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Justin Wallace (10) celebrates his drive-ending sack against Wofford on Saturday in Spartanburg, S.C.
Samuel Wallace - WCU Communications and Marketing

Football Daniel Hooker, Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations

Postgame Notes - at Wofford

Postgame Notes
Western Carolina 23, Wofford 21
Gibbs Stadium / Mike Ayers Field

Spartanburg, S.C. | Saturday, Oct. 4 , 2025
Att: 
3,571
 
With the Win:
  • The Catamounts earned a third-straight seasonal victory to return to .500 overall on the season at 3-3, and remain unbeaten in Southern Conference play at 2-0, winning its first two league games for a third-straight season;
  • Western Carolina earned its fifth-straight victory over Wofford in the head-to-head series, extending its second-longest win streak in the series … It also marked a third-consecutive road victory over the Terriers in Spartanburg;
  • Catamount head football coach Kerwin Bell improved to 27-24 all-time as the head coach at Western Carolina and 120-66 all-time.
 
Post-Game Notes:
  • Western Carolina's offense amassed the third-highest output of the 2025 season with 466 yards coming on a season-high 93 plays from scrimmage – just shy of the school-record 99 recorded against Marshall back in 1991 … the Catamounts collected a season-high 31 first downs, just four off the program record of 35 accomplished three times in program history, most recently twice back in 2023;
  • Conversely, Western Carolina limited the Terriers to eight first downs – one rushing, six passing, and one by penalty – on a season-low 241 yards of total offense, the fewest since ETSU was held to just 215 total yards in a 58-7 WCU win back in 2023 … the Bucs were also limited to just eight first downs that day;
  • Western Carolina remained second in the nation in passing offense, averaging 355.2 yards per game, allowing the Catamounts to rank 10th nationally with an even 480 yards of offense per game and now leads the nation in first downs with 152 … WCU slipped to 18th nationally in scoring offense at 33.5 points per game;
  • Taron Dickens had a career and record-setting day, connecting on his first 46 pass attempts to establish an all-time NCAA record at ALL levels of competition – NCAA FBS, NCAA FCS, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division III … Dickens completed a WCU school-record 53 passes, eclipsing the previous benchmark of 46 set by Troy Mitchell at USF back in 2014;
  • Dickens broke the previous NCAA FCS single-game consecutive completions record of 29 held by Quinn Epperly of Princeton, set back in 2013 ...  FBS record 26 of Dominique Davis of ECU ... and the D-II and D-III records of 21 from John McLain (Chadron State) and Chris Edwards (Washington and Jefferson);
  • Dickens finished 53-of-56 through the air on Saturday for a 94.6 completion percentage that represents a school, Southern Conference, and NCAA record with a minimum of 40 pass attempts;
  • Dickens connected on his final four pass attempts in the road win at Campbell – add that with his first 46 pass attempts on Saturday, the Catamount QB completed an NCAA record 50 consecutive passes in a season that came over a two-game stretch ... His record 50-straight eclipsed the previous NCAA-long benchmark of 36 set by East Carolina's Dominique Davis, NCAA D-II record of 23 (Mike Ganey, Allegheny) and D-III record of 29 (Chris Edwards, Washington and Jefferson); 
  • In just three games, Dickens has passed for 1,387 yards while completing 80.3% (114-of-142) passes and 13 scores, improving to 6-1 as a starting QB for the Catamounts … Dickens individually has more passing yards this season than SEVEN teams in the SoCon – only WCU as a team (2,131 yds) and Samford (1,765 yds) have more passing yards than Dickens this season;
  • With 13 touchdown passes this season, Taron Dickens ranks tied for seventh nationally with just three games played … He also climbed into a tie for 9th in the program's career record book for touchdown passes with 26, matching former QB Chad Greene (26, 1991-95) … His 13 seasonal TD passes rank him tied for 18th in the WCU single-season record book, matching Shawn Snyder (13, 1999) and Mike Pusey (13, 1977);
  • Redshirt sophomore WR James Tyre tallied his second consecutive 100-yard receiving performance, catching a career-high 13 passes for a career-best 102 yards … Tyre had 101 yards the week prior at Campbell … He has a team-best six receiving scores, tied for first in the Southern Conference rankings and tied for fifth in the NCAA FCS;
  • James Tyre caught three TD passes at Wofford … It's the second time this season that the Catamounts have seen a player haul in three TD scores, as RB Camury Reid posted a trio of scoring receptions as part of a season-best four TD effort;
  • A combined 10 different Catamounts recorded receptions at Wofford, with FIVE Catamounts recording career highs in the winning effort … James Tyre led the quintet with a career-best 13 catches … Freshman TE Josiah Thomas was second on the Catamount squad with a career-best eight receptions, while WR Malik Knight and RB Patrick Boyd Jr. both had a career-high seven catches with Boyd finishing with a career-high 44 receiving yards … TE Brayden Blackmon also posted career-bests with seven catches and 32 receiving yards in the victory;
  • Nickelback Ken Moore Jr. and DE Justin Wallace recorded their first career sacks in posting WCU's two quarterback sacks in the win at Wofford … Redshirt freshman Julian Quintero forced the first fumble of his career on the game's final kickoff, with Armond Anderson recovering the football to essentially end the game;
  • After holding Wofford to an opponent-low 241 yards of total offense last week, WCU climbed nine spots in the NCAA FCS rankings, now 117th in the NCAA … the Catamounts also improved to 102nd in scoring defense (37.0 ppg);
  • Freshman Marcus Trout converted both of his PAT attempts and connected on a career-long, game-winning 34-yard field goal, just his second made field goal this season …. Trout scored five points to rank third on the team with 25 points scored; 
Miscellaneous Notes:
  • Western Carolina's team captains for Saturday's game: senior DB #3 Samaurie Dukes; senior LB #5 Hayward McQueen Jr.; and senior WR #8  Painter Richards-Baker;
  • Redshirt sophomore DB #9 Darian Anderson carried the American flag during Saturday afternoon's run out, while redshirt sophomore TE #44 Isaac McLellan carried out the North Carolina flag, a tradition begun in the game following the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in 2024;
  • Western Carolina won the opening coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff;
  • Western Carolina wore its purple helmets over white jerseys and white pants for the 15th time under head coach Kerwin Bell … WCU improved to 9-6 all-time in the all-white combo … WCU is .500 or better in FIVE different uniform combos – White/White (9-6), White/Gold (4-4), Purple/White (4-4), Purple/Gold (4-4) and Purple/Purple (4-1). 
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Players Mentioned

