Game 1: Mercer (3-1, 0-1) at VMI (1-3, 0-1) Sept. 27, 2014, Lexington, VA Week 5 Previews (10,000) 1:30 p.m 2014 Week 5 Introduction: First Meeting In The Series The final Saturday in the month of Saturday will mark the first real weekend of GAME OVERVIEW: It will be a battle of 0-1 teams in the Southern Conference on Southern Conference football, with three key Saturday when Mercer travels to VMI for a key league showdown. For the Bears, it games on tap as teams begin to get into the will ark their first Southern Conference road game, while it will mark the first Southern meat of their respective schedules. Conference home game since 2003. The Bears opened Southern Conference play back on Sept. 6, with a 25-20 loss to Furman, while the Keydets opened their Southern The game most folks around the league Conference slate last weekend with a 63-21 loss at Samford. Saturday’s contest between will have their collective eyes trained upon the two Southern Conference newcomers will mark the first-ever meeting between the Saturday will be the one in the Scenic City two schools. Saturday’s matchup between the Bears and Keydets matches the league’s between Chattanooga and Samford, who along two top offenses against each other to this point in the campaign, with the Bears leading with Furman, tied for the 2013 SoCon football the league in total offense, averaging 449.8 YPG, while VMI ranks second in the league crown, and last year’s clash in Birmingham in total offense, averaging 425.0 YPG. went right down to the wire. THE COACHES: Mercer’s Bobby Lamb and VMI’s Sparky Woods are two league Samford got league play underway last Satur- coaches in their second respective stints at Southern Conference programs, with Lamb day with a 63-21 demolition of VMI in a game having served as the head coach at Furman for nine seasons (2002-2010), winning a covered by ESPN3 last Saturday. Southern Conference title in 2004 and claimed the Southern Conference Coach of the Year honor in that very same campaign. The Bulldogs showed they will once again be an offensive juggernaut in the league, and led Lamb also presided over four Paladin teams that made FCS playoff runs while at Fur- Samford Celebrates Win Over UTC in ‘13 by running back Denzel Williams, who paced man. Lamb is now in his second season as the head coach at Mercer, having compiled a the Bulldogs on the ground with 178 rushing record of 80-43 record in his 11th season as a head coach, including a 13-3 mark as the yards and a pair of scores on just 16 carries, garnering Southern Conferene Offensive head man in Macon. Player of the Week honors in last week’s win. Back in the mid-1980s, Sparky Woods was responsible for getting the ball rolling for a Chattanooga (1-2, 0-0) and Samford (2-2, 1-0 SoCon) engaged each other in one of the sleeping giant in FCS football as the head coach of Appalachian State. In 1986, Woods Southern Conference games of the year last season, with the Bulldogs posting a 17-14 led the Mountaineers to the first of what would become 12 Southern Conference crowns. win over the Mocs. The game would be decided on a missed field goal by the Mocs, which clanged against the right upright, and would eventually prove to keep the Mocs out of the In 1987, he led the Apps to an undefeated season in league play and all the way to the postseason, extending the school’s FCS playoff drought to 29 years. FCS semifinals before Marshall came to Boone and handed the Mountaineers a 24-10 loss. It would stand as the Mountaineers’ best run in the FCS postseason until matching The loss rendered UTC’s first league title since 1984 somewhat hollow, as the Mocs did that feat 13 years later, and the program which Woods helped spark, would eventually not get to enjoy the spoils of the FCS postseason, with the lone at-large team chosen for break through and win a then unprecedented three-straight national titles from 2005-07. the FCS playoffs being Samford, while Furman took the automatic bid. During his time at the helm of the Black and Gold, Woods compiled a record of 38-19-2 That could serve as a bit of extra motivation when the Mocs host the Bulldogs in what will before moving onto to become the head coach in 1989, where he spent be the 40th meeting in what is known as the “Railway Rivalry” when the teams kick it off at five seasons, posting a 25-27-3 mark at the helm of the Gamecocks. oodsW took over 7 p.m. Saturday night at . as the head coach at VMI in 2008 and has compiled a record of 16-55 at the helm in Lexington. All told, Woods is 78-98-5 at the helm of the Keydets. The Mocs are now the only team ranked in the Southern Conferene, entering the clash ranking No. 15 in the Sports Network’s poll, while Samford is not ranked. The win by the Lamb and Woods have never faced off as head coaches on the gridiron, however, Lamb Bulldogs last season snapped what was a four-game winning streak in the rivalry by the was the signal-caller against Woods’ Appalachian State teams in both 1984 and ‘85, as Mocs. the Commerce, GA native was 1-1 against Woods during his time as a signal-caller. In 1984, the sixth-ranked Paladins were upset by Woods’ Mountaineers, 21-14, in Boone on Samford hasn’t won in the Scenic City since the Bulldogs’ first year in the league in 2008, a day that the goalposts came down at Conrad Stadium and is still what many regard as as the Bulldogs took a 30-7 win over the Mocs. Chattanooga holds a resounding lead in a program definining win and one that started the dominoes falling in the right direction the overall series, holding a 26-10-3 all-time series edge. for Appalachian State. The battle of purple will take place Saturday when Western Carolina invades Furman’s In 1985, Lamb returned the favor, downing Woods’ Mountaineers, 21-7, in Greenville. Paladin