2025 Western Carolina Catamounts football team

2025 Western Carolina Catamounts football
ConferenceSouthern Conference
Record7–5 (6–2 SoCon)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorRylan Wells (2nd season)
Defensive coordinatorJerry Odom (2nd season)
Home stadiumBob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium
2025 Southern Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 7 Mercer $^   8 – 0     9 – 3  
Western Carolina   6 – 2     7 – 5  
East Tennessee State   5 – 3     7 – 5  
Wofford   5 – 3     6 – 6  
Chattanooga   4 – 4     5 – 7  
Furman   4 – 4     6 – 6  
The Citadel   3 – 5     4 – 8  
Samford   1 – 7     1 – 11  
VMI   0 – 8     1 – 11  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2025 Western Carolina Catamounts football team represented Western Carolina University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 2025 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Catamounts were led by fifth-year head coach Kerwin Bell and played at the Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
August 306:00 p.m.Gardner–Webb*No. 18
ESPN+L 45–5211,889
September 62:00 p.m.at Wake Forest*
ACCNXL 10–4228,239
September 132:30 p.m.Elon*
  • Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium
  • Cullowhee, NC
ESPN+L 31–3710,007
September 202:30 p.m.Samford
  • Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium
  • Cullowhee, NC
ESPN+W 50–3510,593
September 273:30 p.m.at Campbell*
FloFootballW 42–354,060
October 41:30 p.m.at Wofford
ESPN+W 23–213,571
October 112:30 p.m.Furman
  • Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium
  • Cullowhee, NC
ESPN+W 52–78,375
October 182:00 p.m.at The Citadel
ESPN+W 45−389,151
November 14:00 p.m.at Chattanooga
ESPN+W 35–287,711
November 82:30 p.m.No. 12 MercerNo. 24
  • Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium
  • Cullowhee, NC
ESPN+L 47–4914,510
November 1512:00 p.m.East Tennessee StateNo. 25
  • Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium
  • Cullowhee, NC
ESPN+L 35–5210,543
November 2212:00 p.m.at VMI
ESPN+W 48–63,588
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[1][2]

Game summaries

Gardner–Webb

See also: 2025 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football team
Game One – Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs (0–0) at No. 18 Western Carolina Catamounts (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Runnin' Bulldogs 7 14 72452
No. 18 Catamounts 21 14 7345

at E. J. Whitmire Stadium • Cullowhee, NC

  • Date: Saturday August 30, 2025
  • Game time: 6:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game attendance: 11,889
  • Referee: Jeff Page
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Justin Biegel (play-by-play) and Jack Delongchamps (analyst)
Game information
First quarter
  • GWEB – Quasean Holmes 65-yard run (Charlie Viorel kick), 14:02. Runnin' Bulldogs 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 65 yards, 0:14.
  • WCU – Patrick Boyd Jr. 28-yard run (Christian Lowery kick), 12:09. Tied 7–7. Drive: 1 play, 28 yards, 0:06.
  • WCU – Camury Reid 3-yard run (Christian Lowery kick), 8:18. Catamounts 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 2:30.
  • WCU – James Tyre 5-yard pass from Bennett Judy (Christian Lowery kick), 4:30. Catamounts 21–7. Drive: 3 plays, 4 yards, 1:06.
Second quarter
  • WCU – Trey Walker 25-yard pass from Bennett Judy (Christian Lowery kick), 13:28. Catamounts 28–7. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 4:16.
  • WCU – Malik Knight 69-yard pass from Isaac Lee (Christian Lowery kick), 8:24. Catamounts 35–7. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:38.
  • GWEB – Anthony Lowe 18-yard pass from Nate Hampton (Charlie Viorel kick), 5:23. Catamounts 35–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:01.
  • GWEB – Nate Hampton 1-yard run (Charlie Viorel kick), 1:08. Catamounts 35–21. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 2:16.
Third quarter
  • GWEB – Anthony Lowe 36-yard pass from Nate Hampton (Charlie Viorel kick), 12:20. Catamounts 35–28. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:35.
  • WCU – Camury Reid 1-yard run (Christian Lowery kick), 1:26. Catamounts 42–28. Drive: 5 plays, 83 yards, 2:09.
Fourth quarter
  • GWEB – Nate Hampton 16-yard run (Charlie Viorel kick), 13:51. Catamounts 42–35. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:33.
  • GWEB – Nate Hampton 7-yard run (Charlie Viorel kick), 10:16. Tied 42–42. Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 1:39.
  • GWEB – Charlie Viorel 22-yard field goal, 2:36. Runnin' Bulldogs 45–42. Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 3:27.
  • GWEB – Nate Hampton 26-yard run (Charlie Viorel kick), 1:48. Runnin' Bulldogs 52–42. Drive: 1 play, 26 yards, 0:08.
  • WCU – Christian Lowery 29-yard field goal, 0:42. Runnin' Buldogs 52–45. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 1:00.
Statistics GWEB WCU
First downs 25 21
Total yards 627 454
Rushes–yards 57–335 42–221
Passing yards 292 233
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 13–33–1 18–36–1
Turnovers 2 3
Time of possession 35:38 24:22
Team Category Player Statistics
Gardner–Webb Passing Nate Hampton 12/30, 263 yards, 2 TD
Rushing Nate Hampton 28 carries, 132 yards, 4 TD
Receiving Chris Lofton 3 receptions, 102 yards
Western Carolina Passing Bennett Judy 15/27, 151 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Patrick Boyd Jr. 15 carries, 142 yards, TD
Receiving Malik Knight 1 reception, 69 yards, TD

at Wake Forest (FBS)

