WR Malik Knight caught five passes for a career-high 141 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday against Mercer.

Mark Haskett

Football 11/8/2025 11:30:00 PM Daniel Hooker, Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations

Postgame Notes - vs. Mercer

Postgame Notes
No. 10/12 Mercer 49, Western Carolina 47
E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field
Cullowhee, N.C. | Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025
Att: 14,501

With the Loss:

Western Carolina saw its six-game seasonal win streak snapped as the Catamounts were dealt their first Southern Conference loss of the season, second-place in the league standings;
WCU was relegated to a 10th-straight defeat in the all-time series with Mercer, winless in the head-to-head series dating back to 2015;
Dating back to 2023, Western Carolina has now dropped its last NINE games as a nationally-ranked NCAA FCS team … WCU's last win AS A RANKED TEAM came against ETSU in the "Blue Ridge Border Battle" as the No. 17 Catamounts dismantled the Bucs, 58-7, at home on Nov. 11, 2023 … Two of WCU's nine-straight losses came to NCAA FBS opponents (at NC State; at Wake Forest) and three came against another FCS ranked opponent;
Western Carolina fell to 22-28-1 all-time on Homecoming at Whitmire Stadium … It was WCU's third loss in three meetings against Mercer on Homecoming Saturday – 2021, 2023, and 2025;

Post-Game Notes:

