Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Western Carolina University

Western Carolina
The Official Home of Catamount Athletics

Schedule

Full
Curtis Fann Jr. (6) and Blue Monroe (47) combine on a stop against Montana in Saturday's nationally-ranked showdown in Missoula, Mont.
Mark Haskett

Football Daniel Hooker, Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations

Postgame Notes - at No. 10/9 Montana

Postgame Notes
#10/9 Montana 46, RV/#24 Western Carolina 35
Washington-Grizzly Stadium – Missoula, Mont.
Att: 25,720
 
With the Loss:
  • Western Carolina dropped to 1-3 overall on the season as it finished nonconference play in the regular season … the Catamounts were also denied back-to-back road victories against nationally-ranked competition;
  • WCU dropped its 49th game all-time against NCAA FCS Top 10 competition – and suffered an 88th loss against a ranked NCAA FCS team dating back to 1983 … Gives the Catamounts a 16-88-3 record against nationally-ranked NCAA FCS competition;
  • Saturday's road loss at Montana was just the SECOND defeat in the last SIX games against FCS ranked competition for the Catamounts – (2022 – W, vs. #15 Chattanooga; 2023 – W, vs. #8 Samford; W, at #24 Chattanooga; L, vs. #4 Furman; 2024 – W, at #22 Elon; L, at #10/9 Montana);
Post-Game Notes:
  • Western Carolina's offense had its best performance of the season, recording a season-high 477 yards of total offense … WCU also accounted for season highs in total plays (75), points scored (35), first downs (25), pass completions (26), pass attempts (48) … the special teams accounted for a total of 90 return yards, a season-high just ahead of the 84 yards in the loss to Campbell;
  • WCU's offense scored on six of its 14 drives at Montana including five of its eight possessions in the first half;
  • Western Carolina held a 149-to-51-yard edge after the first quarter with a 14-0 lead … In the second quarter, though, Montana scored 21 points and had 249 yards of total offense … Both teams eclipsed the 300-yard mark of offense in the first half – 305 by WCU, 300 by Montana;
  • WCU was limited to 76 yards of total offense in the third quarter – 27 rushing yards and 49 passing;
  • QB Cole Gonzales had his best day of the 2024 season, finishing 26-of-48 for 340 yards … It marked the fourth 300+ yard passing performance of his WCU career – and second with exactly 340 passing yards – (2023 – 340 yds at Eastern Kentucky; 338 yds vs. Mercer; 363 yds vs. ETSU; 2024 – 340 yds at Montana) … Through games played on Saturday (Sept. 21), Gonzalez ranks 21st in the NCAA FCS for passing yards in a game;
  • Gonzales moved into eighth place in WCU's career record books with 5,116 career passing yards, by-passing Ronnie Mixon (5,099 yards from 1979-82);
  • With two passing touchdowns at Montana, Gonzales now has 43 career TD tosses – tied for the third-most in WCU football history … He is tied with Mike Pusey (43, 1977-79) … Gonzales is now just seven shy of second-place Troy Mitchell (50, 2012-15) and all-time leader Tyrie Mitchell (64, 2016-19);
  • Gonzales moved into fifth place on WCU's career total offense chart now with a total of 5,568 yards, eclipsing both Brian Gaither (5,286 from 2001-03) and Jeff Gilbert (5,343 yards from 1981-84) … He is now just 295 yards shy of fourth-place Mike Pusey (5,863 yards from 1977-79);
  • RB Branson Adams recorded a career-best two rushing touchdowns at Montana giving him four scores this season and a combined seven rushing touchdowns in his career … His 91 rushing yards represent a season-high and the second-most in his WCU career, just behind his career-best of 110 yards against ETSU last season;
  • Redshirt sophomore WR De'Andre Tamarez caught a career-high eight passes for a career-best 229 receiving yards at Montana … It was just the SIXTH 200-yard receiving performance by a Catamount receiver all-time … His 229 receiving yards were the most by a Catamount receiver since Karnorris Benson had 212 receiving yards against Mars Hill back in 2013 … the 229 yards receiving by Tamarez mark the THIRD-most by a Catamount receiver all-time – Jon Reed (235 yards vs. App State in 1989) and Craig Aiken (232 yards against The Citadel in 1992);
  • With 229 receiving yards, Tamarez currently ranks SECOND in the NCAA FCS for most yardage in a single game – second only to Elijah Stewart of Lafayette who posted 244 yards against Monmouth back on Sept. 7, 2024 … His 229 yards are the most by a receiver in the SoCon this season;
  • Freshman WR James Randle completed a wide receiver pass for 34 yards, his first career completion coming on his first pass attempt;
  • CB Jordy Lowery came up with his second interception of the season that currently leads the team … WCU has had at least one interception in each of its first four games of the 2024 season;
  • Lowery also led WCU with a career-high nine tackles … S Bo Simpson-Nealy also posted his career-best with eight total tackles at Montana;
  • The Catamounts recorded a total of 7.0 tackles for loss at Montana … Coupled with the nine TFLs in the season-opener at NC State, seven against Campbell, and eight at Elon, the Catamounts have 31.0 tackles for loss this season – second in the SoCon (Mercer, 30.0) and tied for 12th in the NCAA FCS, averaging 7.8 tackles per loss per game;
  • Paxton Robertson had a season-high five touchbacks on kickoffs at Montana … It was the second-most in a single-game in his career – that came last year against Charleston Southern (7).
Miscellaneous Notes:
  • WCU's captains for Saturday's game were redshirt senior DL #6 Curtis Fann Jr.; senior LB #15 Antoine Williams; redshirt senior OL #66 Derek Simmons; and redshirt senior OL ##74 Jordan Daniels;
  • WCU wore its white jerseys over purple pants marking the fourth of four-consecutive weeks that the Catamounts wore their white jersey … It was the fifth time under Kerwin Bell that WCU wore the white-over-purple look, falling to 2-3 all-time in that uniform combo;
  • Montana had its 13th-consecutive regular-season sellout crowd on Saturday at 25,720 … the Griz also won its 14th-straight home game and 18th-consecutive home game against nonconference opposition at Washington-Grizzly Stadium;
  • Western Carolina won the opening coin toss and elected to receive … WCU received the opening kickoff.
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Branson Adams

#2 Branson Adams

RB
5' 9"
Junior
Paxton Robertson

#46 Paxton Robertson

K
6' 0"
Senior
Bo Simpson-Nealy

#21 Bo Simpson-Nealy

DB
5' 10"
Redshirt Freshman
Curtis Fann Jr.

#6 Curtis Fann Jr.

DL
6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
Cole Gonzales

#9 Cole Gonzales

QB
6' 0"
Junior
Jordy Lowery

#16 Jordy Lowery

CB
5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
Derek Simmons

#66 Derek Simmons

OL
6' 6"
Senior
De

#4 De'Andre Tamarez

WR
5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
Antoine Williams

#15 Antoine Williams

LB
5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
Jordan Daniels

#74 Jordan Daniels

OL
6' 5"
Redshirt Senior
James Randle

#19 James Randle

WR
6' 0"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Branson Adams

#2 Branson Adams

5' 9"
Junior
RB
Paxton Robertson

#46 Paxton Robertson

6' 0"
Senior
K
Bo Simpson-Nealy

#21 Bo Simpson-Nealy

5' 10"
Redshirt Freshman
DB
Curtis Fann Jr.

#6 Curtis Fann Jr.

6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
DL
Cole Gonzales

#9 Cole Gonzales

6' 0"
Junior
QB
Jordy Lowery

#16 Jordy Lowery

5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
CB
Derek Simmons

#66 Derek Simmons

6' 6"
Senior
OL
De

#4 De'Andre Tamarez

5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
WR
Antoine Williams

#15 Antoine Williams

5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
LB
Jordan Daniels

#74 Jordan Daniels

6' 5"
Redshirt Senior
OL
James Randle

#19 James Randle

6' 0"
Freshman
WR