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Postgame Notes - vs. Charleston Southern

Postgame Notes
Western Carolina 77, Charleston Southern 21
Bob Waters Field at E.J. Whitmire Stadium
Cullowhee, N.C. | Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023
Att: 13,357
 
With the Win:
  • Western Carolina has won its last SIX games against NCAA FCS opposition dating back to the 2022 season (Wofford, at ETSU, #15 Chattanooga, #7/8 Samford, at Eastern Kentucky, Charleston Southern);
  • WCU won its fourth-straight home game at Whitmire Stadium dating back to 2022 (Wofford, #15 Chattanooga, #7/8 Samford, Charleston Southern);
  • The Catamounts remained perfect in the two-game series against Charleston Southern, scoring the first win in Cullowhee in the brief series history;
  • At 3-1 on the season, the Catamounts are off to their best start through four games since 2018;
  • WCU head coach Kerwin Bell evened his coaching record at WCU at 13-13 with his 106th career victory.
 Post-Game Notes:
  • Saturday's win for #23 Western Carolina was its first victory as a nationally-ranked FCS team since 2017 – a 31-19 win at The Citadel;
  • Western Carolina scored a season-best 77 points in Saturday's victory marking the third time in program history – and second time under head coach Kerwin Bell – that WCU has scored 77 in a game dating back to 2004 – (vs. West Virginia State, 2004; vs. Presbyterian, 2022; vs. Charleston Southern, 2023) … It was the second-straight week that WCU posted 50+ points scored;
  • WCU's 42 first-half points were the fourth-most by a Catamount offense in program history …
  • The Catamounts needed just 13 offensive plays to score its first 21 points on Saturday, using a nine-play drive and consecutive two-play drives in the opening frame … a combined 10 of WCU's 11 scoring drives were accomplished in six or fewer plays;
  • Western Carolina amassed a season-high 683 yards of total offense in the win over Charleston Southern … It's the second-straight season that the Catamount offense eclipsed the 600-yard mark against the Buccaneers, finishing with 616 in last year's 52-38 win in Charleston … Saturday was the third time this season – and the 15th time over the past three years – that WCU has amassed 500-or-more yards of total offense – and the sixth time the offense has gone for more than 600 yards in a game;
  • WCU's opening nine-play, 92-yard scoring drive marked the first time this season that the Catamounts had scored on their first possession … WCU had punted twice (at Arkansas, at Eastern Kentucky) and were turned away on downs inside the five-yard line against Samford on the opening drive;
  • Catamount quarterback Cole Gonzales set a WCU record for touchdown passes in one half of football with five scores over the opening two quarters on Saturday … He also matched a Whitmire Stadium record for 5 TD tosses in a game matching former QBs Tyrie Adams (vs. Gardner-Webb, 2016) and Troy Mitchell (vs. VMI, 2014) … Gonzales started the game 12-for-12 and finished 14-of-16 for 299 yards in the winning effort;
  • Sophomore tailback Desmond Reid rushed for a game-high 111 yards on just 13 carries including two that went for touchdowns … He averaged 8.5 yards per carry on Saturday … For Reid, it's his third-straight, 100-yard rushing performance this season – and his sixth of his WCU career;
  • Reid scored a rushing touchdown for the fourth-straight game, matching his career-best with his second two TD game giving him five scores on the ground this season and nine in his WCU career over the past two seasons;
  • Freshman WR Corey Washington caught three passes for a career-best 108 receiving yards … It was WCU's first 100-yard receiving game this season – and the first since Censere Lee caught nine passes for 109 yards last fall in the road win at ETSU;
  • Desmond Reid rushed for 111 yards and Corey Washington tallied 108 receiving yards giving WCU teammates rushing and receiving over 100 yards in the same game for the first time since Carlos Davis (11-104 rushing), Censere Lee (5-for-164 receiving) and Raphael Williams (8-for-102) accomplished it at Furman (Oct. 15, 2022);
  • Sophomore AJ Colombo amassed a game-high 185 all-purpose yards and a career-best two receiving touchdowns … Among his big day was a career-high 80 yards on a career-high matching five punt returns … He also posted his career-long punt return on Saturday with a 40-yard return – one yard longer than his previous best of 39 recorded against VMI in 2022;
  • Freshman tailback Marlin Cochran scored his first career touchdown against Charleston Southern, a 31-yard romp in the fourth quarter;
  • Redshirt freshman WR Ca'Lique Cunningham became a fifth Catamount currently on the roster to record a touchdown on his first career reception … Cunningham caught true freshman QB Taron Dickens' first scoring pass in the game's final minute on Saturday … Cunningham joins wide receivers Censere Lee and De'andre Tamarez as well as tight ends Brayden Blackmon and Clayton Bardall to all score TDs on the first reception of their collegiate career;
  • Sophomore safety Samaurie Dukes came up with his first career interception on Saturday, jumping a route for the pick – WCU's second of the season;
  • Freshman DB Ken Moore Jr. was credited with a career-best six tackles in the win while redshirt freshman Richard Garrett posted three stops … Transfers Curtis Fann Jr. (5), Devuntray Hampton (4), and Antoine Williams (4) each recorded their WCU highs for tackles … a combined 30 defenders were credited with tackles;
  • Junior placekicker Paxton Robertson recorded 12 kickoffs on Saturday with a career-high seven going for touchbacks, eclipsing his previous high of six accomplished twice;
  • Freshman punter Stephen Brantley was only called upon once to punt in the win over Charleston Southern – but he made the most of his opportunity by booming a career-long 59-yard punt giving him four kicks of 50+ yards this season;
  • Redshirt senior PK Richard McCollum connected on 11 PATs on the 11 Catamount touchdowns on Saturday, matching his own Whitmire Stadium record set against Presbyterian in 2022 … Currently with 240 career points scored, McCollum moved into FOURTH-place in program history for career scoring, by-passing former WCU RB Darrell Lipford (230, 1974-77) … McCollum is just 62 points shy of the program's all-time leader Kirk Roach (302 points, 1984-87);
  • A combined 12 true freshmen played in Saturday's win over Charleston Southern.
Miscellaneous Notes:
  • WCU's captains for Saturday's game were transfer LB #31 Tyler Matheny; senior OL #74 Tyler Smith; and redshirt senior TE #86 Clayton Bardall … Graduate senior DL #90 Marlon Alexander was selected to carry the American flag during the team's entrance;
  • Western Carolina wore its purple pants for a second time this season, pairing it with the purple jersey on Saturday … It was the first time that WCU had gone with the all-purple uniform combination under Kerwin Bell – the last time the Catamounts wore all-purple was Sept. 1, 2019;
  • Western Carolina won the opening coin toss and elected to receive … WCU received to begin the game and kicked off to start the second half;
  • WCU honored former men's basketball coach Jim Hartbarger with a moment of silence in the pregame … Coach Hartbarger – a WCU Athletics Hall of Fame member – passed away earlier in the week;
  • Saturday's announced attendance of 13,357 was the 10th-best turnout in E.J. Whitmire Stadium history;
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Players Mentioned

