Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina redshirt junior defensive back Ken Moore Jr. was today named the Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Week for games played Oct. 5-11. Moore helped guide a strong Catamount defensive effort that held Furman 23 points below its seasonal average in last Saturday's 52-7 win against the previously unbeaten foe in league play.
 
Moore is the first Catamount defender to collect weekly plaudits from the SoCon office this season. He joins quarterback Taron Dickens, who is a two-time weekly honoree with the conference's offensive award. Moore gives WCU its first defensive honor since Jordy Lowery ended the 2024 regular season with the defensive honor.
 
The SoCon weekly awards are selected and announced by the conference office from nominations submitted by the communications staff at each member institution.
 
Though credited with just one tackle in the win over the Paladins, Moore Jr. was a big part of a Catamount team defense that stymied the Furman offense and limited the guests to just seven points – the fewest surrendered by WCU since a 58-7 win over ETSU in November 2023. In the second quarter, he logged a tackle for loss from his position in the secondary. Moore then intercepted a career-best two passes, taking his first pick to the house on a 64-yard return for a touchdown to cap WCU's 24-point second quarter. His second pick came in the end zone to thwart a would-be Paladin scoring drive on Furman's first possession of the second half.
 
Moore's pick-six marked WCU's first defensive score of the year and was his second interception return for a touchdown over the past two seasons. Last fall, the Miami, Fla., product returned a pick 34 yards for a second-quarter TD in WCU's 41-point first half against VMI in Cullowhee.
 
In addition to the SoCon award for Ken Moore Jr., Western Carolina was listed as an honorable mention for the Stats Perform FCS National Team of the Week following the 52-7 win over Furman in a battle of previously league unbeaten teams in the Southern Conference. Sophomore cornerback Hasaan Sykes was also listed as an honorable mention for the Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week
 
Western Carolina football moved back into the "others receiving votes" portions of both polls this week. The Catamounts were seventh in line outside the rankings with 23 votes to unofficially rank 32nd in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, and garnered 19 votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll, five spots deep among those receiving votes to unofficially rank 30th nationally.
 
Mercer remained the only SoCon team ranked in both polls, up to No. 16 in the coaches poll and 20th in the media tabulations entering its bye week. League foes Furman and ETSU also received votes in the coaches' tabulations, with WCU opponents Gardner-Webb and Elon also earning votes. WCU was the only league team in the media voting, with GWU also receiving votes.
 
Winners of four straight, Western Carolina (4-3, 3-0 SoCon) plays on the road two of the next three weeks, with its annual bye week sandwiched in between. The Catamounts travel to Charleston, S.C., to face The Citadel (3-3, 2-1 SoCon) on Saturday, Oct. 18, with a 2 p.m. kickoff at Johnson Hagood Stadium. The Bulldogs have won two straight, winning at Chattanooga – WCU's opponent on Nov. 1 – and last week over NCAA Division II Valdosta State, 38-14, for their first home victory of the season (1-2).
 
Saturday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with audio coverage through the Catamount Sports Network across four affiliates and online at CatamountSports.com to begin at 1 p.m. Fans can listen to Saturday's game over four network stations and seven frequencies across the mountains, including longtime affiliates 105.7 FM and 540 AM WRGC in Sylva, 104.9 FM and 1050 AM WFSC in Franklin, WISE Sports Radio 1310 AM in Asheville, and 103.9 FM and 1250 AM WBRM BIGFOOT Country in Marion and the I-40 corridor.
 
Fifth-year head coach Kerwin Bell will be live on location at Catamount Jaxe (114 Market Street) in Cullowhee on Monday (Oct. 13) for "Catamount Football Weekly," presented by Stanberry Insurance. The Chili Chomper 2 food truck is scheduled to be on location for food purchases, with drinks in the social house at Catamount Jaxe. "Catamount Football Weekly" airs at 6 p.m. on the Catamount Athletics YouTube Channel and official Facebook page.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount football and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (FB.com/CatamountSports; FB.com/catamountsportsnetwork) and Twitter (@catamounts, @CatamountsFB).
 
Western Carolina's Weekly SoCon Awards in 2025:
Sept. 22 – Taron Dickens (Offense)
Oct. 6 – Taron Dickens (Offense)
Oct. 13 – Ken Moore Jr. (Defense)
 
Western Carolina's National Awards in 2025:
Sept. 15 – Dominic Dutton, National Special Teams Player of the Week (Honorable Mention)
Sept. 22 – Taron Dickens, FCS National Offensive Player of the Week (Honorable Mention)
Sept. 29 – Taron Dickens, FCS National Offensive Player of the Week (Honorable Mention)
Oct. 6 – Taron Dickens, Stats Perform FCS National Offensive Player of the Week
Oct. 13 – Hasaan Sykes, FCS National Defensive Player of the Week (Honorable Mention)
Oct. 13 – Western Carolina, FCS National Team of the Week (Honorable Mention)