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Branson Adams (22) celebrates the game-winning touchdown , his first collegiate score in the road win at EKU.
Mark Haskett

Football

Postgame Notes - at Eastern Kentucky

Postgame Notes
Western Carolina 27, Eastern Kentucky 24
CG Bank Field at Roy Kidd Stadium
Richmond, Ky. | Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023
Att: 13,596
 
With the Win:
  • Western Carolina has won its last five games against NCAA FCS opposition dating back to the 2022 season (Wofford, at ETSU, #15 Chattanooga, #7/8 Samford, at Eastern Kentucky);
  • The Catamounts scored their first victory over EKU since 2009, halting a two-game skid against the Colonels … It was just WCU's second road victory in the series – 2-3 overall with wins in 2009 and 2023 … WCU claimed its third victory in the eight all-time meetings with EKU;
  • The Catamounts matched the 2-1 start they had in the 2022 season;
 
Post-Game Notes:
  • Western Carolina amassed a season-high 551 yards of total offense in the road win at EKU … It's the second 500+ yard performance this season – and the 14th time over the past three seasons … the Catamounts rushed for 211 yards for a second-straight 200+ yard game while passing for a season-high 340 yards;
  • Catamount quarterback Cole Gonzales passed for a career-high 340 yards, his first career 300-yard passing game and eclipsing his previous high of 276 yards amassed last year against Presbyterian … He tossed three touchdown passes for the second time in his WCU career, matching the trio of scores against PC in the 2022 home opener;
  • Sophomore RB Desmond Reid amassed a career-best 240 all-purpose yards in the road win at EKU – rushing for a career-best 177 yards and matching a career-best four passes for 63 yards … Reid eclipsed the 100-yard mark on the ground for the second time in as many weeks after his 170-yard performance in the home-opener against #7/8 Samford … It is Reid's fifth career 100+ yard rushing performance;
  • Reid scored a rushing touchdown for the third-straight game giving him three on the season and seven in his WCU career over the past two seasons;
  • Sophomore WR Censere Lee hauled in two receiving touchdowns in the win at EKU, his second career two TD game in matching his two scores in the road loss at Furman in 2022 … Lee tallied receiving scores of 45 and 15 yards with the 45-yard catch marking his longest reception of the season … Lee now has nine career receiving touchdowns;
  • RB Branson Adams scored the game-winning touchdown on an eight-yard reception from Gonzales with 25-seconds remaining in regulation … the TD catch marked the first collegiate score for Adams, who caught three passes for 23 yards on the game-winning drive to match his career-best recorded earlier this season at Arkansas;
  • Senior WR David White Jr. caught two passes for a career-best 94 yards, eclipsing his previous benchmark of 91 coming on a pair of receptions at Furman in 2022;
  • Cornerback CJ Williams had a strong game defensively, credited with a career single-game best six tackles and three pass breakups … the converted wide receiver also recorded the first interception of his career on WCU's first pick, returning the ball 30 yards;
  • Freshman punter Stephen Brantley matched his career-high with five punts at EKU with a 42.6 yard per punt average … He boomed a career-long 56-yard punt giving him three kicks of 50+ yards;
  • Currently with 229 career points after three successful PATs, redshirt senior PK Richard McCollum remains in FIFTH on WCU's all-time career scoring charts, closing in on fourth-place RB Darrell Lipford (230, 1974-77) … McCollum is just 73 points shy of the program's all-time leader Kirk Roach (302 points, 1984-87);
Miscellaneous Notes:
  • WCU's captains for Saturday's game were senior DL #0 Bryce Wilson; senior WR #6 Terrence Horne Jr; senior DE #19 Jayelin Davis; and redshirt senior K #89 Richard McCollum … Sophomore WR #0 AJ Colombo carried the American flag during the team's entrance;
  • Western Carolina won the opening coin toss and deferred their choice to the second half … WCU  kicked off to begin the game and received the second half kickoff;
  • EKU honored its legendary coach Roy Kidd who passed away on Sept. 12 with a moment of silence during pregame of Saturday's game, while also showing highlight videos to memorialize the former head coach who won two national championships and posted two national runner-up finishes.
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Players Mentioned

Branson Adams

#22 Branson Adams

RB
5' 9"
Sophomore
AJ Colombo

#0 AJ Colombo

WR
5' 8"
Sophomore
Jayelin Davis

#19 Jayelin Davis

DE
6' 0"
Senior
Cole Gonzales

#9 Cole Gonzales

QB
6' 0"
Sophomore
Terrence Horne

#6 Terrence Horne

WR
5' 8"
Senior
Censere Lee

#10 Censere Lee

WR
5' 11"
Sophomore
Richard McCollum

#89 Richard McCollum

K
5' 9"
Redshirt Senior
Desmond Reid

#1 Desmond Reid

RB
5' 8"
Sophomore
David White Jr.

#7 David White Jr.

WR
6' 4"
Senior
CJ Williams

#4 CJ Williams

CB
5' 10"
Redshirt Junior
Stephen Brantley

#95 Stephen Brantley

P
6' 2"
Freshman
Bryce Wilson

#0 Bryce Wilson

DL
6' 3"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Branson Adams

#22 Branson Adams

5' 9"
Sophomore
RB
AJ Colombo

#0 AJ Colombo

5' 8"
Sophomore
WR
Jayelin Davis

#19 Jayelin Davis

6' 0"
Senior
DE
Cole Gonzales

#9 Cole Gonzales

6' 0"
Sophomore
QB
Terrence Horne

#6 Terrence Horne

5' 8"
Senior
WR
Censere Lee

#10 Censere Lee

5' 11"
Sophomore
WR
Richard McCollum

#89 Richard McCollum

5' 9"
Redshirt Senior
K
Desmond Reid

#1 Desmond Reid

5' 8"
Sophomore
RB
David White Jr.

#7 David White Jr.

6' 4"
Senior
WR
CJ Williams

#4 CJ Williams

5' 10"
Redshirt Junior
CB
Stephen Brantley

#95 Stephen Brantley

6' 2"
Freshman
P
Bryce Wilson

#0 Bryce Wilson

6' 3"
Senior
DL