Saturday's announced sold-out attendance of 14,501 was the THIRD-largest attendance in the 51-year history of E.J. Whitmire Stadium … It marked just the FIFTH time in program history with an announced crowd of over 14K – and is one of just THREE games within WCU's current all-time 10 top home attendance figures NOT against Appalachian State – No. 8 vs. Furman (13,778 in 1978) and No. 10 vs. Georgia Southern (13,460 in 1987);
Following Saturday's game, WCU moved into 17th nationally in overall attendance with 55,374 fans through the gates in the first five home dates of the season, tops in the Southern Conference – The Citadel is second in the league, 20th overall at 51,001 through five games … WCU enters its final home game of the season ranked 19th nationally in average attendance at 11,075 – FIRST in the SoCon, just ahead of The Citadel with an average of 10,200;
Western Carolina's offense amassed 599 yards of total offense against Mercer on Saturday, a defense that entered the contest ranked 10th nationally in limiting teams to just 293.9 yards per game (305 yards above its seasonal average) … the Catamounts finished with 551 passing yards, more than double what Mercer (215.3 yds/gm, 63rd in NCAA FCS) surrendered on average entering the game;
WCU ranks third nationally with an average of 487.2 yards of total offense per game, trailing Mercer (518.6 yds/gm) and Monmouth (494.6 yds/gm) … the Catamounts are sixth nationally with 50 offensive touchdowns … WCU LEADS the NCAA FCS in passing at 349.6 yds/gm, moving past Mercer (346.6 yds/gm) … the WCU single-season record 39 passing touchdowns LEAD the NCAA, six more than second-place Monmouth (33);
Western Carolina committed two turnovers in the loss to Mercer, the first game with multiple giveaways since committing two turnovers against Campbell … Since the two turnovers against the Camels, WCU had just one giveaway in the four games that followed before two on Saturday;
Catamount QB Taron Dickens threw for 551 yards, his school-record FIFTH game of 400 yards or more – and his second with 500 yards passing, with the 551 yards representing his second most in a game
Dickens passed for a Southern Conference tying and school record seven touchdown passes on Saturday, spreading the ball around to five different receivers for scores … His seven TD passes are the most by an individual QB in the NCAA FCS this season, the only player with seven passing scores … Dickens seven TDs matched Chris Forcier of Furman, who tossed seven scores against Presbyterian (Sept. 24, 2011) … the seven TD passes were the most in a game involving two Southern Conference schools;
In seven games, Dickens has amassed 2,752 passing yards, while completing 75.8% (210-of-277) passes and an NCAA-leading 33 passing scores ... Dickens has now eclipsed 350 yards in seven games in his career – and has passed for 400 or more yards a school-record five times;
With 2,752 passing yards by Dickens ranks him FOURTH in WCU's single-season record books, leaping seven former QBs on the charts … He is just 51 yards shy of third-place Cole Gonzales, who threw for 2,803 yards in 2023 – and just 241 yards shy of the school single-season record;
Dickens has already broken WCU's single-season passing touchdown record with 33 aerial scores on the season, breaking the previous benchmark held by Cole Gonzales with 28 TD passes in 2023 … Dickens is now just THREE passing TDs shy of tying the Southern Conference record of 36 passing scores in a season held by former Samford QBs Michael Hiers (2022) and Devlin Hodges (2016);
Over 16 career games, Dickens now has 4,307 career passing yards, advancing into 11th in WCU's all-time career record books … He is just … His 46 career passing touchdowns are already the FOURTH most in program history … Dickens is averaging 2.9 passing TDs per game (46 TDs in 16 career games);
A combined 11 different Catamount receivers caught passes against Mercer … RB Patrick Boyd Jr., matched his career-high with seven catches and a career-best 93 receiving yards, while WR Malik Knight had five receptions for a career-best 141 receiving yards and matched his career-best with two TD catches;
Freshman Michael Rossin caught three passes with his first multi-TD effort with a pair of first-half touchdown catches … Redshirt sophomore Jai Boyd, playing in just his second game of the year, caught his first two passes of the season with one going for his first collegiate touchdown on a 10-yard reception in the fourth quarter;
James Tyre caught his SoCon-leading 11th touchdown pass on Saturday as the redshirt sophomore has scoring receptions in seven of WCU's 10 games … Tyre is second in the program record book for receiving TDs in a season, one shy of the two-way tie for first between Karnorris Benson (12, 2013) and Eric Rasheed (12, 1983) … Tyre is one of just SIX Catamount wide receivers to reach double-digit TD receptions a combined seven times in a season … Tyre enters the week LEADING the NCAA FCS in receiving touchdowns;
Through 10 games this season, James Tyre now has a SoCon-leading and team-best 59 receptions, tied with former Catamount David Patten (59, 1995) for 15th on WCU's single-season record books … Tyre also ranks third in the SoCon with a team-leading 692 receiving yards, just ahead of Malik Knight, who is fifth with 680 receiving yards;
Tyre ranks 32nd nationally with his 692 receiving yards, while Knight is tied for 40th with his 680 … Tyre is 39th with 69.2 yards per game and Knight is 44th with 68.0 yards per game;
Western Carolina's ground game was limited to a combined 48 rushing yards, a number minimized by 31 yards in sacks ... Patrick Boyd Jr. and Branson Adams, who returned to the starting lineup on Saturday, both had 17 total yards on the ground ... Boyd Jr. added the 17 yards to his 93 receiving yards for a game total of 110, while Adams caught three passes out of the backfield to add 18 yards for a game total of 35 yards;
Two Catamounts finished with double-digit tackles in leading the Catamounts against Mercer, with Samaurie Dukes credited with a career-high 13 tackles, the fourth double-digit tackle effort of his career … Hasaan Sykes had 10 tackles, double-digits for the second time in his Catamount career;
WCU was held without a quarterback sack for just the second time this season – at Wake Forest and against Mercer in Cullowhee … the Catamounts were also limited to just three tackles for loss, one apiece by Caleb Fisher, Ken Moore Jr., and Micah Nelson;
Punter Stephen Brantley nearly averaged 50 yards per boot on Saturday, punting four times for an average of 49.8 yards, with three traveling 50 yards, including a long of 59 yards … Brantley also kicked off nine times with five touchbacks.

Miscellaneous Notes:

Western Carolina's team captains for Saturday's game: senior bandit #1 Caleb Fisher; senior bandit #2 Micah Nelson; fifth-year running back #2 Branson Adams; and senior linebacker #5 Hayward McQueen Jr.;
Redshirt sophomore safety #24 Zayveon Wells carried the United States flag during the pregame runout, and redshirt freshman DL #14 Vanier Baptiste III carried out the North Carolina flag, a tradition begun in the game following the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in 2024;
Mercer 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 all-purple look on Saturday with purple helmets over purple jerseys and pants for the seventh time under head coach Kerwin Bell … WCU lost for just the second time in its all-purple look, falling to 5-2;