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Santana Carlos led WCU with a career-best six catches for 75 yards, scoring eight points with a TD catch and the two-point conversion.
Mark Haskett

Football Daniel Hooker, Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations

Postgame Notes - vs. Chattanooga

Postgame Notes
Chattanooga 41, Western Carolina 18
E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field
Cullowhee, N.C. | Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026
Att: 11,889
  
With the loss:
  • Western Carolina saw its four-game series winning streak over Chattanooga snapped, suffering its first loss against Chattanooga since 2021 … It was also WCU's first loss to Chattanooga in Cullowhee since 2018 (the scheduled 2020 meeting was canceled due to COVID-19);
  • WCU dropped its first game at home this season, falling to 3-1 at Whitmire Stadium / Waters Field in 2026;
  • WCU fell to 22-29-1 all-time in Homecoming games at Whitmire Stadium and saw its mark against UTC on Homecoming evened at 6-6 all-time.
Post-Game Notes:
  • Western Carolina recorded a season-high 219 return yards, including 122 yards on five kickoff returns and 97 return yards on two punt returns … It's the second-most return yards by the Catamounts under head coach Kerwin Bell, second to the 227 return yards against ETSU back in 2021;
  • Richard Hollis recorded a career-best 122 return yards on a career-high five kickoff returns;
  • AJ Colombo returned a punt 86-yards for a touchdown in the second quarter … It was WCU's first punt return for a score since 2021, when Daquan Patten took a punt  78 yards for a touchdown at VMI (Nov. 20, 2021) … Colombo's 86-yard punt return marked the THIRD-longest punt return in program history, only trailing Ellis Johnson (102 yds, vs. Mars Hill in 1965) and Kerry Hayes (95 yds, vs. Chattanooga in 1991);
  • Over his career (since 2022), Colombo has 62 career punt returns for 633 yards and the one return for a touchdown … He ranks THIRD in program history with the 62 punt returns, only trailing Jeff Dean (No. 1 – 69 from 1978-81) and Lamont Williams (No. 2 – 68 from 1997-98) ,,, His current 633 career punt return yards are SECOND all-time in program history, only trailing Kerry Hayes (975 yards, 1991-94);
  • WCU's offense completed a season-best 30 passes in the loss to Chattanooga … QB Lex Thomas completed a career-high 29 passes, eclipsing the 27 completions in the season-opening victory over Eastern Kentucky;
  • Freshman WR Santana Carlos caught a career-high six passes for a career-best 75 receiving yards with his second career receiving score … Added a catch on a two-point conversion for a career-best eight points scored;
  • WCU was held to just two conversions on third down for the third time this season – at Campbell (2-for-13), at Cincinnati (2-for-12), and vs. Chattanooga (2-for-11) … Conversely, the Catamounts finished a perfect 3-for-3 on 4th down conversions … WCU has had at least one 4th down conversion in six-straight games;
  • Five Catamount defenders matched or set career highs against Chattanooga: Jayden Cornelius matched his career-high with a team-best seven tackles; Caleb Turner-Allen posted a career-high five tackles, while Julian Quintero also secured a career-best four tackles … AJ Mintze matched his career best, credited with two tackles; Fernando Jeanty matched his career-high with four tackles, credited with a career-best 1.5 tackles for loss that included his first career sack;
  • For just the second time this season, the Catamounts lost the turnover battle, tossing a pair of interceptions without recording a defensive takeaway … WCU continues to have 13 takeaways with six turnovers for a +7 turnover margin on the season … the Catamounts remain tied for 8th nationally in turnover margin with the 13 turnovers gained tied for 35th nationally;
  • Chattanooga scored an opponent season-high 31 points in the second half, capitalizing on a pair of short fields after two fourth-quarter interceptions … the 31 points surpass the previous opponent high of 24 second-half points scored by ETSU in the road loss;
  • Chattanooga's Jude Kelley hit a 57-yard field goal to close the first half, setting a UTC program record for long field goal … the 57-yard boot also tied a Whitmire Stadium facility record held by Kirk Roach, who twice boomed 57-yard field goals in Cullowhee in 1987 – against Appalachian State and North Carolina A&T;
  • With the announced Homecoming crowd of 11,889, Western Carolina moved to 13th nationally in the NCAA FCS with an average home attendance of 11,582, FIRST in the Southern Conference – more than 2,000 more than second-place in the SoCon (The Citadel, No. 29 at 9,277) and third-place Furman (No. 30 at 9,182);
 
Miscellaneous Notes:
  • Western Carolina's team captains for Saturday's game: WR #0 AJ Colombo; LB #0 Blue Monroe; TE #87 Jake Young; DE #90 Da'Shawn Davis;
  • OL #77 John Hammond carried the United States flag during the pregame runout and OL #67 Steven Hamby carried out the North Carolina flag, a tradition begun in the game following the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in 2024;
  • Chattanooga won the coin toss and deferred to the second half … WCU received the opening to start the game.
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Players Mentioned

AJ Colombo

#0 AJ Colombo

WR
5' 8"
Fifth Year
Jayden Cornelius

#6 Jayden Cornelius

CB
5' 10"
Sophomore
Steven Hamby

#67 Steven Hamby

OL
6' 5"
Senior
John Hammond

#77 John Hammond

OL
6' 5"
Sophomore
Richard Hollis

#13 Richard Hollis

WR
5' 8"
Sophomore
AJ Mintze

#32 AJ Mintze

S
6' 0"
Sophomore
Blue Monroe

#0 Blue Monroe

LB
6' 1"
Fifth Year
Julian Quintero

#12 Julian Quintero

S
6' 0"
Junior
Jake Young

#87 Jake Young

TE
6' 3"
Fifth Year
Fernando Jeanty

#97 Fernando Jeanty

DL
6' 3"
Junior
Lex Thomas

#2 Lex Thomas

QB
5' 11"
Junior
Caleb Turner-Allen

#13 Caleb Turner-Allen

BD
6' 2"
Junior

Players Mentioned

AJ Colombo

#0 AJ Colombo

5' 8"
Fifth Year
WR
Jayden Cornelius

#6 Jayden Cornelius

5' 10"
Sophomore
CB
Steven Hamby

#67 Steven Hamby

6' 5"
Senior
OL
John Hammond

#77 John Hammond

6' 5"
Sophomore
OL
Richard Hollis

#13 Richard Hollis

5' 8"
Sophomore
WR
AJ Mintze

#32 AJ Mintze

6' 0"
Sophomore
S
Blue Monroe

#0 Blue Monroe

6' 1"
Fifth Year
LB
Julian Quintero

#12 Julian Quintero

6' 0"
Junior
S
Jake Young

#87 Jake Young

6' 3"
Fifth Year
TE
Fernando Jeanty

#97 Fernando Jeanty

6' 3"
Junior
DL
Lex Thomas

#2 Lex Thomas

5' 11"
Junior
QB
Caleb Turner-Allen

#13 Caleb Turner-Allen

6' 2"
Junior
BD