See also: 2025 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team
Western Carolina Catamounts (0–1) at Wake Forest Demon Deacons (FBS) (1–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Catamounts 0 3 0710
Demon Deacons (FBS) 21 0 21042

at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium • Winston-Salem, North Carolina

  • Date: September 6
  • Game time: 2:00 p.m.
  • Game weather:  
  • Game attendance: 28,239
  • Referee: Garrett Dickerson
  • TV announcers (ACCNX/ESPN+): Doug Sherman (play-by-play) and Reggie Walker (analyst)
Game information
First quarter
  • WAKE – Robby Ashford 41-yard run (Connor Calvert kick), 5:57. Demon Deacons 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 0:57.
  • WAKE – Demond Claiborne 33-yard run (pass failed), 2:59. Demon Deacons 13–0. Drive: 2 plays, 73 yards, 0:42.
  • WAKE – Demond Claiborne 27-yard run (pass failed), 2:47. Demon Deacons 19–0. Drive: 1 play, 27 yards, 0:05.
  • WAKE Team Safety, 0:27. Demon Deacons 21–0.
Second quarter
  • WCU – Christian Lowery 23-yard field goal, 5:46. Demon Deacons 21–3. Drive: 17 plays, 74 yards, 9:10.
Third quarter
  • WAKE – Demond Claiborne 85-yard run (Connor Calvert kick), 12:29. Demon Deacons 28–3. Drive: 2 plays, 83 yards, 0:42.
  • WAKE – Sterling Berkhalter 51-yard pass from Robby Ashford (Connor Calvert kick), 7:16. Demon Deacons 35–3. Drive: 2 plays, 93 yards, 0:37.
  • WAKE – Jeremiah Melvin 27-yard pass from Deshawn Purdie (Connor Calvert kick), 1:52. Demon Deacons 42–3. Drive: 3 plays, 30 yards, 0:41.
Fourth quarter
  • WCU – Markel Townsend 1-yard run (Marcus Trout kick), 6:49. Demon Deacons 42–10. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 10:03.
Statistics WCU WAKE
First downs 17 21
Plays–yards 76–238 57–542
Rushes–yards 33–34 31–273
Passing yards 204 269
Passing: comp–att–int 26–43–1 16–26–1
Turnovers 2 3
Time of possession 35:58 24:02
Team Category Player Statistics
Western Carolina Passing Bennett Judy 18/32, 155 yards, INT
Rushing Isaac Lee 5 carries, 40 yards
Receiving Malik Knight 5 receptions, 56 yards
Wake Forest Passing Robby Ashford 13/22, 227 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Demond Claiborne 10 carries, 193 yards, 3 TD
Receiving Chris Barnes 6 receptions, 149 yards

Elon

See also: 2025 Elon Phoenix football team
Elon Phoenix (1-1) at Western Carolina Catamounts (0-2) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Phoenix 14 9 6837
Catamounts 7 7 14331

at Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium • Cullowhee, NC

  • Date: September 13
  • Game time: 2:30 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 77 °F (25 °C) • Wind: NW at 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 10,007
  • Referee: Jake Grombach
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Pete Yanity (play-by-play) and John Brannon III (analyst)
Game information
First quarter
  • ELON – Zimere Winston 78-yard pass from Landen Clark (Luke Barnes kick), 14:07. Phoenix 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 81 yards, 0:50.
  • WCU – James Tyre 4-yard pass from Bennett Judy (Marcus Trout kick), 10:48. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 3:19.
  • ELON – Landyn Backey 35-yard pass from Landen Clark (Luke Barnes kick), 0:06. Phoenix 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 88 yards, 1:21.
Second quarter
  • ELON – Landen Clark 10-yard run (Pass failed), 9:13. Phoenix 20–7. Drive: 12 plays, 88 yards, 5:30.
  • WCU – Dominic Dutton 7-yard pass from Isaac Lee (Marcus Trout kick), 3:06. Phoenix 20–14. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 6:07.
  • ELON – Luke Barnes 48-yard field goal, 0:00. Phoenix 23–14. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 0:41.
Third quarter
  • WCU – Dominic Dutton 97-yard kick return (Marcus Trout kick), 14:48. Phoenix 23–21. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:00.
  • WCU – James Tyre 62-yard fumble recovery (Christian Lowery kick), 11:07. Catamounts 28–23. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 0:46.
  • ELON – Luke Barnes 38-yard field goal, 8:22. Catamounts 28–26. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 2:34.
  • ELON – Luke Barnes 42-yard field goal, 1:34. Phoenix 29–28. Drive: 11 plays, 46 yards, 4:58.
Fourth quarter
  • WCU – Marcus Trout 28-yard field goal, 13:05. Catamounts 31–29. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 3:29.
  • ELON – Landen Clark 10-yard run (Landen Clark pass), 4:53. Phoenix 37–31. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 3:59.
Statistics ELON WCU
First downs 24 25
Total yards 456 425
Rushing yards 151 179
Passing yards 305 246
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 11–29–2 36–55–2
Time of possession 30:23 29:27
Team Category Player Statistics
Elon Passing Landen Clark 11/28, 305 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing Landen Clark 25 carries, 72 yards
Receiving Isaiah Fuhrmann 5 receptions, 105 yards
Western Carolina Passing Isaac Lee 19/31, 132 yards, TD, 2 INT
Rushing Patrick Boyd Jr. 10 carries, 58 yards
Receiving James Tyre 9 receptions, 122 yards, TD

Samford

See also: 2025 Samford Bulldogs football team
Samford Bulldogs (0-3) at Western Carolina Catamounts (0-3) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bulldogs 6 14 6935
Catamounts 14 7 29050

at Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium • Cullowhee, NC

  • Date: September 20
  • Game time: 2:30 PM EDT
  • Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C) • Wind: SE at 7 miles per hour (11 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 10,593
  • Referee: Brian Hilpisch
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Pete Yanity (play-by-play) and John Brannon III (analyst)
Game information
First quarter
  • SAM – Jake Garner 28-yard field goal, 11:07. Bulldogs 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 3:53.
  • WCU – Camury Reid 14-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Marcus Trout kick), 8:26. Catamounts 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 2:34.
  • SAM – Jake Garner 29-yard field goal, 3:17. Catamounts 7–6. Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 5:05.
  • WCU – James Tyre 6-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Marcus Trout kick), 1:06. Catamounts 14–6. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:11.
Second quarter
  • SAM – Calvin Jones 28-yard pass from Quincy Crittendon (Jake Garner kick), 13:12. Catamounts 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:54.
  • SAM – Calvin Jones 11-yard pass from Quincy Crittendon (Jake Garner kick), 9:36. Bulldogs 20–14. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 1:50.
  • WCU – Jordan Thomas 2-yard pass from Taron Dickens, 1:32. Catamounts 21–20. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 2:01.
Third quarter
  • WCU – Painter Richards-Baker 20-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Marcus Trout kick), 13:42. Catamounts 28–20. Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, 1:11.
  • SAM – Calvin Jones 12-yard pass from Quincy Crittendon (Kick failed), 11:08. Catamounts 28–26. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:34.
  • WCU – Camury Reid 24-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Taron Dickens pass), 8:22. Catamounts 36–26. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 2:46.
  • WCU – Camury Reid 2-yard run (Marcus Trout kick), 3:08. Catamounts 43–26. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:31.
  • WCU – Camury Reid 62-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Marcus Trout kick), 1:12. Catamounts 50–26. Drive: 3 plays, 70 yards, 0:37.
Fourth quarter
  • SAM – C.J. Evans 32-yard run (Pass failed), 8:50. Catamounts 50–33. Drive: 8 plays, 91 yards, 2:56.
  • SAM – Jake Garner 33-yard field goal, 1:56. Catamounts 50–36. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 1:43.
Statistics SAM WCU
First downs 34 31
Total yards 576 733
Rushing yards 120 151
Passing yards 456 582
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 35–53–1 35–46–0
Time of possession 30:13 29:47
Team Category Player Statistics
Samford Passing Quincy Crittendon 35/53, 456 yards, 3 TD, INT
Rushing C.J. Evans 15 carries, 56 yards, TD
Receiving Jaden Gibson 9 receptions, 122 yards
Western Carolina Passing Taron Dickens 35/46, 582 yards, 6 TD
Rushing Markel Townsend 13 carries, 56 yards
Receiving Camury Reid 4 receptions, 107 yards, 3 TD

at Campbell

See also: 2025 Campbell Fighting Camels football team
Western Carolina Catamounts (1-3) vs. Campbell Fighting Camels (1-3) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Catamounts 7 21 7742
Fighting Camels 0 10 81735

