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Rod Gattison came up with a big interception in the end zone and returned the pick 29 yards on Saturday at VMI.
Mark Haskett

Football

Postgame Notes - at VMI

Postgame Notes
VMI 27, #18/14 Western Carolina 24
Alumni Memorial Field at Foster Stadium
Lexington, Va. | Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023
Att: 5,297
 
With the Loss:
  • Western Carolina saw its two-game seasonal winning streak snapped;
  • Halted WCU's four-game seasonal road winning streak, while also ending WCU's five-game NCAA FCS road win streak that dated back to the ETSU road win at the end of 2022;
  • Ended WCU's nine-game road winning streak in the head-to-head series with VMI, relegating the Catamounts to 11-4 all-time in Lexington, Va. … the road loss was WCU's first at VMI since Nov. 9, 1991;
  • Relegated the Catamounts to a 7-4 finish to the regular season and 5-2 in Southern Conference play … the loss denied WCU its most conference victories as the Catamount football program has never won more than five league games in a season;

Post-Game Notes:
  • Western Carolina's offense finished with 440 yards on Saturday to give the Catamounts a school-record 5,545 total yards … the 2023 total marks the second-straight year that WCU broke the school benchmark, eclipsing the 5,339 yards of total offense from 2022 … WCU finished the regular season as the ONLY team in the NCAA FCS to average over 500-yards of total offense (504.1 yards per game);
  • The Catamounts threw for 275 yards at VMI to finish the season with 3,533 passing yards on the season to eclipse the school benchmark of 3,522 yards in 2021;
  • WCU also finished the regular season with a NCAA FCS-leading 288 first downs on offense;
  • WCU fifth-year senior offensive lineman Tyler Smith concluded his impressive – and perhaps untouchable – streak of consecutive starts, extending his stretch to 54-consecutive starts among his 58 career games played;
  • Catamount redshirt sophomore QB Brody Palhegyi saw the most extensive action of his collegiate career, thrust into action following the upper-body injury suffered by QB Cole Gonzales … Palhegyi threw for a career-high 253 yards on a career-best 18 completions with a touchdown, adding a career-best 80 rushing yards and a score in relief;
  • Gonzales was limited to just two completions for 22 total yards among the two offensive series he saw in Saturday's road loss … Gonzales finished the season with 2,803 passing yards to mark the THIRD-best season in WCU history … Gonzales finished behind all-time leader Jeff Gilbert (2,993 yards in 1983) and David Rivers (2,878 yards in 2000);
  • Gonzales saw his streak of NINE-consecutive games with a touchdown pass come to a close after seeing action in just two series … Among the nine-game streak were eight multiple-TD passing games;
  • Gonzales finished the season with a WCU school-record 28 touchdown passes … His 28 TD tosses also tied him for ninth-place in SoCon single-season history, matching Todd Doman, Marshall (1994) and Scott Riddle, Elon (2010);
  • Through two seasons, QB Cole Gonzales already ranks 11th in school history with 4,139 career passing yards … With 4,489 yards of total offense, Gonzales already ranks NINTH in school history while his 39 career touchdown passes rank him tied for fourth through two seasons, tied with Don Dalton (39, 1966-69) and just 25 TD passes shy of the school record held by Tyrie Adams (64, 2016-19);
  • RB Desmond Reid made his much-anticipated return to the lineup, recording 141 all-purpose yards including a career-high 101 receiving yards and 40 rushing yards … Reid scored his 13th rushing touchdown of the season moving him into a tie with four others for second all-time in program history – (Brad Hoover, 1998; Anthony James, 1982; Otis McIntosh, 1969; and Tom Broadwater, 1959) … His 17 career rushing TDs rank just outside of WCU's Top 12;
  • Reid finished the season with 897 rushing yards to finish just outside the program's Top 15 on the single-season charts, though he was limited to just eight games that also included limited action against Furman;
  • WR De'Andre Tamarez made just on reception on Saturday but made it count, hauling in a 21-yard TD pass from Brody Palhegyi … Tamarez finished with seven catches on the year, two going for scores;
  • Junior DB Andreas Keaton led the Catamounts with his third double-digit tackle effort of the season, credited a team-best 10 tackles including seven solo stops … Over FOUR of the final FIVE games, WCU's defense now had FIVE double-digit tackle efforts – Va Lealaimatafao (17 vs. Furman), Andreas Keaton (12 vs. Mercer; 10 at Wofford; 10 at VMI), and Antoine Williams (10 vs. Mercer);
  • Senior DB Rod Gattison recorded his fifth career interception, thwarting a would-be VMI scoring drive with a pick in the endzone … Over four seasons in Cullowhee between 2020 and 2023, Gattison had at least one INT each year;
  • WCU's defense recorded two sacks against VMI – one by Ed Jones IV and one credted to Hayward McQueen Jr. … WCU recorded at least one sack in four-straight games to close the regular season and posted sacks in nine of the 11 games on the year including two-or-more six times … the Catamounts finished the season with 21 combined sacks;
  • For a second-time this season, WCU saw an opponent individual score four touchdowns in a game … UTC receiver Javon Whatley caught four TD passes back on Oc. 7, with VMI running back Hunter Rice scoring four on the ground on Saturday;
  • Redshirt senior PK Richard McCollum scored six points in Saturday's regular-season, connecting on three PATs and a 41-yard field goal in the second quarter … McCollum finished the regular-season with a SoCon-leading 93 points scored, the fourth-most in WCU single-season history trailing just RB Darrell Lipford (108 in 1977), Kirk Roach (96 in 1986), and Dean Biasucci (94 in 1983);
  • McCollum finished his impressive career with 300 career points scored, SECOND all-time in WCU program history for career scoring … McCollum finished just TWO points shy of the program's all-time leader, three-time All-American and four-time All-SoCon selection Kirk Roach (302 points, 1984-87);
  • McCollum's 41-yard field goal at VMI gave him 45 made field goals for his WCU career (45-of-52, 86.%) as he finished ranked THIRD all-time in program history … McCollum finished his WCU career just behind second-place Dean Biasucci (57-of-70, 1980-83) and all-time leader Kirk Roach (71-of-101, 1984-87);
  • For a second-straight season, VMI recorded a blocked punt against the Catamounts … Eric Rankin was credited with a blocked punt in 2022 with Joe Comello credited with deflecting the Stephen Brantley punt in 2023.
 
