Newsome named SoCon Offensive Player of the Week

After setting a school and facility records for rushing and all-purpose yards in a single-game, junior tailback Detrez Newsome was named the Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week. Newsome rushed for a record 277 yards while amassing 347 all-purpose yards in the Homecoming game against the Mocs.

2016 Football Game #9: VMI

For their ninth game of the season, the Catamounts remain in Cullowhee for the fifth and final home game of the season.

The Cats have won both games against the Keydets since their return to the Southern Conference in 2014, can we make it three in a row?


When: Saturday, November 5th - Time 2:00 pm
Where: E. J. Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
TV / video: ESPN3

The Series: Western currently leads the series with VMI, by an 18-3 margin. The Cats and Keydets first played on the gridiron in 1978, and the Cats currently own a thirteen game winning streak over the Keydets.

Last year’s record (VMI):  2-9 overall, 1-5 home, 1-4 away (1-6 SoCon)

Last Season's Game vs. VMI: (November 21, 2015)
Western Carolina Outlasts Keydets in Regular Season Finale, 24-20 - Detrez Newsome accounted for 230 yards of total offense and two touchdowns including a game-winning fourth quarter plunge as Western Carolina survived its first trip to Foster Stadium since 2002, downing the VMI Keydets, 24-20, on Saturday afternoon in Southern Conference action. Newsome capped a four-play, 70-yard drive with a powerful two-yard run to push the Catamounts ahead for what proved to be for good with just over two minutes remaining in Saturday's fourth quarter. But behind the arm of quarterback Al Cobb, the Keydet offense moved back down the field and into the red zone.

Game Notes:              Western Carolina        -           VMI   

This season's record (VMI):  3-5 overall, 1-2 home, 2-3 away (1-4 SoCon)

Offensive Formation:  Spread

Defensive Formation:  3-4

In this meeting of the SoCon's 7th and 9th place teams, WCU takes a slight lead in scoring offense with 22.6 points per game, with VMI coming in at 21/9 points per game. In scoring defense, the Keydets come in at 6th place, giving up just 28.2 points while the Cats are giving up 34.2 points per game. In the running game the Cats are averaging 143.5 yards, while VMI comes in at 8th place with 108 yards per game. In defending the run, the Cats are dead last giving up 300 yards per game on the ground, while the Keyets are in 4th place only giving up176.6 yards. In passing yardage, the Cats are in 4th place with 242.6 yards, while VMI comes in at 3d place with 250.6 yards per game.

2016 VMI Statistics  (8 games) 
Rushing Offense: 864 yards
Yards per game: 108
Yards per rush: 3.0 yards
Rushing 1st downs: 39
Passing Offense: 2005 yards or 251 yards per game
Passing Comp-Att-Int: 190-304-9
Passing 1st downs: 91
Total Offense: 2869 yards or 359 yards per game
Fumbles-Lost: 6 - 2
3d Down Conversions: 41 of 130 (32%)
4th Down Conversions: 5 of 18 (28%)
Punts - Avg:  48 - 38 yards per
Red-Zone Scores: 23-29 (79%)
Red-Zone Touchdowns: 18-29 (62%)
Field-Goal-Attempts: 6-16
On-Side Kicks:  0 - 0
Kick offs / avg per kick:  35 - 62 yards per

Scott Wachenheim is in his second year as the head coach of VMI.

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Defensive Coordinator Dustin Landry relieved of duties

Head football coach Mark Speir has announced that defensive coordinator Dustin Landry has been relieved of his coaching duties with the Catamounts effective immediately.

“Obviously, this wasn’t an easy decision, but I would like to thank Dustin for his effort and his passion in working with our student-athletes. Although it is difficult to make this change at this point in the season, I felt as the leader of this program it was in the best interest of the team to make the move at this time. I wish Dustin all the best in his future endeavors.”

Speir will assume responsibilities for the defensive unit, working along with his defensive coaching staff.





