WESTERN CAROLINA CATAMOUNT FOOTBALL 2020 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 #3: WESTERN CAROLINA CATAMOUNTS (0-2) AT NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (6-3) Location: ................................................. Cullowhee, N.C., 28723 Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020 • Noon • Chapel Hill, N.C. • Kenan Memorial Stadium (50,500 / 3,535) ...................................................................................................Pronounced “KULL - uh - whee” Founded: ...............................................................................1889 GAME COVERAGE: Enrollment: .........................................................................12,243 WESTERN CAROLINA Nickname: ................................................................. Catamounts TV BROADCAST: Head Coach: Mark Speir Colors: .....................................................................Purple & Gold TALENT: Wes Durham, Roddy Jones, & Lericia Harris Stadium: .......................................E.J. Whitmire Stadium (13,790) Record at WCU: 32-62, 9th yr Field: .................................... Bob Waters Field (Artifi cial: Ironturf) RADIO: Catamount Sports Network Career Record: same Affi liation: ...........NCAA Div. I – Championship Subdivision (FCS) TALENT: Gary Ayers, Daniel Hooker, Greg McLamb, & Jeff Bryson Conference: ....................................................................Southern ONLINE AUDIO: CatamountSports.com NORTH CAROLINA (RV/RV) Chancellor: ................................ Dr. Kelli R. Brown (Toledo, 1982) TWITTER: @Catamounts, @CatamountsFB Head Coach: Mack Brown Athletics Director: .....................................Alex Gary (VCU, 2005) SERIES HISTORY: WCU trails, 0-2 (L–2) Record at UNC: 82-55-1, 12th yr FOOTBALL HISTORY: In Chapel Hill,N.C. ...............WCU trails, 0-2 (L–2); MR: UNC, 49-26 (2018) Career Record: 257-131-1, 32nd yr First Year of Football: ............................................................1931 In Cullowhee, N.C.: .....................................................................Never Met Seasons of Football: ..............................................................87th All-Time / SoCon Record: .......... 346-514-23 (.406) / 115-188-3 (.381) 2020-21 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) Nov. 14 at #22/22 Liberty Lynchburg, Va. L, 58-14 ESPNU / ESPN3 LIB QB Malik Willis – 306 pass, 3 TDs & 97 rush, 2 TDs Last Appearance: ..................................................................1983 2019 Record: .....................................3-9 (Home: 2-4 | Away: 1-5) Nov. 21 at Eastern Kentucky Richmond, Ky. L, 49-17 ESPN3 Opportunity Bowl; First meeting since 2008, WCU trails 2-3 2019 SoCon Record (Finish): ......... 2-6 (8th) (Home: 1-3 | Away: 1-3) Dec. 11 at North Carolina Chapel Hill, N.C. Noon ACC Network Third series meeting, each since 2017 for in-state foes WCU FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF: Feb. 20 at Furman * Greenville, S.C. TBA TBA SoCon Opener; Furman used 15 3rd qtr pts to pull away in 2019 Head Coach: .....................................Mark Speir (Clemson, 1990) Feb. 27 at Samford * Birmingham, Ala. TBA TBA Bulldogs have won 3 of last 5; WCU's lone road win in 1969 • Head Coaching Record at WCU: .................32-62, 20-42 SoCon • Overall Record: ...................................................................Same MARCH 6 VMI * CULLOWHEE TBA TBA WCU has won 17-straight; 4 of last 5, one possession games ASSISTANT COACHES / S U P P O R T STAFF MARCH 13 THE CITADEL * CULLOWHEE TBA TBA 'Dogs built 25-pt 1st half lead, 2nd half TOs hurt comeback bid John Holt (Appalachian, 2008)....................Off ensive Coord. / OL March 20 at Mercer * Macon, Ga. TBA TBA MER scored 28 pts, 219 yds on 4 plays, 4th-straight series win Andy McCollum (Austin Peay, 1981) .............Defensive Coord. / LB March 27 at ETSU * Johnson City, Tenn. TBA TBA Blue Ridge Border Battle; Last 2 meetings have gone into OT Keith Henry (Catawba, 1989) ............................SpTms Coord. / CB Arketa Banks (Elon, 2003) .....................................Wide Receivers APRIL 3 CHATTANOOGA * CULLOWHEE TBA TBA WCU has lost 10 of last 11 mtgs; last home win was 2008 (27-7) Phillip Ely (Toledo, 2016) ...........................................Quarterbacks APRIL 10 WOFFORD * CULLOWHEE TBA TBA WCU has dropped 4-straight since back-to-back wins (2014-15) Jay Guillermo (Clemson, 2017) ......................................Tight