99th career victory as a collegiate head coach.
 Post-Game Notes
  • Western Carolina's 77 points against Presbyterian matches the program record for the most points scored in a game, equaling the 77 points scored in the win over West Virginia State on Sept. 2, 2004 ... the 77-point outburst is tied for the fourth-most in Southern Conference football history, tied with four other 77-point games … WCU also matched a program scoring record for points in a half, scoring 49 after intermission on Saturday to match the 49-point first-half outburst in a home win over Davidson back in 2017;
  • Western Carolina scored touchdowns on 11 of its 15 possessions in the game … the Catamount defense forced punts on 11 of Presbyterian's 16 possessions with two drives ending at the end of both halves;
  • WCU smashed the school-record for yards of total offense with a program-record 766 yards in a balanced attack in Saturday's home-opening victory … the Catamounts rushed for 384 yards and threw for 382 yards in the victory … Through the first four weeks of the 2022 season, WCU's 766 yards of offense were the most by a team in the NCAA FCS this year and was just one of three FCS teams to crest the 700-yard mark this season ... It also represented the sixth-most yards of total offense in a single game in Southern Conference history;
  • WCU's 384 rushing yards represent the third-most in a single-game in program history, trailing just the program-record 483 rushing yards against Davidson back in 2017 and 464 rushing yards against Newberry in 1993 … the 384 yards on the ground just edged out the fourth-best performance of 383 against Carson-Newman in the 1969 season;
  • Five different Catamount underclassmen quarterback saw action – freshman Cole Gonzales, freshman Samuel Cornett, redshirt freshman Brody Palhegyi, redshirt freshman Parish Metzger, and redshirt freshman Kason Lincke … All five QBs orchestrated scoring drives in accounting for touchdowns – four tossed TD passes with one – Lincke – adding a rushing score;
  • Cole Gonzales saw action in his third game as a true freshman, earning his first collegiate start in place of the injured Carlos Davis who missed the game for precautionary reasons stemming from a shoulder injury suffered at Georgia Tech … Seeing his most extensive action, Gonzales finished with career highs for completions (19), attempts (24), passing yards (276), passing touchdowns (3), and scored his first rushing TD;
  • Making his first collegiate start at tailback in place of the injured TJ Jones, freshman RB Desmond Reid had a career-high 58 yard run in the game, finishing the contest with a career-best 12 carries for a career-high 175 yards and scored two touchdowns for his first career multi-score game;
  • Another freshman running back in Corey Reddick also posted two scores in Saturday's win, tallying his first career touchdown on a two-yard rush late in the first quarter to put the Catamounts on the board … Reddick added a 20-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter;
  • WR Terrence Horne Jr. caught his team-best third touchdown pass of the season … He has recorded a touchdown reception in all three of the team's games this season, coming on just four seasonal receptions … David White Jr. scored his second touchdown of the season on a 28-yard reception while TE Ajay Belanger posted his first TD as a Catamount on a five yard catch;
  • Freshman WR De'Andre Tamarez became the FIFTH Catamount currently on the current roster to score his FIRST career touchdown on his FIRST career reception … Tamarez caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Parish Metzger – his first collegiate TD toss – in the third quarter against Presbyterian … Tamarez joins Toler Keigley and classmate Censere Lee to have hauled in their first touchdowns on their first catch … Last season TE Brayden Blackmon recorded his first catch and score at Wofford while TE Clayton Bardall caught his first collegiate pass for a score in the home win over North Greenville in 2019;
  • Western Carolina's defense recorded SEVEN sacks in Saturday's home win over Presbyterian … the seven sacks were a season-high – one more than the six recorded in the season-opener at Charleston Southern … the seven sacks were also the most by a Catamount defense since recording seven in a 45-7 road win at Chattanooga back in 2017 (9/30/17);
  • Playing between special teams and on defense, redshirt sophomore LB Skylin Thomas finished Saturday's win with a career-high six tackles including his first career sack … Defensive lineman Chris Morgan recorded a career-high five tackles including a career-best 3.5 sacks;
  • Catamount kicker Richard McCollum scored 11 points in Saturday's home win over Presbyterian, connecting on all 11 PAT attempts … Entering the game tied for the program record with 65-straight successful PATs – matching Ken Hinsley (1995-98) – McCollum ended the game holding the WCU school-record, currently with 76-consecutive made PATs – and counting … McCollum's streak started on Feb. 20, 2021 and ran through the 2021 fall season (42-of-42) and 20-for-20 to start 2022;
 
Miscellaneous Notes:
  • WCU's captains for Saturday's game were safety #0 Jaylen Floyd … corner back #1 Cameron McCutcheon … defensive end #6 KJ Milner and offensive lineman #74 Tyler Smith;
  • WCU won the opening coin toss and elected to defer to the second half … Presbyterian received the opening kickoff;
  • Sophomore safety #21 Andreas Keaton carried the American flag to lead the Catamount football team out during Saturday's pregame team entrance;
  • Prior to the Catamounts taking the field, WCU's freshman class of 2022 streamed through the "Pride of the Mountains" Marching Band in the 11th-annual Freshmen Run;
  • WCU honored its selections to the Southern Conference's 100th Anniversary team during a pregame tailgate and a special on-field ceremony at halftime of Saturday's home-opening victory.
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Players Mentioned

Clayton Bardall

#18 Clayton Bardall

TE
6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
Carlos Davis

#5 Carlos Davis

QB
6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
Kason Lincke

#4 Kason Lincke

QB
6' 1"
Freshman
Richard McCollum

#89 Richard McCollum

K
5' 9"
Redshirt Sophomore
Chris Morgan

#93 Chris Morgan

DL
6' 0"
Freshman
Tyler Smith

#74 Tyler Smith

OL
6' 8"
Redshirt Sophomore
Skylin Thomas

#36 Skylin Thomas

NIC
5' 10"
Redshirt Freshman
Andreas Keaton

#21 Andreas Keaton

S
6' 2"
Freshman
Toler Keigley

#14 Toler Keigley

WR
6' 1"
Freshman
TJ Jones

#0 TJ Jones

RB
5' 11"
Junior
Terrence Horne

#7 Terrence Horne

WR
5' 7"
Sophomore
Brayden Blackmon

#39 Brayden Blackmon

TE
6' 3"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Clayton Bardall

#18 Clayton Bardall

6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
TE
Carlos Davis

#5 Carlos Davis

6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
QB
Kason Lincke

#4 Kason Lincke

6' 1"
Freshman
QB
Richard McCollum

#89 Richard McCollum

5' 9"
Redshirt Sophomore
K
Chris Morgan

#93 Chris Morgan

6' 0"
Freshman
DL
Tyler Smith

#74 Tyler Smith

6' 8"
Redshirt Sophomore
OL
Skylin Thomas

#36 Skylin Thomas

5' 10"
Redshirt Freshman
NIC
Andreas Keaton

#21 Andreas Keaton

6' 2"
Freshman
S
Toler Keigley

#14 Toler Keigley

6' 1"
Freshman
WR
TJ Jones

#0 TJ Jones

5' 11"
Junior
RB
Terrence Horne

#7 Terrence Horne

5' 7"
Sophomore
WR
Brayden Blackmon

#39 Brayden Blackmon

6' 3"
Freshman
TE