Miscellaneous Notes:5
  • WCU's captains for Saturday's game were senior DB #2 Rod Gattison, senior LB #8 Va Lealaimatafao, senior OL #70 Christian Coulter, and redshirt senior OL #74 Tyler Smith;
  • WCU wore its white jerseys over its white pants for the ninth-time under head coach Kerwin Bell … the Catamounts dropped to 6-3 in the white-on-white uniform combo with the loss snapping a three-game win streak in the combo;
  • VMI won the opening coin toss and elected to defer … WCU received the opening kickoff with VMI getting the football to start the second half.
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Players Mentioned

Christian Coulter

#70 Christian Coulter

OL
6' 5"
Senior
Rod Gattison

#2 Rod Gattison

CB
6' 0"
Senior
Cole Gonzales

#9 Cole Gonzales

QB
6' 0"
Sophomore
Ed Jones IV

#7 Ed Jones IV

LB
6' 1"
Junior
Andreas Keaton

#21 Andreas Keaton

S
6' 2"
Junior
Va Lealaimatafao

#8 Va Lealaimatafao

LB
6' 1"
Senior
Richard McCollum

#89 Richard McCollum

K
5' 9"
Redshirt Senior
Hayward McQueen Jr.

#5 Hayward McQueen Jr.

LB
6' 1"
Sophomore
Brody Palhegyi

#12 Brody Palhegyi

QB
5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
Desmond Reid

#1 Desmond Reid

RB
5' 8"
Sophomore
Tyler Smith

#74 Tyler Smith

OL
6' 8"
Redshirt Senior
De

#4 De'Andre Tamarez

WR
5' 11"
Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

Christian Coulter

#70 Christian Coulter

6' 5"
Senior
OL
Rod Gattison

#2 Rod Gattison

6' 0"
Senior
CB
Cole Gonzales

#9 Cole Gonzales

6' 0"
Sophomore
QB
Ed Jones IV

#7 Ed Jones IV

6' 1"
Junior
LB
Andreas Keaton

#21 Andreas Keaton

6' 2"
Junior
S
Va Lealaimatafao

#8 Va Lealaimatafao

6' 1"
Senior
LB
Richard McCollum

#89 Richard McCollum

5' 9"
Redshirt Senior
K
Hayward McQueen Jr.

#5 Hayward McQueen Jr.

6' 1"
Sophomore
LB
Brody Palhegyi

#12 Brody Palhegyi

5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
QB
Desmond Reid

#1 Desmond Reid

5' 8"
Sophomore
RB
Tyler Smith

#74 Tyler Smith

6' 8"
Redshirt Senior
OL
De

#4 De'Andre Tamarez

5' 11"
Redshirt Freshman
WR