Johnson City, Tenn. – Taron Dickens rushed for a pair of touchdowns and threw for a third score in guiding No. 22 Western Carolina back from an early deficit to take a lead heading into the fourth quarter. However, missed opportunities and a late Buccaneers' touchdown led East Tennessee State to the 24-21 victory over the Catamounts in the "Blue Ridge Border Battle" Saturday at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium.
 
ETSU (6-4, 4-2 SoCon) capitalized on a trio of short fields as each of the three Buccaneer touchdown drives started within 28-yards of the end zone including the eventual game-winning score that came inside the game's final six minutes.
 
WCU's offense was unable to get into gear on its final possession and was forced to punt the ball back to the home squad with just over three minutes to play. The Bucs then kept the ball away from WCU, though, totaling 29 yards and a pair of first downs to run out the clock and reclaim "the Rock," the traveling trophy in the mountain rivalry.
 
Dickens passed for 233 yards and a touchdown in his second career start, completing 24 of his 34 attempts with an interception. However, he lost a pair of fumbles that were both cashed in for touchdowns by ETSU and was sacked a combined eight times by the SoCon leader. Dickens scored his first two rushing touchdowns to lead the Catamount offense.
 
Nine different receivers caught passes for WCU with Zion Booker leading the way with five receptions for 85 yards. Tight end Jake Young caught a pair of passes for 19 yards including an 11-yard touchdown pass. Tailback Branson Adams led the Catamounts with 94 all-purpose yards, rushing for a team-best 81 yards on 14 carries without a loss and catching a trio of passes out of the backfield for 13 yards gained.
 
After limiting the Buccaneers to a 40-yard field goal on the game's opening possession, WCU started its first drive of the game from its own 25-yard line. However, on the very first play from scrimmage, Dickens was hit while stepping into a pass attempt with the football jarred loose. Ruled a sack-fumble – the first of 3.5 sacks by ETSU's Zach West – ETSU was set up with the ball at the WCU 21-yard line and cash-in the takeaway two plays later for t a 10-0 lead with the scores coming less than a minute apart.
 
The Catamounts closed the first quarter with Dickens finding Young on an 11-yard scoring strike, moving 72 yards in just five plays spurred by Booker's 45-yard catch-and-run – WCU's longest play from scrimmage on the day.
 
Neither team managed to find points in the second quarter, finishing with just 88 yards of offense aside and both tossing interceptions. WCU's miscue, though, came as the Catamounts drove 55 yards to the ETSU 7-yard line in the waning seconds of the half looking to either tie with a field goal or grab a lead with a touchdown. However, on the final play of the second quarter, Dickens was intercepted in the end zone to turn the visitors away and sent the teams to the locker room at 10-7.
 
Out of the locker room, the Catamounts again turned the football over on their first possession in the third quarter as Dickens was stripped on a scramble with West adding to his strong performance by recovering the football at WCU's 25-yard line. Three plays later, the Bucs scored for a 17-7 lead.
 
Including 23 yards on the ground by converted WR Patrick Boyd Jr. and a 34-yard completion to Jai Boyd, the Catamounts found the end zone for the second time on the first of two TD rushes by Dickens to close to within three, 17-14. Dickens later closed the third quarter with his second score on the ground, propelling the Catamounts to a four-point, 21-17 lead headed to the fourth quarter.
 
Midway through the final frame, a series of negative plays for the Catamount offense led to what proved to be the eventual game-winning score.
 
WCU's Zayveon Wells collected his second career interception to give the Catamounts the football at ETSU's 23-yard line. However, a negative rush and a pair of penalties dropped the offense back to its own 7-yard line. A misfire on the eventual punt coming out of its own endzone set up the Buccaneers at the WCU 28-yard line. Five rushes later, ETSU pulled in front with a 14-yard Devontae Houston score and the 24-21 lead.
 
WCU managed just 10 yards points on its final possession with the Bucs collecting a pair of first downs to effectively bleed out the clock in halting WCU's two-game series win streak and reclaiming "the Rock."
 
The Catamounts outgained ETSU in the loss, 352-to-328. WCU gained 233 through the air and 119 on the ground despite the losses associated with the eight sacks that accounted for 52 yards in losses. ETSU had 174 on the ground and 154 yards in passing.
 
Jordy Lowery finished with a career-high 10 tackles – his first career double-digit effort – while also collecting his fourth interception of the season in guiding a solid defensive effort by the Catamounts that allowed the squad to stay in the game against the Buccaneers.
 
Samaurie Dukes was credited with eight tackles and joined Zayveon Wells with his second pick of the year. Safety Bo Simpson-Nealy tallied his first interception. The Catamounts were held to just three tackles for loss for a second-straight week in matching a season-low – and were void of a quarterback sack for the first time this season. Mateo Sudipo had six tackles with three players – Caleb Fisher, Blue Monroe, and Hayward McQueen Jr., each posting five stops with Fisher collecting one of WCU's stops for loss.
 
Western Carolina (5-5, 4-2 SoCon) returns home on Saturday to close the home portion of its regular-season schedule, welcoming the VMI Keydets to E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field for a 1 p.m. kickoff. WCU celebrates its annual Family Weekend after the promotion was postponed earlier this fall, while also honoring its 2024 seniors with the Catamount football team, spirit squads, and "Pride of the Mountains" Marching Band.
 
Saturday also marks WCU's "Hall of Fame Day" with Catamount Nation celebrating the three newest inductees into the Athletics Hall of Fame – Matt Cook (men's golf), Jennifer Gardner (women's basketball), and Manteo Mitchell (track & field). The Hall of Fame Ceremony is scheduled for an 8:30 a.m. reception and 9:30 a.m. ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 16, in the Grand Room of the Hinds University Center, with all three honorees to be recognized on the field during the football game.

Catamount football head coach Kerwin Bell will be the guest on Monday's "Catamount Football Weekly," that originates LIVE on location at Rodgers Brothers and Speedy's Pizza in Cullowhee and airs on the Catamount Athletics Facebook page (fb.com/catamountsports) beginning at 6 p.m.
 
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).