Scouting Western Carolina

u Western Carolina opens the home stretch in league play where THREE of its final FOUR regularseason games will be played in Cullowhee, beginning Saturday with the 2022 HEROES DAY game against The Citadel . . . Following next week's bye, the Catamounts are at home for Homecoming on

Nov . 5 with the regular-season finale against Chattanooga on Nov . 19; u The Catamounts have dropped two-straight entering Saturday's home date with The Citadel – it's the first time this season WCU has lost consecutive games . . . the Catamounts play just their third home game on Saturday, perfect in their first two with wins over Presbyterian and VMI; u NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES: Today is Heroes Day in Cullowhee as WCU and the Catamount Nation salute all military personnel – both active and veterans – all civil servants and emergency management personnel including police, fire, and EMS . . . Today's game features a special game ball delivery as parachuters from the All Veteran Group glide to the playing surface at Bob Waters Field as a part of today's special pregame festivities; u Western Carolina and The Citadel meet for 47th time on the football gridiron on Saturday . . . the

Catamounts trail in the all-time series 19-26-1 overall – but have a chance to even the series in games played in Cullowhee as today is the 24th meeting in Jackson County with The Citadel holding a slim, 12-11, edge . . . WCU seek's third-straight series win for the first-time since 2001-03; u WCU has won two-straight over the Bulldogs including the most recent game in Cullowhee – a 21-14 victory in the altered COVID-19 Spring 2021 season and last year in Charleston, 45-31; u A FAMILIAR FACE: In his seventh season on staff in Charleston, The Citadel wide receivers coach

BRIAN RUCKER played at Western Carolina from 2000-03 and was an assistant coach on staff in 2006-07 after also serving as a student assistant . . . Rucker also worked in WCU's academic enhancement program . . . Rucker caught 44 passes for 558 yards and two TDs at TE, averaging 12 .68 yards; u In consecutive weeks, Western Carolina has had a freshman listed as an honorable mention for the

FedEx Ground FCS National Freshman of the Week announced by Stats Perform . . . LB SAMAURIE

DUKES was listed after his career-high nine tackle performance at No . 12 Mercer (Oct . 8) with WR

CENSERE LEE recognized after his five-catch, 164 yard and two touchdown outing at Furman (Oct . 15); u Western Carolina enters the week ranked second in the SoCon – and 18th nationally – with an average of 34 .6 points per game . . . the Catamounts LEAD the SoCon and are THIRD in NCAA FCS with an average of 528 .1 yards of total offense per game including the top-rated passing attack (341 .9 yds/gm, 5th in FCS) and the third-best rushing attack (186 .3 yds/gm, 26th in FCS); u 13 different Catamounts have recorded touchdowns this season . . . Wide receivers TERRENCE HORNE, CENSERE LEE, and DAVID WHITE JR . lead the way with FOUR scores apiece; u QB CARLOS DAVIS LEADS the SoCon with 261 .5 passing yards per game and 285 .3 yards of total offense per game . . . WR RAPHAEL WILLIAMS ranks third with 66 .7 receiving yards and fifth with 5 .1 receptions per game, while WHITE is averaging 48 .4 yards per game (10th); u Western Carolina's defense LEADS the SoCon in sacks entering the weekend with 25 total for 154 yards of losses – the 25 sacks are tied for the second-most in the NCAA FCS this season . . . 12 different Catamount defenders have recorded at least half a sack this year . . . LB EJ PORTER leads the team with 4 .5 sacks, just ahead of DE KJ MILNER with 4 .0 sacks; u A two-time SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week this season, PK RICHARD McCOLLUM saw his impressive school-record streak of 85-consecutive made PAT attempts come to a close with a fourth-quarter block at Furman . . . McCollum is 11-of-13 on field goals this season, ranking second in the SoCon with his 11 successful FGs, his 84 .6% success rate, and his 62 points scored (8 .9 pts/gm); u Head coach KERWIN BELL secured his 100th career victory in WCU's 38-17 win over VMI on Oct . 1 . . . Bell is currently 100-53 including a 7-11 in his second year at WCU . . . Bell had a 66-35 record at

Jacksonville from 2007-15 and was 27-7 with a national championship at Valdosta State from 2016-18 .

WESTERN CAROLINA / THE CITADEL

INSIDE THE ALL-TIME SERIES

ALL-TIME SERIES . . . . . . . . WCU TRAILS, 19-26-1

In Cullowhee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WCU trails, 11-12 In Charleston, SC . . . . . . . . . . . . WCU trails, 8-14 Current Streak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .WCU, W–2 Longest WCU Win Streak: . . . . 4 games (1993-96) Largest Margin of Victory . . .WCU, 27 pts (1983) Longest WCU Losing Skid: . . . 5 games (2004-08)

Total Series Points . . . . . . . .WCU 1,014 / CIT 1,119

WCU Average Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 .04 ppg The Citadel Average Points . . . . . . . . . . 24 .33 ppg

LAST 10 SERIES MEETINGS (4-6):

Oct . 23, 2021 Charleston, S .C . W, 45-31 March 13, 2021 Cullowhee W, 21-14 Oct . 12, 2019 Charleston, S .C . L, 35-17 Nov . 3, 2018 Cullowhee L, 38-24 Nov . 4, 2017 Charleston, S .C . W, 31-19 Oct . 1, 2016 Cullowhee L, 37-14 Sept . 12, 2015 Charleston, S .C . L, 28-10 Oct . 25, 2014 Cullowhee W, 29-15 Sept . 14, 2013 Cullowhee L, 28-21 Oct . 13, 2012 Charleston, S .C . L, 45-31

WCU HEAD COACH KERWIN BELL