Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina football opens a two-game homestand on Saturday afternoon, looking to snap a season-opening two-game slide as the Catamounts host former Southern Conference foe, Elon, at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field. Kickoff of WCU's third game of the season and second at home is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
The Catamounts look to "White Out Whitmire" on Saturday, with all fans encouraged to wear their white WCU apparel to the game, as the football team will wear its traditional road white Nike uniforms at home in what has become an annual tradition. The first 5,00 fans through the gates will also receive a FREE "The Cats" white out T-shirt. WCU students will also receive white ThunderStix, courtesy of The Everson.
Saturday's game will be
broadcast on ESPN+ (
paid subscription required) with WSPA-TV Sports Director – and voice of the SoCon "Ingles Game of the Week" – Pete Yanity on the call with former Catamount defensive back John Brannon III alongside as the analyst.
Fans can also listen to Saturday's game on the Catamount Sports Network with coverage beginning with the Pepsi Tailgate Show at 1:30 p.m. Four network affiliates across the mountains are set to carry the CSN broadcasts this season, including longtime affiliates 105.7 FM and 540 AM WRGC in Sylva; 104.9 FM and 1050 AM in Franklin; and WISE Sports Radio 1310 AM in Asheville. Fans can also find
live stat links and listen to the Catamount Sports Network anywhere in the world by visiting
CatamountSports.com. In-game updates will also be available on X, following @Catamounts and @CatamountsFB.
For a second straight season, WCU looks to halt a two-game seasonal slide against its in-state foe, Elon. Last year, the Catamounts earned their first victory with a hard-fought 21-17 road win, capitalizing on special teams play and a go-ahead fourth-quarter touchdown to pull the upset of the then No. 22-ranked Phoenix.
Elon represents WCU's third straight in-state opponent to start the season. In fact, WCU will not leave the Old North State until Saturday, Oct. 4, with a trip to Wofford in Spartanburg, S.C. in league play.
Saturday Storylines:
- Two longtime in-state foes meet on Saturday in a series that began in 1933 and spanned multiple conference affiliations and iterations, including the North State Intercollegiate Conference – or Old North State Conference – and the Carolinas Conference before most recently sharing membership in the Southern Conference from 2003-2013;
- Two top-50 NCAA FCS offenses square off – Elon ranks 23rd nationally with an average of 411.0 yards per game, while WCU is tied for 46th nationally at 346.0 yards per contest … Elon is averaging 36.0 points per game – tied for 16th in the NCAA FCS – while WCU's high-octane offense is tied for 28th nationally at 27.5 points per outing;Catamount offense looks to regain some of its swagger and to rebound from its second-lowest yardage output in the five-year tenure of head coach Kerwin Bell … only the 178 yards mustered against Big 12 foe Oklahoma yielded fewer yards for the potent WCU offense … Under Bell, WCU has had one game in each season where it was held below 300 yards – and only once has that happened twice in a season (2021);
- Catamount defense looks to limit "explosive plays" against the Phoenix … Of the 13 non-kick scoring plays to date this season, NINE have been 25 yards or more in length … WCU's defense has been on the field for 147 total plays through the first two games, with the bulk of those surrendering three yards or fewer – but the big plays have proven costly;
Western Carolina vs. Elon – The Series:
The Catamounts and Phoenix meet for the 45th time in the all-time, head-to-head series – a number bolstered by the two sharing a Southern Conference affiliation from 2003 – 2013. WCU trails in the all-time series, 18-24-2, but holds a 12-9-1 record over Elon in games played in Cullowhee.
Three of the last four series meetings have been decided in one-possession games, including last year's Catamount upset victory over the Phoenix at Rhodes Stadium in Elon, N.C. WCU snapped a four-game road losing skid in the series with last year's 24-17 victory.
Saturday marks the first meeting between the two in Cullowhee since a 27-24 overtime triumph for WCU back in the '13 season. Troy Mitchell found Karnorris Benson for a game-tying touchdown in the waning moments, with Richard Sigmon's game-winning, 39-yard field goal giving the Catamounts the victory.
Western Carolina vs. the Coastal Athletic Conference (CAA):
The Catamounts have only played four of the current 14 teams in the CAA all-time, posting a 21-29-2 record against the league – though only TWO of the previous meetings occurred with the opposition under the CAA banner. Western Carolina faces a second CAA opponent in two weeks with a return trip to Campbell, seeking its first series win over the Camels.
