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C.J. Williams tackles Arkansas's Rashod Dubinion.
Mark Haskett

Football

Postgame Notes - at Arkansas

Postgame Notes
Arkansas 56, Western Carolina 13
War Memorial Stadium
Little Rock, Ark. | Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023
Att: 44,397
 
With the Loss…
  • WCU's three-game winning streak dating back to last season was halted;
  • Dropped the Catamounts to 0-1 in the all-time series against Arkansas following the first ever meeting between the two programs in football;
  • Relegated WCU to 0-62 all-time against NCAA FBS foes that includes an 0-21 mark against current members of the SEC … As a side note, teams from the NCAA FCS were a combined 0-42 against the FBS on the first full weekend of college football according to Stats Perform FCS / The Analyst;
  • Marked the fourth season-opening loss (2019, 2020, 2021, 2023) in the past five seasons with two coming against an FBS opponent (Liberty, 2020; Arkansas, 2023) … Denied WCU back-to-back season-opening victories after the Catamounts downed Charleston Southern to open 2022.
 
Post-Game Notes
  • Western Carolina saw 16 newcomers see action in Saturday's season-opener at Arkansas … Among those were eight true freshmen … the Catamounts also played eight second-year players including four among the starting lineup;
  • Four Catamounts recorded their first career receptions at Arkansas including Corey Washington with a career-best three catches for 39 yards; WR Zion Booker, RB Marlin Cochran, and RB Markel Townsend each caught one pass at Arkansas;
  • Cochran (1 for 3 yards) and Townsend (6 for 20 yards) both posted their first career rush attempts as true freshmen;
  • Richard McCollum scored seven points for the Catamounts on Saturday, connecting on a pair of field goals and one PAT … McCollum moved into FIFTH on WCU's all-time career scoring charts currently with 214 career points, leaping over former RB Otis McIntosh (212 pts, 1969-71);
  • McCollum's two successful field goals – a 34-yarder in the first quarter and the 33-yarder as time expired in regulation – give him 36 for his WCU career (36-of-42) and moved him into THIRD all-time in program history, by-passing former K Ken Hinsley (35-of-56, 1995-98);
  • Desmond Reid's 2-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter was the fifth of his career and marked the second straight year that ran for a touchdown in the season opener – Reid scored on a 43-yard touchdown rush in the 2022 opener at Charleston Southern;
  • WCU's 13 points scored on Saturday were its most against a Southeastern Conference (SEC) opponent since putting 31 on the board against South Carolina back in 2016:
  • Freshman P Stephen Brantley punted five times for an average for 44.4 yards with three punts that landed inside the 20 including punts of 51 and 52 yards … Comparatively, WCU had a total of eight punts that traveled over 50 yards in the 2022 season;
  • Brantley's 33-yard pooch punt in the second quarter landed at the 6-yard line, giving the Razorbacks their worst starting field position of the day ... the Catamount defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing drive;
  • Western Carolina committed five turnovers in the road loss at Arkansas – four interceptions and one lost fumble … the five giveaways were the most for the Catamounts since turning the ball over five times in a road loss at Gardner-Webb back in 2021, tossing two interceptions and losing three of four fumbles in the 52-34 road loss;
  • Ed Jones IV forced the first fumble of his WCU career on the opening drive of the second half … Jones IV blitz from the left side and sacked Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson on the play, jarring the ball out at the 2-yard line on third down – but Arkansas recovered the loose ball;
  • WCU sophomore QB Cole Gonzales surpassed the 100-yard passing milestone for the seventh time in his career with a completion to Branson Adams in the third quarter;
  • Defensively, Western Carolina held preseason All-SEC running back Raheim Sanders to just 42 yards on 15 carries … His 2.8 yard per carry average against WCU was his lowest since Missouri limited him to 2.6 yards per carry back in late November 2021 (8 carries, 21 yards);
Miscellaneous Notes:
  • 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;
  • Arkansas won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half … WCU received the opening kickoff;
  • Western Carolina wore purple pants on Saturday at Arkansas marking the first time under head coach Kerwin Bell … It was the first time WCU played in purple pants since Feb. 27, 2020, in a road game at Furman.
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Branson Adams

#22 Branson Adams

RB
5' 9"
Sophomore
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
Va Lealaimatafao

#8 Va Lealaimatafao

LB
6' 1"
Senior
Richard McCollum

#89 Richard McCollum

K
5' 9"
Redshirt Senior
Desmond Reid

#1 Desmond Reid

RB
5' 8"
Sophomore
Tyler Smith

#74 Tyler Smith

OL
6' 8"
Redshirt Senior
Zion Booker

#19 Zion Booker

WR
5' 10"
Freshman
Stephen Brantley

#95 Stephen Brantley

P
6' 2"
Freshman
Marlin Cochran

#25 Marlin Cochran

RB
5' 11"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Branson Adams

#22 Branson Adams

5' 9"
Sophomore
RB
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
Va Lealaimatafao

#8 Va Lealaimatafao

6' 1"
Senior
LB
Richard McCollum

#89 Richard McCollum

5' 9"
Redshirt Senior
K
Desmond Reid

#1 Desmond Reid

5' 8"
Sophomore
RB
Tyler Smith

#74 Tyler Smith

6' 8"
Redshirt Senior
OL
Zion Booker

#19 Zion Booker

5' 10"
Freshman
WR
Stephen Brantley

#95 Stephen Brantley

6' 2"
Freshman
P
Marlin Cochran

#25 Marlin Cochran

5' 11"
Freshman
RB