American college football season
The 2023 Western Carolina Catamounts football team represented Western Carolina University as a member of the Southern Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Catamounts were led by third-year head coach Kerwin Bell and played home games at Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium in Cullowhee, North Carolina.
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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September 2 | 1:00 p.m. | at Arkansas* | | | SECN+/ESPN+ | L 13–56 | 44,397 |
September 9 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 8 Samford | | | ESPN+ | W 30–7 | 12,410 |
September 16 | 6:00 p.m. | at Eastern Kentucky* | | | ESPN+ | W 27–24 | 13,596 |
September 23 | 2:30 p.m. | Charleston Southern* | No. 23 | - Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium
- Cullowhee, NC
| ESPN+ | W 77–21 | 13,357 |
September 30 | 2:00 p.m. | at The Citadel | No. 17 | | ESPN+ | W 49–14 | 12,317 |
October 7 | 4:00 p.m. | at No. 24 Chattanooga | No. 11 | | ESPN+ | W 52–50 | 8,978 |
October 21 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 4 Furman | No. 8 | - Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium
- Cullowhee, NC
| ESPN+ | L 17–29 | 10,736 |
October 28 | 2:30 p.m. | Mercer | No. 10 | - Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium
- Cullowhee, NC
| ESPN+ | L 38–45 | 12,154 |
November 4 | 3:00 p.m. | at Wofford | No. 16 | | ESPN+ | W 28–25 | 4,996 |
November 11 | 1:00 p.m. | East Tennessee State | No. 17 | - Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium
- Cullowhee, NC
| ESPN+ | W 58–7 | 11,019 |
November 18 | 12:00 p.m. | at VMI | No. 14 | | ESPN+ | L 24–27 | 5,297 |
- *Non-conference game
- Homecoming
- Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game
- All times are in Eastern time
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Western Carolina Catamounts (0–0) at Arkansas Razorbacks (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Catamounts | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
Razorbacks | 21 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 56 |
at War Memorial Stadium • Little Rock, Arkansas
- Date:
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 82 °F (28 °C)
- Game attendance: 44,397
- Referee: Ken Williamson
- TV announcers (SECN+/ESPN+): Eric Frede (play-by-play) and Jordan Reid (analyst)
Game information |
- First quarter
- 13:03 ARK – Jaedon Wilson 65-yard pass from KJ Jefferson (Cam Little kick) – Arkansas 7–0, Drive: 2 plays, 79 yards, 0:36
- 8:40 ARK – Raheim Sanders 3-yard run (Cam Little kick) – Arkansas 14–0, Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 3:26
- 3:03 ARK – Isaac TeSlaa 31-yard pass from KJ Jefferson (Cam Little kick) – Arkansas 21–0, Drive: 1 play, 31 yards, 0:07
- 0:15 WCU – Richard McCollum 34-yard field goal – Arkansas 21–3, Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 2:41
- Second quarter
- 2:56 ARK – KJ Jefferson 17-yard run (Cam Little kick) – Arkansas 28–3, Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 2:18
- 0:00 ARK – Raheim Sanders 1-yard run (Cam Little kick) – Arkansas 35–3, Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 2:44
- Third quarter
- 10:59 WCU – Desmond Reid 2-yard run (Richard McCollum kick) – Arkansas 35–10, Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 2:12
- 6:13 ARK – Andrew Armstrong 16-yard pass from KJ Jefferson – Arkansas 42–10, Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 4:39
- Fourth quarter
- 7:55 ARK – Davion Dozier 14-yard pass from Jacolby Criswell (Cam Little kick) – Arkansas 49–10, Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 3:51
- 4:19 ARK – Brad Spence 85-yard interception return (Cam Little kick) – Arkansas 56–10, Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 3:36
- 0:00 WCU – Richard McCollum 33-yard field goal – Arkansas 56–13, Drive: 13 plays, 60 yards, 4:19
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Statistics | Western Carolina | Arkansas |
First downs | 18 | 21 |
Plays–yards | 70–291 | 61–379 |
Rushes–yards | 30–64 | 36–105 |
Passing yards | 227 | 274 |
Passing: comp–att–int | 25–40–4 | 20–25–0 |
Time of possession | 30:43 | 29:17 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
Western Carolina | Passing | Cole Gonzales | 9/14, 118 yards, 1 INT |
Rushing | Branson Adams | 4 carries, 38 yards |
Receiving | Censere Lee | 3 receptions, 41 yards |
Arkansas | Passing | KJ Jefferson | 18/23, 246 yards, 3 TD |
Rushing | Raheim Sanders | 15 carries, 42 yards, 2 TD |
Receiving | Jaedon Wilson | 3 receptions, 83 yards, 1 TD |
Pregame line | Over/under |
SAM –6.0 | 64.5 |
Game Two – Western Carolina Catamounts (0–1) vs No. 8 Samford Bulldogs (1–0)
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Samford | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Western Carolina | 7 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 30 |
at E.J. Whitmire Stadium • Cullowhee, North Carolina
- Date: Saturday, September 9, 2023
- Game time: 1:30 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 76 °F (24 °C) • Wind: SE 5 MPH
- Game attendance: 12,410
- Referee: Michael Farmer
- TV: ESPN+
Game information |
- First quarter
- (7:03) SAM – Michael Vice 8-yard pass from Michael Hiers, Wilson Beaverstock kick (Drive: 7 plays, 97 yards, 2:00; Samford 7–0)
- (3:21) WCU – AJ Colombo 21-yard pass from Cole Gonzales, Richard McCollum kick (Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 3:32; Tied 7–7)
- Second quarter
- (13:42) WCU – Censere Lee 6-yard pass from Cole Gonzales, Richard McCollum kick (Drive: 10 plays, 59 yards, 3:58; Western Carolina 14–7)
- (1:38) WCU – Richard McCollum 23-yard field goal (Drive: 15 plays, 69 yards, 6:43; Western Carolina 17–7)
- (0:00) WCU – Richard McCollum 41-yard field goal (Drive: 2 plays, 20 yards, 0:11; Western Carolina 20–7)
- Third quarter
- (4:29) WCU – Richard McCollum 18-yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 84 yards, 5:50; Western Carolina 23–7)
- Fourth quarter
- (8:02) WCU – Desmond Reid 2-yard run, Richard McCollum kick (Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 6:14; Western Carolina 30–7)
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Statistics | SAM | WCU |
First downs | 15 | 34 |
Plays–yards | 57–361 | 84–546 |
Rushes–yards | 23–46 | 49–284 |
Passing yards | 315 | 262 |
Passing: comp–att–int | 21–34–0 | 29–35–0 |
Time of possession | 18:51 | 41:09 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
No. 8 Samford | Passing | Michael Hiers | 21/34, 315 yards, TD |
Rushing | Jay Stanton | 7 carries, 26 yards |
Receiving | Ty King | 3 receptions, 96 yards |
Western Carolina | Passing | Cole Gonzales | 29/35, 262 yards, 2 TD |
Rushing | Desmond Reid | 27 carries, 170 yards, TD |
Receiving | AJ Colombo | 5 receptions, 79 yards, TD |
at Eastern Kentucky
[edit] Game Three – Western Carolina Catamounts (0–0) vs Eastern Kentucky Colonels (0–0)
Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
Western Carolina | | | 0 |
Eastern Kentucky | | | 0 |
at Roy Kidd Stadium • Richmond, Kentucky
- Date: Saturday, September 16, 2023
- Game time: TBA EST
Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
Statistics | WCU | EKU |
First downs | | |
Plays–yards | | |
Rushes–yards | | |
Passing yards | | |
Passing: comp–att–int | | |
Time of possession | | |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
Western Carolina | Passing | | |
Rushing | | |
Receiving | | |
Eastern Kentucky | Passing | | |
Rushing | | |
Receiving | | |
Charleston Southern
[edit] Game Four – Western Carolina Catamounts (0–0) vs Charleston Southern Buccaneers (0–0)
Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