WCU vs the CAA: Campbell (0-3) … Elon (18-24-2) … Maine (1-0) … North Carolina A&T (2-2)
About Saturday's Opponent – Elon:
The Phoenix finished 6-6 a season ago under head coach Tony Trisciani, who is in his third stint with the Elon football program, twice as an assistant and now the head coach for the past seven years. His squad battled ACC-foe Duke in the opener before eventually bowing out, 45-17, but rebounded in a "get-right" game against Davidson last week, winning their home opener, 55-7.
Elon's balanced offense is under the direction of elusive redshirt freshman QB Landen Clark, just the fourth rookie QB to sit behind center for the Phoenix in the last 20 years. The reigning CAA Rookie of the Week only played the first half in Elon's dismantling of Davidson last weekend, compiling 284 yards of offense, including 247 passing and four touchdowns – three through the air – in putting up 41 first-half points on the non-scholarship Wildcats. Elon's offense averages 411.0 yards per game, 23rd nationally.
Clark, who has accounted for five TDs this season – two rushing and three passing – is flanked by a terrific tailback in TJ Thomas, who is only averaging 47.5 yards per game to date, but rushed for 101 and a touchdown a season ago in Elon. Transfer running back Jimmyll Williams leads the Phoenix ground attack with 60 yards per game with a score, rushing for 120 yards on 14 total carries (8.6 yards per rush).
Defensively, the stingy Phoenix are only allowing an average of 112 rushing yards with 241 through the air for a seasonal average of 353.0 yards per game – 46th in the nation. Meanwhile, the Catamount offense likewise ranks tied for 46th in overall offensive output with an average of 346.0 yards per game to date. Sheperd University transfer linebacker Brodie Carroll – the PSAC East Division Freshman of the Year in 2023 – leads Elon's defense with an average of six tackles per game, including a team-best 3.5 tackles per outing with a sack.
Both Elon and WCU have two games against members of the opposing conferences on their schedules. The Catamounts visit Elon's CAA brethren, Campbell, in two weeks (Sept. 27), while Elon visits both WCU and ETSU (Sept. 20) out of the Southern Conference.
The Phoenix was picked eighth in the 14-team Coastal Athletic Association preseason poll.
Familiar Face in the WCU-Elon Series:
Former Western Carolina running back Nate Harris enters his third season on the Phoenix football coaching staff, joining Trisciani in 2022 as the running backs coach. Well-respected across the state, Harris also serves as Elon's recruiting coordinator. A 2012 WCU graduate, Harris played in 30 games for the Catamounts from 2008-11, progressing from a walk-on wide receiver to earning an athletic scholarship in the WCU backfield. A two-year captain, Harris amassed nearly 2,000 all-purpose yards in his Catamount career, including 1,281 yards on kickoff returns, 468 rushing yards, and 227 yards receiving. Saturday represents the second meeting between Harris and his alma mater.
Up Next for Catamount Football:
Western Carolina remains at home to open Southern Conference play next Saturday for the annual Family Weekend game, with the Samford Bulldogs coming to town. Samford dropped its league-opener at The Citadel last week, and visits Baylor in nonconference play this Saturday before venturing to #CatamountCountry.
WCU has won two straight over the Bulldogs, claiming an exciting – and historic – 47-42 road win in last year's regular-season finale, snapping a 10-game road winless drought and scoring the first Catamount victory in Birmingham since 1969. WCU dominated the nationally-ranked Bulldogs in the last Cullowhee meeting in 2023, winning 30-7 after enduring six hours of weather delays.
Game 3: Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025 • 2:30 p.m
Location: Cullowhee, N.C. (Whitmire Stadium / Waters Field – 13,970)
Records: RV/RV Western Carolina (0-2) vs. Elon (1-1)
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Video Stream: ESPN+ (
subscription required) -
Click HERE
PxP: Pete Yanity; Analyst: John Brannon III
Live Stats Link
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
PxP: Gary Ayers; Analyst: Daniel Hooker; Producer: Jeff Bryson
CSN Affiliates:
Sylva – 105.7 FM / 540 AM WRGC
Franklin – 104.9 FM / 1050 AM WFSC
Asheville – 1310 AM WISE Sports Radio
Online:
CatamountSports.com
Click HERE to Listen to CSN
Keep track of everything related to Catamount football and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports) and Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountsFB).
