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Western Carolina Football opened the 2024 season on Thursday night against N.C. State at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Charlie Bulla, WCU Photographer

Football Daniel Hooker, Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations

Postgame Notes - at No. 24/22 North Carolina State

With the Loss:
  • Western Carolina dropped to 0-63 all-time against NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) competition that now includes an 0-34 mark against teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) … the Catamounts also fell to 0-8 in the head-to-head series with the Wolfpack;
  • WCU fell to 0-9 against NCAA FBS teams among the nationally rankings dating back to 2006;
  • The Catamounts dropped a second-consecutive season opener coming against NCAA FBS competition … WCU is now 1-3 in season openers under head coach Kerwin Bell;
 
Post-Game Notes:
  • Thursday's 2024 season opener at NC State endured a 30-minute delay due to lightning;
  • Among WCU's starting lineup on Thursday, EIGHT players were making their first start in Catamount uniform – Returners: Ken Moore Jr.; Jordy Lowery, CB; Antarron Turner, LB; Transfers: Jordan Daniels, OL; Redshirt Freshmen: Santana Fleming, WR; Bo Simpson-Nealy, DB; Jake Young, TE; True Freshmen: Edwin Moore Jr.
  • 11 Catamounts made their career debuts at NC State – Armond Anderson, DB; Jordan Daniels, OL; Brett Gray, OL; David Hulbert, TE; Christian Lowery, K; James Randle, WR; Amarian Robinson, DB; Quez Royal, DB; Edwin Moore Jr., DL; Ugo Nosike, DL; Wesley Scott, LB;
  • Western Carolina took a pair of seven-point leads on Thursday night, scoring first to lead 7-0 and then taking a 14-7 lead late in the opening frame … the game was tied at halftime and WCU carried a four-point edge into the fourth quarter … It was WCU's first fourth-quarter lead against an NCAA FBS team;
  • Cole Gonzales threw for 211 yards and a pair of touchdown passes in the road loss at NC State to open 2024, his 14th career game with multiple TD passes … Gonzales now has 4,350 career passing yards moving him into 10th-place on WCU's all-time list, usurping Jimmy Williams (4,208 yards from 1964-68) … the two throwing scores give him 41 in his career, taking sole possession of fourth in the ledgers after breaking the tie with Don Dalton (39, 1966-69);
  • Gonzales completed 20 passes at NC State, his seventh career game with 20 or more pass completions;
  • Gonzales rushed for a team-leading and career-high 75 yards at NC State, eclipsing his previous benchmark of 68 last year against Samford … His rushing totals included a career-long romp of 50 yards;
  • Tight end Jake Young caught one of WCU's two receiving scores for his first career touchdown … Making his first start at WCU, the 2023 transfer caught a career-high three passes at NC State for 31 yards;
  • Wide receiver AJ Colombo caught his sixth receiving touchdown as part of a career-high nine receptions for a career-best 97 receiving yards;
  • Western Carolina's defense recorded five tackles for loss in the first half of Thursday's opener on the way to nine for the game … Last season, the Catamounts only had five games with five or more TFLs;
  • The Catamounts also forced three fumbles – Hayward McQueen Jr., Mateo Sudipo, and CJ Williams;
  • Second-year defensive back Ken Moore Jr., recorded his second career interception, returning the pick a career-best 51 yards to set up an eight-yard touchdown pass on the next play … Moore added five tackles including three solo stops and half a tackle for loss;
  • The Catamount defense forced a pair of stops on fourth down in short-yardage situations as the 'Pack finished 1-for-3 on fourth downs … Last year, Arkansas was 2-for-2 on fourth down.
 
Miscellaneous Notes:
  • WCU's captains for Thursday's game were senior DB #4 CJ Williams, senior DL #6 Curtis Fann, Jr., senior OL #66 Derek Simmons, and senior OL #72 Blake Whitmore;
  • WCU wore its white jerseys over its purple pants on Thursday marking the first of four-consecutive weeks that the Catamounts will wear the white jersey … It was the fourth time under Kerwin Bell that WCU wore the white/purple look, dropping to 2-2;
  • NC State won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half … WCU received the opening kickoff with the Wolfpack opening the second half with the football.
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Players Mentioned

Brett Gray

Brett Gray

OL
6' 3"
Redshirt Junior
James Randle

James Randle

WR
6' 0"
Freshman
Christian Lowery

Christian Lowery

PK
5' 11"
Freshman
Jordan Daniels

Jordan Daniels

OL
6' 5"
Redshirt Senior
AJ Colombo

#0 AJ Colombo

WR
5' 8"
Junior
Santana Fleming

#13 Santana Fleming

WR
5' 10"
Redshirt Freshman
Hayward McQueen Jr.

#5 Hayward McQueen Jr.

LB
6' 1"
Junior
Ken Moore Jr.

#0 Ken Moore Jr.

CB
5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
Bo Simpson-Nealy

#21 Bo Simpson-Nealy

DB
5' 10"
Redshirt Freshman
Mateo Sudipo

#1 Mateo Sudipo

S
6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
Antarron Turner

#18 Antarron Turner

LB
6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
Blake Whitmore

#72 Blake Whitmore

OL
6' 2"
Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

Brett Gray

Brett Gray

6' 3"
Redshirt Junior
OL
James Randle

James Randle

6' 0"
Freshman
WR
Christian Lowery

Christian Lowery

5' 11"
Freshman
PK
Jordan Daniels

Jordan Daniels

6' 5"
Redshirt Senior
OL
AJ Colombo

#0 AJ Colombo

5' 8"
Junior
WR
Santana Fleming

#13 Santana Fleming

5' 10"
Redshirt Freshman
WR
Hayward McQueen Jr.

#5 Hayward McQueen Jr.

6' 1"
Junior
LB
Ken Moore Jr.

#0 Ken Moore Jr.

5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
CB
Bo Simpson-Nealy

#21 Bo Simpson-Nealy

5' 10"
Redshirt Freshman
DB
Mateo Sudipo

#1 Mateo Sudipo

6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
S
Antarron Turner

#18 Antarron Turner

6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
LB
Blake Whitmore

#72 Blake Whitmore

6' 2"
Redshirt Senior
OL