Cullowhee, N.C. – No. 25 Western Carolina overcame a 10-0 start on Saturday afternoon with 21-straight points as part of a 28-point second quarter. However, the Catamounts were outscored 28-7 after halftime and were twice turned away inside the redzone in the fourth quarter as East Tennessee State retained possession of the traveling trophy, "the Rock," with a 52-35 victory in Southern Conference action at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field.
 
A week after twice rallying from two 12-point deficits, WCU overcame the early 10-point hole before surrendering a pair of 11-point leads, 21-10 and 28-17. WCU's second-straight home defeat was its fourth home loss in this year's six-game home schedule.
 
Catamount quarterback Taron Dickens recorded his school-record sixth career game with 400 or more yards passing. The Miami, Fla., product finished 33-of-48 (68.8%) for 426 yards and tossed a pair of touchdown passes in the loss, just his third as WCU's starter. He added a team-best 48 yards on the ground after a pair of sacks as the Catamounts just eclipsed the century mark on the ground.
 
Dickens' 33 completions were spread between nine different receivers, with tailback Markel Townsend catching a career-high nine for 58 yards as part of an 88 all-purpose yard effort. Townsend added a one-yard TD rush, with true freshman QB Jordan Martin-Durham making his debut and scoring on his first touch with a one-yard TD rush.
 
Michael Rossin caught a 61-yard touchdown pass among his four receptions for 89 yards, while Jaylin Terzado also found the endzone on a 58-yard strike as part of two catches for 62 yards. James Tyre had six catches for 71 yards, but the national leader was held out of the endzone, and tight end Brayden Blackmon caught five balls for 44 yards among the leaders.
 
ETSU (6-5, 4-3 SoCon) amassed a balanced 638 yards of total offense in the upset win, throwing for 394 yards and six touchdowns between two QBs, adding 244 yards on the ground with one rushing score. Jacolby Criswell was 17-of-29 for 271 yards with three TDs, while true freshman backup Jackson Byrd tossed his first three career passing scores in a 5-of-8 effort for 123 yards.
 
Two Buccaneer receivers eclipsed the century mark as Jeremiah Harrison caught five passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns, while Hakeem Meggett went for 113 yards on four receptions and two TDs. Jason Albritton ran for 125 yards on 20 touches with a TD.
 
After closing the first half with a 12-play, 75-yard drive with a Criswell TD pass to Cole Keller to make it a four-point, 28-24, game at halftime, the Buccaneers held serve out of the locker room. On their first possession of the third quarter, Byrd tossed his first career touchdown pass on his first attempt of the day on a five-yard strike that gave the Bucs a 31-28 lead. Dickens then hit Rossin on a 61-yard catch-and-run to give the Catamounts what proved to be their final lead.
 
Just 64 seconds after WCU pulled back in front, 35-31, ETSU scored the first of three unanswered touchdowns on Byrd scoring strikes of 42 and 32 yards, with Albritton plowing in from a yard out in the 52-35 final.
 
Defensively for Western Carolina, three players finished with double-digit tackles as Bo Simpson-Nealy and Samaurie Dukes were both credited with 12 stops apiece. Linebacker Jordan Thompson racked up 10 total tackles to accompany three quarterback hurries and recovered one of two fumbles. Cam'Ron Dabney delivered a defensive TD on a scoop-and-score as Justin Wallace sacked Criswell from the blindside, jarring the football loose before the Catamount corner raced 43 yards for the 21-10 score midway through the second quarter.
 
Western Carolina wraps up the season next Saturday, Nov. 22, with a road trip to Lexington, Va. to face the VMI Keydets (1-10, 0-7 SoCon). Kickoff of the "Ingles SoCon Game of the Week" is scheduled for Noon for a second-straight week.