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Western Carolina's defense held EKU to seven second half points in Saturday's season-opening victory.
Samuel Wallace - WCU Communications and Marketing

Football Daniel Hooker, Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations

Postgame Notes - vs. Eastern Kentucky (Aug. 29, 2026)

Postgame Notes
Western Carolina 45, Eastern Kentucky 21
E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field
Cullowhee, N.C. | Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026
Att: 13,482
 
With the Win:
  • Western Carolina won its season opener for the first time since a 52-38 road win at Charleston Southern to open 2022;
  • It was also WCU's first season-opening win at HOME since a 33-26 victory over Newberry on Sept. 1, 2018 – and the first over an NCAA Division I opponent at home since a 23-3 win over Liberty (then still in the NCAA FCS) on Aug. 31, 2002;
  • Saturday's win marked WCU's first back-to-back victories over Eastern Kentucky in series history, pushing head coach Kerwin Bell's record to 2-1 against the Colonels … It was also just the second series win at HOME over EKU – and the first since the Kent Briggs-led Catamounts upset then No. 19 EKU 20-17 back in 2006;
  • The Catamounts have won two straight games dating back to last season;
  • WCU head football coach Kerwin Bell improved to 32-26 (.552) in his tenure in Cullowhee – and 125-68 (.648) all-time.
 
Post-Game Notes:
  • Western Carolina scored 45 points in the season-opening win over Eastern Kentucky, marking the second-straight season WCU lit the scoreboard for 45 – winning 45-21 in 2026 and falling to Gardner-Webb last season, 52-45, at home;
  • WCU's offense has scored 30-or-more points in 37 of the 58 games (63.8%) and recorded 40-or-more points for the 22nd time in Bell's six years in Cullowhee … the Catamounts have amassed 2,025 points, averaging 34.9 points per game;
  • WCU scored 35 second-half points, its most in two consecutive quarters since scoring 35 in the first half against Gardner-Webb in the 2025 season opener;
  • With 508 total yards in the season-opening victory, the Catamounts have posted 500-or-more yards 30 times under Kerwin Bell;
  • EKU's 21 points were the fewest allowed by a WCU defense in a season opener since holding Mars Hill to 14 points back in 2015 -- and the fewest allowed to a NCAA Division I team in an opener since 2002, when the Catamounts held Liberty (then FCS) to just three points;
  • WCU's defense held EKU to just seven points in the second half and limited the Colonels to 174 yards of total offense over the final two quarters;
  • Starting quarterback Lex Thomas had a busy stat line, accounting for 389 yards of total offense and four scores … He was 27-of-35 passing with three touchdowns and a career-high 320 passing yards … He led the Catamounts with 69 rushing yards coming on 14 carries with a 15-yard touchdown rush … Thomas also caught a pass on a ricochet off a batted pass … Thomas earned Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week accolades on Monday following the victory;
  • Fifth-year wide receiver AJ Colombo made his return to the field after missing 2025, seeing his first live action since November 2024 – a nine-catch, 116-yard effort at VMI … Colombo matched the team-high with six catches in his return for 90 yards, just missing his second career 100-yard receiving effort;
  • Sophomore WR Michael Rossin recorded a career-high 94 receiving yards coming on a career-best six receptions … His previous high was 90 yards on three catches against Samford last fall … Rossin was held out of the end zone for the first time in five games after he finished last season with TD catches in four-straight games;
  • Freshman receiver Santana Carlos made his WCU debut, catching his first pass for 36 yards
  • Tight end Body Burns caught his first career touchdown pass, finishing with four receptions for a career-best 51 yards;
  • Tailback Josh Perry posted his first career multi-score game with two receiving touchdowns out of the backfield … He rushed for 31 yards in one game, nearly eclipsing his three-game output from his true freshman season … Perry finished with 60 all-purpose yards (31 rushing, 29 receiving);
  • Running back Marlon Cochran rumbled for a career-long 34-yard rush, scoring his first touchdown since 2023 to open WCU's seasonal scoring … He rushed for a career-high 60 yards in the win over EKU … Cochran missed 2025 due to injury;
  • Linebacker Joshua Collins was credited with a career-best and team-leading seven tackles against EKU, including a career-best 1.5 tackles for loss and his first career sack … Transfer fifth-year lineman Trystan Anderson and Caleb Turner-Allen both collected a sack as WCU finished with three on the day;
  • True freshman safety Alant'e Reese finished with a career-high five tackles against EKU in his collegiate debut;
  • Transfer cornerback Andre Jackson Jr. led the team with a game-high three pass break-ups, adding three solo tackles in the winning effort;
  • Fifth-year cornerback Marseille Taylor came up with his first interception as a Catamount over the past two seasons in Cullowhee – and his third career INT after posting two at Riverside City College;
  • Second-year SPUR Nassor Ashenafi recorded WCU's first forced fumble and fumble recovery on the same play … He added a career-best five tackles and had one pass breakup;
  • Combined 12 Catamount defenders recorded their first tackles in the Purple & Gold in the season-opening win over Eastern Kentucky;
  • Freshman punter Mark Fitzgerald punted four times for an average of 45.8 yards per kick, including a career-long 52-yard boot … He also kicked off six times with four touchbacks in the winning effort;
  • In just his second collegiate game, accounted for nine points in WCU's season-opening victory over Eastern Kentucky ... McCollum connected on a 20-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the first half to pull WCU to within four, 14-10 ... He added six made PATs, his second-straight game of hitting six PATs after closing 2025 in his first collegiate action with six made tries to accompany two field goals in the road win at VMI.
 
