Game #7 - The Citadel

For the Catamount's fourth spring game and seventh of the 2020-21 season, the Cats remain in Cullowhee for the second home game of the season to face the Citadel Bulldogs.

The Cats have lost two straight games to the Bulldogs and lost four of the last five played between the two teams. 










Game #7 - The Citadel

When: Saturday, March 13, 2021- Time: 1:00 pm
Where: E.J. Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network

-announcers:  Gary Ayers, Greg McLamb, Jeff Bryson
TV/video: ESPN+

-announcers:  Daniel Hooker (pxp) and Dan Gibson (analyst)
Citadel Fan Messageboard:  DogFan

The Series: Western is currently 17-26-1 vs. the Bulldogs overall. The Cats and Dogs first played on the gridiron in 1972. The Cats own a 10-12 record vs. the Citadel in games played in Cullowhee. 

Game Notes:   Western Carolina   -  The Citadel  

The last game played vs. Citadel: October 12, 2019, Catamount Football Falls at The Citadel, 35-17 -  Charleston, S.C. – Trailing by 25 points, Western Carolina rallied back to within two scores early in the second half at The Citadel on Saturday afternoon. But penalties and a pair of turnovers proved to be too costly as the Bulldogs used an efficient rushing attack and pinpoint passing attack to pull away for the 35-17 victory over the Catamounts in Southern Conference action at Johnson Hagood Stadium.

Head Coach: Brent Thompson  5th season  (Norwich, 1998) - The architect of one of the top rushing offenses in the FCS, Brent Thompson enters his fifth season as the head coach at The Citadel. Thompson owns an overall record of 26-26, including a program-record 10 wins during his first season in 2016. Under Thompson’s guidance, the Bulldogs have ranked in the top-10 in rushing offense each of the last four seasons. The Citadel ranked sixth nationally in 2019 at 268.2 yards per game, ninth in 2018 at 283.6 yards per game, second in 2017 at 294.6 yards per game, and led the nation in 2016 at 348.2 rushing yards per game.

Thompson's record at the Citadel:  26-26

Thompson's record against WCU:  3-1

Mark Speir's record against the Citadel:  2-6

This Season's Record (Citadel):  2021:  0-6 overall, 0-2 SoCon, 0-2 home, 0-4 away

Last Season's Record (Citadel):  2019:  6-6 overall, 4-4 SoCon, 3-3 home, 3-3 away  

Offensive Formation: Triple Option
-2019 Offensive: 30.8 ppg. (35th in FCS)
Defensive Formation: Multiple
-2019 Defensive: 37.8 ppg. (117th in FCS)
Starters returning/lost:    19   /    7
Offensive starters - Returning/Lost:  10   /  3
Defensive starters - Returning/Lost:   9   /   4

Reaching back to the 2019 season, the Bulldogs come to Cullowhee riding an 8 game losing streak, strangely the same record as the Catamounts reaching back to the 2019 season as well.  

2020 Citadel Statistics 
Rushing Offense: 1528 yards
Yards per game: 220.3
Yards per rush: 3.9 yards
Rushing 1st downs: 70
TDs rushing: 7
Passing Offense: 368 yards
Avg. per pass: 5.3 yards
Passing 1st downs: 17
Passing Comp-Att-Int: 25-69-5
TDs Passing: 3
Total Offense: 1690
Average Per Game:  281.7  

Fumbles-Lost: 16-7
3d Down Conversions: 40 of 96 (42%)
4th Down Conversions: 11 of 16 (69%)
Field goal attempts: 4 of 10
PAT-Attempts: 7 of 8
On-side kicks: 1-2
Red Zone Scores: 10 for 12 (83%)
Red Zone Touchdowns: 8 for 12  (67%)
Punts - Yards: 32 for 274 - Avg per punt: 39.1