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Saturday's SoCon Football Round-up (10-29-16)

Week number nine is now in the books, so let's take a look at the games.





Mercer at Wofford
On Saturday afternoon, the Wofford College football team earned a 31-21 victory over Mercer at Gibbs Stadium. The Terriers took a 24-7 lead in the third quarter after a blocked punt recovery for touchdown by David Howerton and a field goal by David Marvin, but the Bears battled back in the fourth quarter to make it a close contest. Wofford moves to 5-3 on the season and 3-2 in the Southern Conference, Mercer is 4-4 and 2-3 in the league.   Football Wins 31-21 Over Mercer

Furman at VMI
The Furman Paladins scored 24 unanswered points in the middle portions of the game, en route to a 24-10 victory over the VMI Keydets in SoCon football action Saturday at Foster Stadium in Lexington, Va. VMI (3-5, 1-4 SoCon) opened the scoring with a Reed King field goal in the first quarter, but would not score again until the opening moments in the fourth period. Furman (2-6, 2-3), meanwhile, saw quarterback Reese Hannon account for 291 yards through the air and another 84 on the ground (375 total) en route to its second consecutive win. Keydets Drop 24-10 Contest to Furman


ETSU at The Citadel
The 5th-ranked Citadel football team remained undefeated with a 45-10 win over SoCon foe ETSU on Saturday afternoon, racking up 427 rushing yards in the victory. The win gives The Citadel a single-season record eight straight wins and ties the program record with seven consecutive Southern Conference home victories. The win also gave the Bulldogs a program-record-tying six conference wins this season and is the 12th SoCon win since the beginning of the 2015 season, the most conference wins in a two-year stretch in program history.   The Citadel Remains Undefeated


Samford at Mississippi State
Samford rolled up 627 yards of offense, but it was not enough as the Bulldogs dropped a hard-fought 56-41 decision at Mississippi State Saturday afternoon at Davis Wade Stadium. Samford quarterback Devlin Hodges completed 42-of-69 passes for a career-high 468 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. The performance marked Hodges' fourth 400-yard passing game of the season. For Mississippi State, Nick Fitzgerald completed 20-of-35 passes for 417 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. Fitzgerald also rushed 19 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Richie Brown led the MSU defense with 13 tackles.   Samford Falls In Hard-Fought Contest At MSU


Chattanooga at Western Carolina
The No. 8 Chattanooga Mocs ran to a 38-25 Southern Conference victory at Western Carolina Saturday afternoon. The Mocs amassed a season-high 323 yards of rushing with 515 in total offense. Junior running back Richardre Bagley posted his second straight 100-yard day with a team-best 126 yards on 19 carries. Junior quarterback Tyler Roberson got in the act as well with 121 and a score. The Mocs scored on their first four drives to build a 28-10 lead. It started with a 60-yard strike from Alejandro Bennifield to C.J. Board. Bagley's six and one-yard scoring runs sandwiched a 54-yard scamper from Roberson. Board keyed a 31-10 halftime advantage. After a turnover, the defense forced a three-and-out with just 38 seconds ticking off the clock. Western's Ian Berryman boomed a 52-yard punt that Board collected at the 13. Seventy-two yards later, Henrique Ribeiro jogged on the field for a 32-yarder to send the squad into the half.   No. 8 Chattanooga Cruises to 38-25 Road Win at Western Carolina



After 9 weeks of play.... the standings
1. The Citadel 6-0, overall: 8-0
2. Chattanooga 6-1, overall: 8-1
3. Samford 4-1, overall: 6-2
4. Wofford 3-2, overall: 5-3
5. Mercer 2-3, overall 4-4
6. Furman 2-3, overall: 2-6
7. VMI 1-4, overall: 3-5
8. ETSU 1-5, overall 3-5
9. Western Carolina 0-6, 1-7



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Chattanooga post game remarks by Coach Speir

Video Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations           

Purple & Gold's Catamount Player of the Game (Chattanooga)

Purple & Gold's Catamount Player of the Game for Saturday's Chattanooga game is junior tailback Detrez Newsome.






Newsome rushed for a school-record 277 yards and two lengthy touchdowns against the eighth-ranked Chattanooga Mocs. Newsome rattled off scoring rushes of 75 and a program record-long tying 95 yards. The Raeford, N.C., native gained a career-best 347 all-purpose yards, the second-most by an individual in Southern Conference history.

Purple & Gold congratulates Detrez on his selection and his record-setting game.  

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SoCon Tournament Quarterfinals

This week's Purple & Gold football picks (10-29-16)

It's week nine in the SoCon, and time to make this week's football picks. On the schedule, we have a full slate of four conference games while Samford visits Mississippi State.







Mercer (4-3, 2-2 Southern)  at  Wofford (4-3, 2-2 Southern)  1:30 pm - Watch on ESPN3
In a game that will probably knock the loser out of contention for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, the Bears travel to Spartanburg to meet the Terriers.  With identical 2-2 conference records, this is a critical game for both teams. The Terriers once again win hat home, 27-14 over the Bears.


Furman (1-6, 1-3 Southern)  at  VMI (3-4, 1-3 Southern)  1:30 pm  -  Watch on ESPN3
With both teams looking for their second conference win of the season, the Paladins travel Lexington to face the Keydets of VMI. In a hard fought battle, the home field advantage tips the scale for the Keydets, as VMI picks up a 7 point victory, 21-14 over Furman.


ETSU (3-4, 1-4 Southern) at The Citadel (7-0, 5-0 Southern) 2:00 pm - Watch on ESPN3
The Bulldogs continue their winning ways this weekend as the Bucs make their first visit to Charleston since rejoining the Southern Conference. Look for a 21 point win by the Citadel, 35-14


Samford (6-1) at Mississippi State (2-5)   3:30 pm  -  Watch on SEC Network
Samford travels to Mississippi State for the battle fo the Bulldogs in the only out of conference game on Saturday. The Samford dogs put up a good fight bur fall to Mississippi State by a final score of 17-28.


Chattanooga (7-1, 5-1 Southern)  at  Western Carolina (1-6, 0-5 Southern)  3:30 pm  -  Watch on SDN
The #8 nationally ranked Mocs visit Cullowhee on Saturday, just in time for Homecoming. It's been a while since the Catamounts have beaten a top 10 ranked foe, and unfortunately, that streak does not change this weekend. The Mocs stay on course in their streak of wins over the Cats, taking home a 35-21 win over Western.

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Head-to-Head Comparison WCU vs. UTC

Chart Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations                          

SoCon Preseason Basketball Poll

Courtesy Southern Conference                             

2-deep roster vs. Chattanooga

Catamount Football Weekly: Week 9 - Chattanooga

2016 SoCon Football Power Rankings (10-25-16)

Welcome to Purple & Gold's 2016 SoCon Football Power Rankings. Each Tuesday throughout the season, we'll release that week's Power Rankings.

Here're the rankings after the eighth week of play.  No changes since last week.




1. (1) The Citadel     (7-0, 5-0 Socon)
Next: ETSU

2. (2) Chattanooga     (7-1, 5-1 SoCon)
Next: @ Western Carolina

3. (3) Samford   (6-1, 4-1 SoCon)
Next: @ Mississippi State

4. (4) Wofford   (4-3, 2-2 SoCon)
Next: Mercer

5. (4) Mercer   4-3, 2-2 SoCon)
Next: @ Wofford

6. (5) Virginia Military Institute (3-4, 1-3 SoCon)
Next: Furman

7. (7) Furman (1-6, 1-4 SoCon)
Next: @ VMI

8. (8) East Tennessee State    (3-4, 1-4 SoCon)
Next: @ The Citadel

9. (9) Western Carolina (1-6, 0-5 SoCon)
Next: Chattanooga



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Men's Basketball

Game #8 Preview: Chattanooga

For their eighth game of the season, the Catamounts return to Cullowhee for Homecoming and the fourth home game of the year. The opponent is last year's co-champion, the number 8 nationally ranked Chattanooga Mocs. 

What:   2016 Homecoming
When: Saturday, October 29th - Time 3:30 pm 
Where: E. J. Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

Radio: Catamount Sports Network

TV / video: SoCon Digital Network

Game Notes:                Western Carolina             -               Chattanooga 

The Series:  The Cats own a 16-26-0 all time record against the Mocs, having first played in 1973. Currently the Mocs have a 7 game win streak going against Western, as the Cats last won in Cullowhee back in 2008.

Last year’s record (Chattanooga):   9-4 overall, 5-1 home, 4-3 away (6-1 SoCon)  

Last Season's Game vs. Chattanooga:  (Oct. 31, 2015)
No. 4 Chattanooga Hands Western Carolina a 41-13 Road Loss  - Quarterback Jacob Huesman amassed 359 yards of total offense including 191 passing yards and 168 yards and a touchdown on the ground with tailback Derrick Craine scoring four rushing TDs as No. 4 Chattanooga handed Western Carolina a 41-13 loss on Saturday afternoon in Southern Conference action at Finley Stadium. Chattanooga (7-1, 5-0 SoCon) - which won its seventh-straight seasonall game and its 12th league game in a row - scored four-consecutive rushing touchdowns following a Detrez Newsome two-yard run that drew the Catamounts to within one, 7-6, in the first quarter. The Mocs capitalized on the lone turnover of the game -- a WCU fumble as the Catamounts were looking for the end zone - driving 87 yards for a score as a part of the four-straight TDs, taking a 35-6 halftime advantage.

This year's record (Chattanooga):   7-1 overall, 5-0 home, 2-1 away  (4-1 SoCon) - The only blemish on this season's Moc record is an 8 point loss to The Citadel. The Mocs have conference wins over Furman, Samford, ETSU, Mercer, and VMI.

Offensive Formation: Multiple

Defensive Formation: Multiple

2016 Chattanooga Statistics (through 8 games):
Rushing Offense: 1736 yards
Yards per game: 217
Yards per rush: 5.2 yards
TDs rushing: 28
Passing Offense: 1749 yards or 219 yards per game
Passing Comp-Att-Int: 132-201-4
Total Offense: 3485 yards or 436 yards per game
Passing 1st downs: 68
Rushing 1st downs: 86
Fumbles-Lost: 9 - 2
3d Down Conversions: 41 of 102 (40%)
4th Down Conversions: 8 of 12 (67%)
Red-Zone Scores: 26-34  (76%)
Red-Zone Touchdowns: 34-45  (93%)
Field-Goal-Attempts:  6-8

In the current standings, the defending co-champions are second in scoring offense with 36.9 points per game and first in scoring defense, giving up only 13.5 points per game.  UTC's senior Derick Craine is averaging over 102 yards per game.

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Saturday's SoCon Football Round-up (10-22-16)

Week number eight is now in the books, so let's take a look at the games.





West Virginia Wesleyan at ETSU
That’s more like it. Rushing for a season high five touchdowns and 323 yards, the ETSU football team snapped its four-game losing streak in style with a 38-7 win over West Virginia Wesleyan College Thursday night at Kermit Tipton Stadium. With the win, the Buccaneers improved to 3-4 on the year, while the Bobcats dropped to 2-6.   Bucs roll past West Virginia Wesleyan, 38-7


The Citadel at Wofford
The Wofford College football team was defeated 24-21 in overtime on Saturday afternoon at Gibbs Stadium. With the game tied at the end of regulation, the Bulldogs scored a field goal to open the overtime period. The Terriers gained a first down, but fumbled and the ball was recovered by The Citadel to win the game. Wofford moves to 4-3 on the season and 2-2 in the Southern Conference, while #5 The Citadel is 7-0 and 5-0 in the league. The Terriers led the Bulldogs in almost every statistical category, but could not overcome four turnovers in the contest.  Football Falls To The Citadel In Overtime


VMI at Chattanooga
-The No. 8 Chattanooga Mocs dominated the line of scrimmage in a 30-13 victory over VMI at Finley Stadium today. The offensive line paved the way for 297 yards rushing, 519 total, while the defensive front claimed six sacks and five hurries. The Mocs scored three times in the first half. Bingo Morton's 21-yard run-and-catch from Alejandro Bennifield got things started with 4:52 left in the first quarter. Bennifield tacked on a 14-yard scamper early in the second, while Henrique Ribeiro added a 30-yard field goal for a 17-0 halftime advantage. 8th-Ranked Mocs Surge Past VMI 30-13


Mercer at Austin Peay
Chandler Curtis returned an onside kick 45 yards for a touchdown and Mercer withstood an Austin Peay rally as the Bears left Fortera Stadium and Clarksville with a 41-34 victory Saturday evening. It would take one more onside kick recovery, however, to clinch the victory but the Bears would withstand Austin Peay's 21 points scored over 5:10 late in the fourth quarter to advance to 3-0 all-time against the Governors. The win was Mercer's fourth victory in the last five games and pushed the Bears to 4-3 on the season.  Mercer Withstands Rally for 41-34 Win 






After 8 weeks of play.... the standings
1. The Citadel 5-0, overall: 7-0
2. Chattanooga 5-1, overall: 7-1
3. Samford 4-1, overall: 6-1
4. Wofford 2-2, overall: 4-3
5. Mercer 2-2, overall 4-3
6. VMI 1-2, overall: 3-2
7. Furman 1-3, overall: 1-6
8. ETSU 1-4, overall 3-4
9. Western Carolina 0-5, 1-6




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Game Day

This week's Purple & Gold football picks (10-22-16)

It's week eight in the SoCon, and time to make this week's football picks.

On the schedule, we have a full slate of four conference games while Wofford has a bye week.






The Citadel (6-0, 4-0 Southern)  at  Wofford (4-2, 2-1 Southern) 1:30 pm - Watch on ESPN3
The Bulldogs travel to Spartanburg to play the Terriers in what is a key Southern Conference game. To remain in first place the Bulldogs must continue their win streak, while the Terriers have other ideas. We think the Bulldogs continue their ride atop the standings with a seven point victory, 28-21.


VMI (3-3, 1-2 Southern)  at  Chattanooga (6-1, 4-1 Southern)  2:00 pm  -  Watch on the SDN
The Keydets have a tough test in Chattanooga, as they face the Mocs coming off a disappointing loss to the Citadel last Saturday. In order to stay in contention for the title race, this is a must win for the Mocs. Chattanooga responds with a 21 point victory over the Keydets, 49-28


Mercer (3-3)  at  Austin Peay (0-6) 5:00 pm - Watch on the OVC Digital Network
The Bears travel to Clarksville to play the Governors on Saturday afternoon in nonconference action. Mercer is looking for a big day against the winless Governor's and picks up a 14 point win, 35-21


Western Carolina (1-5, 0-4 Southern)  at  Samford (5-1, 3-1 Southern) 7:00 pm - Watch on the American Sports Network
The Cats travel to Birmingham to play the Bulldogs in what could be the defining game of the season for Western. Unfortunately for the Cats, they can't overcome the problems that have defined the team this season and drop a 14 point loss to Samford, 38-24

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Catamount Football Weekly: Week 8 - Samford

Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations                

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WCU 2-deep roster vs. Samford

Roster Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations                   

Women's Golf: Team Finishes Second, Amanda Floberg individual runner-Up

Catamount Madness - Oct. 24, 2016

2016 SoCon Football Power Rankings (10-18-16)

Welcome to Purple & Gold's 2016 SoCon Football Power Rankings. Each Tuesday throughout the season, we'll release that week's Power Rankings.

