Kenyon Partridge (11) was credited with a solo tackle and a quarterback hurry that directly led to Cam'Ron Dabney's game-ending interception in the road win at Chattanooga.

Mark Haskett

Football 11/2/2025 12:00:00 AM Daniel Hooker, Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations

Postgame Notes - at Chattanooga

Postgame Notes
Western Carolina 35, Chattanooga 28
Finley Stadium / Davenport Field
Chattanooga, Tenn. | Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025
Att: 7,711

With the Win:

Western Carolina earned a sixth straight seasonal victory, its longest win streak under head coach Kerwin Bell and the longest for WCU since winning six consecutive over two seasons, including the final four games of 1984 and the first two of 1985 … It was WCU's first six-game, in-game win streak since the 1983 run to the national championship game
The Catamounts earned a fourth-straight victory over Chattanooga in the all-time head-to-head series, matching the series-long with a second four-game win streak following the four-game run in 1991-94;
Western Carolina is off to its best-ever start to Southern Conference play at 5-0 … It's the third-straight season that WCU has secured at least five league victories, winning a program-best six in 2024 … It's the first time since 1992-94 that WCU had three-straight seasons of five-or-more SoCon wins … Since 1977, WCU has only won five or more league games 14 times, including this season;
Catamount head football coach Kerwin Bell improved to 30-24 all-time as the head coach at Western Carolina and 123-66 all-time … Bell became the SIXTH Catamount head football coach all-time to reach the 30-win plateau;

Post-Game Notes:

Western Carolina offense was limited to just 356 yards of total offense at Chattanooga – 225 yards passing and 131 yards rushing … It was the second-lowest output for the Catamounts this season and the lowest against NCAA FCS competition this fall … WCU was limited to a season-low 63 offensive plays from scrimmage on Saturday;
With Saturday's passing performance, WCU slipped into second in the nation in overall passing offense at 327.2 yards per game – the Catamounts are also now second in the SoCon, trailing Mercer (334.5 yds/gm) … WCU is also sixth in the country in total offense (474.8 yds/gm), second in the SoCon to the Bears (2nd in NCAA, 512.4 yds/gm);
Redshirt sophomore Taron Dickens completed a season-low 62.1% of his passes at Chattanooga, finishing 18-of-29 for 225 yards and four touchdowns … His 18 completions went to 10 different players and were the second-fewest in a game this season, just one more than the season-low 17 in WCU's 52-7 win over Furman;
In just six games, Dickens has amassed 2,201 passing yards, while completing 77.6% (177-of-228) passes and 26 passing scores, improving to 9-1 as a starting QB for the Catamounts ... Dickens has now eclipsed 350 yards in six games in his career with wins in all six of those games;
The 2,201 passing yards by Dickens rank him 16th in WCU's single-season record books, leaping five former QBs on the charts … He is just 64 yards shy of 15th-place Willie Perkins, who threw for 2,265 yards in 1986 … Now with 26 seasonal passing touchdowns, Dickens ranks SECOND in WCU's single-season record books, two passing scores shy of the program's single-season record held by Cole Gonzales (28, 2023);
Dickens now has 3,756 career passing yards, advancing into 13th in WCU's all-time career record books … He trails 12th-place Todd Cottrell (1987-89, 3,933 yds) by just 177 yards;
A combined 10 different receivers caught passes at Chattanooga, with none having more than five catches and each held under 50 yards receiving … WR Jaylin Terzado made his WCU debut in the road win at UTC, collecting his first career reception on an athletic 39-yard catch in the third quarter of Saturday's win;
James Tyre matched his career-high with THREE receiving scores at Chattanooga, each coming inside the first two quarters at Finley Stadium … Tyre is the sixth Catamount receiver to catch three receiving TDs in one half of football, and the first since De'Andre Tamarez did so against Chattanooga in 2024;
Through nine games this season, James Tyre now has a SoCon-leading and team-best 56 receptions, tied with former Catamount Terryon Robinson (56, 2014) for 15th on WCU's single-season record books … Tyre also ranks second in the SoCon with a team-leading 614 receiving yards;
Tyre has a career-best 10 receiving TDs this season that ranks him tied for fifth with two others – Gerald Harp (1978) and Terryon Robinson (2017) – in WCU's single-season record books … Tyre is one of just SIX Catamount wide receivers to reach double-digit TD receptions a combined seven times in a season – Gerald Harp had 11 in 1979 and 10 in 1978 … Tyre is just TWO touchdown receptions shy of first-place Karnorris Benson (12, 2013) and Eric Rahseed (12, 1983);
Tyre and his 10 receiving TDs rank tied for the NATIONAL LEAD, matching Joey Isabella of Duquesne, while his 614 receiving yards are 38th nationally, and his 6.22 receptions per game are tied for ninth nationally;
RB Markel Townsend recorded his fourth rushing TD of the season – he has scored on the ground in each of the past three games … WR Michael Rossin caught his second receiving touchdown of the season;
Opening the game with a 67-yard kickoff return that set up the Catamounts with tremendous field position on its opening scoring drive, WR Dominic Dutton finished with a team-leading 111 total yards, including 90 on a pair of kickoff returns and four yards on two rushes to accompany his receiving yardage;
Two Catamounts finished with double-digit tackles in leading the Catamounts at Chattanooga with senior DB Samaurie Dukes and redshirt sophomore LB Ryan McKinnis both credited with 10 tackles apiece … It was the third double-digit tackle effort for Dukes and the first for McKinnis … Dukes had six solo stops with one for loss, and McKinnis had five solo tackles with a pair of sacks for two TFLs … DL Justin Wallace recorded a career-high six tackles, including his first career sack and TFL;
Also finishing with career tackle performances were defensive linemen Jamichael Wilson (6 tackles) and Vanier Baptiste III (3 tackles) … Bo Simpson-Nealy was one shy of matching his career-best with seven tackles, matching his career-high with two tackles for loss;
WCU's defense came up with an interception for the seventh time in nine games, tallying multiple picks for the third time this season … the Catamounts are tied for sixth nationally with 11 combined interceptions coming on 282 opponent pass attempts;
True freshman PK Marcus Trout scored five points in Saturday's road win, hitting all five PATs … Stephen Brantley punted twice for an average of 45.5 yards per kick, including a long of 54 yards … He also kicked off six times with five touchbacks.

Miscellaneous Notes:

Western Carolina's team captains for Saturday's game: senior defensive line #2 Micah Nelson; senior safety #7 Ed Jones IV; senior tight end #86 Brayden Blackmon; and senior defensive lineman #90 Jamichael Wilson;
Redshirt sophomore QB #5 Taron Dickens carried the United States flag during the pregame runout, and DL #10 Justin Wallace carried out the North Carolina flag, a tradition begun in the game following the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in 2024;
Chattanooga won the opening toss and elected to defer their choice to the second half as Western Carolina received the opening kickoff;
Western Carolina wore its purple helmets over white jerseys and gold pants for the ninth time under head coach Kerwin Bell … WCU improved to 5-4 in the white/gold combo.