2025 Western Carolina Catamounts football team

2025 Western Carolina Catamounts football
Conference	Southern Conference
Record	5–3 (4–0 SoCon)
Head coach	Kerwin Bell (5th season)
Offensive coordinator	Rylan Wells (2nd season)
Defensive coordinator	Jerry Odom (2nd season)
Home stadium	Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium
Seasons ←  2024 2026 →

2025 Southern Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 17 Mercer		4	–	0					5	–	1
Western Carolina		4	–	0					5	–	3
Chattanooga		2	–	1					3	–	4
The Citadel		2	–	2					3	–	4
Furman		2	–	2					4	–	3
Wofford		1	–	2					2	–	5
East Tennessee State		1	–	3					3	–	5
Samford		1	–	4					1	–	6
VMI		0	–	3					1	–	6
As of October 21, 2025 Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2025 Western Carolina Catamounts football team represent Western Carolina University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 2025 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Catamounts are led by fifth-year head coach Kerwin Bell and play at the Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 30	6:00 p.m.	Gardner–Webb *	No. 18	Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium Cullowhee, NC	ESPN+	L 45–52	11,889
September 6	2:00 p.m.	at Wake Forest *		Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium Winston-Salem, NC	ACCNX	L 10–42	28,239
September 13	2:30 p.m.	Elon *		Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium Cullowhee, NC	ESPN+	L 31–37	10,007
September 20	2:30 p.m.	Samford		Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium Cullowhee, NC	ESPN+	W 50–35	10,593
September 27	3:30 p.m.	at Campbell *		Barker–Lane Stadium Buies Creek, NC	FloFootball	W 42–35	4,060
October 4	1:30 p.m.	at Wofford		Gibbs Stadium Spartanburg, SC	ESPN+	W 23–21	3,571
October 11	2:30 p.m.	Furman		Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium Cullowhee, NC	ESPN+	W 52–7	8,375
October 18	2:00 p.m.	at The Citadel		Johnson Hagood Stadium Charleston, SC	ESPN+	W 45−38	9,151
November 1	4:00 p.m.	at Chattanooga		Finley Stadium Chattanooga, TN	ESPN+
November 8	2:30 p.m.	Mercer		Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium Cullowhee, NC	ESPN+
November 15	12:00 p.m.	East Tennessee State		Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium Cullowhee, NC	ESPN+
November 22	12:00 p.m.	at VMI		Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA	ESPN+
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

^{[1] [2]}

Game summaries

Gardner–Webb

See also: 2025 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football team

Game One – Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs (0–0) at No. 18 Western Carolina Catamounts (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Runnin' Bulldogs	7	14	7	24	52
No. 18 Catamounts	21	14	7	3	45

at E. J. Whitmire Stadium • Cullowhee, NC

• Date: Saturday August 30, 2025
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. EDT
• Game attendance: 11,889
• Referee: Jeff Page
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Justin Biegel (play-by-play) and Jack Delongchamps (analyst)

Game information

First quarter GWEB – Quasean Holmes 65-yard run (Charlie Viorel kick), 14:02. Runnin' Bulldogs 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 65 yards, 0:14. WCU – Patrick Boyd Jr. 28-yard run (Christian Lowery kick), 12:09. Tied 7–7. Drive: 1 play, 28 yards, 0:06. WCU – Camury Reid 3-yard run (Christian Lowery kick), 8:18. Catamounts 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 2:30. WCU – James Tyre 5-yard pass from Bennett Judy (Christian Lowery kick), 4:30. Catamounts 21–7. Drive: 3 plays, 4 yards, 1:06. Second quarter WCU – Trey Walker 25-yard pass from Bennett Judy (Christian Lowery kick), 13:28. Catamounts 28–7. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 4:16. WCU – Malik Knight 69-yard pass from Isaac Lee (Christian Lowery kick), 8:24. Catamounts 35–7. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:38. GWEB – Anthony Lowe 18-yard pass from Nate Hampton (Charlie Viorel kick), 5:23. Catamounts 35–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:01. GWEB – Nate Hampton 1-yard run (Charlie Viorel kick), 1:08. Catamounts 35–21. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 2:16. Third quarter GWEB – Anthony Lowe 36-yard pass from Nate Hampton (Charlie Viorel kick), 12:20. Catamounts 35–28. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:35. WCU – Camury Reid 1-yard run (Christian Lowery kick), 1:26. Catamounts 42–28. Drive: 5 plays, 83 yards, 2:09. Fourth quarter GWEB – Nate Hampton 16-yard run (Charlie Viorel kick), 13:51. Catamounts 42–35. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:33. GWEB – Nate Hampton 7-yard run (Charlie Viorel kick), 10:16. Tied 42–42. Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 1:39. GWEB – Charlie Viorel 22-yard field goal, 2:36. Runnin' Bulldogs 45–42. Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 3:27. GWEB – Nate Hampton 26-yard run (Charlie Viorel kick), 1:48. Runnin' Bulldogs 52–42. Drive: 1 play, 26 yards, 0:08. WCU – Christian Lowery 29-yard field goal, 0:42. Runnin' Buldogs 52–45. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 1:00.