Armond Anderson

#17 Armond Anderson

LB
6' 2"
Senior
Brayden Blackmon

#86 Brayden Blackmon

TE
6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
Patrick Boyd Jr.

#1 Patrick Boyd Jr.

RB
5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
Taron Dickens

#5 Taron Dickens

QB
5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
Samaurie Dukes

#3 Samaurie Dukes

S
5' 11"
Senior
Malik Knight

#7 Malik Knight

WR
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
Isaac McLellan

#44 Isaac McLellan

TE
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
Hayward McQueen Jr.

#5 Hayward McQueen Jr.

LB
6' 1"
Senior
Ken Moore Jr.

#0 Ken Moore Jr.

N
5' 10"
Redshirt Junior
Julian Quintero

#39 Julian Quintero

S
6' 0"
Redshirt Freshman
James Tyre

#16 James Tyre

WR
5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
Justin Wallace

#10 Justin Wallace

DE
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior

Players Mentioned

Armond Anderson

#17 Armond Anderson

6' 2"
Senior
LB
Brayden Blackmon

#86 Brayden Blackmon

6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
TE
Patrick Boyd Jr.

#1 Patrick Boyd Jr.

5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
RB
Taron Dickens

#5 Taron Dickens

5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
QB
Samaurie Dukes

#3 Samaurie Dukes

5' 11"
Senior
S
Malik Knight

#7 Malik Knight

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
WR
Isaac McLellan

#44 Isaac McLellan

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
TE
Hayward McQueen Jr.

#5 Hayward McQueen Jr.

6' 1"
Senior
LB
Ken Moore Jr.

#0 Ken Moore Jr.

5' 10"
Redshirt Junior
N
Julian Quintero

#39 Julian Quintero

6' 0"
Redshirt Freshman
S
James Tyre

#16 James Tyre

5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
WR
Justin Wallace

#10 Justin Wallace

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
DE