Carlos Davis

#5 Carlos Davis

QB
6' 3"
Junior
Raphael Williams

#2 Raphael Williams

WR
5' 10"
Sophomore
Marlon Alexander

#90 Marlon Alexander

DL
6' 0"
Graduate Student
Clayton Bardall

#86 Clayton Bardall

TE
6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
Brayden Blackmon

#39 Brayden Blackmon

TE
6' 3"
Junior
AJ Colombo

#0 AJ Colombo

WR
5' 8"
Sophomore
Ca

#81 Ca'Lique Cunningham

WR
5' 9"
Redshirt Freshman
Samaurie Dukes

#3 Samaurie Dukes

CB
5' 10"
Sophomore
Richard Garrett

#55 Richard Garrett

DL
6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
Cole Gonzales

#9 Cole Gonzales

QB
6' 0"
Sophomore
Censere Lee

#10 Censere Lee

WR
5' 11"
Sophomore
Richard McCollum

#89 Richard McCollum

K
5' 9"
Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

Carlos Davis

#5 Carlos Davis

6' 3"
Junior
QB
Raphael Williams

#2 Raphael Williams

5' 10"
Sophomore
WR
Marlon Alexander

#90 Marlon Alexander

6' 0"
Graduate Student
DL
Clayton Bardall

#86 Clayton Bardall

6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
TE
Brayden Blackmon

#39 Brayden Blackmon

6' 3"
Junior
TE
AJ Colombo

#0 AJ Colombo

5' 8"
Sophomore
WR
Ca

#81 Ca'Lique Cunningham

5' 9"
Redshirt Freshman
WR
Samaurie Dukes

#3 Samaurie Dukes

5' 10"
Sophomore
CB
Richard Garrett

#55 Richard Garrett

6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
DL
Cole Gonzales

#9 Cole Gonzales

6' 0"
Sophomore
QB
Censere Lee

#10 Censere Lee

5' 11"
Sophomore
WR
Richard McCollum

#89 Richard McCollum

5' 9"
Redshirt Senior
K