Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina football concludes its season-long two-game homestand on Saturday afternoon, hosting The Citadel Bulldogs in Southern Conference action at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. as WCU is excited to welcome spectators back to campus this weekend as the league's best game day environment looks to get back on track.
 
Saturday's game is WCU's annual "Heroes Day"— a moniker that seems even more appropriate given the region's recent struggles following Hurricane Helene. Presented by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate – Heritage, all active duty and veteran military personnel, as well as civil servants such as police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel, receive free admission when presenting identification at the Whitmire Stadium ticket booths on game day. Families of all of those "heroes without capes" can purchase tickets at the group rate.
 
WCU and Catamount Athletics would also extend the same invitation to all utility workers in the area working the countless hours assisting with the Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
Western Carolina University is also joining the relief efforts that have spawned around much of the nation in response to the tragedies in the mountains. Catamount Athletics in conjunction with Sylva Self Storage and U-Haul is promoting a "Fill the Truck" initiative this Saturday to fill the equipment truck the team uses for road game travel.
 
Fans can drop donations at the WCU football equipment truck that will be positioned in front of the Camp Lab Gym to receive larger donations. Collection bins will also be placed at each of the gates to Whitmire Stadium on Saturday for those wishing to contribute.
 
Saturday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) and through the Watch ESPN app, with live audio provided by the Catamount Sports Network. Airtime of the Pepsi Tailgate Show is 1:30 p.m. ahead of the 2:30 p.m. kickoff. Fans can listen to the game across five frequencies in the region – in Sylva on 105.7 FM and 540 AM WRGC "The River" (wrgc.com); in Franklin on 104.9 FM and 1050 AM WFSC "Franklins First Voice" (1050wfsc.com); and in Asheville on WISE Sports Radio 1310 AM (wisesportsradio.com). Live streaming audio is also available online through links at CatamountSports.com.
 
Western Carolina (2-3, 1-0 SoCon) looks to open league play with consecutive victories for the second-straight season – but for just the fifth time since 2000. To do so, the Catamounts will have to fend off the resurgent Bulldogs under second-year head coach Maurice Drayton, a program alum who has spent the better part of 15 years in the South Carolina Lowcountry.
 
The Catamounts got back into the win column last week by upended Wofford, 21-17, in Cullowhee on the strength of two Jalynn Williams touchdown runs and a pair of Paxton Robertson field goals. AJ Colombo added a frantic two-point conversion run that helped lift WCU to the win over the Terriers who were receiving votes in national polls last week. The Catamounts enter the week among those receiving votes in both the AFCA Coaches Poll and the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. FCS Nation Radio ranked WCU 24th in this week's tally, one of four SoCon teams listed among its poll.
 
Behind a record-setting first half by former RB Desmond Reid, who ran for five touchdowns over the opening two quarters, the Catamounts dominated the Bulldogs last season in Charleston as the road team won for the third-straight series meeting. Cole Gonzales threw for 237 yards on 22 completions against the Cadets with returning receivers AJ Colombo and De'Andre Tamarez both catching TD passes of six and nine yards, respectively.
 
The Citadel (2-4, 0-3 SoCon) opened the season with victories in two of its first three games, rallying from an 18-point second-half deficit to claim the inaugural Lowcountry Boil Bowl over Charleston Southern before thumping Upstate foe, North Greenville in Drayton's first home victory at the helm. The Bulldogs just missed a perfect 3-0 start to the year, suffering a three-point defeat to South Carolina State. Since, though, The Citadel has dropped three-straight games, each coming in SoCon play. They battled at league-leading Mercer before succumbing 38-21 and competed in the home loss to ETSU, falling 34-17.
 
Last week, though, the Cadets had longtime rival Furman on the ropes before the Paladins scored the go-ahead touchdown with 61 seconds remaining to deny the 'Dogs their first win in the series since the spring 2021 meeting.
 
The WCU game is sandwiched between a pair of rivalry match-ups for The Citadel, facing Furman last week before next week's showdown in Lexington, Va., with archrival VMI in the Military Classic of the South – or the "Battle for the Silver Shako."
 
WCU and The Citadel meet for the 49th time on the football gridiron with the Catamounts trailing 20-27-1 overall including an 11-13 mark in games played in Cullowhee. WCU has won three of the last four head-to-head meetings against the Bulldogs – though the last meeting in Cullowhee was not one of those as The Citadel raced out to a 24-0 first half lead in defeating WCU, 34-21. The visitors rushed for 312 yards, outgaining the Catamounts 394-to-344 overall on the day.
   
Game 6: Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024  •  2:30 p.m. 
Location: Cullowhee, N.C. (Bob Waters Field / E.J. Whitmire Stadium – 13,790) 
Records: The Citadel (2-4, 0-3 SoCon) at (RV/RV) Western Carolina (2-3, 1-0 SoCon) 
  
BROADCAST INFORMATION: 
Video Stream:  ESPN+ (subscription required) 
PBP: Pete Yanity; Color: Daniel Hooker 
 
Live Stats Link 
  
Radio: Catamount Sports Network 
PBP: Gary Ayers; Color: Jeff Bryson 
  
CSN Affiliates: 
Sylva – 105.7 FM / 540 AM WRGC – (wrgc.com)
Franklin – 104.9 FM / 1050 AM WFSC – (1050wfsc.com)
Asheville – 1310 AM WISE Sports Radio – (wisesportsradio.com)
Online: CatamountSports.com 
  
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