WCU Preseason Preview: Game #10 - ETSU

Throughout this preseason, we will preview all of  Western Carolina's 2024 football opponents. For the tenth game of the season, the Cats return to the road for the annual grudge match, the Blue Ridge Border Battle with the East Tennessee State Buccaneers. 

Game #10 ETSU Bucs

    

Eight seasons ago, Western and the Bucs revived their series that started back in 1932, that abruptly ended in 2003 when the Bucs eliminated football. The Cats own a 4-4 record against the Bucs since their return to the Southern Conference.

When: Saturday, November 9, 2021

Time:  12:00 pm (EST) 

Where: Greene Stadium, Johnson City, TN
Radio: Catamount Sports Network

   -announcers:  Gary Ayers,  (play-by-play); Daniel Hooker (color)

TV/video:  ESPN+

Live Stats:  ETSU Live Stats

Fan Message Board:  Buccaneer Nation

The Series: This series stretches back to 1932, and Western owns a 27-25-1 record overall in the series. Since the return of football at ETSU, the Cats are 4-4 going into the 2024 contest. Adding to the rivalry between the two mountain teams, the Bucs pulled off a 2-point, 3 overtime win, 43-45 in the initial Blue Ridge Border Battle trophy contest held in Johnson City in 2018. The Cats are 12-14-1 in games played in Johnson City overall. The Cats This game also marks the seventh showdown of the "Blue Ridge Border Battle" with the Bucs capturing three of the first six games in this trophy game.

The Trophy: The two campuses are separated by just 112 total miles and share a common border through the Blue Ridge Mountains. In 2018 the mountain rivalry was dubbed the “Blue Ridge Border Battle”, consisting of a trophy that includes a two-tiered wooden pedestal adorned on opposite sides by the two school’s respective logos and the moniker of the football rivalry series. Atop the trophy is a rock that was taken from the Appalachian Trail on the North Carolina – Tennessee border in the heart of the Great Smoky and Blue Ridge mountains. This will be the fifth battle for the Blue Ridge Trophy.

The last game played vs. ETSU:  Nov. 11, 2023 - Rock the Boat! Catamounts Dominate ‘Blue Ridge Border Battle’Rock the Boat! Catamounts Dominate ‘Blue Ridge Border Battle’ - Cole Gonzales passed for 363 yards and five touchdowns as No. 21/17 Western Carolina amassed a season-high 687 total yards of offense including 513 yards through the air to cruise past mountain-rival East Tennessee State 58-7 in Southern Conference action at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field. With the win, the Catamounts retained possession of "the Rock" traveling trophy in the "Blue Ridge Border Battle" rivalry series for a second straight season.

Head Coach: Tre Lamb -Tre Lamb was named ETSU football head coach on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023. Lamb, the 20th head coach in Buccaneer history, comes to ETSU after spending the last four seasons as the head coach at Gardner-Webb where he led the Running' Bulldogs to back-to-back conference championships and FCS playoff appearances.

Trey Lamb's record vs. WCU:  1 - 0  (at GWU)

Kerwin Bell's record vs. ETSU:  2 - 1

Last Season's Record (ETSU):  3-8 overall,  3-2 home,  0-6 away,  2-6 SoCon. 

 

In preseason voting by the coaches and media, the Bucs were picked to finish sixth in the coaches poll. ETSU's Chris Hope a senior defensive back, Nate Brackett a redshirt junior punter and Luke Smith a grad student offensive lineman were named to the Preseason All-SoCon First Team. William McRainey is entering his first season on the Buc roster, has been named a Preseason All-American by both FCS Football Central and Stats Perform FCS ahead of his first season with ETSU. McRainey comes to ETSU after transferring from Gardner-Webb.

Head coach Tre Lamb brough 21 transfers from Gardner-Webb into the ETSU program, and eight transfers from the FBS: Jaden Woods (DB) Akron; Seth Williams (OL) App State; Micah Sumpter (OL) Charlotte; Steven Johnson (QB) Charlotte; Parker Self (WR) Georgia Southern; Ezra Sexton (RB) New Mexico; Devontae Houston (RB) UConn; Derrell Bailey (OL) USF, so the Bucs will be loaded with talent. 

The starting QB position is up for grabs and should be between returning Jaylen King and Saint Francis transfer,Cole Doyle

2022 ETSU Statistics (11 games)

Rushing Offense: 1704 yards

Yards per game:  154.9
Yards per rush:  4.1 yards
Rushing 1st downs: 81
TDs rushing: 15
Passing Offense: 1277 yards or 116 yards per game
Avg. per pass: 12.5 yards
Passing 1st downs: 15
TDs passing: 6
Passing Att-Comp-Int: 229-102-12

Total Offense: 2981 yards or 371 yards per game
Fumbles-Lost: 18 - 13
3d Down Conversions: 35 of 140 (25%)
4th Down Conversions: 9 of  15 (60%)
Field goal attempts  8 - 13
PAT-Attempts: 24 of 24
On-side kicks: 0 - 0
Red Zone Scores: 21 of 29 
Red Zone Touchdowns: 13 of 29 
Punts - Yards: 67 - 2906 - Avg per punt: 37