WESTERN CAROLINA CATAMOUNT FOOTBALL 2019 GAME NOTES FOOTBALL CONTACT: Daniel Hooker /// OFFICE: 828.227.2339 /// CELL: 828.508.2494 /// EMAIL: [email protected] WESTERN CAROLINA ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS /// RAMSEY CENTER – 92 CATAMOUNT ROAD /// @CATAMOUNTS /// CATAMOUNTSPORTS.COM • wcu quick facts • GAME #4: CHATTANOOGA MOCS (1-3, 0-0 SoCon) vs WESTERN CAROLINA CATAMOUNTS (1-2, 0-1 SoCon) Location: ................................................. Cullowhee, N.C., 28723 Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019 • 4:00 pm • Chattanooga, Tenn. • Finley Stadium / Davenport Field (20,668) ..............................................................................................Pronounced “KULL - uh - whee” Founded: ...............................................................................1889 Enrollment: ..........................................................................11,639 GAME COVERAGE: WESTERN CAROLINA ................................................................. Catamounts Nickname: TV BROADCAST: Head Coach: Mark Speir ..................................................................... Purple & Gold Colors: TALENT: Chris Goforth (pxp) & Scott McMahan (analyst) Stadium: .......................................E.J. Whitmire Stadium (13,790) Record at WCU: 30-53, 8th yr Catamount Sports Network Field: .......................... Bob Waters Field (Desso Challenge Pro 2) RADIO: Career Record: same Affiliation: ........... NCAA Div. I – Championship Subdivision (FCS) TALENT: Gary Ayers, Daniel Hooker, Jeff Bryson, & Greg McLamb Conference: ....................................................................Southern ONLINE AUDIO: CatamountSports.com CHATTANOOGA Chancellor: ........................................................Dr. Kelli R. Brown TWITTER: @Catamounts, @CatamountsFB Head Coach: Rusty Wright Athletics Director: ................. Randy Eaton (UT-San Antonio, ‘90) SERIES HISTORY: WCU trails 17-28-0 (L–1) Record at UTC: 1-3, 1st yr FOOTBALL HISTORY: In Cullowhee, N.C.: ..........................WCU trails 10-13; MR: L, 26-6 (2018) Career Record: same First Year of Football: ............................................................1931 In Chattanooga, Tenn. .......................WCU trails 7-15; MR: W, 45-7 (2017) Seasons of Football: ............................................................. 86th All-Time / SoCon Record: .........344-506-23 (.409) / 113-184-3 (.389) 2019 CATAMOUNT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE / RESULTS NCAA Postseason Appearances (Div. I): ............................. 2 (1) Postseason Record (Div. I): ............................................3-2 (3-1) DATE OPPONENT SITE TIME/RESULT TV NOTES Best Finish: ...........1983 National Finalist (lost 43-7 to So. Illinois) AUG. 31 MERCER * CULLOWHEE L, 49-27 Nexstar / E+ MER scored 28 pts, 219 yds on 4 plays; 28 pt., 2nd qtr in win Last Appearance: ..................................................................1983 2018 Record: ..................................... 3-8 (Home: 2-3 | Away: 1-5) Sept. 7 at N.C. State Raleigh, N.C. L, 41-0 RSN / FSS Ground game, 21 2nd qtr points led the Pack over WCU 2018 SoCon Record (Finish): ..........1-7 (8th) (Home: 1-3 | Away: 0-4) SEPT. 14 NORTH GREENVILLE CULLOWHEE W, 20-17 ESPN+ Lightning delayed start; C. Bardall with GW 6-yd TD late in 4th qtr WCU FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF: Sept. 21 BYE WEEK Head Coach: ..................................... Mark Speir (Clemson, 1990) Sept. 28 at Chattanooga * Chattanooga, Tenn. 4:00 pm ESPN+ WCU has lost 9 of last 10 in series; won last meeting at UTC in '17 • Head Coaching Record at WCU: ..................30-53, 18-37 SoCon OCT. 5 GARDNER-WEBB CULLOWHEE 3:30 PM ESPN+ Catamounts have won 4-straight in series dating back to 2010 • Overall Record: ...................................................................Same Oct. 12 at The Citadel * Charleston, S.C. 2:00 pm ESPN3 WCU is 4-6 in last 10 meetings; won in Charleston in 2017 ASSISTANT COACHES / S U P P O R T STAFF Oct. 19 at Wofford * Spartanburg, S.C. 1:30 pm Nexstar / E+ WCU has dropped 3-straight; WOF rallied from a 20-7 deficit in '18 John Wiley (East Texas State, 1984) ............Defense Coord. / ILBs OCT. 26 FURMAN * CULLOWHEE 3:30 PM ESPN3 Tyrie Adams tossed 5 TD passes last year; WCU's Homecoming Tyler Carlton (Tulsa, 2009) .................. co-Offensive Coord. / WRs John Holt (Appalachian, 2008)...............co-Offensive Coord. / OL Nov. 2 at VMI * Lexington, Va. 1:30 pm ESPN+ WCU looks to extend 16-game series win streak, 7-straight @VMI Mark Rhea (Toledo, 1991)................AHC / Recruiting Coord. / OLB NOV. 9 ETSU * CULLOWHEE 3:30 PM Nexstar / E+ WCU dropped 3-OT thriller at ETSU in '18; slim series lead, 24-23-1 Keith Henry (Catawba, 1989) .....................SpTms Coord. / Nickels NOV. 16 SAMFORD * CULLOWHEE 2:00 PM ESPN+ Catamounts have won last two series meetings in Cullowhee Arketa Banks (Elon, 2003) ..............................................RBs & TEs Nov. 23 at Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala. TBA TBA Regular season finale; WCU is 0-4 vs. the Tide; 1st mtg since 2014 Phillip Ely (Toledo, 2016) ..........................................................QBs Tripp Weaver (East Carolina, 2012)..........Pass Game Coord. / DBs * denotes Southern Conference game /// All times listed are Eastern Reuben Wright (Catawba, 1994) ................................................ DL Deane Cheatham (James Madison, 2015)............. Def. Asst. / CBs • WCU has had three, seven-win seasons over its last five Al Degraffenreid (Western Carolina, 2017) .....................Asst. WRs A WESTERN CAROLINA WIN WOULD: years under head coach Mark Speir ... the 7-5 record in Nich Mashburn (Western Carolina, 2013) ........Dir. of Football Ops • Give WCU its first consecutive victories since winning 2014 was WCU's first winning mark since 2005 (5-4) and Justin Speros (Clemson, 2017) ....... Dir. of Scouting / Quality Control three-straight to open the 2018 season; the most victories by a Catamount team since 2001 (7-4); Evan Barr (Tennessee, 2008) ............ Dir. of Athletic Performance Steven Honbarger (Appalachian, 2001) .... Dir. of Sports Medicine • Represent back-to-back series wins for WCU over • Last year, the Catamounts were hot out of the gate by Mike Taylor .....................................Athletics Equipment Manager Chattanooga in games played at Finley Stadium mark- winning their first three games before dropping eight- Sandy Neuenschwander ...........Football Administrative Assistant ing the first time since 1992 (W, 44-13) & 1993 (W, 41-10); straight ... Of the eight-consecutive losses, WCU dropped WESTERN CAROLINA MEDIA RELATIONS INFORMATION: • Halt WCU's eight-game winless drought in Southern TWO by six points or fewer and held double-digit leads in Asst. AD/Media Relations (FB Contact): .................Daniel Hooker Conference play that includes seven-straight to end the FOUR games – 14 at Mercer (L, 59-46), 15 at #25 ETSU (L • Email Address: [email protected] 2018 season and this year's opener vs. Mercer; in 3OT, 45-43), 14 vs. The Citadel (L, 38-24), and 13 vs. No. • Office / Cell Phone: ................ (828) 227-2339 / (828) 508-2494 14 Wofford (L, 38-23); • Give head coach Mark Speir his 31st career victory at Director of Media Relations (Secondary FB): ........Steven Grandy the helm in Cullowhee ... It would tie him with his for- • WCU has 14 players making 2019 their senior season – • Email Address: ..................................... [email protected] EIGHT players on offense and SIX on defense; Director of Media Relations: ...................................Denise Gideon mer mentor Steve Hodgin (31, 1990-96) for fourth on the • Email Address: [email protected] WCU career coaching chart. • WCU returned 15 out of a possible 25 starters between its Director of Video Operations: .................................. Noah Sautter A WESTERN CAROLINA LOSS WOULD: offense, defense, and special teams ... That includes SIX • Email Address: [email protected] starters on offense,SEVEN on defense, and TWO back on • Represent consecutive losses to Chattanooga in the Video Operations Assistant: ................................Doug Thompson special teams in specialist starters ... Combined, WCU has head-to-head series – and a 10th loss in last 11 series Football Press Box Phone: ......................................(828) 227-2116 36 total returning letter winners from 2018, nearly equaled meetings dating back to 2009; Athletics Mailing & Overnight Address: ..................WCU Athletics with 32 newcomers and 22 players that took redshirts; 92 Catamount Road – Ramsey Center • Be a ninth-straight loss in Southern Conference play Cullowhee, N.C. 28723 dating back to last season for the Catamounts. • A combined 16 Western Carolina football players SHARE a LAST name – none of which are related: CATAMOUNT QUICK SLANTS: HARRIS ...............................Alan (LB), Christian (DL), Ty (LB) • Western Carolina’s 2019 roster includes a combined 56 JOHNSON ................ Dawson (OL), Kaleb (WR), Roman (DL) players from the state of North Carolina ... Georgia is sec- JONES ...............................Reggie (DB), Trent (OL), Will (QB) ond with 19, followed by South Carolina (15), Florida (6), MULLEN ..........................................Jaheim (WR), Nate (WR) Tennessee (4), Alabama & Ohio (2) ... One each from Ken- SMITH ..............................Darrius (LB), Jess (WR), Tyler (OL)