Charleston Southern | | | 0 |
Western Carolina | | | 0 |
at E.J. Whitmire Stadium • Cullowhee, North Carolina
- Date: Saturday, September 23, 2023
- Game time: TBA EST
Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
Statistics | CHSO | WCU |
First downs | | |
Plays–yards | | |
Rushes–yards | | |
Passing yards | | |
Passing: comp–att–int | | |
Time of possession | | |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
Charleston Southern | Passing | | |
Rushing | | |
Receiving | | |
Western Carolina | Passing | | |
Rushing | | |
Receiving | | |
Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
Statistics | WCU | CIT |
First downs | | |
Plays–yards | | |
Rushes–yards | | |
Passing yards | | |
Passing: comp–att–int | | |
Time of possession | | |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
Western Carolina | Passing | | |
Rushing | | |
Receiving | | |
The Citadel | Passing | | |
Rushing | | |
Receiving | | |
Game Six – Western Carolina Catamounts (0–0) vs Chattanooga Mocs (0–0)
Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
Western Carolina | | | 0 |
Chattanooga | | | 0 |
at Finley Stadium • Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Date: Saturday, October 7, 2023
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
Statistics | WCU | UTC |
First downs | | |
Plays–yards | | |
Rushes–yards | | |
Passing yards | | |
Passing: comp–att–int | | |
Time of possession | | |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
Western Carolina | Passing | | |
Rushing | | |
Receiving | | |
Chattanooga | Passing | | |
Rushing | | |
Receiving | | |
Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
Statistics | FUR | WCU |
First downs | | |
Plays–yards | | |
Rushes–yards | | |
Passing yards | | |
Passing: comp–att–int | | |
Time of possession | | |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
Furman | Passing | | |
Rushing | | |
Receiving | | |
Western Carolina | Passing | | |
Rushing | | |
Receiving | | |
Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
Statistics | MER | WCU |
First downs | | |
Plays–yards | | |
Rushes–yards | | |
Passing yards | | |
Passing: comp–att–int | | |
Time of possession | | |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
Mercer | Passing | | |
Rushing | | |
Receiving | | |
Western Carolina | Passing | | |
Rushing | | |
Receiving | | |
Game Nine – Western Carolina Catamounts (0–0) vs Wofford Terriers (0–0)
Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
Western Carolina | | | 0 |
Wofford | | | 0 |
at Gibbs Stadium • Spartanburg, South Carolina
- Date: Saturday, November 4, 2023
- Game time: TBA EST
Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
Statistics | WCU | WOF |
First downs | | |
Plays–yards | | |
Rushes–yards | | |
Passing yards | | |
Passing: comp–att–int | | |
Time of possession | | |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
Western Carolina | Passing | | |
Rushing | | |
Receiving | | |
Wofford | Passing | | |
Rushing | | |
Receiving | | |
East Tennessee State
[edit] Game Ten – Western Carolina Catamounts (0–0) vs East Tennessee State Buccaneers (0–0)
Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
East Tennessee State | | | 0 |
Western Carolina | | | 0 |
at E.J. Whitmire Stadium • Cullowhee, North Carolina
- Date: Saturday, November 11, 2023
- Game time: TBA EST
Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
Statistics | ETSU | WCU |
First downs | | |
Plays–yards | | |
Rushes–yards | | |
Passing yards | | |
Passing: comp–att–int | | |
Time of possession | | |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
East Tennessee State | Passing | | |
Rushing | | |
Receiving | | |
Western Carolina | Passing | | |
Rushing | | |
Receiving | | |
Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
Statistics | WCU | VMI |
First downs | | |
Plays–yards | | |
Rushes–yards | | |