at Barker–Lane Stadium • Buies Creek, NC

  • Date: September 27
  • Game time: 3:30 PM EDT
  • Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C) • Wind: SE at 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 4,060
  • Referee: Jeff Pumphrey
  • TV announcers (FloFootball): Lendi Suggs (play-by-play) and Jay Sonnhalter (analyst)
Game information
First Quarter
  • (10:37) WCU – Camury Reid 1-yard run, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 3 plays, 12 yards, 0:40; Western Carolina 7–0)
Second Quarter
  • (14:56) WCU – Brayden Blackmon 17-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 6 plays, 76 yards, 2:47; Western Carolina 14–0)
  • (11:46) CAM – Alex Crabb 32-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 2:58; Western Carolina 14–3)
  • (8:36) WCU – Marcus Striggles 32-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 3 plays, 55 yards, 0:56; Western Carolina 21–3)
  • (3:45) WCU – David Hulbert 9-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 5 plays, 89 yards, 1:24; Western Carolina 28–3)
  • (0:17) CAM – Kamden Sixkiller 12-yard run, Alex Crabb kick (Drive: 12 plays, 83 yards, 3:19; Western Carolina 28–10)
Third Quarter
  • (11:11) WCU – Patrick Boyd Jr. 10-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 2:07; Western Carolina 35–10)
  • (7:08) CAM – Mike Chandler II 10-yard run, Trevor Wilson pass (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:03; Western Carolina 35–18)
Fourth Quarter
  • (13:12) CAM – Alex Crabb 21-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 3:15; Western Carolina 35–21)
  • (4:58) CAM – Stevie Keener 26-yard pass from Kamden Sixkiller, Alex Crabb kick (Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 2:04; Western Carolina 35–28)
  • (4:19) WCU – Painter Richards-Baker 61-yard pass from James Tyre, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:39; Western Carolina 42–28)
  • (2:11) CAM – Kamden Sixkiller 5-yard run, Alex Crabb kick (Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 2:08; Western Carolina 42–35)
Statistics WCU CAM
First downs 27 24
Total yards 564 437
Rushing yards 76 153
Passing yards 488 284
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 27–41–0 20–48–1
Time of possession 23:20 36:40
Team Category Player Statistics
Western Carolina Passing Taron Dickens 26/40, 427 yards, 4 TD
Rushing Camury Reid 11 carries, 43 yards, TD
Receiving James Tyre 6 receptions, 101 yards
Campbell Passing Kamden Sixkiller 18/45, 205 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Kamden Sixkiller 10 carries, 55 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Trayjen Llanas-Wilcox 5 receptions, 124 yards

at Wofford

See also: 2025 Wofford Terriers football team
Western Carolina Catamounts (2-3) vs. Wofford Terriers (0-4) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Catamounts 7 7 6323
Terriers 8 7 6021

at Gibbs Stadium • Spartanburg, SC

  • Date: October 4
  • Game time: 1:30 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C) • Wind: NE at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 3,571
  • Referee: Bruce Austin
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Jim Noble (play-by-play), Thom Henson (analyst) and Van Hipp (sideline)
Game information
First Quarter
  • (11:26) WOF – Ihson Jackson-Anderson 49-yard pass from Jayden Whitaker, Blake Shirley pass (Drive: 4 plays, 57 yards, 1:50; Wofford 8–0)
  • (5:29) WCU – James Tyre 2-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 14 plays, 85 yards, 5:52; Wofford 8–7)
Second Quarter
  • (3:40) WCU – James Tyre 5-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 6:07; Western Carolina 14–8)
  • (0:48) WOF – Isaiah Scott 66-yard punt return, Sam Spence kick (Wofford 15–14)
Third Quarter
  • (0:45) WCU – James Tyre 4-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 5:06; Western Carolina 20–15)
  • (0:29) WOF – Ivory Aikens 83-yard pass from Jayden Whitaker (Drive: 1 play, 83 yards, 0:12; Wofford 21–20)
Fourth Quarter
  • (0:23) WCU – Marcus Trout 34-yard field goal (Drive: 16 plays, 51 yards, 4:40; Western Carolina 23–21)
Statistics WCU WOF
First downs 31 8
Total yards 471 241
Rushing yards 93 42
Passing yards 378 209
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 53–56–0 10–18–0
Time of possession 38:46 21:14
Team Category Player Statistics
Western Carolina Passing Taron Dickens 53/56, 378 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Taron Dickens 19 carries, 44 yards
Receiving James Tyre 13 receptions, 102 yards, 3 TD
Wofford Passing Jayden Whitaker 10/18, 209 yards, 2 TD
Rushing Ihson Jackson-Anderson 10 carries, 29 yards
Receiving Ivory Aikens 3 receptions, 97 yards, TD

Furman

See also: 2025 Furman Paladins football team
Furman Paladins (4-1) vs. Western Carolina Catamounts (3-3) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Paladins 0 7 007
Catamounts 0 24 141452

at Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium • Cullowhee, NC

  • Date: October 11
  • Game time: 2:30 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 70 °F (21 °C) • Wind: N at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 8,375
  • Referee: Michael Farmer
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Pete Yanity (play-by-play) and Jay Sonnhalter (analyst)
Game information
First Quarter

No scoring plays

Second Quarter
  • (14:23) WCU – Marcus Trout 44-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 18 yards, 2:03; Western Carolina 3–0)
  • (10:05) WCU – Michael Rossin 50-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:18; Western Carolina 10–0)
  • (7:39) WCU – Joshua Perry 9-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 4 plays, 28 yards, 1:42; Western Carolina 17–0)
  • (1:38) WCU – Ken Moore Jr. 64-yard interception, Marcus Trout kick (Western Carolina 24–0)
  • (0:13) FUR – Joshua Burrell 8-yard pass from Trey Hedden, Ian Williams kick (Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 1:25; Western Carolina 24–7)
Third Quarter
  • (13:24) WCU – Malik Knight 41-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:36; Western Carolina 31–7)
  • (5:25) WCU – Markel Townsend 12-yard run, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 4:55; Western Carolina 38–7)
Fourth Quarter
  • (9:35) WCU – Josiah Thomas 6-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:29; Western Carolina 45–7)
  • (6:20) WCU – Isaac Lee 66-yard run, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards, 1:28; Western Carolina 52–7)
Statistics FUR WCU
First downs 23 23
Total yards 356 522
Rushing yards 137 302
Passing yards 219 220
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 19–38–3 17–24–0
Time of possession 30:16 29:44
Team Category Player Statistics
Furman Passing Trey Hedden 18/35, 208 yards, TD, 3 INT
Rushing Ben Croasdale 6 carries, 72 yards
Receiving Ethan Harris 6 receptions, 95 yards
Western Carolina Passing Taron Dickens 17/24, 220 yards, 4 TD
Rushing Patrick Boyd Jr. 11 carries, 68 yards
Receiving Michael Rossin 2 receptions, 59 yards, TD

at The Citadel

See also: 2025 The Citadel Bulldogs football team
Western Carolina Catamounts (4-3) vs. The Citadel Bulldogs (3-3) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Catamounts 7 17 14745
Bulldogs 14 3 71438

at Johnson Hagood Stadium • Charleston, SC

  • Date: October 18
  • Game time: 2:00 PM EDT
  • Game weather: Sunny
  • Game attendance: 9,151
  • Referee: Bruce Austin
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Dave Weinstein (play-by-play), Vad Lee (analyst) and Matison Little (sideline)
Game information
First Quarter
  • (11:23) CIT – Braylon Knauth 61-yard pass from Cobey Thompkins, Ben Barnes kick (Drive: 1 play, 61 yards, 0:13; The Citadel 7–0)
  • (9:07) WCU – Malik Knight 14-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:10; Tied 7–7)
  • (0:53) CIT – Quentin Hayes 5-yard run, Ben Barnes kick (Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:27; The Citadel 14–7)
Second Quarter
  • (10:41) WCU – Josiah Thomas 5-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 5:03; Tied 14–14)
  • (5:17) CIT – Ben Barnes 42-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, -4 yards, 2:01; The Citadel 17–14)
  • (1:56) WCU – Markel Townsend 7-yard run, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:21; Western Carolina 21–17)
  • (0:00) WCU – Marcus Trout 25-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 1:05; Western Carolina 24–17)
Third Quarter
  • (11:35) WCU – James Tyre 9-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:19; Western Carolina 31–17)
  • (5:31) CIT – Beau Herrington 12-yard run, Ben Barnes kick (Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 6:02; Western Carolina 31–24)
  • (2:48) WCU – Malik Knight 37-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 6 plays, 51 yards, 2:36; Western Carolina 38–24)
Fourth Quarter
  • (12:21) CIT – Quentin Hayes 8-yard run, Ben Barnes kick (Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:27; Western Carolina 38–31)
  • (3:01) WCU – Dominic Dutton 18-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 10 plays, 87 yards, 4:57; Western Carolina 45–31)
  • (1:36) CIT – Cobey Thompkins 20-yard run, Ben Barnes kick (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:25; Western Carolina 45–38)
Statistics WCU CIT
First downs 29 15
Total yards 515 410
Rushing yards 146 278
Passing yards 369 132
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 28–33–1 5–9–0
Time of possession 29:44 30:16
Team Category Player Statistics
Western Carolina Passing Taron Dickens 28/33, 369 yards, 5 TD, INT
Rushing Markel Townsend 15 carries, 90 yards, TD
Receiving James Tyre 7 receptions, 112 yards, TD
The Citadel Passing Cobey Thompkins 3/5, 111 yards, TD
Rushing Quentin Hayes 15 carries, 90 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Braylon Knauth 2 receptions, 69 yards, TD

at Chattanooga

See also: 2025 Chattanooga Mocs football team
Western Carolina Catamounts (5-3) vs. Chattanooga Mocs (4-4) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Catamounts 7 14 7735
Mocs 0 7 14728

at Finley Stadium • Chattanooga, TN

  • Date: November 1
  • Game time: 4:00 PM EDT
  • Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 62 °F (17 °C) • Wind: E at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 7,711
  • Referee: Michael Farmer
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Chris Goforth (play-by-play), Chris Barnett (analyst) and Mackenzie Johnson (sideline)
Game information
First Quarter
  • (12:38) WCU – James Tyre 4-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 8 plays, 26 yards, 2:11; Western Carolina 7–0)
Second Quarter
  • (8:38) WCU – James Tyre 7-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 3:39; Western Carolina 14–0)
  • (5:25) UTC – Ryan Ingram 1-yard run, Gray Kelley kick (Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 3:08; Western Carolina 14–7)
  • (2:49) WCU – James Tyre 13-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 2:29; Western Carolina 21–7)
Third Quarter
  • (9:21) UTC – Nathaniel Eberly-Rodriguez 4-yard pass from Camden Orth, Gray Kelley kick (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:39; Western Carolina 21–14)
  • (2:18) UTC – Camden Orth 4-yard run, Gray Kelley kick (Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:14; Tied 21–21)
  • (0:20) WCU – Markel Townsend 2-yard run, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 1:53; Western Carolina 28–21)
Fourth Quarter
  • (9:26) WCU – Michael Rossin 10-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 2:56; Western Carolina 35–21)
  • (7:40) UTC – Justus Durant 8-yard run, Gray Kelley kick (Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:46; Western Carolina 35–28)
Statistics WCU UTC
First downs 22 25
Total yards 356 399
Rushing yards 131 158
Passing yards 225 241
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 18–29–0 15–27–2
Time of possession 22:40 37:20
Team Category Player Statistics
Western Carolina Passing Taron Dickens 18/29, 225 yards, 4 TD
Rushing Patrick Boyd Jr. 12 carries, 67 yards
Receiving James Tyre 5 receptions, 45 yards, 3 TD
Chattanooga Passing Camden Orth 15/27, 241 yards, TD, 2 INT
Rushing Ryan Ingram 15 carries, 60 yards, TD
Receiving Markell Quick 3 receptions, 126 yards

No. 12 Mercer

See also: 2025 Mercer Bears football team
No. 12 Mercer Bears (7-1) vs. No. 24 Western Carolina Catamounts (6-3) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 12 Bears 7 11 211049
No. 24 Catamounts 7 14 62047

at Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium • Cullowhee, NC

  • Date: November 8
  • Game time: 2:30 PM EST
  • Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 65 °F (18 °C) • Wind: NW at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 14,510
  • Referee: Jake Grombach
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Daniel Hooker (play-by-play) and John Brannon III (analyst)
  • Box Score
Game information
First Quarter
  • (11:40) WCU – Michael Rossin 27-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 3:20; Western Carolina 7–0)
  • (3:31) MER – CJ Miller 7-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 2:24; Tied 7–7)
Second Quarter
  • (14:55) WCU – Patrick Boyd Jr. 21-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 1:36; Western Carolina 14–7)
  • (13:06) MER – Jordan Swain safety (Western Carolina 14–9)
  • (10:18) MER – Kendall Harris 6-yard pass from Braden Atkinson (Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 2:42; Mercer 15–14)
  • (5:25) WCU – Michael Rossin 25-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 4:48; Western Carolina 21–15)
  • (1:43) MER – Reice Griffith 24-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 3:42; Western Carolina 21–18)
Third Quarter
  • (12:09) MER – CJ Miller 5-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:51; Mercer 25–21)
  • (5:12) MER – Kendall Harris 24-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 1:31; Mercer 32–21)
  • (2:56) WCU – Malik Knight 32-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:16; Mercer 32–27)
  • (0:24) MER – CJ Miller 26-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:32; Mercer 39–27)
Fourth Quarter
  • (14:28) WCU – Malik Knight 54-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, 0:49; Mercer 39–34)
  • (13:24) MER – Adjatay Dabbs 81-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 3 plays, 82 yards, 0:58; Mercer 46–34)
  • (6:13) WCU – Jai Boyd 10-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 2:43; Mercer 46–41)
  • (3:13) WCU – James Tyre 42-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Drive: 3 plays, 82 yards, 1:23; Western Carolina 47–46)
  • (1:30) MER – Reice Griffith 37-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 1:43; Mercer 49–47)
Statistics MER WCU
First downs 23 33
Total yards 568 599
Rushing yards 125 48
Passing yards 443 551
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 23–39–0 33–49–1
Time of possession 30:32 29:28
Team Category Player Statistics
Mercer Passing Braden Atkinson 23/39, 443 yards, 3 TD
Rushing CJ Miller 21 carries, 91 yards, 3 TD
Receiving Adjatay Dabbs 4 receptions, 147 yards, TD
Western Carolina Passing Taron Dickens 33/49, 551 yards, 7 TD, INT
Rushing Patrick Boyd Jr. 12 carries, 17 yards
Receiving Malik Knight 5 receptions, 141 yards, 2 TD