Stadium for a 3:30 p.m. kick. The game, which will be broadcasts by the American Lamb returned as an offensive assistant at Furman in 1986 and would face off against Sports Network, could be another enthralling contest, as both teams come in headed in Woods and the Apps three more times, with a 1-1-1 mark. opposite directions. The Paladins and Apps would tie, 17-17, in Boone in ‘86, while the Paladins dropped a Furman has lost two-straight coming into the clash, while Western Carolina has claimed a 16-8 decision to Woods’ eventual SoCon champion Mountaineers in 1987. In 1988--a pair of straight wins over Brevard and Catawba after opening the campaign with a narrow year which saw Furman claim its lone national title--the Paladins went to Boone and four-point loss at FBS South Florida. came away with a 24-9 win in a matchup between a pair of ranked FCS programs. The win ended a 20-game Southern Conference winning streak for the Black and Gold. In Mark Speir, who is now in his third season as the head coach in Cullowhee, is now finally total as a player and assistant coach, Lamb is 2-1-1 against Woods. starting to see things come together in harmony for his Catamounts, and the two wins has nearly matched the three wins in his first two seasons as the head coach at estern.W THE OFFENSES: Mercer enters Saturday’s contest continuing to utilize the pistol offense with some effectiveness. The Bears, who averaged over 270 rushing yards Meanwhile, Furman continues to struggle to find itself offensively this season, combining to per game last season to lead the Southern Conference, enter Saturday’s road clash in score just 14 points the past two weeks, and the Paladins have recorded just five offensive Lexington. The Bears come into Saturday’s league clash once again running the football TDs this season. The unit has struggled since losing starter Reese Hannon for the season well out of the Pistol offense, averaging 228.8 YPG on the ground this season to rank to a broken ankle in the opener against Gardner-Webb. 20th nationally.

It should be an exciting matchup for the 3:30 p.m. matchup in Greenville on Saturday Leading the Mercer offense this season has been John Russ, who has quickly estab- afternoon, as the game will televised by the American Sports Network as a part of a lished himself as a force to be reckoned with among the SoCon’s signal-callers. This sea- double-header on Saturday. son, Russ ranks third in the SoCon in total offense behind only Western’s Troy Mitchell and VMI’s Al Cobb, as he has amassed 894 yards (761 pass yds, 133 rush yds) of total The Catamounts will be looking to snap a 22-game road losing skid, while taking their first offense through the first four weeks of the season. win in Paladin Stadium since a 35-24 in Greenville back in 1994 under the direction of the very successful Steve Hodgin. All told, Russ has 10 TD responsibilities (9 passing, 1 rushing) so far this season. He comes in ranking as the the SoCon’s third-leading passer, having connected on 49-of-80 The first Southern Conference game of the day will take place in Lexington, A,V between passes for 761 yards and nine scores so far this season. VMI and Mercer, in what will be the first meeting between Mercer and VMI in series history. It’s also the two newest members of the Southern Conference, but a matchup that features The Bears also bring the league’s rushing leader into Saturday’s contest, in redshirt some old ties. freshman Alex Lakes, who has amassed 446 yards and seven scores through the first four games of the season, averaging a whopping 7.7 YPC. Bobby Lamb and Sparky Woods have both won league championships before at different schools, but the last time Lamb faced the Woods was as a quarterback at Furman, when Mercer’s top receiving threat entering Saturday’s league road opener has been J.T. Woods was busy awakening the FCS sleeping giant at Appalachian State. Stay tuned to Palmer, who ranks sixth in the SoCon in receptions, having hauled in 18 catches for 239 Saturday Blitz for more previews coming up later today. Enjoy the VMI-Mercer preview. yards and three scores in through the first four weeks. sack. Tight end Robert Brown is also a valuable option in the passing game for the Bears, having caught eight passes for 120 yards and a pair of scores, ranking second on the All told, Williams has 15 tackles, three TFLs and a sack in 2014. Lockett has also been team in receiving. key on the perimeter for the Bears with his speed and ability to close on the edge, and he enters Saturday’s clash with Keydets set to make his third start of the season after On the offensive line, the Bears have endured some injuries, but expect to get back left missing the past couple of weeks due to injury. He comes in having made four stops in guard Wilson Heres this week, who is MU’s best player along the offensive front. The those two outings. offensive line for the Bears has helped Mercer rank 20th nationally with a league-lead- ing 449.8 YPG this season. The Bears also rank second in the league in scoring Rounding out the Mercer defense is a talented secondary, which has seen improvement offense, averaging 39.0 PPG. with each passing week this season and currently ranks fourth in the SoCon against the pass (173.0 YPG) this season. The Keydets will obviously present one of the greatest In Bobby Lamb’s 16 games as head coach at Mercer, the Bears are 13-0 when scoring challenges to that unit this season, entering the clash with league’s top passing attack, 30 or more points in a game, and 0-3 when being held below 30 points, including a averaging 292.0 YPG. 25-20 loss to Furman to open Southern Conference play back on Sept. 6. Leading the secondary this season for the Bears has been free safety Lendell Arnold, VMI enters with a top-flight offense of its own, and one that comes in ranking eighth who has gotten off to a strong start in 2014, posting 16 tackles and a PBU through the nationally in passing offense, as the Keydets have averaged 292.0 YPG through the air first four weeks of the season. this season, led by freshman quarterback Al Cobb. Joining him at safety for the Orange and Black at strong safety will be Mike Gray (11 Cobb has been outstanding for the Red ad Gold this fall, having connected on 66.9% tackles, 1 PBU), while All-SoCon candidate Alex Avant (14 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 5 PBUs, (89-of-133) of his throws this season for 987 yards with five TD passes to go along with 1 INT) and Jeremy James (12 tackles, 4 PBUs, 1 FR) are slated to hold down the three picks. cornerback positions. Cobb has had several solid targets to pick from in the passing game this season, Avant’s five PBUs lead the league this season, and as a team, the Bears lead the league but leading the way this season has been the conferene’s receiving yardage leader, with five picks so far this season. in Aaron Sanders, who has caught 23 passes for 378 yards and a TD this season, averaging 16.4 YPR. Mercer’s defense is surrendering 22.0 PPG so far this season, which ranks the Bears 37th nationally entering the clash with the Keydets. In fact, the league’s top two receivers in terms of receiving yards, wear the VMI Red and Gold, with Doug Burton ranking second in the league in receiving yards, hauling VMI has struggled on the defensive side of the football this season, ranking 110th in FCS in 16 passes for 293 yards and a pair of scores this season. Burton is averaging an in total defense (511.8 YPG) so far in 2014, and the Keydets have really struggled to impressive 18.3 YPR in 2014. stop the run this season, ranking 112th against the run (283.2 YPG). VMI’s attack has been balanced as well, with the Keydets entering Saturday’s SoCon The Keydets come into the matchup employing the 3-4 defensive alignment, which will home opener ranked sixth-best rush offense, averaging 133.0 YPG. Leading that attack obviously be familiar to the Mercer offense. Defensive end John Washington (9 tackles, this season has been Deon Watts, who comes in ranking sixth in league in rushing 1.5 TFL, 0.5 sack) will anchor the defensive front, teaming with both nose tackle Joe Nel- to this point in the 2014 season, having rushed for 280 yards and a pair of scores, son (6 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1 PBU) and Amon-Ra Clay (7 tackles, 1.0 TFL), which rounds averaging 4.7 YPC. out the starting three along the defensive front for the Red and Gold. Through the first four games, VMI has struggled to keep pressure off of Cobb, which is The top player on the VMI defense entering Saturday afternoon’s clash in Lexington will the nature of a spread option, passing-oriented offense. The Keydets have surrendered be Logan Staib, who will patrol the perimeter of the Keydet defense, is an all-conference six sacks through the first four weeks. caliber linebacker. All told, VMI comes into Saturday’s home clash with the Bears averaging 425.0 YPG, Staib comes into Saturday’s contest having posted 15 stops, with a pair of tackles-for- which ranks 33rd nationally and second to only Mercer in the SoCon. The Keydets also loss and a sack, while having also broke up a pass this season. rank fifth in the SoCon in scoring offense, averaging 29.5 PPG. Inside linebaker Darnell Ashton comes in leading the Keydets’ defense coming into THE DEFENSES: Mercer enters Saturday’s contest utilizing an odd front defense, as Saturday, having posted 27 tackles, three tackles-for-loss and has forced a fumble this the Bears utilize a 3-4 alignment on the defensive side of the football. The Bears come season. in allowing 359.0 YPG this season, ranking fourth in the Southern Conference as well as 37th in FCS in total defense. The Keydets have been a little better at stopping the pass this season, with VMI coming into their home league opener, ranking 77th in in pass defense this One thing the Bears have utilized on the defensive side of the football under the season, surrendering 228.5 YPG through the air. direction of Bobby Lamb the past couple of seasons has been defensive speed. It all starts up front with Mercer’s defensive line, which is led by Tunde Ayinla at one of the The VMI secondary is being paced cornerback James Fruehan, who comes into the defensive end positions. contest ranking second on VMI’s statistical ledger in tackles this season, with 24 stops. In addition to his tackles total, Fruehan has also racked up 1.5 TFL and has an INT this So far this season, Ayinla has racked up 17 tackles, 3.5 TFL and a sack. Ayinla, who season. is the Bears’ most-talented and athletic player along the defensive front, will team with Cody Jones (11 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 FR) along the front, while set to start at FINAL PREDICTION: Coming into the season, I felt like this is one game that was nose tackle on Saturday afternoon will be Bret Niederreither (9 tackles, 0.5 sack), who important for both clubs, but it now looks clearly like Bobby Lamb’s Bears will be able has been one of the unsung heroes of the Mercer defense to this point in the 2014 to not only compete in the Southern Conference in the Bears’ inaugural season in the season. league, but might actually be able to even compete for a league title. It’s really hard to tell so far since the Bears have only had the one Southern Conference game, which was The Bears bring one of the more talented linebacking units in the SoCon to Lexington a 25-20 loss at home to Furman at MU Stadium a couple of weeks ago. That being said, for Saturday’s clash with Keydets, led in the middle by Tyler Ward, who is once again it will also be a different test on Saturday against the Keydets, with it being the pressure leading the Mercer defense in tackles, having amassed 41 tackles so far this season, of a Southern Conference road game for the first time in league history for Lamb’s team. which is 22 more tackles than the next highest Bear in total tackles, which is fellow I think the home surroundings will be enough to keep the Keydets in the game, but I look inside linebacker Devin Davison, who has totaled 19 stops so far this season. for Mercer’s pistol offense to be too much for the Keydets to handle, as Sparky Woods’ Keydets drop to 0-2 in league play with a close home loss. Mercer 42, VMI 31 Additionally, Ward has added an interception, which came in Mercer’s first-ever game as a Southern Conference member against Furman, and the hometown Macon product has also produced 1.5 TFL this season. Davison has added a forced fumble and a Game 2: W. Carolina (2-1, 0-0) at Furman (2-2, 1-0) pass breakup to his 19 stops this fall. Ward’s 41 tackles ranks him tied for fourth in the Sept. 27, 2014, Greenville, S.C. league in total stops this season. Paladin Stadium (16,000) 3:30 p.m. Outside linebacker was hit by a significant injury before the season ever got underway Furman leads series 29-10-2 for the Bears, when All-SoCon candidate and maybe the Bears’ top player on the defensive side of the football went down with a season-ending injury which required surgery during the final week of fall camp, in Tosin Aguebor. Game Overview: The battle of purple is set to commence Saturday in Greenville in a game, which finds both teams heading in opposite directions coming into the Though Aguebor could have certainly been used, the Bears have fared pretty well at matchup, with the Paladins having lost a pair of games to PC (10-7) and SC State (17-7) the position all things considered. the past two weeks, as the offense continues to struggle for the Paladins since losing starter Reese Hannon for the season to a broken ankle in the season-opening win over Corey Lockett and Kyle Williams have done an excellent job of manning the bandit and Gardner-Webb. SAM linebacker positions so far this season. Williams has been a pleasant surprise for the Bears, who replaced the injured Aguebor, and he really showed how much he The matchup between the two is one rich in history, with the Catamounts and Paladins could disrupt the offensive flow of an opponent in Mercer’s SoCon opener a couple having engaged in some real classics over the years. However, over the past couple of of weeks ago against the Paladins, producing four tackles, two tackles-for-loss and a decades, the Paladins have had their way with the Catamounts, having won 18 of the Western Carolina at Furman Preview Without question, Western Carolina comes in with the best corps of wide receivers the continued Paladins have faced to date this season, and one of the best they will see the entire campaign. The Catamounts returned the top wideout in the Southern Conference of the past 21 meetings between the two pro- coming into the season, in Karnorris Benson, who was forced to miss the first two games grams, dating back to 1994. Western Carolina’s of the 2014 season as a result of an academic issue with the NCAA. last win in Greenville came way back in 1994, as the Catamounts were 35-24 victory over the Paladins. Benson has yet to make a grab this season, but the Paladins know all-too-well about the problems that can be caused by Benson, who had two catches for 64 yards, including a No fan on either side will soon forget the 1983 meeting between the Paladins and 55-yard scoring reception against the Paladins last season. Catamounts, which was the biggest matchup in the history of the series, as Western Carolina was able to claim a 14-7 win in Greenville in a defensive struggle, and the Benson led the SoCon in TD receptions last season, with 12, while ranking second in goalposts would come down at Paladin Stadium, as the Catamounts would erupt in wild receiving yards, with 834 yards on 51 catches. For his career, Benson has hauled in 70 celebration. passes for 1,183 yards and 13 TDs. It was a game that allowed Western to make its only national title appearance. Earlier Another receiver that has made plays in the passing game for the Catamounts this that season, the Catamounts and Paladins, who both tied for the Southern Conference season is Palmetto State product Spearman Robinson. crown, tied in another defensive battle, 17-17. In Benson’s absence, Robinson, who sat out last year due to suspension, has already Furman has won six-straight Southern Conference games coming into the clash, dating made his mark in 2014 for the Catamounts, as the former Greenwood High School back to a 31-9 loss to Chattanooga on Oct. 12, 2013. Meanwhile, the Catamounts have standout has hauled in 13 passes for 145 yards and a pair of scores this season, a streak of 22-straight road losses. averaging 11.2 YPR. Furman has struggled mightily on the offensive side of the football since Hannon went As a freshman wideout for the Purple and Gold a couple of years ago, Robinson caught down with his injury, having posted just five offensive scores this season. The Paladins 36 passes for 376 yards and a score, garnering SoCon All-Freshman accolades. At have surrendered 12 sacks through the first four games. Elon handed Furman a 28-25 6-4, 215-lbs, Robinson will present a physical presence at receiver, which is one factor setback in its SoCon home opener last season. It also marks the Paladins’ last loss in the Paladins haven’t faced regularly since the opener against Gardner-Webb, in Kenny front of the home folks. Cook. Robinson’s two scoring catches leads the team.

