Cullowhee, N.C. – Cole Gonzales tossed five first-half touchdown passes to four different receivers – twice connecting with AJ Colombo – and Desmond Reid scored twice on the ground as #23 Western Carolina racked up 683 yards of total offense and 11 scores in a 77-21 victory over Charleston Southern Saturday afternoon on Bob Waters Field at E.J. Whitmire Stadium in front of 13,357 fans on Family Weekend.
 
WCU scored 77 total points for a second time under head coach Kerwin Bell, matching a school record that's been accomplished three times since 2004. The 42 first-half points, evenly split between a 21-point first and 21-point second quarter, represent the fourth-most in one half of football in program history.
 
Reid set the tone on the ground early, finishing with 111 yards on 13 carries and two scores – one in the first quarter and one in the third – as he averaged 8.5 yards per rush.
 
But it was the play of quarterback Cole Gonzales that was among the most impressive highlights for the Catamount offense. The second-year Ocala, Fla., product opened the game with a perfect 12-for-12 passing with five going for scores before his first incompletion late in the first half. Gonzales finished an efficient 14-of-16 for 299 yards as one of three signal-callers to play on Saturday.
 
Redshirt sophomore Brody Palhegyi and true freshman Taron Dickens, who made his collegiate debut on Saturday, both finished 3-for-4 with a score. Dickens accounted for 91 yards through the air while Palhegyi finished with 91 yards of total offense with 56 yards passing and 35 rushing yards that included a three-yard touchdown.
 
A total of 12 different receivers caught passes in the lopsided victory. True freshman Corey Washington finished with a career-best three receptions for a team-high 108 receiving yards, the first Catamount to eclipse the century mark receiving this season. Colombo matched with three receptions, two going for scores, and a career-best 95 yards receiving. Colombo finished with 185 all-purpose yards, adding 80 yards in punt returns despite having one he returned for a TD called back on a penalty and 10 yards on a kickoff return.
 
Catamount receivers David White Jr. (3-for-29), Censere Lee (2-for-86) and Ca'lique Cunningham (1-for-17), tight end Ajay Bellanger (1-for-17), and tailback Branson Adams (1-for-15) each recorded receiving touchdowns on Saturday.
 
Scoring passes of 17 yards to Bellanger and a 50-yard connection to Colombo were sandwiched around Reid's first rushing score of the day in the 21-point outburst over the opening 15 minutes. In the second quarter, Gonzales tallied three more passing scores on a 32-yard connection with Lee, a two-yard strike to White Jr., and closed the half with Colombo's second score to carry the 42-7 lead into the locker room.
 
Reid opened the 35-point second half with an 11-yard rush before heading to the sidelines. Palhegyi tossed his TD pass to the hero of the EKU game, RB Branson Adams for a 15-yard score to push the Catamounts ahead 56-7. TJ Ruff then rumbled for a 47-yard touchdown for the Bucs representing the largest explosive play on the day for the visitors.
 
Palhegyi scored on a three-yard rush early in the final frame with true freshman Marlin Cochran posting his first career touchdown on a 31-yard romp.
 
Charleston Southern's defense converted a fumble into a touchdown before WCU freshman QB Taron Dickens capped the scoring as he threw his first career touchdown pass to WR Ca'Lique Cunningham for his first career points inside the game's final minute.
 
The Catamount defense limited CSU to 223 total yards overall, surrendering 141 on the ground but just 82 passing yards. Among the defensive highlights were LB Va Lealaimatafao and redshirt freshman Ken Moore Jr., both with a team-high six tackles with end Curtis Fann Jr. collecting five stops. Graduate senior Marlon Alexander was credited with four tackles, combining with Ed Jones IV for the squad's lone sack.
 
Defensive tackle Chris Morgan and defensive backs Lee Campbell, Nick Louis, and Samaurie Dukes each posted tackles for loss with Dukes jumping a route to secure his first career interception.
 
Making his first career start, CSU freshman quarterback Zolten Osbourne finished 11-for-22 for 82 yards and was sacked once. Ruff rushed for 96 yards and the Buccaneers' two offensive touchdowns. The Bucs' defense added a tally on a sack-fumble, scoop-and-score by Joshua Hill in the fourth quarter.
 
Western Carolina (3-1, 1-0 SoCon) opens a two-game road swing through conference play next Saturday, traveling to the South Carolina Lowcountry to face The Citadel Bulldogs (0-4, 0-1 SoCon) at Johnson Hagood Stadium. Kickoff in Charleston is scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
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