Game #8 - The Citadel

For the eighth game of the season, the Catamounts return home to face The Citadel Bulldogs in E.J. Whitmire Stadium.  

The Bulldogs enter the game in a three-way tie for fifth place, with three teams holding identical 1-3 conference records. The Citadel's conference win is over ETSU back in September at home is their lone win of the season.  

Game #8 - The Citadel

When: Saturday, October 22, 2022

Time:  2:00 pm
Where: E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field
Radio:  Catamount Sports Network

   -announcers:  Gary Ayers • Daniel Hooker • Producer: Jeff Bryson

TV/video: ESPN+

   -announcers:  Kevin Gehl (PxP), John Shoop (Analyst)

Live Stats:  WCU live stats

Game Notes:  Western Carolina   -    The Citadel 

Citadel Message Board:  Citadel Fan Message Board

Nickname:  Bulldogs

Mascot:  Spike

The Series: Western is currently 19-26-1 vs. the Bulldogs overall. The Cats and Dogs first played on the gridiron in 1972. The Cats own an 11-12 record vs. the Citadel in games played in Cullowhee, NC

Last Season's Game vs. The Citadel (10-23-21) - Catamounts Score Road Victory at The Citadel, 45-31 - Charleston, S.C. – Quarterback Carlos Davis threw for a career-high 401 yards and three touchdowns while running back TJ Jones amassed 205 total yards, including 132 rushing with a pair of scores and three catches for 73 yards and a touchdown as Western Carolina upended The Citadel 45-31 on Saturday afternoon at Johnson Hagood Stadium.

Last season's Record - (The Citadel): 4-7 overall, 3-3 home, 1-4 away, 3-5 SoCon

This season's Record - (The Citadel):  1-5 overall, 1-1 home, 0-4 away, 1-4 SoCon

Head Coach: Brent Thompson -  Brent Thompson was named The Citadel's 25th head football coach on January 19, 2016. In his first year, he led the Bulldogs to unprecedented heights while authoring one of the best seasons in Southern Conference history. Thompson’s first season in charge featured a program-record 10-game winning streak, a single-season school-record six road victories, only the seventh 8-0 conference record in 84 years of SoCon football, a second consecutive conference championship, a No. 6 national seed in the FCS Playoffs and the first home playoff game in 24 years. 

Offensive Formation: Triple Option
Defensive Formation: Multiple

Offensive Starters Returning/Lost:     5 / 7 

Defensive Starters Returning/Lost:  10 / 3

Thompson's Record at The Citadel: 33-42 

Overall Record: Same

Tompson's Record vs. WCU:  3-3

Bell's record vs. The Citadel: 1-0

The Citadel was picked to finish 8th in the coach's preseason poll and 9th in the media poll. The Bulldogs placed four players on the All-SoCon preseason team with Destin Mack being chosen to the first team and Marquise Blount, Tereis Drayton, and Carson Hatchett to the second team. 

The Bulldogs come into Cullowhee riding a four-game losing streak and are coming off a 16-31 upset loss to Wofford in Spartanburg last Saturday. The Bulldogs currently rank 9th in the conference in scoring offense, averaging 9.3 points per game, and 6th in scoring defense, giving up an average of  27.3 points per game.  The Bulldogs rank 5th in rushing offense (173.7 YPG) and 6th in rushing defense (giving up 177 YPG).  They rank last in pass offense (92 YPG) and 3rd in pass defense.  

2022 The Citadel Statistics (6 games):

Rushing Offense: 1038 yards
Yards per game: 173 yards
Yards per rush: 3.5  yards
Rushing 1st downs: 50

TDs rushing: 2
Passing Offense: 552 yards or 92 yards per game
Avg. per pass: 6.6 yards
Passing 1st downs: 27
Passing Comp-Att-Int: 41-84-4
TDs Passing: 4
Total Offense:  1590 yards or 265 yards per game
Fumbles-Lost: 13 - 6
3d Down Conversions: 28 0f 92 (30%)
4th Down Conversions: 10 of 201(48%)
Field goal attempts: 5 of 6
PAT-Attempts: 5 of 6
On-side kicks: 0 of 20

Red Zone Scores: 6 of 12 (67%)
Red Zone Touchdowns: 4 of 12 (33%)
Punts - Yards: 29 for 1083 yrds - Avg per punt: 37.3