COACHES: Western Carolina head coach Mark Speir is in his third season as the head The leading target in the passing game for Mitchell in 2014 has been sophomore Terryon coach at Western Carolina, where he has compiled a record of 5-21 in now his third Robinson. season, and the Catamounts have already recorded a pair of wins this season, posting victories over Division II members Catawba (35-17) and Brevard (42-21) so far this The 5-11, 185-lb speedy receiver from Decatur, GA, comes into the league clash with the season, while dropping a heartbreaker to South Florida (35-31) in the season opener. Paladins leading the SoCon in receptions (21) and ranks third in receiving yards (211). Robinson has hauled in one TD this season in the opener against South Florida, hauling Speir is now at his third Southern Conference program, having also spent time at former in a 14-yard pass from Mitchell with nine seconds to play in the 36-31 loss. members Appalachian State (2003-11) and Elon (2000-2002) in assistant roles, but he is in his second stint as a member of the Catamount coaching staff having spent time Last season, Robinson burst onto the scene as one of the SoCon’s top young wideouts, on former Catamount head coach Steve Hodgin’s staff from 1991-96. He served in roles hauling in 41 passes for 562 yards and a pair of scores. as the lineabackers coach, running backs coach and recruiting coordinator under the direction of Hodgin. Willie Police also returns as a top target, and one of the best young receivers in the So- Con. Last season, Police was effective, as the Marietta, GA, product posted 40 catched Speir has ties to the Upstate of South Carolina, beginning his career as a student for 367 yards. assistant under Danny Ford at Clemson from 1986-89. Speir helped the Tigers to three ACC titles in four seasons. This season, Police has gotten out of the gates fast this season, having hauled in 20 passes for 180 yards and a TD, averaging 9.0 yards-per-reception. Speir was an easy pick to replace Dennis Wagner, who ran into some hard luck due to injuries in each of his four seasons, and Wagner had no real recruiting connections to Tight end was one of the few positions on the offensive side of the football, which was the Southeast, coming to Cullowhee from Nebraska. a bit of a concern coming into the campaign for the Catamounts, but three tight ends Speir’s strength during his time as an assistant were his relationships developed during returned to the fold which saw action in that role last season. his time at Western, Appalachian and Elon as a recruiter and is now widely regarded as the SoCon’s best recruiter. The leading candidate to start on Saturday afternoon against the Paladins is Michael Helms, Jr., who was a SoCon All-Freshman selection last season and comes into Sat- Having said that, Speir also is a great X’s and O’s head coach, and has assembled an urday’s contest against the Paladins having hauled in three passes for 16 yards so far excellent coaching staff, highlighted plenty of former Mountaineer coaches and players. this season. The Catamounts could also enlist the services of sophomore Tyler Sexton, One of the newest additions to the staff is defensive coordinator Shawn Quinn, who who gives the Catamount offense more of a blocking presence in the lineup. Sexton saw came to Western from Charleston Southern prior to the 2013, and the Catamounts have action in eight games last season with a pair of starts. made significant strides since Quinn’s arrival in the valley. Over the last eight seasons, one of the aspects of the Catamount offense that has seen Speir has helped Western to a 2-1 start, and a win on Saturday against the Paladins its share of struggles has been the offensive line, however, that struggle was due in large would see the Catamounts off to their best start since 2005, which was the last time the part to an uncanny amount of injuries along the offensive front in recent seasons and is Catamounts defeated the Paladins. not necessarily due to a lack of talent, but more of a lack of depth. Furman is under the direction of Bruce Fowler, who is one of two head coaches in the However, the culture has begun to change for the better under the direction of offensive league to call his employer his alma mater, as he is joined by Chattanooga’s Russ line coach John Holt, who enjoyed a standout career as a player at Appalachian State Huesman in that category. from 2004-07. This season, the Catamounts rank 36th nationally and third in the SoCon in total offense, averaging 414.7 YPG. In his fourth season, Fowler has recorded a 19-21 record as the head coach of the Pala- dins, which includes an eight-win season last fall, as the Paladins finished the campaign The Cats have also done a decent job of protecting Mitchell this season, allowing him with a share of their 13th Southern Conference crown, which is more than any Southern to be sacked just five quarterback takedowns this season. Four of five starters are back Conference program. along the offensive front from a year ago, which was a unit that continued to improve as the season progressed, and by the time the Catamounts met Furman, the unit was The Offenses: Western Carolina enters Saturday afternoon’s contest with one of the playing exceptionally well. most dynamic offenses in the Southern Conference. Leading that Catamount offense is may-be the league’s most