East Tennessee State

See also: 2025 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team
East Tennessee State Buccaneers (5-5) vs. No. 25 Western Carolina Catamounts (6-4) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 10 14 141452
No. 25 Catamounts 0 28 7035

at Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium • Cullowhee, NC

  • Date: November 15
  • Game time: 12:00 PM EST
  • Game weather: Clear • Temperature: 60 °F (16 °C) • Wind: NW at 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 10,543
  • Referee: Brice Austin
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Pete Yanity (play-by-play), Jay Sonnhalter (analyst) and Dave Friedman (sideline)
Game information
First Quarter
  • (10:30) ETSU – Ewan Johnson 21-yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 4:30; East Tennessee State 3–0)
  • (4:26) ETSU – Jeremiah Harrison 38-yard pass from Jacolby Criswell, Ewan Johnson kick (Drive: 4 plays, 63 yards, 1:48; East Tennessee State 10–0)
Second Quarter
  • (14:56) WCU – Jordan Durham-Martin 1-yard run, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 14 plays, 74 yards, 4:25; East Tennessee State 10–7)
  • (8:36) WCU – Markel Townsend 1-yard run, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 3:10; Western Carolina 14–10)
  • (7:11) WCU – Cam'Ron Dabney 43-yard fumble recovery, Marcus Trout kick (Western Carolina 21–10)
  • (5:22) ETSU – Hakeem Meggett 38-yard pass from Jacolby Criswell, Ewan Johnson kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:49; Western Carolina 21–17)
  • (3:22) WCU – Jaylin Terzado 58-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:54; Western Carolina 28–17)
  • (0:23) ETSU – Cole Keller 6-yard pass from Jacolby Criswell, Ewan Johnson kick (Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 2:59; Western Carolina 28–24)
Third Quarter
  • (8:45) ETSU – Ephraim Floyd 5-yard pass from Jackson Byrd, Ewan Johnson kick (Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 3:42; East Tennessee State 31–28)
  • (2:08) WCU – Michael Rossin 61-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 4 plays, 79 yards, 1:29; Western Carolina 35–31)
  • (1:04) ETSU – Hakeem Meggett 42-yard pass from Jackson Byrd, Ewan Johnson kick (Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:04; East Tennessee State 38–35)
Fourth Quarter
  • (14:59) ETSU – Jason Albritton 1-yard run, Ewan Johnson kick (Drive: 2 plays, 5 yards, 0:06; East Tennessee State 45–35)
  • (2:18) ETSU – Jeremiah Harrison 32-yard pass from Jackson Byrd, Ewan Johnson kick (Drive: 10 plays, 99 yards, 3:33; East Tennessee State 52–35)
Statistics ETSU WCU
First downs 33 25
Total yards 638 529
Rushing yards 244 103
Passing yards 394 426
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 22–37–0 33–48–0
Time of possession 30:35 29:25
Team Category Player Statistics
East Tennessee State Passing Jacolby Criswell 17/29, 271 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Jason Albritton 20 carries, 125 yards, TD
Receiving Jeremiah Harrison 5 receptions, 139 yards, 2 TD
Western Carolina Passing Taron Dickens 33/48, 426 yards, 2 TD
Rushing Taron Dickens 11 carries, 48 yards
Receiving Michael Rossin 4 receptions, 89 yards, TD

at VMI

See also: 2025 VMI Keydets football team
Western Carolina Catamounts (0-0) vs. VMI Keydets (0-0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Catamounts - - --0
Keydets - - --0

at Alumni Memorial Field • Lexington, VA

  • Date: November 22
Statistics WCU VMI
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics
Western Carolina Passing
Rushing
Receiving
VMI Passing
Rushing
Receiving