Passing yards | | |
Passing: comp–att–int | | |
Time of possession | | |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
Western Carolina | Passing | | |
Rushing | | |
Receiving | | |
VMI | Passing | | |
Rushing | | |
Receiving | | |
| Western Carolina | Opp | Scoring | | | Points per Game | | | Points per Turnovers | | | First Downs | | | Rushing | | | Passing | | | Penalty | | | Rushing yards | | | Avg per play | | | Avg per game | | | Rushing touchdowns | | | Passing yards | | | Att-Comp-Int | | | Avg per pass | | | Avg per catch | | | Avg per game | | | Passing touchdowns | | | Total Offense | | | Plays | | | Avg per play | | | Avg per game | | | Fumbles-Lost | | | Penalties-Yards | | | Avg per game | | | | | Western Carolina | Opp | Punt-Yards | | | Avg per play | | | Avg per punt net | | | Punt Return-Yards | | | Avg per punt return | | | Kickoffs-Yards | | | Avg per play | | | Avg per kick net | | | Kickoff Return-Yards | | | Avg per kickoff return | | | Interceptions-Yards | | | Avg per play | | | Time of possession / game | | | 3rd Down Conversions (Pct%) | (0%) | (0%) | 4th Down Conversions (Pct%) | (0%) | (0%) | Touchdowns Scored | | | Field Goals-Attempts | | | PAT-Attempts | | | 2 point conversion-attempts | | | Sack by Yards | | | Misc Yards | | | Safeties | | | Onside kicks | | | Red zone scores | (0%) | (0%) | Red zone touchdowns | (0%) | (0%) | Attendance | | | Date/Avg per date | | | Neutral Site | | |
Passing statistics |
# | NAME | POS | RAT | CMP-ATT-INT | YDS | AVG/G | CMP% | TD | LONG |
| | QB | 0.0 | 0-0-0 | 0 yrds | | 0.0% | 0 TDs | 0 |
| TOTALS | | 0.0 | 0-0-0 | 0 yrds | 0.0 | 0.0% | 0 TDs | 0 |
Rushing statistics |
# | NAME | POS | ATT | GAIN | AVG | TD | LONG | AVG/G |
| | RB | 0 | 0 yrds | 0.0 | 0 TDs | 0 | 0.0 |
| TOTALS | | 0 | 0 yrds | 0.0 | 0 TDs | 0 | 0.0 |
Receiving statistics |
# | NAME | POS | CTH | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | AVG/G |
| | WR | 0 | 0 yrds | 0.0 | 0 TDs | 0 | 0.0 |
| TOTALS | | 0 | 0 yrds | 0.0 | 0 TDs | 0 | 0.0 |
Defense statistics |
# | NAME | POS | SOLO | AST | TOT | TFL-YDS | SACK-YDS | INT-YDS-TD | BU | QBH | RCV-YDS | FF | BLK | SAF |
| | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 yrds | 0-0 yrds | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| TOTAL | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 yrds | 0-0 yrds | 0-0 yrds- 0 TDs | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - |
Key: POS: Position, SOLO: Solo Tackles, AST: Assisted Tackles, TOT: Total Tackles, TFL: Tackles-for-loss, SACK: Quarterback Sacks, INT: Interceptions, BU: Passes Broken Up, PD: Passes Defended, QBH: Quarterback Hits, FR: Fumbles Recovered, FF: Forced Fumbles, BLK: Kicks or Punts Blocked, SAF: Safeties, TD : Touchdown
Kicking/off statistics |
# | NAME | POS | XPM-XPA (XP%) | FGM-FGA (FG%) | 1–19 | 20–29 | 30–39 | 40–49 | 50+ | PTS | LNG | KICKS | YDS | AVG | TB | OB |
| | PK | 0-0 (0.0%) | 0-0 (0.0%) | -/- | -/- | -/- | -/- | -/- | 0 pts | 0 | 0 | 0 yrds | 0.0 | 0 | - |
| TOTALS | | 0-0 (0.0%) | 0-0 (0.0%) | -/- | -/- | -/- | -/- | -/- | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 yrds | 0.0 | 0 | - |
Punting statistics |
# | NAME | POS | PUNTS | YDS | AVG | LONG | TB | FC | I–20 | 50+ | BLK |
| | P | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Team | -- | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 |
| TOTALS | | 0 | 0 yrds | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kick return statistics |
# | NAME | POS | RTNS | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
| | | - | - | - | - | - |
| TOTALS | | 0 | 0 yrds | 0.0 | 0 TD's | 0 |
Punt return statistics |
# | NAME | POS | RTNS | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG |
| | | - | - | - | - | - |
| TOTALS | | 0 | 0 yrds | 0.0 | 0 TD's | 0 |
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