Here're the rankings after the seventh week of play.




1. (2) The Citadel     (6-0, 5-0 Socon)
Next: @ Wofford

2. (1) Chattanooga     (6-1, 4-1 SoCon)
Next: VMI

3. (3) Samford   (5-1, 3-1 SoCon)
Next: Western Carolina

4. (4) Wofford   (4-2, 2-1 SoCon)
Next: The Citadel

5. (6) Mercer   3-3, 2-2 SoCon)
Next: @ Austin Peay

6. (5) Virginia Military Institute (3-3, 1-2 SoCon)
Next: @ Chattanooga

7. (9) Furman (1-6, 1-3 SoCon)
Next: @ ETSU

8. (7) East Tennessee State    (2-4, 1-4 SoCon)
Next: WV Wesleyan

9. (8) Western Carolina (1-4, 0-4 SoCon)
Next: @ Samford




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Women's Golf: Highlights From Day 2 of Bill Berg Invitational

Game #7 - Samford

For their seventh game of the season, the Catamounts remain on the road and travel to Birmingham, AL.

Last season the Cats broke an eleven game winning streak owned by the Bulldogs over our Cats. Since Samford joined the Southern Conference in 2008, Western is 1-7 against the Bulldogs.

When: Saturday, October 22nd - Time  7:00 pm  ET

Where: Seibert Stadium, Birmingham, AL

Radio: Catamount Sports Network

TV:  American Sports Network (ASN)    - sorry Cat fans, this one is on ASN and will not be streamed on video.  

The Series: The Cats are 2-11 overall against the Bulldogs since winning the first outing back in 1969. Samford owned an eleven game winning streak against Western until last year when the Cats broke that winning streak in Cullowhee with a 56-36 win over the Dogs.   

Game Notes:    Western Carolina    -       Samford         

Last Season's Game vs. Samford:     October 24, 2015

Catamounts Claim Homecoming Game over Samford, 56-36   -    Corey Holloway rushed for two touchdowns and Karnorris Benson tallied a pair of receiving scores as Western Carolina powered past the Samford Bulldogs, 56-36, on Saturday afternoon in Southern Conference play at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field. The Catamounts claimed their fourth-straight seasonal victory, winning their third-consecutive Homecoming game. WCU (5-2, 3-1 SoCon), which never trailed on Saturday, scored on five of its seven second half possessions including three-consecutive touchdowns to grab a 26-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Spearman Robinson capped scoring with a 49-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on an on-side kick attempt to provide the final tally.

This Season's Record (Samford):  5-1 overall,  3-0 home, 2-1 away  (3-1 SoCon)  - The Hatch attack seems to have bloomed this season in Birmingham. Other than a breakdown against the Mocs in Chattanooga, the Bulldogs have pretty much breezed through their schedule. with wins over Mars Hill, Central Arkansas, Wofford, Furman and VMI.  

Offensive Formation: Multiple

Defensive Formation:  4-3

2015 Samford Statistics (6 games): 
Rushing Offense: 473 yards
Yards per game: 79
Yards per rush: 3 yards
TDs rushing: 7
Passing Offense: 2165 yards or 361 yards per game
Passing Comp-Att-Int: 190-263-4
Total Offense: 2638 yards or 440 yards per game
Passing 1st downs: 89
Rushing 1st downs: 31
Fumbles-Lost: 8 - 4
3d Down Conversions: 25 of 81
4th Down Conversions: 5 of 9

In conference play, the Bulldogs lead the SoCon in scoring offence with an average of 62 points per game while the Cats are in eight place with a 23 point average. The Bulldogs are giving up only 24 points per game, good enough for 4th place, while Western is in last place a 34.3 points per game. The one place the Cats win the statistical match up is rushing offense, averaging 114 yards per game, while the dogs are averaging only 79 yards on the ground. Both teams have potent passing games, coming in at 1 &2 in the conference standing.  Samford leads the conference with 361 yards passing per game, with the Cats in #2 at 284 yards per game.