versatile, dual-threat quarterback, in Troy Mitchell. Leading WCU up front coming into Saturday night will be preseason Second Team All-SoCon pick Josh Wineberg, who is also the most experienced player up front. Wine- So far this season, Mitchell has connected on 76-of-109 passes for 738 yards, with four berg will start at right tackle, while another experienced veteran, Hunter Kirby, will start at scoring strikes without an INT. As a rushing threat, Mitchell has amassed 122 yards left tackle. Kirby has seen action in 22 games over the past couple of campaigns. and a pair of scores. Mitchell has done well since becoming the lone quarterback in this offense, after having shared the position with Eddie Sullivan last season. Ethan James and Tyler Philpott will assume the left and right guard positions, while Jake Thornton is in his second season as a starter at center after transferring in from Mitchell has plenty of offensive weapons at his disposal coming into Saturday’s contest Carson-Newman. at Paladin Stadium, with Darius Ramsey being a key threat in the backfield. Ramsey comes into contest having rushed for 202 yards and a pair of scores this season. The Catamounts will operate out of the spread on Saturday, and it will be an offense Ramsey recorded a 116-yard rushing effort against the Paladins last season, which was that is predicated on establishing the run even though the Catamounts have the most a season-high. talented receiving corps in the Southern Conference entering the league clash Saturday. The 180-lb native of Waco, N.C., has improved with each season, and he enters Satur- day’s matchup having rushed for 1,270 yards. on Saturday. He will joined up front by two other regulars from a year ago, in veterans Western Carolina at Furman Preview Charles Emert at right tackle, and Joe Turner at right guard. Turner, Emert and Phillips continued have combined to start 78 games foe the Paladins, with Emert, a native of Statesboro, GA, having logged a team-high 33 career starts. The Paladins, as mentioned earlier in the preview, have struggled offensively this season, and the Harrison Monk (LT) and Jackson Buonomia (C) are the two new starters up front this sea- Paladins come in ranking near the bottom of the Southern Conference in most offensive son along the front, with Monk having some absolutely huge shoes to fill, replacing maybe statistical categories entering the clash of Purple. the best left tackle to ever play at Furman, in current New York Jet Dakota Dozier.

The Paladins in averaging just 13.5 PPG, with the most points they have scored this The Defenses: Another area of big-time improvement for the Cataounts this season season coming in their Southern Conference opener, as Furman posted 25 points in a 25- has been the Purple and Gold defense, and though it might not necessarily show it in 20 win over Mercer. The Paladins average just 295 yards of total offense per outing, and a the numbers, the Catamounts re doing it much the way Furman did last year, which is by mere 96.5 YPG on the ground, which are totals that could yield the worst offense in school turning people over. Coming into Saturday’s clash with the Paladins, Western ranks 60th history should the trend continue. nationally in total defense, surrendering 383.0 YPG this season. However, the Paladins have the potential to be explosive should they get things together In the SoCon’s weekly press conference, Western Carolina head coach Mark Speir was along the offensive front, which has been Furman’s biggest offensive obstacle to overcome quick to point out the importance of the off-week for the Catamounts last week, as they this season. But the Paladins are starting to get healthy along the offensive front, as Tank were able to get some key players back on the defensive line for the Furman game. Williams returned last week, but the Paladins struggled more than any other game to date this season, gaining just 272 yards of total offense, including just 68 rushing yards. One of the most improved aspects of the WCU defense this season has been the defen- sive line, which has been a severe deficiency in recent seasons. Stop the run up front has The Paladins have yet to threaten the 400-yard mark on the offensive side of the football been priority No. 1 for this Catamount defense. this season, and each of the past two weeks, the Paladins have posted sub-300-yard performances. It starts with the play at the respective defensive end positions for the Catamounts, which is led by a pair of veteran defensive ends, in John McBeth and Caleb Hawkins will be the Despite all that, the Paladins still have the weapons to be an offense that could get the players to watch along the defensive front as of what is an athletic and active Catamount season turned around the Paladins, and it starts with quarterback Dillon Woodruff, who has front. come in for Reese Hannon and has done an excellent job stepping into the lineup under center given the circumstances. Hawkins will be making his 15th-consecutive start Saturday, and this season has pro- duced 13 stops, including three behind the line of scrimmage. McBeth comes in having Woodruff will be making his first start under center for the Paladins in front of the home made three stops this season, and will be making his third start of the season Saturday folks Saturday, and will go for his second win against Southern