In Cullowhee, N.C.: ................WCU leads, 3-2; MR: WCU, 44-14 (2016) In Boiling Springs, N.C.: .....WCU leads, 3-1; MR: WCU, 28-10 (2018) 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 #1: WESTERN CAROLINA CATAMOUNTS (0-0) AT No. 22/22 LIBERTY FLAMES (7-0) Location: ................................................. Cullowhee, N.C., 28723 Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020 • Noon • Lynchburg, Va. • Williams Stadium (25,000) ..............................................................................................Pronounced “KULL - uh - whee” Founded: ...............................................................................1889 Enrollment: .........................................................................12,243 GAME COVERAGE: WESTERN CAROLINA Nickname: ................................................................. Catamounts TV BROADCAST: Head Coach: Mark Speir ..................................................................... Purple & Gold Colors: TALENT: Matt Warner, Joe Jauch, & Emily Austen Stadium: .......................................E.J. Whitmire Stadium (13,790) Record at WCU: 32-60, 9th yr Catamount Sports Network Field: .................................... Bob Waters Field (Artificial: Ironturf) RADIO: Career Record: same Affiliation: ........... NCAA Div. I – Championship Subdivision (FCS) TALENT: Gary Ayers, Daniel Hooker, Greg McLamb, & Jeff Bryson Conference: ....................................................................Southern ONLINE AUDIO: CatamountSports.com #22/22 LIBERTY Chancellor: ................................ Dr. Kelli R. Brown (Toledo, 1982) @Catamounts, @CatamountsFB TWITTER: Head Coach: Hugh Freeze Athletics Director: .....................................Alex Gary (VCU, 2005) Series tied, 3-3 (L–2) SERIES HISTORY: Record at LIB: 15-5, 2nd yr FOOTBALL HISTORY: In Lynchburg, Va.: .....................WCU leads, 2-1 (L–1); MR: LIB, 21-0 (2006) Career Record: 57-37, 10th yr First Year of Football: ............................................................1931 In Cullowhee, N.C.: ..................WCU trails, 1-2 (L–1); MR: LIB, 19-16 (2008) Seasons of Football: ..............................................................87th All-Time / SoCon Record: ..........346-513-23 (.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. Noon ESPN3 Seventh all-time meeting, first since 2008 – series tied, 3-3 Last Appearance: ..................................................................1983 2019 Record: ..................................... 3-9 (Home: 2-4 | Away: 1-5) Nov. 21 at Eastern Kentucky Richmond, Ky. 3 pm 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. 7 pm 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: .................32-60, 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)....................Offensive 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 Clyde Simmons (Western Carolina, 1996) .............Defensive Ends • Western Carolina plays three nonconference road games Reuben Wright (Catawba, 1994) ........................Defensive Tackles A WESTERN CAROLINA WIN WOULD: this fall – at Liberty (Nov. 14), at NCAA FCS-member Eastern Nich Mashburn (Western Carolina, 2013) ........Dir. of Football Ops • Represent arguably the biggest victory in Catamount Kentucky (Nov. 21) and at North Carolina (Dec. 11) … Includ- Ryan Kolakowski (Central Michigan, 2011) .......Dir. of Scouting / QC football history as its first-ever win over an NCAA FBS ing the three fall games and the first two SoCon meetings Evan Barr (Tennessee, 2008) ............ Dir. of Athletic Performance opponent, halting a current 57-game drought (0-57) ... in 2021, WCU will play five-consecutive games away from Steven Honbarger (Appalachian, 2001) .... Dir. of Sports Medicine It would also be WCU's first-ever win over a NCAA FBS home to start 2020-21 … Adding in the 2019 season finale Mike Taylor .....................................Athletics Equipment Manager Top 25 ranked opponent (0-5); at fifth-ranked Alabama, WCU will have played six-straight Sandy Neuenschwander ...........Football Administrative Assistant • End the two-game winless drought in the all-time series road games over the past two seasons; WESTERN CAROLINA MEDIA RELATIONS INFORMATION: with Liberty and give the Catamounts a one-game edge in • WCU has scored three, seven-win seasons over its last Asst. AD/Media Relations (FB Contact): .................Daniel Hooker the head-to- head series (4-3) ... WCU's last season-open- six years under head coach Mark Speir ... the 7-5 record • Email Address: [email protected] ing win against a NCAA D-I team came in 2002 – ironically in 2014 was WCU's first winning mark since 2005 (5-4) and • Office / Cell Phone: ................ (828) 227-2339 / (828) 508-2494 coming at Liberty (23-3); the most victories by a Catamount team since 2001 (7-4); Director of Media Relations (Secondary FB): ........Steven Grandy • Give Mark Speir his 33rd career victory at WCU, fourth in • WCU has just NINE total seniors entering 2020-21 – FIVE • Email Address: ..................................... [email protected] program history ... It would move him six victories shy of players on offense,FOUR on defense; Director of Media Relations: ...................................Denise Gideon third-place Tom Young (39 wins, 1946-55). • Email Address: [email protected] • WCU returns 19 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 includesNINE • Email Address: [email protected] • Represent the third-straight loss to Liberty in the series, starters on offense,SEVEN on defense, and all THREE Video Operations Assistant: ...................................... Korey Hosch relegating WCU to 3-4 overall ... It'd also represent a third- back on special teams in specialist starters ... Combined, Football Press Box Phone: ......................................(828) 227-2116 straight defeat for WCU dating back to last season; WCU has 45 total returning letter winners from 2019 with ..................WCU Athletics Athletics Mailing & Overnight Address: 32 newcomers and 22 players that took redshirts; 92 Catamount Road – Ramsey Center • Be the 58th-consecutive loss against NCAA FBS competi- Cullowhee, N.C. 28723 tion (0-58) ... It'd also be the sixth loss all-time for the Cata- • A combined 18 Western Carolina football players SHARE a mounts against nationally-ranked FBS competition. 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),