Western Carolina University

Macon, Ga. – For a second straight season, Western Carolina and Mercer saw their Southern Conference showdown come down to a final field-goal attempt as time expired.
 
But unlike the weather forecasts for tropical precipitation from Hurricane Isaias, the last-second three-point attempt was not missed.
 
Simon Zeidan capped an eight-play, 50-yard drive with a 42-yard field goal as time expired, lifting No. 18/20 Mercer to a 17-14 victory over Western Carolina on a muggy but dry Saturday afternoon at Five Star Stadium.
 
The Catamounts appeared poised to force overtime after a bit of late-game magic. Facing third-and-goal from the five-yard line with 1:29 remaining, Michael Rossin took a handoff from quarterback Lex Thomas before pitching to Jai Boyd on a reverse. Boyd then found a wide-open Thomas in the end zone for the game-tying touchdown as Bryan McCollum's extra point evened the score at 14 apiece.
 
Mercer, however, moved quickly into field-goal range on its ensuing possession, aided by a penalty near midfield, before Zeidan drilled the game-winning kick as the clock struck zero.
 
The loss spoiled a strong defensive effort by Western Carolina (3-4, 1-2 SoCon), which held the Bears largely in check throughout a physical contest and forced two turnovers. Despite the defeat, Western Carolina pushed its second nationally ranked opponent of the season to the final whistle as Mercer extended its series winning streak to 11 games.
 
Thomas threw for 215 yards on 19-of-35 passing with a touchdown pass to running back Marlin Cochran in the waning moments of the second quarter to give WCU a 7-0 lead at halftime. Boyd was his favorite receiver, hauling in six passes for 76 yards, climbing the ladder for a 36-yard third-down reception that keyed WCU's second-quarter scoring drive.
 
Nine different players caught passes for the Catamounts, including Cochran with two receptions before exiting the game with an injury sustained on the TD grab. Jake Young finished with three catches for 21 yards, Marcus Striggles had 33 yards on two catches, and AJ Colombo had two receptions for 32 yards.
 
Josh Perry accounted for 78 total yards, rushing 12 times for a team-best 50 yards, adding 28 receiving yards on three catches.
 
Mercer finished with 231 rushing yards, led by quarterback JP Pickles' game-high 86 yards on the ground. Pickles also completed 12-of-15 passes for 132 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Brayden Smith caught five passes for 43 yards and a score, while Zahmari Palode-Gary accounted for 129 total yards, including a pivotal 63-yard touchdown reception.
 
Both defenses dominated Saturday's game.
 
Jayden Cornelius paced a standout defensive effort with seven tackles and two interceptions, including a goal-line pick that denied a Mercer scoring opportunity. He also intercepted a pass that was deflected by Braylon Jones for his second takeaway of the afternoon. Nassor Ashenafi added 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, while Trystan Anderson recorded seven tackles and a sack as Western Carolina finished with three sacks and two takeaways.
 
Linebackers Blue Monroe and Ryan McKinnis were credited with nine tackles apiece.
 
For the Bears, Ronin Dangler had 10 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, with CJ Favors credited with nine stops. The Bears had two sacks by Nigel Gay and Kobe McKinnis, while Evin McDowell came away with an interception.
 
The teams appeared headed for a scoreless halftime before Thomas engineered an 82-yard touchdown drive in the closing minutes of the second quarter. Boyd's acrobatic 36-yard reception on third down helped set up a nine-yard touchdown catch by Marlin Cochran, giving the Catamounts a 7-0 lead at the break.
 
Mercer finally broke through late in the third quarter, capitalizing on a short field when Pickles connected with Smith for an 18-yard touchdown to tie the game at seven.
 
The Bears seized their first lead midway through the fourth quarter as Palode-Gary slipped behind the defense and hauled in a 63-yard touchdown reception. Western Carolina answered in the closing minutes with its trick-play touchdown drive before Mercer pieced together the decisive march in the final 89 seconds.
 
Western Carolina (3-4, 1-2 SoCon) enters its bye week, returning to action on Saturday, Oct. 24, as it hosts Chattanooga for its annual Homecoming game at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field. Over 14,500 fans flocked to Cullowhee a season ago, so fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets and game day parking in advance, online at CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets.
 
Head coach Kerwin Bell will be live on location Monday (Oct. 12) at Catamount Jaxe (114 Market Street) in Cullowhee for "Catamount Football Weekly," presented by Stanberry Insurance. The show airs weekly at 6 p.m. on the Catamount Athletics Facebook page and YouTube channel. The Souly Flavor Food Trailer is slated to be on site for the show on Monday.
 
For the latest news, scores, highlights, and behind-the-scenes content, follow Catamount football and WCU Athletics on Facebook (FB.com/CatamountSports; FB.com/westerncarolinafootball; FB.com/CatamountSportsNetwork) and X (@Catamounts, @CatamountsFB).