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De'Andre Tamarez (#4) weaves through traffic with AJ Colombo (#0) leading the way
Mark Haskett

Football Daniel Hooker, Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations

Postgame Notes - at Samford

Postgame Notes
Western Carolina 47, Samford 42
Bobby Bowden Field at Pete Hanna Stadium
Birmingham, Ala. | Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024
Att: 4,723
 
With the Win:
  • Western Carolina secured its seventh victory of the season, putting the finishing touches on a third-straight winning season with a 7-5 record … WCU's seventh seasonal victory marked the fifth time in the past 11 seasons WCU had seven wins – and the second in as many seasons under head coach Kerwin Bell (2014, 2015, 2017, 2023, 2024);
  • The Catamounts secured sole possession of second place in the 2024 Southern Conference standings, finishing with a program-best sixth league victory to finish 6-2 in SoCon play … This year's second-place finish was the best for WCU since 1986 when the Catamounts also finished second … It was WCU's fourth runner-up SoCon finish since joining the league in 1976;
  • Western Carolina halted a 10-game winless drought against Samford in games played in Birmingham, securing its first win over the Bulldogs on the road since 1969 … It was also WCU's first road win over Samford as a NCAA Division I program;
  • With the win, WCU improved to 15-6 following its bye week under head coach Kerwin Bell – 2021: 4-1 … 2022: 3-0 … 2023: 2-3 … 2024: 6-2.
 
Post-Game Notes:
  • Western Carolina's offense finished with 482 total yards of offense against Samford, the seventh game eclipsing 400 yards this season – and the fifth in the last six games of the regular season … WCU's 408 passing yards were the third-most this season behind the season-best 652 yards through the air at Furman and 431 against Chattanooga;
  • WCU's  offense held possession for a season-long 36:41, surpassing the previous season-best of 36:02 in the win over Chattanooga … It was WCU's fourth game of 30-or-longer minutes in time of possession … the team ran 89 combined offensive plays, the sixth-straight game of 80+ plays;
  • Redshirt freshman QB Taron Dickens completed a career-high 36 passes marking his third game of 30-or-more completions and eclipsed his previous career benchmark of 34 set against Chattanooga;
  • Dickens recorded his second career 400-yard passing performance with 408 yards against the Bulldogs – he passed for a career-high 431 against UTC … He also posted his third career multiple touchdown pass performance with three TDs against the Bulldogs;
  • Senior RB Jalynn Williams scored his 10th rushing touchdown of the season to give him 12 career scores in a Catamount uniform … With his start of his season delayed because of injury, Williams played in just seven of the team's 12 games, scoring touchdowns in six of the seven games;
  • Junior WR De'Andre "DD" Tamarez caught his team-leading sixth touchdown pass in the road victory at Samford … It marked his fourth game this season with a score and gives him 10 career touchdown receptions;
  • Junior WR AJ Colombo matched his career-high of nine receptions for the second time this season, equaling his total from the season-opener at NC State … Colombo finished with a career-best 116 receiving yards against the Bulldogs – it was his first career 100-yard receiving game eclipsing his previous best of 97 yards, also against the Wolfpack;
  • Both Colombo and freshman WR Isaiah Johnson caught touchdown passes in the road win to finish tied for second on the team with five TD receptions … Johnson finished with TD catches in consecutive games to end the 2024 regular season … Colombo has 10 career receiving scores through his first three seasons;
  • Western Carolina's defense recorded four tackles for loss at Samford, the team's 10th game with four-or-more TFLs … On the year, the Catamounts had at least three tackles for loss in every game … Two of the TFLs were sacks as WCU's defense posted multiple sacks in six of the 12 games;
  • Redshirt sophomore DB Ken Moore Jr. was credited with a career-high six tackles including five solo stops to lead the Catamount defense … He also recorded his fourth interception of the year, finishing the season with picks in three of the final four regular-season games;
  • Junior LB Blue Monroe recorded a sack to eclipse his previous career-high of half a sack while senior DL Jaquarius Guinn matched his career-best with a sack, his third career game doing so … Guinn recorded a sack for the first time in 15 games dating back to the 2023 season;
  • Junior DB Jordy Lowery collected his team-best sixth interception of the season, returning the pick 95 yards for a touchdown … His INT return marked the second longest in program history, just four yards shy of the record held by Julius Grant (99 yards vs. Marshall, 10/20/93);
  • Western Carolina scored its third touchdown of the season on special teams coming on a blocked field goal … Junior DE Caleb Fisher blocked Samford's 50-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the first half where Alabama native – senior DB CJ Williams – scooped and raced 73 yards around the left sideline for the touchdown
  • Junior placekicker Christian Lowery scored 11 points in WCU's winning effort, connecting on five successful PATs and splitting the uprights on field goals of 37 and 23 yards … It was his second-straight game of double-digit points scored after posting a career-high 14 against VMI;
Miscellaneous Notes:
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Players Mentioned

AJ Colombo

#0 AJ Colombo

WR
5' 8"
Junior
Ken Moore Jr.

#0 Ken Moore Jr.

CB
5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
CJ Williams

#4 CJ Williams

CB
5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
Taron Dickens

#8 Taron Dickens

QB
5' 11"
Redshirt Freshman
Caleb Fisher

#11 Caleb Fisher

DL
6' 3"
Redshirt Junior
Jaquarius Guinn

#8 Jaquarius Guinn

DL
6' 2"
Senior
Malik Knight

#7 Malik Knight

WR
6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
Jordy Lowery

#16 Jordy Lowery

CB
5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
Blue Monroe

#47 Blue Monroe

LB
6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore
Derek Simmons

#66 Derek Simmons

OL
6' 6"
Senior
Jalynn Williams

#5 Jalynn Williams

RB
5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
Jordan Daniels

#74 Jordan Daniels

OL
6' 5"
Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

AJ Colombo

#0 AJ Colombo

5' 8"
Junior
WR
Ken Moore Jr.

#0 Ken Moore Jr.

5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
CB
CJ Williams

#4 CJ Williams

5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
CB
Taron Dickens

#8 Taron Dickens

5' 11"
Redshirt Freshman
QB
Caleb Fisher

#11 Caleb Fisher

6' 3"
Redshirt Junior
DL
Jaquarius Guinn

#8 Jaquarius Guinn

6' 2"
Senior
DL
Malik Knight

#7 Malik Knight

6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
WR
Jordy Lowery

#16 Jordy Lowery

5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
CB
Blue Monroe

#47 Blue Monroe

6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore
LB
Derek Simmons

#66 Derek Simmons

6' 6"
Senior
OL
Jalynn Williams

#5 Jalynn Williams

5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
RB
Jordan Daniels

#74 Jordan Daniels

6' 5"
Redshirt Senior
OL