Roster

2025 Western Carolina Catamounts football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
WR 0 AJ Colombo Sr
WR 1 Patrick Boyd Jr.  So
RB 2 Branson Adams Sr
WR 3 Kha'leal Sterling Fr
WR 4 Dominic Dutton Sr
QB 5 Taron Dickens  So
WR 6 Marcus Striggles So
WR 7 Malik Knight  Jr
WR 5 Painter Richards-Baker  Sr
WR 9 Jaylin Terzado  Jr
WR 10 Michael Rossin Fr
QB 11 Isaac Lee  Fr
QB 12 Jack Benson Jr
WR 13 Richard Hollis Fr
TE 14 Josiah Thomas Fr
WR 15 Jai Boyd  So
WR 16 James Tyre  So
QB 17 Bennett Judy  So
QB 18 Jordan Martin-Durham Fr
TE 19 Bode Burns  Fr
RB 20 Camury Reid  Jr
RB 21 Jaiden Bond  Sr
RB 22 Josh Perry Fr
RB 24 Anthony Benjamin  So
WR 25 Noah Best Fr
RB 28 Markel Townsend  So
TE 44 Isaac McLellan  Jr
TE 48 Cole Craddock Fr
OL 50 Jarvis Adams Jr.  Fr
OL 51 Aaron Sanez  Jr
OL 52 Manasseh Ripert  Jr
OL 53 Zach Watson  So
OL 55 Secrea Algie  Fr
OL 58 Brett Gray Sr
OL 64 Konrad Henderson  Fr
OL 65 Nicholas Foster Fr
OL 66 John Hammond Fr
OL 67 Steven Hamby  So
OL 68 Aidan Cooper Fr
OL 69 Cole Cooke Fr
OL 70 Dale Greene  Fr
OL 74 Elijah Collins So
OL 75 Renard Smith  So
OL 77 Ilija Krajnovic  Sr
OL 78 Evan Carney  So
OL 79 Vito Moriana-Sigel Jr
WR 80 Trey Walker Fr
WR 81 Ca'Lique Cunningham  Jr
WR 82 Matthew Keener  Fr
WR 83 Austin Cunningham  Fr
TE 85 David Hulbert  So
TE 86 Brayden Blackmon  Sr
WR 87 Eli Griffin Fr
WR 88 Jemarious Reaves  Fr
WR 89 Ellis Chappell Fr
RB Marlin Cochran  So
QB Ian Grissom Fr
QB Tate Rodemaker  Sr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
NB 0 Ken Moore Jr.  Jr
DE 1 Caleb Fisher  Sr
DE 2 Micah Nelson  Sr
S 3 Samaurie Dukes Sr
LB 4 Jordan Thompson  So
LB 5 Hayward McQueen Jr. Sr
DB 6 Bo Simpson-Nealy  So
S 7 Ed Jones IV  Sr
DT 8 Jahleel Anderson Sr
CB 9 Darian Anderson Jr.  Jr
DE 10 Justin Wallace  Jr
DE 11 Kenyon Partridge  So
CB 12 Hasaan Sykes So
CB 13 Marseille Taylor Jr
DT 14 Vanier Baptiste III  Fr
DE 15 Gavin Rowell  Jr
S 16 Jhamari Pierre-Louis  Jr
LB 17 Armond Anderson Sr
LB 18 Ryan McKinnis  So
CB 19 Cam Smith  So
S 20 Na'koma Simpson-Nealy  Fr
CB 21 Cam'Ron Dabney  Sr
NB 22 Jeno Junius Jr.  So
S 24 Zayveon Wells  So
NB 25 Nas Ashenafi Fr
NB 26 Devin Brown Fr
CB 27 Jayden Cornelius Fr
CB 29 Christian Robbins Fr
DE 30 Richard Garrett  Jr
CB 31 Don Robinson III  Jr
S 32 AJ Mintze Fr
S 33 Lee Campbell  Jr
LB 34 Joshua Collins  Fr
LB 35 Trey Berry III Fr
NB 36 Ja'Morri Downing  Jr
CB 37 Chris Hobbs Fr
CB 38 Canden McGill  Fr
S 39 Julian Quintero  Fr
DE 40 Cain Jefferson Fr
LB 41 Beady Waddell V  Fr
LB 42 Hank Bodine Fr
LB 43 Braeden Barger Fr
DT 45 Sean Morris  Sr
LB 46 Nolan McClanahan Fr
LB 47 Blue Monroe  Jr
LB 49 Bryce Hart Fr
DT 57 Jeremy Johnson  Fr
DT 59 J'evon Bush Fr
DL 90 Jamichael Wilson GS
DT 91 Jackson Banks  So
DT 92 Brandon Joseph II Fr
DT 93 Adrian Stone  Fr
DT 94 Jaden Meeks  Fr
DT 97 Caleb Bradford  Sr
DT 98 Jackson Hensley  Fr
DE 99 Jordan Cardentey  Fr
DB Trevaughn Martinez  So
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
LS 56 Mabry Bumgarner  So
K 60 Marcus Trout Fr
K 61 Bryan McCollum Fr
LS 62 Emmett Rhoades  So
P 63 Thomas Guerrero Fr
P 95 Stephen Brantley Jr
K 96 Christian Lowery Sr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Jerry Odom – Defensive coordinator
  • Rylan Wells – Offensive coordinator/recruiting coordinator
  • Kerry Webb – Special teams coordinator
  • Brian Cochran – Defensive line
  • Kyle Dickey – Tight ends
  • Malik Goodman – Safeties
  • Ethan Harris – Cornerbacks
  • Corey Headley – Quarterbacks/director of player personnel
  • Jeremy King – Offensive line
  • Greg McGruder – Wide receivers
  • Rudi Small – Running backs
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured
  • Redshirt

Roster
Last update: July 29, 2025

References

  1. ^ Kelley, Kevin (January 14, 2025). "Western Carolina announces 2025 football schedule". FBSchedules. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  2. ^ Hooker, Daniel (January 13, 2025). "Western Carolina Announces Full 2025 Football Schedule". Western Carolina University, Department of Athletics. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
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