Samford's sophomore quarterback Devlin Hodges earned his third-straight SoCon Offensive Player of the Week honor against VMI.  In Saturday's 55-21 win over the Keydets, Hodges completed 35-of-50 passes for a career-high 435 yards, Hodges tied a career high with five touchdown passes in the win, as he connected on touchdown passes from 3, 5, 7, 9 and 16 yards out. For the season, Hodges leads the SoCon and ranks third nationally with 345.0 passing yards per contest. His 22 touchdown passes on the season rank third in FCS. He has completed 180-of-249 passes for 2,070 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions.

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Saturday's SoCon Football Round-up (10-15-16)

Week number seven is now in the books, so let's take a look at Saturday's games.





Furman at East Tennessee State
The Furman Paladins scored on their first eight possessions of the game and collected 511 yards in total offense on their way to a 52-7 win over the ETSU Buccaneers Saturday afternoon in Southern Conference football action at Kermit Tipton Stadium. With the win, Furman picked up its first victory of the season and improved to 1-6 overall, 1-3 in SoCon play. Meanwhile, the Bucs dropped their fourth straight game and fell to 2-4 overall, 1-4 in league action. The Bucs’ offensive woes continued, as ETSU has now scored just three touchdowns in their last 16 quarters of football. In all, ETSU collected just 210 yards in total offense. Bucs unable to stop Furman offensive surge, 52-7


Chattanooga at The Citadel
With a 22-14 win inside Johnson Hagood Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the 8th-ranked Citadel football team defeated No. 5 Chattanooga and took over sole possession of first place in the Southern Conference. The victory was the Bulldogs' first in a top-10 matchup after losing the previous two top-10 games in program history, both in 1992. With the win, The Citadel has 15 victories since the start of the 2015 season, which is tied for the fourth-highest two-year win total in program history. Head coach Brent Thompson extended his record for the most wins to start a career by a Bulldog head coach and tied The Citadel's record for the most wins by a first-year head coach, pulling even with Harry O'Brien's six wins in 1916. The Citadel finished the game with 342 rushing yards and held Chattanooga to just 55 in the victory, the Mocs' lowest single-game rushing total since 2011. Allen finished the game with a season-high 144 yards rushing and was followed by Cam Jackson and Tyler Renew who both finished with at least 60 yards on the ground. Bulldogs Take Down No. 5 Chattanooga


VMI at Samford
The 24th-ranked Samford football team used big plays in all three phases of the game to earn a 55-21 Southern Conference win over VMI Saturday afternoon at Seibert Stadium. Quarterback Devlin Hodges set a new career high in passing yards for a second-straight game. The sophomore completed 35-of-50 passes for 435 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. The five touchdowns also tie a career high for Hodges. He also threw for five touchdowns against Mars Hill earlier this season. No. 24 Football Wins 3rd-Straight, 55-21, Over VMI


Western Carolina at Mercer
Mercer rallied from a 14-3 deficit and took advantage of five Western Carolina turnovers in a 38-24 win over the Catamounts Saturday afternoon at Five Star Stadium in Macon. The Bears (3-3, 2-2 SoCon) forced WCU into three turnovers in four possessions in the program's first win over Western Carolina (1-5, 0-4 SoCon). The major turning point of the game came when Western Carolina kickoff returner Detrez Newsome fumbled and LeMarkus Bailey recovered on the WCU 4-yard line. The Bears had just scored on a Sam Walker 19-yard reception to pull within four but the Catamount turnover set up a one play, four-yard score from Alex Lakes that gave Mercer a 17-14 advantage, a lead Mercer would never relinquish the remainder of the game.  Mercer Rallies for 38-24 Win over Western Carolina



After 7 weeks of play.... the standings  
1. The Citadel  4-0, overall: 6-0
2. Chattanooga 4-1, overall: 6-1
3. Samford  3-1, overall: 5-1
4. Wofford   2-1, overall: 4-2
5. Mercer  2-2, overall 3-3
6. VMI  1-2, overall: 3-2
7.  Furman 1-3, overall:  1-6
8.  ETSU  1-4,  overall 2-4
9. Western Carolina  0-4, 1-5


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Game Day at Mercer

In case you forgot.... "Start Wearing Purple"

Just a little reminder to...... start wearing purple

This week's Purple & Gold football picks (10-15-16)

It's week seven in the SoCon, and time to make this week's football picks. On the schedule, we have a full slate of four conference games while Wofford has a bye week.





