w 2021 CATAMOUNT EXTRA POINTS – GAME DAY PROGRAM w
SCOUTING WESTERN CAROLINA
WESTERN CAROLINA / SAMFORD INSIDE THE ALL-TIME SERIES
ALL-TIME SERIES. . . . . . . . . . . . WCU TRAILS, 3-15 In Birmingham, Ala.. . . . . . . . . . . . WCU trails, 1-9 In Cullowhee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WCU trails, 2-6 Current Streak. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WCU, L–3 Longest WCU Win Streak:. . . . . . . . . . 1 games (3x) Longest WCU Losing Skid:. . 11 games (1991-2014) Total Series Points. . . . . . . . . WCU, 371 / SAM 613 WCU Average Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.61 ppg
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Carolina opens Southern Conference play by hosting the Samford Bulldogs at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field in Cullowhee ... Saturday’s game has been billed the Ingles SoCon Game of the Week, a second WCU game marked for linear television on through Nexstar Media Group and streaming online on ESPN+ ... Pete Yanity and Jared Singleton have the call;
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Carolina and Samford meet for the 19TH time on the football gridiron with the Catamounts trailing the Bulldogs in the all-time series, 3-14 ... Samford has won the last three head-tohead meetings dating back to 2018 – and four of the last five meetings overall ... Two of WCU's three victories in the series have come in Cullowhee ... WCU is just 2-11 against Samford since the Bulldogs joined the Southern Conference in 2008; u
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SAM Average Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34.06 ppg
ALL-TIME SERIES MEETINGS:
Western Carolina claimed a thrilling 38-34 win over then No. 17 Samford in Cullowhee back in 2017 ... Detrez Newsome scored the go-ahead touchdown with 93 second remaining in the game – but it wasn't until Keion Crossen deflected a Devlin Hodges pass in the endzone on the game's final play that WCU could celebrate the upset victory, its first over a nationallyranked FCS team since 2006, ending a 27-game slide against ranked foes;
Feb. 27, 2021 Nov. 16, 2019 Oct. 6, 2018 Sept. 23, 2017 Oct. 22, 2016 Oct. 24, 2015 Nov. 8, 2014 Sept. 28, 2013 Sept. 22, 2012 Oct. 29, 2011 Oct. 9, 2010 Oct. 3, 2009 Oct. 4, 2008 Nov. 5, 1999 Nov. 22, 1997 Oct. 3, 1992 Oct. 26, 1991 Nov. 8, 1969
Western Carolina’s 56-36 win in Cullowhee in 2015 marked the first victory for the Catamounts in the series since winning the first-ever meeting between the two schools, 47-13, back in 1969 in Birmingham ... WCU's 2015 victory halted a 46-year drought;
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joining the SoCon in 1977 (member in 1976, although did not compete for the championship until 1977), Western Carolina is 23-21 overall in conference openers including a record of 15-5 at home in Cullowhee, most recently falling to Mercer back in 2019; u
WCU's win over Samford back in 2017 represented the first league game of the year for the Catamounts – and the only other time prior to this season the two met to open conference play;
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of the top three passing quarterbacks in the Southern Conference square-off on Saturday ... Catamount quarterback ROGAN WELLS (180.5 yds/gm) ranks third in the SoCon in passing through the first two weeks of the season while reigning SoCon Offensive Player of the Year, Samford's LIAM WELCH, leads the league with an average of 293.5 passing yards per game;
Birmingham, Ala. Cullowhee Birmingham, Ala. Cullowhee Birmingham, Ala. Cullowhee Birmingham, Ala. Birmingham, Ala. Cullowhee Birmingham, Ala. Cullowhee Birmingham, Ala. Cullowhee Cullowhee Birmingham, Ala. Birmingham, Ala. Cullowhee Birmingham, Ala.
L, 55-27 L, 31-13 L, 66-28 W, 38-34 L, 30-17 W, 56-36 L, 34-20 L, 62-23 L, 25-21 L, 52-24 L, 38-7 L, 16-3 L, 21-6 L, 35-32 (OT) L, 19-0 L, 30-6 L, 16-3 W, 47-13
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Carolina tailback TJ JONES ranks seventh in the SoCon in rushing entering week three of the regular season ... the junior transfer from Tusculum is averaging 62.5 rushing yards per game including a 115 yard performance on the ground in the season-opener against Eastern Kentucky;
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LB IVAN HOGANS ranks tied for third in the SoCon in total tackles through the first two games, posting a team-high 18 stops for a 9.0 tackle per game average ... Hogans is second in the league with a team-best 4.0 tackles for loss ... LB KAREEM TAYLOR (7.0 tackles/gm) and freshman ANDREAS KEATON (6.5 tackles/gm) also rank among the conference leaders; Carolina has two players on NFL rosters – KEION CROSSEN, one of the heroes of the 2017 upset win over Samford, is currently with the New York Giants after being traded by the Houston Texans in the preseason ... Charlotte, N.C., native and Catamount football student-athlete alum JOHN BRANNON was signed to the Carolina Panthers practice squad on Sept. 7 after being released by the Los Angeles Chargers, the team that signed him as an undrafted free agent;
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vs. Samford – Family Weekend 2021
RUNNING BACK #0 TJ JONES
WCU HEAD COACH KERWIN BELL
SENIOR LB #9 KAREEM TAYLOR
PHOTO BY PAUL SETLIFF
YOU KNOW: Western Carolina's last four NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents have each been ranked inside the Top 25 ... the Catamounts closed the 2019 season on the road at fifth-ranked Alabama ... Last fall in the split 2020-21 schedule, WCU visited both No. 22 Liberty and No. 17 North Carolina ... Last weekend, the Catamounts faced the six-time defending Big 12 Conference Champion and fourth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners in Norman ... Since 2006, WCU has played SEVEN games against nationally-ranked FBS programs.
PHOTO BY ASHLEY EVANS
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PHOTO BY PHIL POLITO
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