Cullowhee, N.C. – Idle since returning from its mountain west trip to Big Sky country in Montana to battle the Top 10 Grizzlies, Western Carolina embarks on an eight-game journey through Southern Conference play on Saturday afternoon as its proverbial second season commences with a 2:30 p.m. kickoff as Wofford ventures to Bob Waters Field at E.J. Whitmire Stadium. Both teams enter the league tilt receiving votes in the most recent national polls as part of five conference teams littered through national ballots.
Earlier this week, Western Carolina University leaders made the difficult decision that Saturday's game would be played as scheduled, but would be contested without spectators as rescue and recovery efforts around the western North Carolina region. Campus officials remain sensitive to the impact of Hurricane Helene and its historic and catastrophic flooding that accompanied the tropical cyclone on the local community, including the later ramifications of the scarcity of resources in Jackson County, including water, food, electricity, and fuel that would take away and tax those much-needed resources to host a typical game-day experience in Cullowhee which ranks among the best in the conference.
Again,
no spectators are allowed at Saturday's game which includes
no on-campus tailgating in the various stadium lots and traditional locations. The university understands that fans from both WCU and Wofford are disappointed, but are encouraged to follow the game through various on-site broadcasts.
Saturday's game will be
broadcast on ESPN+ (
paid subscription required) with regional television personality Pete Yanity and Thom Henson on the call at 2:30 p.m.
Coverage is also available through the Catamount Sports Network beginning with the Pepsi Tailgate Show at 1:30 p.m. ahead of the 2:30 p.m. kickoff. On Saturday, fans across Western North Carolina can listen to the game locally on FOUR affiliate frequencies: in Sylva on 105.7 FM and 540 AM WRGC, "The River" (WRGC.com) and 104.9 FM and 1050 AM WFSC, "Franklin's First Voice" in Franklin (1050WFSC.com). Longtime CSN affiliate 1310 AM WISE Sports Radio out of Asheville (wisesportsradio.com) is currently amidst some of the recovery efforts stemming from the storm.
Live streaming audio is available online at CatamountSports.com.
Fans can additionally follow Saturday's game with live stats
accessible online by clicking HERE with timely in-game updates on TwitterX following @Catamounts and @CatamountsFB. Wofford's feed of Saturday's game broadcast has Jim Noble and Van Hipp on the call with an online stream (CLICK HERE).
The refreshed Catamounts return to the friendly confines of their home turf on Saturday for the first time in nearly a month as Western Carolina begins Southern Conference play. WCU ran the gauntlet through its opening four games in what head coach
Kerwin Bell has dubbed "the first season." Three of the four teams on the Catamount schedule – including NCAA FBS squad NC State – were among the national rankings.
WCU raises the curtain on its conference schedule having snapped a four-game slide in league-opening contests with last year's upset win over nationally-ranked Samford in Cullowhee last year. That victory marked the first time the Catamounts had opened league play with a win dating back to 2019.
Western Carolina's aerial attack seemed to like the 3,000+ foot elevation in Missoula as the Catamounts had their best offensive day of the season against the Griz. QB
Cole Gonzales threw for a season-high 340 yards with two touchdowns as WCU finished with 477 yards of total offense. His favorite target was redshirt sophomore WR
De'Andre Tamarez who nearly doubled his carer output in one game with eight catches for 229 yards. It was just the third 200+ yard receiving game in program history, the second-most receiving yards in an NCAA FCS game to date.
On defense, safety
Mateo Sudipo continues to pace the squad in tackles, though his defensive secondary running mate
Samaurie Dukes is eyeing a return after missing the last two games. Jordy Lower continued his break-out performance to start the season with his second interception of the year, while up front, the Catamounts have a combined 31 tackles for loss led by LB
Blue Monroe (5),
Antarron Turner (4.5), and
Caleb Fisher (4.0).
Wofford enters Saturday with a 2-2 mark after dropping its league opener last Saturday to #11/11 Mercer last Saturday, 22-3. The Terriers struggled to get going against a stingy Bear defense as Wofford was held to just 146 yards of total offense including a paltry 16 yards rushing and 130 through the air.
Despite the most recent setback, the Terriers were hot out of the gates with a pair of road wins including an upset over a ranked Richmond squad. Much like the Catamounts, the Terriers did not shy away from the stiff competition, hosting #13 William & Mary in addition to facing Richmond despite an eighth-place preseason pick in the SoCon poll. Wofford made its first appearance inside the NCAA FBS Top 25 in four seasons after the win at Richmond – but has dropped the last two.
