Looking at Game 8, The Citadel

Who:  The Citadel Bulldogs  
                                                                       
When:  October 25th, 2014 at 2:00 pm (EST)

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

Series history:  The Cats hold a 15-21-1 all time record with the Bulldogs.  The Bulldogs currently are in the midst of a 3 game win streak over the Cats, Western's last victory was in Charleston as the Cats picked up a 24-13 win over the Dogs in 2010.  Due to a scheduling change in the SoCon with the addition of Mercer and VMI, the Bulldogs play in Cullowhee for the second consecutive season.  In games played in Cullowhee, the Cats trail the Dogs, 9-10. 

Their coach:  Mike Houston -  Houston led Lenoir-Rhyne to the NCAA Division II national championship game last season, and was named the 24th head football coach of The Citadel on January 9th 2014. In his last three seasons as the head coach at Lenoir-Rhyne, Houston led the Bears to three consecutive South Atlantic Conference championships, including a school-record 13 wins to earn his third-straight SAC Coach of the Year honor.  Houston also was named the Don Hansen Super Region II Coach of the Year in 2013.

Last year’s record:  5-7 overall, 4-4 Southern Conference

How they got there:   The Bulldogs opened the season at home against Charleston Southern with a disappointing loss, 29-32.  The Citadel followed with another home loss to Wofford, 10-21.  In the third week of the season, the Bulldogs went on the road to Western Carolina and picked up a seven point win over the Catamounts, before dropping their next two games (Old Dominion 58-59 and Furman, 17-24). In game six, the Bulldogs won in overtime over ASU, 31-28 - then proceeded to drop their next two games (GSU 21-28 and at Chattanooga 24-28).  The Dogs then won three straight (Samford 28-26, at Elon 35-20, and VMI 31-10).  The Citadel closed the season at Clemson with a 6-52 loss against the Tigers. 

Last Season's Game vs. The Citadel:  September 14, 2014 -  Back within seven points late in the fourth quarter, the WCU defense stiffened to force a three-and-out, giving the ball back to the offense with a chance to pull even. However, an intentional grounding penalty put WCU in a difficult fourth-and-long situation. On fourth down, Mitchell scrambled from the pocket after his initial progression, keeping the play alive with his feet. His offering deflected off his intended receiver, Benson, and was intercepted by The Citadel's Julian Baxter inside the final three minutes. The visitors were able to run out the clock to preserve the victory.

Offensive Formation:   Triple Option  - With the departure of GSU, the Cats will now only face two in conference teams that runs the triple option, Wofford & The Citadel.  


Statistics:
Scoring:  26.5 points per game
Rushing Offense:   272.3 yards per game - 5.2 yards per rush
TDs rushing:  169
Passing Offense:   83.4 yards per game - 6.5 yards per pass
TDs passing:    5
Total Offense:   356.7 yards per game
Fumbles-Lost:   24 - 11
Penalties-Yards:    35 - 311 yards
On-side kicks:   0 - 1
3rd Down Conversions:    62 of 163  (38%)
4th Down Conversions:    23 of 36   (64%)
Field Goals - Attempts:    8 of 12
Red-Zone Scores:    34 of 45  (76%)
Red-Zone Touchdowns:   27 of 45  (60%)

Losses/Weaknesses:  The Citadel will field a new starter at quarterback, Aaron Miller, has played in 28 games. but has yet to start. 

Strengths:   
-Returning Leaders -  QB Aaron Miller (407 yards passing, 196 yards rushing, two TDs),  RB Vinny Miller (357 yards rushing, 175 yards receiving, two TDs), LB James Riley (76 tackles), DL Justin Oxendine (46 tackles, 4½ sacks), DL Mitchell Jeter (37 tackles).


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