Ends * denotes Southern Conference game /// All times listed are Eastern Graham Hobbs (Florida International, 2015) ..........Running Backs Nick Newsome (Austin Peay, 2012) ...................................Safeties • Western Carolina plays three nonconference road games Clyde Simmons (Western Carolina, 1996) .............Defensive Ends A WESTERN CAROLINA WIN WOULD: Reuben Wright (Catawba, 1994) ........................Defensive Tackles this fall – at Liberty (Nov. 14), at NCAA FCS-member Eastern • Represent arguably the biggest victory in Catamount Nich Mashburn (Western Carolina, 2013) ........Dir. of Football Ops Kentucky (Nov. 21) and at North Carolina (Dec. 5) … Includ- football history as its fi rst-ever win over an NCAA FBS op- Ryan Kolakowski (Central Michigan, 2011) .......Dir. of Scouting / QC ing the three fall games and the fi rst two SoCon meetings ponent, halting a current 58-game drought (0-58 all-time) Evan Barr (Tennessee, 2008) ............ Dir. of Athletic Performance in 2021, WCU will play fi ve-consecutive games away ... It's also be WCU's fi rst-ever win over an ACC opponent, Steven Honbarger (Appalachian, 2001) .... Dir. of Sports Medicine from home to start 2020-21 … Adding in the 2019 season winless in 31 tries vs. the ACC all-time; Mike Taylor .....................................Athletics Equipment Manager fi nale at fi fth-ranked Alabama, WCU will have played six- Sandy Neuenschwander ...........Football Administrative Assistant • Halt Western Carolina's current four-game losing skid straight road games over the past two seasons; that dates back to early November 2019 – the four straight WESTERN CAROLINA MEDIA RELATIONS INFORMATION: • WCU has scored three, seven-win seasons over its last losses over the past two years are on the heels of back-to- Asst. AD/Media Relations (FB Contact): .................Daniel Hooker six years under head coach Mark Speir ... the 7-5 record back wins in SoCon play for WCU in 2019; • Email Address: [email protected] in 2014 was WCU's fi rst winning mark since 2005 (5-4) and • Offi ce / Cell Phone: ................ (828) 227-2339 / (828) 508-2494 • Give the Southern Conference its only victory in the 2020 the most victories by a Catamount team since 2001 (7-4); Director of Media Relations (Secondary FB): ........Steven Grandy fall semester ... Entering Saturday, the four league teams • Email Address: ..................................... [email protected] • WCU has just NINE total seniors entering 2020-21 – FIVE that played in the fall are 0-10 to date; FOUR Director of Media Relations: ...................................Denise Gideon players on off ense, on defense; • Email Address: [email protected] • Give Mark Speir his 33rd career victory at WCU, fourth in • WCU returns 19 out of a possible 25 starters between its Director of Video Operations: .................................. Noah Sautter program history ... It would move him six victories shy of off ense, defense, and special teams ... That includes NINE • Email Address: [email protected] third-place Tom Young (39 wins, 1946-55). starters on off ense, SEVEN on defense, and all THREE Video Operations Assistant: ...................................... Korey Hosch A WESTERN CAROLINA LOSS WOULD: back on special teams in specialist starters ... Combined, Football Press Box Phone: ......................................(828) 227-2116 • Relegate the Catamounts to 0-3 to start the 2020-21 sea- WCU has 45 total returning letter winners from 2019 with Athletics Mailing & Overnight Address: ..................WCU Athletics 32 newcomers and 22 players that took redshirts; 92 Catamount Road – Ramsey Center son and give WCU its fi fth-consecutive loss dating back to Cullowhee, N.C. 28723 last season ... It'd also leave WCU 0-3 in the all-time series • A combined 18 Western Carolina football players SHARE a with North Carolina; LAST name – only TWO of which are related (Smith): HARRIS .........Christian (DT), Ethan (DB), Jacob (CB), Ty (LB) CATAMOUNT QUICK SLANTS: JOHNSON ....................................Dawson (OL), Roman (DT) • Western Carolina’s 2020 preseason roster includes a JONES ..............................Reggie (WR), Gabe (OL), Will (QB) combined 58 players from the state of North Carolina ... NELSON ........................................Micah (SPUR), Tyree (RB) Georgia is second with 18, followed by South Carolina (17), SMITH .................Darrius (LB), Demorian (RUSH), Tyler (OL) Alabama and Florida (4), Tennessee and Virginia (2), with THOMAS