Miscellaneous Notes:
  • Western Carolina's team captains for Saturday's game: fifth-year WR #0 AJ Colombo; fifth-year LB #0 Blue Monroe; fifth-year SPUR #1 Ken Moore Jr.; fifth-year OL #56 Aaron McIver;
  • Fifth-year TE #44 Isaac McLellan carried the United States flag during the pregame runout, and junior LB #41 Beady Waddell V carried out the North Carolina flag, a tradition begun in the game following the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in 2024;
  • Western Carolina won the toss and deferred to the second half; the Catamounts kicked off to start the game, with EKU receiving in the south endzone;
  • Saturday's official announced attendance was 13,478, representing the 10th-largest crowd in E.J. Whitmire Stadium history, as WCU unveiled its latest stadium improvements and enlarged overall capacity of 14,000.
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Players Mentioned

Nassor Ashenafi

#21 Nassor Ashenafi

SP
5' 9"
Sophomore
Joshua Collins

#3 Joshua Collins

LB
6' 1"
Junior
AJ Colombo

#0 AJ Colombo

WR
5' 8"
Fifth Year
Isaac McLellan

#44 Isaac McLellan

TE
6' 2"
Fifth Year
Blue Monroe

#0 Blue Monroe

LB
6' 1"
Fifth Year
Ken Moore Jr.

#1 Ken Moore Jr.

SP
5' 10"
Fifth Year
Josh Perry

#3 Josh Perry

RB
6' 0"
Sophomore
Michael Rossin

#5 Michael Rossin

WR
6' 0"
Sophomore
Marseille Taylor

#7 Marseille Taylor

CB
6' 2"
Fifth Year
Beady Waddell V

#41 Beady Waddell V

LB
6' 0"
Junior
Andre Jackson Jr.

#4 Andre Jackson Jr.

CB
5' 10"
Sophomore
Aaron McIver

#56 Aaron McIver

OL
6' 2"
Fifth Year

Players Mentioned

Nassor Ashenafi

#21 Nassor Ashenafi

5' 9"
Sophomore
SP
Joshua Collins

#3 Joshua Collins

6' 1"
Junior
LB
AJ Colombo

#0 AJ Colombo

5' 8"
Fifth Year
WR
Isaac McLellan

#44 Isaac McLellan

6' 2"
Fifth Year
TE
Blue Monroe

#0 Blue Monroe

6' 1"
Fifth Year
LB
Ken Moore Jr.

#1 Ken Moore Jr.

5' 10"
Fifth Year
SP
Josh Perry

#3 Josh Perry

6' 0"
Sophomore
RB
Michael Rossin

#5 Michael Rossin

6' 0"
Sophomore
WR
Marseille Taylor

#7 Marseille Taylor

6' 2"
Fifth Year
CB
Beady Waddell V

#41 Beady Waddell V

6' 0"
Junior
LB
Andre Jackson Jr.

#4 Andre Jackson Jr.

5' 10"
Sophomore
CB
Aaron McIver

#56 Aaron McIver

6' 2"
Fifth Year
OL