Cullowhee, N.C. – One week after entering the NCAA FCS football rankings for the first time since 2017, Western Carolina climbed in one national poll while making its debut in the other this week. Following Saturday's dominant 77-21 home victory over Charleston Southern, the Catamounts advanced to No. 17 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 media poll, while breaking into the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll at No. 21 as both rankings were released today.
 
Much like the media polling a week ago, today's No. 21 ranking in the coaches' poll marks the first appearance for Catamount football since 2017. Before the rankings in 2017, it had been 11 seasons – since 2006 – that WCU was ranked by the national voting coaches. The No. 17 ranking in the media poll represents the highest national ranking for a WCU squad in the top two polls since the Catamounts advanced as high as 16th back in 1994.
 
Also on Monday, WCU sophomore quarterback Cole Gonzales was an honorable mention for the FedEx Ground FCS National Offensive Player of the Week as selected by Stats Perform FCS. Gonzales tossed five first-half touchdown passes to four different receivers, piling up 299 yards through the air in last Saturday's home victory over Charleston Southern.
 
Lighting the scoreboard for 77 points for the second time under head coach Kerwin Bell in the 77-21 win over CSU, Western Carolina matched the school-record for points in a game last Saturday as it got offensive early against Charleston Southern in front of the 10th largest crowd in E.J. Whitmire Stadium history (13,357).

Entering the week, the Catamount offense currently leads the NCAA FCS in both total offense at 517.8 yards per game and first downs with 109 total. Individually, sophomore RB Desmond Reid ranks ninth in the NCAA FCS with both 469 total yards and his average of 146.0 all-purpose yards per game. WCU's defense ranks 19th in the NCAA FCS against the run, limiting opponents to a SoCon-best 108.8 yards per game.
 
Off to its best start since 2018, No. 17/21 Western Carolina (3-1, 1-0 SoCon) opens a two-game road swing through Southern Conference play this weekend, traveling to Charleston, S.C., to face The Citadel Bulldogs (0-4, 0-1 SoCon). Kickoff from Johnson Hagood Stadium is scheduled for 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live audio from the Catamount Sports Network beginning at 1 p.m.
 
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