Furman (0-6, 0-3 Southern)  at  East Tennessee State (2-3, 1-3 Southern) 12:00 noon - Watch on SoCon Digital Network
To open the day's games, winless Furman travels to Johnson City to play the surprising Bucs of ETSU. The Paladins are looking for their first win of the season, while the Bucs are looking for their second conference win. The purple Paladins will be rewarded at the end of the day by a two touchdown victory over ETSU, 28-14.


Chattanooga (6-0, 4-0 Southern)  at  The Citadel (5-0, 3-0 Southern) 3:00 pm - Watch on ESPN3
In the second game of the day, in what is arguably the FCS game of the week, the two undefeated and top ten teams meet in Charleston, SC.  Both teams are probably headed to the playoffs, regardless of the outcome of this game, but only one will arrive there with the SoCon's automatic bid in hand, and it's a good chance this game will determine that team. On this day, the home field advantage will be too much for the Mocs to overcome, as they drop their first game of the season against the FCS's best defense against the run. The Bulldogs win by 7 points,  35-28.


VMI (3-2, 1-1 Southern)  at  Samford (4-1, 2-1 Southern)  3:00 pm  -  Watch on ESPN3
The surprising Keydets travel to Birmingham looking for their second conference win of the season, but run into the buzz saw that is the Samford Bulldogs. The dogs offensive muscle is just too much for the outmanned Keydets as they pick up a 2 touchdown victory over VMI. 31-17.


Western Carolina (1-4, 0-3 Southern)  at  Mercer (2-3, 1-2 Southern) 3:00 pm - Watch on ESPN3
The Catamounts travel to middle Georgia on Saturday to meet the Bears of Mercer, hoping to keep their two game win streak against Mercer alive. After dropping two games at home, the Cats rebound and pick up their first road win of the season by 3 points, 31-28.

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Head-to-Head vs. Mercer

Chart Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations                   

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Catamount Football Weekly - Mercer

Video Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations               

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WCU 2-deep roster vs. Mercer

Chart Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

WCU Military Appreciation Day

On October 8th, WCU honored its military students and alumni at Whitmire Stadium for Military Appreciation Day. Military students and alumni shared photos and videos from around the world and across the years to create this wonderful tribute.

 

Villavicencio Wins, Cats Second at Terrier Intercollegiate (video)

Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations                   

2016 SoCon Football Power Rankings (10-11-16)

Welcome to Purple & Gold's 2016 SoCon Football Power Rankings. Each Tuesday throughout the season, we'll release that week's Power Rankings.

Here're the rankings after the sixth week of play.



1. (1) Chattanooga     (6-0, 4-0 SoCon)
Next: @ The Citadel

2. (2) The Citadel     (5-0, 3-0 Socon)
Next: Chattanooga

3. (5) Samford   (4-1, 2-1 SoCon)
Next: VMI

4. (4) Wofford   (4-2, 2-1 SoCon)
Next: BYE

5. (9) Virginia Military Institute (3-2, 1-1 SoCon)
Next: @ Samford

6. (5) Mercer   (2-3, 1-2 SoCon)
Next: Western Carolina

7. (6) East Tennessee State    (2-3, 1-3 SoCon)
Next: Furman

8. (7) Western Carolina (1-4, 0-3 SoCon)
Next: @ Mercer

9. (9) Furman (0-6, 0-3 SoCon)
Next: @ ETSU



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