As the ball was kicked off, one could hear the ruckus crowd chant both teams’ names. What started out as an evenly
Catamounts’ fans hoping players can mount a comeback. Photo by Marcus Smith.
matched contest, turned into a beating at the expense of the Catamounts due in large part to a stagnant offense. By the end of the second quarter and in the beginning of the third, people were heading for the exits.
The Catamounts’ offensive line looked completely out of sorts as it gave up seven sacks. Reggie Williams, running back for The Citadel, ran all over Western Carolina’s defense as he tallied up 133 yards on 17 attempts. On the opposing side, WCU’s running back Detrez Newsome ran for 94 yards on 9 carries.
Early on in the third quarter, the Bulldogs were up 34-0. However, as the quarter went on, the Catamounts began to catch fire as quarterback Tyrie Adams ran it in for a seven yard touchdown toward the end of the quarter. The fire continued to burn early on in the fourth quarter as Newsome broke away for a gain of 65 yards resulting in a touchdown making the score 34-14.
Although Western Carolina lost to number 10 ranked The Citadel 37-14, a positive note was that the defense held the Bulldogs to one touchdown early in the third, and a field goal which came at the tail end of the game.
WCU Coach Speir walking toward midfield during a timeout. Photo by Marcus Smith.
After the game, the Catamounts’ head coach Mark Speir said he felt they “didn’t play very well up front.” He thought they played tentative and had a “lack of intensity,” especially on offense.
Coach Speir was then asked if he felt his team could still go on a run, and he said “We got the potential…We got to see what’s inside of us.” Speir talked about how it starts with the coaching staff as they prepare for the next game.
When asked post-game if WCU still has a chance to have a special season, team captain and strong safety Fred Payne simply said, “It’s going to start with us.” Detrez Newsome shared the same sentiment by saying, “We got to come back next week ready to grind.”
Next weekend will be a prime opportunity to redeem this loss by taking down Wofford.