Led by veteran head coach Shawn Watson as the coordinator, the Terrier offense has been under the direction of redshirt freshman gunslinger Amari Odom who's totaled 776 yards through the air and four touchdowns. The ground game is paced by fifth-year senior tailback Ryan Ingram who's recorded 149 rushing yards and three scores as one of three Terrier backs to reach the endzone. Senior wideout Kyle Watkins sits second in the SoCon with 320 yards receiving and a touchdown.
Wofford's defensive unit is led by freshman CJ Coombes who ranks among the top 10 in FCS in solo tackles per game at 6.0 as Coombes has made a team-high 34 stops. Junior Jalen Marshall leads the league with 7.0 tackles for loss while adding 31 tackles and four pass breakups, with preseason All-SoCon tackle Brandon Maina one to contend with at the line of scrimmage.
Western Carolina trails in the all-time series with Wofford 17-28 according to records with Saturday's match-up marking the 46th series meeting. The Catamounts have won three straight over Wofford including a pair of wins at Gibbs Stadium. More apropos, since the Terriers joined the SoCon in 1997, Wofford has won 19 of the 26 conference meetings on the gridiron.
Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
Up Next for Catamount Football:
Western Carolina continues its lone back-to-back home stretch in the 2024 season with a visit from The Citadel on Saturday, Oct. 12, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. in Cullowhee. In the wake of Hurricane Helene and the decisions made by campus officials, fans are asked to keep tabs on next week's scheduled game for any potential changes.
Season tickets for the remaining three home games including the Nov. 2 Homecoming game against Chattanooga, as well as single-game tickets and game day parking, are on sale now through the Catamount Athletics Ticket office on the first floor of the Ramsey Center, by phone at (828) 227-2401, or online anytime at
CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets.
For those looking to exchange tickets from Oct. 5 (vs. Wofford), please contact the Athletics Ticket Office Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. through 5 p.m.
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024 • 2:30 p.m.
Location: Cullowhee, N.C. (E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field – 13,790)
Records: (RV/RV) Wofford (2-2, 0-1) at (RV/RV) Western Carolina (1-3)
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Video Stream: ESPN+ (
subscription required)
PBP: Pete Yanity
Analyst: Thom Henson
Sidearm Sports - Live Stats Link - CLICK LINK HERE
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
CSN Affiliates:
Sylva – 105.7 FM / 540 AM WRGC
Franklin – 104.9 FM / 1050 AM WFSC
Asheville – 1310 AM WISE Sports Radio (
currently offline because of the storm)
Online:
CatamountSports.com
Click HERE to Listen LIVE to CSN
Additional Game Notes:
TRYING TO REASON WITH HURRICANE SEASON: Despite its mountainous and westward location, Western Carolina has seen a variety of games altered or affected by hurricanes over the years … Since 1989, SIX games have experienced the effects of tropical storms or cyclones:
2021—Western Carolina vs. Wofford—Damage from Hurricane Helene and its remnants resulted in WCU canceling classes in Cullowhee and its Asheville campus. The decision was made to play the game without spectators at Whitmire Stadium / Waters Field.
2018 – Western Carolina at Gardner-Webb: game was moved to Friday from Saturday in anticipation of dodging Hurricane Florence;
2016 – Western Carolina at East Carolina: Heavy rains from Tropical Storm Hermine affected travel to Greenville, N.C., for the season-opener at East Carolina;
2005 – Western Carolina at Nicholls State, canceled – Hurricane Katrina followed by Hurricane Rita canceled WCU football's return trip to face Nicholls State;
1999 - Western Carolina vs. The Citadel – WCU's Sept. 18 home meeting with The Citadel was postponed due to Hurricane Floyd; the game was later played on Nov. 20, a 24-17 WCU win;
1989 – Western Carolina vs. No. 7 The Citadel – the Catamounts faced nationally-ranked The Citadel at USC's Williams-Brice Stadium due to damage to Johnson Hagood Stadium in Charleston, S.C., related to Hurricane Hugo, finishing in a 22-22 tie.
FIRST TIME IN PURPLE: For the first time this season, Western Carolina will wear its regal-colored jersey as the purple tops are slated to make their season debut five games into the season. Opening the year with three road games and just one home date – though it was dubbed a "White Out" – the Catamounts have worn their new 2024 white Nike jerseys four times to date.
BYE, BYE, BYE: Over the last three seasons under head coach
Kerwin Bell, the Catamounts have posted a 9-4 overall record AFTER its bye week … WCU finished 2021 with a 4-1 mark after its open date and went unbeaten in three attempts (3-0) in 2022 … Last season, WCU finished 2-3 after the bye with a pair of one-possession losses … Among those nine wins following the open date over the last three years FOUR have come in Cullowhee and THREE have come for the Catamounts over Wofford.
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).