Conference competition on against the Paladins. Defensive tackle Kevin Ume has put up some of the best numbers Saturday. This season, the redshirt freshman from Christiana, TN, has completed 47-of-91 on the WCU defensive front this season, having registered nine tackles, a tackle-for-loss passes for 574 yards with a pair of scores and two INTs. and a forced fumble. Woodruff also enters the contest as one of Furman’s leading ground threats, ranking third Western brings one of the more underrated linebacking units in the SoCon into Saturday’s on the team in rushing to this point on the campaign, as he has rushed for 87 yards on 43 contest, and the player that anchors the talented, athletic unit for the Purple and Gold rush attempts this season. is junior Sertonuse Harris, who was a preseason First-Team All-SoCon selection. Like Furman’s own Marcus McMorris, Harris has made the successful conversion from being Woodruff will have good company in the Paladin backfield, with both preseason All-SoCon an all-conference safety to being one of the best linebackers in the Southern Conference. running back Hank McCloud and newcomer Antonio Wilcox sharing duties in the Paladin ground attack. In three starts this season, Harris has made 12 tackles, a tackle-for-loss, intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble. He’s maybe the most athletic and most complete player on Wilcox leads the Paladins in rushing to this point in 2014, having gained 129 yards on 33 the Catamount defense. OLB Christion Gill (27 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1.0 sack) and redshirt rushes this season, averaging 3.9 YPC. McCloud has 111 yards and a TD on 30 carries freshman MLB Daniel Riddle (24 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 2 FFs) round out the starting this season, averaging 3.7 YPC this season. McCloud has the lone rushing score of the trio at linebacker for the Catamounts heading into Saturday. season, which came in the Southern Conference opening win over Mercer. Gill is one of the veteran leaders of this defense, and he came into the season as the In the win over the Catamounts last season, the Paladins broke out to rush for 268 yards player that most of the younger players on the defensive side of the ball looked up to. He on the ground. If they were able to achieve that total against the Catamounts on Saturday, was the team’s leading returning tackler, having made 101 stops last season. iit would be only 119 yards less than the 386 yards that Furman has gained on the ground through the first four games this season. The secondary is one of the most talented in the Southern Conference, led by Ace Clark, who could find himself on an several All-America scrolls at season’s end. Clark currently The Paladins have gotten some good production out of the passing attack this season, leads the Catamounts in tackles, having made 32 tackles, a pair of tackles-for-loss and with newcomers like Logan McCarter (2 rec, 63 yds, 1 TD, 31.5 YPR) and Chad Scott (9 has an INT. Clark needs just six tackles Saturday to eclipse the 300-tackle total for his rec, 130 yds, 14.4 YPR)stepping up to make some big plays when the offense has needed standout career. them to through the struggles in the first four games. Clark will team with Bryson Jordan (7 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1 FF) at safety on Saturday. Jordan Snellings enters Saturday’s contest as the Paladins’ leading pass-catcher, having Jordan is coming off a season which saw him garner SoCon All-Freshman accolades last hauled in 19 passes for 205 yards and a score, while tight end Duncan Fletcher has season. added 17 catches for 202 yards (11.9 YPR) to rank as the second-leading wideout for the Paladins this season. Rounding out the WCU defense slated to start in Greenville Saturday are Fred Payne (11 tackles), who will be making his fourth-career start (all this season) against the Paladins, Andrej Suttles (158 receiving yards) has yet to really have that big springboard game while veteran Trey Morgan (7 tackles, 1 INT) will hold down the other corner spot, as he this season, and the Paladins could use a big play in the passing game from the redshirt has started all 15 games he has suited up in as a Catamount. sophomore wideout, which would help most assuredly find his stride that he had down the stretch last season. Furman brings a defense into the matchup that is on pace to be one of the best in school history, and it starts up front for what few would argue to be the top defensive line in the To say Furman’s offensive line has struggled to this point in the season would be a huge league. The Paladins will utilize a 4-2-5 defensive alignment. understatement. However, it’s more due to lack of cohesion than lack of ability. Offensive iline coach Scott Smouse is one of the best OL coaches in the SoCon and in FCS football, It starts with head-hunting defensive end Gary Wilkins, who seemingly willed the Paladins and the first four weeks of the season have been as trying for him as much as anyone on to wins over Gardner-Webb and Mercer the first two weeks, as the offense struggled. The the Paladin coaching staff. Paladin defense clearly feeds of the high motor of Wilkins, who makes plays all over the field, and has three career TDs (two INT returns/1 fumble return). The Paladins have three starters back from the offensive line that was in