Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina reaches the regular-season midpoint on Saturday afternoon as the Catamounts hit the road to open a two-game Southern Conference road swing, first visiting chromatic rival Furman with a 2 p.m. kickoff at Paladin Stadium in the annual gridiron grudge match and "Battle for Purple Supremacy."
 
Winners of two straight in league play – and one of just two remaining SoCon unbeaten – the Catamounts visit the Paladins for the 27th time in the 52 series meetings. WCU trails in the series 13-36-2 including a 6-19-1 mark in Greenville, S.C., and looks to end a two-game series slide dating back to a thrilling 43-42 win in Cullowhee in the fall of 2021.
 
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 p.m. ahead of the 2 p.m. kickoff. Fans can listen to the game between five frequencies across western North Carolina – 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 and live stats links are also available online through links at CatamountSports.com.
 
Western Carolina (3-3, 2-0 SoCon) eyes a 3-0 start to conference play for a second-straight season – and for just the fifth time since 2000 – while also trying to move back above the .500 mark seven games into the season in back-to-back campaigns and just the seventh-time since Y2K. Standing in the way is longtime rival Furman  (2-4, 1-1 SoCon). Picked second in the SoCon preseason polling, the Paladins have dropped two of their last three including a turnover-filled 41-10 home loss to No. 23 Chattanooga last weekend. The lone victory inside the trio of games came in a last-minute road win at longtime rival The Citadel, 17-16, overcoming both a 13-point deficit and just 28 yards rushing.
 
The Catamounts have won two straight off the bye week that separated the grueling four-game nonconference gauntlet to open the season and the eight straight games on their conference ledger. Running back Jalynn Williams has keyed both wins with five total touchdowns – two in his season debut in the 21-17 win over Wofford and a career-high three last Saturday in the 31-16 victory over The Citadel.
 
WCU remains in the "others receiving votes" portion of both national polls this week, out of the rankings since mid-September. The Catamounts are the first team just outside of the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 – No. 26 in the nation as it was just six points outside the ranking – and are ninth in line just outside the numbers in the AFCA Coaches Poll.
 
Western Carolina looks to avenge last year's 29-17 loss to the Paladins in a match-up of nationally-ranked SoCon teams in Cullowhee. With the Catamounts looking for a stop to give the offense one last shot at the victory, since departed QB Tyler Huff – currently at Jacksonville State – converted a third-and-long situation with a 53-yard touchdown romp that pushed the game out of reach for the home squad.
 
In the most recent meeting in Greenville, S.C., the Catamounts erased all but one score in a furious fourth-quarter rally in a 47-40 loss. WCU was driving and had its final play end at the Paladin five-yard line with the would-be tying score. The two teams combined for over 1,100 yards of total offense with the 87 combined points.
 
A key for the Catamounts will be slowing the Paladin rushing attack that has keyed wins in seven of the last eight head-to-head meetings. Since 2016, Furman has run for 300 or more yards seven times against WCU with an eighth missing by just four yards, grinding out 296 yards on the ground back in 2019. The Paladin offense has averaged 350 yards rushing against WCU over the last eight meetings. This season, though, Furman is averaging just 90.0 yards rushing per game and has been held under the century mark three times with a season-high 171 yards in a win over non-scholarship Pioneer Football League member, Stetson.
 
Conversely, WCU head coach Kerwin Bell is hoping that his offense has a break-out game, returning to its form from a season ago that saw the Catamounts lead the NCAA FCS with 504 yards of total offense per game. Behind preseason SoCon Player of the Year QB Cole Gonzales, WCU has moved to second in the league with 394.3 yards of total offense per game – fourth in rushing at 129.0 yds/gm and with a SoCon-best 265.3 passing yards per game – and has climbed to third with 24.5 points per contest.
 
Kickoff under forecasted mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the lower 70s is slated for 2 p.m.
   
Game 7: Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024  •  2:00 p.m. 
Location: Greenville, S.C. (Paladin Stadium – 16,000) 
Records: (RV/RV) Western Carolina (3-3, 2-0 SoCon) at Furman (2-4, 1-1 SoCon)
  
BROADCAST INFORMATION: 
Video Stream:  ESPN+ (subscription required) 
PBP: Brock Bowling; Color: Cole Neely
 
Live Stats Link 
  
Radio: Catamount Sports Network 
PBP: Gary Ayers;
Color Analyst: Daniel Hooker
Producer/Host: Jeff Bryson 
  
CSN Broadcast 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 
  
Keep track of everything related to Catamount football and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports) and Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountsFB).