Elon, N.C. – Cole Gonzales plunged into the end zone from six yards out to give Western Carolina its first lead of the day inside the final four minutes of regulation on Saturday evening and Jordy Lowery provided some distance with a scoop-and-score on a blocked field goal as the Catamounts rallied from a 14-3 third-quarter deficit to upset 22nd-ranked Elon 24-17 at Rhodes Stadium.
 
Gonzales tallied just 14 yards on the ground, but his final six proved to be the most important as he weaved through traffic and head-first dove amidst contact across the goal line with what proved to be the game-winning touchdown. With Elon looking for the equalizing score, the Phoenix drove into scoring position on the ensuing possession. But the Catamount defense stiffened to force a long field goal attempt.
 
On the three-point try, Ken Moore Jr. flashed around the right end of the line and squarely batted the line-drive kick attempt, sending the football bounding behind the line of scrimmage. Lowery then wisely scooped the ball and raced untouched to the end zone for the insurance score.
 
Needing a pair of scores, Elon tacked on a field goal inside the final 20 seconds to set up an onside kick attempt. But Mateo Sudipo, who sparked WCU in the first half with a score-preventing interception in the end zone, corralled the football to set up the victory formation.
 
Gonzales finished 23-of-36 for 254 yards, completing a team-best six passes to Calvin Jones for 98 yards while AJ Colombo caught five for 51 yards and Jake Young had three receptions for 31 yards. Branson Adams rushed 14 times for 81 yards and a one-yard touchdown in the third quarter to bookend seven consecutive quarters without an offensive touchdown, dating back to his fourth-quarter score in the opener at NC State.
 
Christian Lowery scored six points with a 20-yard field goal and a trio of PATs in the winning effort.
 
Defensively for the Catamounts, Sudipo, and Bo Simpson-Nealy both finished with a team-high seven tackles apiece as WCU played without leading tackler Samaurie Dukes. Sudipo and Simpson-Nealy combined for two of WCU's takeaways with an interception and a fumble recovery, respectively. Ken Moore Jr. was credited with three tackles including one for loss, the blocked field goal, and thwarting an Elon drive by forcing a fumble in the latter stages of the game.
 
Elon's Matthew Downing finished 19-for-30 for 285 yards with a 58-yard first-quarter touchdown and one interception. Freshman tailback TJ Thomas eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the second-straight game with 101 yards on 14 touches to lead the Phoenix. WR Chandler Brayboy caught three passes for 79 yards with a TD.
 
Western Carolina (1-2) caps a grueling opening four games with its third road trip of 2024 as the Catamounts take their longest trip against a NCAA FCS opponent as it visits nationally-ranked and last year's national runner-up Montana next Saturday, Sept. 21, at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT.