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WCU at The Citadel - Abstract - NOTES

Football

Postgame Notes - at The Citadel

Postgame Notes
#21/17 Western Carolina 49, The Citadel 14
Johnson Hagood Stadium
Charleston, S.C. | Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023
Att: 12,317
 
With the Win:
  • Western Carolina extended its seasonal winning streak to four straight games;
  • Western Carolina has won its last SEVEN games against NCAA FCS opposition dating back to the 2022 season (Wofford, at ETSU, #15 Chattanooga, #7/8 Samford, at Eastern Kentucky, Charleston Southern, at The Citadel) … It also represented a FIFTH-straight Southern Conference victory for WCU;
  • At 4-1 on the season and 2-0 in the SoCon, the Catamounts are off to their best start through five games since 2017;
  • WCU head coach Kerwin Bell improved his coaching record at WCU at 14-13 with his 107th career victory.
Post-Game Notes:
  • Western Carolina scored its first road victory as a nationally-ranked FCS team since 2017 … That season, WCU won twice on the road while carrying a national ranking – at VMI and at The Citadel;
  • Western Carolina racked up 539 yards of total offense on Saturday afternoon – 308 passing and 261 rushing – to mark the FOURTH consecutive game that the Catamounts had eclipsed the 500-yard plateau … It was the THIRD straight game passing for more than 300 yards while the 261 on the ground were the second-most this season;
  • Sophomore Desmond Reid rushed for five first-half rushing touchdowns to set a WCU record for rushing scores in a both a half AND rushing scores in a single-game … Reid surpassed the previous school record for a half that included a tie between 10 players last accomplished by Donnavan Spencer back in 2017 … Reid later eclipsed the single-game record that featured a tie between four players (Donnavan Spencer, ETSU 2017; Shaun Warren, Mars Hill 2011; Brad Hoover, VMI 1998; and David Mayfield, ETSU 1986) who each had four rushing touchdowns in a game;
  • Reid additionally tied a Southern Conference record for rushing scores in a half, matching the mark shared by Adrian Peterson (Georgia Southern, vs. The Citadel in 1998) and Jerome Felton (Furman, vs. WCU in 2006);
  • Reid's previous career-high for rushing touchdowns was two, achieved last week against Charleston Southern and in 2022 against Presbyterian;
  • Reid extended his streak of scoring a rushing touchdown to SIX straight games dating back to the home win over Chattanooga in 2022 and all five games to date of the 2023 season … He also pushed his consecutive 100+ yard rushing performances to FOUR-straight;
  • Reid now has 10 rushing TDs this season, already tied for 11th in WCU's record books – and is just SIX shy of the program's single-season record of 16 (Darrell Lipford, 1977) … He currently has 14 career rushing touchdowns over his first two seasons;
  • WCU scored on its opening drive for the second straight game as Desmond Reid recorded an 11-yard touchdown run … the Catamounts recorded their first opening drive score last week against Charleston Southern (Gonzales to Ajay Belanger;
  • Cole Gonzales' five-yard touchdown pass to AJ Colombo was the 22nd of his career and the 11th of the season, tying his output from the 2022 season … His 11 seasonal TD passes rank just outside the Top 20 in WCU's record book, while his 22 career TD tosses already rank him 10th in the Catamount ledgers;
  • Gonzales has thrown a touchdown in four consecutive games which is the first time he's accomplished the feat in his career .... He had passing touchdowns in four of the final five games last season excluding the Wofford win;
  • Colombo recorded his fourth career receiving touchdown, posting a TD catch for the second-straight game – and for the third time in the past four games;
  • De'Andre Tamarez hauled in a nine-yard touchdown pass from QB Brody Palhegyi for his first receiving score of the season and the third of this WCU career … Palhegyi tossed his second TD pass of the season coming in consecutive games to give him three career touchdowns through the air;
  • WCU did not record a punt in Saturday's road win at The Citadel – and have just one punt over the past two games … the last time Western Carolina did not punt was in a game against Presbyterian back in 2008 – a 23-21 WCU win in Clinton, S.C.;
  • Although he didn't post a punt in the road win, freshman punter Stephen Brantley recorded his first career pass completion on a failed field goal attempt … Brantley completed the pass to
  • The Catamount defense limited The Citadel to 226 yards of total offense – 123 on the ground and 103 through the air … It's the second-straight game that WCU has held an opponent to fewer than 250 total yards (Charleston Southern, season-low 223; The Citadel, second lowest 226);
  • Junior DL #91 Jaquarius Guinn recorded WCU's lone sack in the road win … It was his second sack of the season and gives him 4.5 over his career;
  • Transfer DE #6 Curtis Fann Jr., was credited with two forced fumbles and one recovery for WCU's lone takeaway in the road win … Fann has a team-best three forced fumbles on the season;
  • Redshirt senior PK Richard McCollum connected on all seven of his PAT attempts on Saturday … Currently with 247 career points scored, McCollum remains FOURTH-place in program history for career scoring … McCollum is just 31 points shy of third-place (Detrez Newsome, 278 points, 2014-17) and 55 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 DB #2 Rod Gattison, LB #8 Va Lealaimatafao, TE #11 Ajay Belanger, and OL #70 Christian Coulter … DE #19 Jayelin Davis was selected to carry the American flag during the team's entrance;
  • Western Carolina wore its purple pants for a third time this season, pairing it with the purple white on Saturday … It was the just second time the Catamounts have worn that combination during the Kerwin Bell era, earning its first victory in that color combo (1-1);
  • Western Carolina won the opening coin toss and elected to receive … The Citadel kicked off to begin the game and received to start the second half;
  • The Citadel honored former QB Stanly Myers with a pregame tribute and moment of silence … Myers (47) passed away earlier in the week … As a part of the tribute, The Citadel ran its first offensive plays out of the wishbone triple option formation with back-up QB No. 16 Varney Layman under center – Myers also wore the No. 16 jersey for the Bulldogs.
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Players Mentioned

Ajay Belanger

#11 Ajay Belanger

TE
6' 3"
Senior
AJ Colombo

#0 AJ Colombo

WR
5' 8"
Sophomore
Christian Coulter

#70 Christian Coulter

OL
6' 5"
Senior
Jayelin Davis

#19 Jayelin Davis

DE
6' 0"
Senior
Rod Gattison

#2 Rod Gattison

CB
6' 0"
Senior
Cole Gonzales

#9 Cole Gonzales

QB
6' 0"
Sophomore
Jaquarius Guinn

#91 Jaquarius Guinn

DL
6' 2"
Junior
Va Lealaimatafao

#8 Va Lealaimatafao

LB
6' 1"
Senior
Richard McCollum

#89 Richard McCollum

K
5' 9"
Redshirt Senior
Brody Palhegyi

#12 Brody Palhegyi

QB
5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
Desmond Reid

#1 Desmond Reid

RB
5' 8"
Sophomore
De

#4 De'Andre Tamarez

WR
5' 11"
Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

Ajay Belanger

#11 Ajay Belanger

6' 3"
Senior
TE
AJ Colombo

#0 AJ Colombo

5' 8"
Sophomore
WR
Christian Coulter

#70 Christian Coulter

6' 5"
Senior
OL
Jayelin Davis

#19 Jayelin Davis

6' 0"
Senior
DE
Rod Gattison

#2 Rod Gattison

6' 0"
Senior
CB
Cole Gonzales

#9 Cole Gonzales

6' 0"
Sophomore
QB
Jaquarius Guinn

#91 Jaquarius Guinn

6' 2"
Junior
DL
Va Lealaimatafao

#8 Va Lealaimatafao

6' 1"
Senior
LB
Richard McCollum

#89 Richard McCollum

5' 9"
Redshirt Senior
K
Brody Palhegyi

#12 Brody Palhegyi

5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
QB
Desmond Reid

#1 Desmond Reid

5' 8"
Sophomore
RB
De

#4 De'Andre Tamarez

5' 11"
Redshirt Freshman
WR