Cullowhee a year ago, which helped Furman escape with a 32-20 win in Cullowhee. The All-America and Buck Buchanan Award worth candidate leads a defense surrendering just 12.5 PPG and 247.5 YPG this season. Furman also leads the league with 14 sacks In that game, the Paladins would post 412 yards of total offense, including 268 on the through the first four weeks. ground.In fact, since gaining 417 yards in the home regular-season finale win over ofW - ford, which helped the Paladins clinch the SoCon regular-season title, the Paladins have As far is Wilkins is concerned, he has posted 22 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks, an INT not reached the 400-yard mark in total offense in any game. It’s a streak that spans six return for a score, forced two fumbles and has a pass breakup this season. For his career, games, which has seen the Paladins fail to reach the 400-yard mark. Wilkins has 26 TFL and 12 sacks in just his second season as a defensive end. He started his career as an outside linebacker for the Paladins. The Paladins have now gone five-straight games without reaching the 200-yard rushing mark as a team, which dates back to the FCS playoff win over SC State last season, as Teaming with Wilkins at the other defensive end position will be senior Ira McCune who, the Purple and White rolled up 216 yards on the ground in a win over the Bulldogs. like Wilkins, has had a great past couple of seasons. He has 10 tackles, 4.5 TFL and a pair of sacks through the first four games this season. The Western Carolina game last year also marked the game in which Paladin offensive lineman Tank Phillips suffered a season-ending leg injury last season, and on Saturday, The Paladins might even be deeper at defensive tackle, with junior John Mackey (13 he will be making just his second start since that injury, which will come at left guard tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 FF) and redshirt freshman DeAndre Thornton (11 tackles, Western Carolina at Furman Preview continued 2.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks), who will be making his third start at defensive tackle on Saturday. The linebacker positions for the Paladins will be occupied by All-SoCon candidate Cory Magwood, who will patrol the middle of the Paladin defense, and is an excellent funda- mental tackler, excelling at coming up and making plays against the run. Magwood enters Saturday afternoon’s clash as the SoCon’s leading tackler, with 49 tackles and a pair of tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Magwood will team with Byron Johnson (19 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1.0 sack), who steps into the lineup at linebacker in the middle of the Paladin defense after Cory Rider was lost for the season to a torn labrum. Set to start at nickel on Saturday afternoon for Furman will be Marcus McMorris. The preseason All-SoCon selection and All-America candidate is yet another veteran leader on the defensive side of the ball for the Paladins, and has four-career TD returns, with three via the interception and one on a fumble return. Two years ago, McMorris picked off a pass and returned it 52 yards for a score. Through the first four games this season, McMorris has 20 tackles, two TFL and one of the team’s two INTs this season. He will team with Trey Robinson (20 tackles, 3 PBUs, 1 FR) and Rodney Anderson (17 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1 PBU) at the respective safety positions, with Robinson set to start at the free safety position, while Anderson will start at the strong safety spot. Both Robinson and Anderson bring the noise on defense and should have more chances to make big hits on Saturday, with the Catamounts putting the ball in the air often. Rounding out the defense will be cornerback, with maybe the league’s top lockdown cor- ner Reggie Thomas (14 tackles, 3 PBUs) slated to start at one of the corner spots, while one of the league’s up-and-coming talents, in Jamarri Milliken (8 tackles, 1 PBU, 1 FR, 1 FF, 1 FR) slated to start at the other spot. Milliken is one of the most active players on the Furman defense, and he is a playmaker.

FINAL PREDICTION:For Western Carolina head coach Mark Speir and the Catamounts, Paladin Stadium becomes a proving ground for the Purple and Gold on Saturday. It’s a venue that has seen few Catamount successes over the years, but the ones it has seen, such as the 1983 win to advance to the national title game, are etched in the memory of its fanbase’s collective memory banks. Saturday gives the Catamounts yet another oppor- tunity to show the fruits of hard work that this team has undertaken under it’s highly-skilled and intelligent coaching staff, while once again proving to themselves they belong to be mentioned among the SoCon’s elite. For Furman, it’s a chance to right the wrongs of the past two weeks and gain a new perspective on the season with a win, while getting its focus clearly on the SoCon title chase for a second-straight season. But to do that, Furman’s offense at some point has to gain some confidence and must at least perform at an average pace to enable to this ultra talented defense to carry the Paladins to a win. At some point, all things will come together for the Paladins, but I am afraid that won’t be Saturday, as the Catamounts get their first win in Greenville since 1994. Western Carolina 17, Furman 16