Statistics	GWEB	WCU
First downs	25	21
Total yards	627	454
Rushes–yards	57–335	42–221
Passing yards	292	233
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	13–33–1	18–36–1
Turnovers	2	3
Time of possession	35:38	24:22

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Gardner–Webb	Passing	Nate Hampton	12/30, 263 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Nate Hampton	28 carries, 132 yards, 4 TD
	Receiving	Chris Lofton	3 receptions, 102 yards
Western Carolina	Passing	Bennett Judy	15/27, 151 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Patrick Boyd Jr.	15 carries, 142 yards, TD
	Receiving	Malik Knight	1 reception, 69 yards, TD

at Wake Forest (FBS)

See also: 2025 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team

Western Carolina Catamounts (0–1) at Wake Forest Demon Deacons (FBS) (1–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Catamounts	0	3	0	7	10
Demon Deacons (FBS)	21	0	21	0	42

at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium • Winston-Salem, North Carolina

• Date: September 6
• Game time: 2:00 p.m.
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance: 28,239
• Referee: Garrett Dickerson
• TV announcers (ACCNX/ESPN+): Doug Sherman (play-by-play) and Reggie Walker (analyst)

Game information

First quarter WAKE – Robby Ashford 41-yard run (Connor Calvert kick), 5:57. Demon Deacons 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 0:57. WAKE – Demond Claiborne 33-yard run (pass failed), 2:59. Demon Deacons 13–0. Drive: 2 plays, 73 yards, 0:42. WAKE – Demond Claiborne 27-yard run (pass failed), 2:47. Demon Deacons 19–0. Drive: 1 play, 27 yards, 0:05. WAKE Team Safety, 0:27. Demon Deacons 21–0. Second quarter WCU – Christian Lowery 23-yard field goal, 5:46. Demon Deacons 21–3. Drive: 17 plays, 74 yards, 9:10. Third quarter WAKE – Demond Claiborne 85-yard run (Connor Calvert kick), 12:29. Demon Deacons 28–3. Drive: 2 plays, 83 yards, 0:42. WAKE – Sterling Berkhalter 51-yard pass from Robby Ashford (Connor Calvert kick), 7:16. Demon Deacons 35–3. Drive: 2 plays, 93 yards, 0:37. WAKE – Jeremiah Melvin 27-yard pass from Deshawn Purdie (Connor Calvert kick), 1:52. Demon Deacons 42–3. Drive: 3 plays, 30 yards, 0:41. Fourth quarter WCU – Markel Townsend 1-yard run (Marcus Trout kick), 6:49. Demon Deacons 42–10. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 10:03.

Statistics	WCU	WAKE
First downs	17	21
Plays–yards	76–238	57–542
Rushes–yards	33–34	31–273
Passing yards	204	269
Passing: comp–att–int	26–43–1	16–26–1
Turnovers	2	3
Time of possession	35:58	24:02

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Carolina	Passing	Bennett Judy	18/32, 155 yards, INT
	Rushing	Isaac Lee	5 carries, 40 yards
	Receiving	Malik Knight	5 receptions, 56 yards
Wake Forest	Passing	Robby Ashford	13/22, 227 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Demond Claiborne	10 carries, 193 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Chris Barnes	6 receptions, 149 yards

Elon

See also: 2025 Elon Phoenix football team

Elon Phoenix (1-1) at Western Carolina Catamounts (0-2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Phoenix	14	9	6	8	37
Catamounts	7	7	14	3	31

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

• Date: September 13
• Game time: 2:30 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 77 °F (25 °C) • Wind: NW at 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h)
• Game attendance: 10,007
• Referee: Jake Grombach
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Pete Yanity (play-by-play) and John Brannon III (analyst)

Game information

First quarter ELON – Zimere Winston 78-yard pass from Landen Clark (Luke Barnes kick), 14:07. Phoenix 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 81 yards, 0:50. WCU – James Tyre 4-yard pass from Bennett Judy (Marcus Trout kick), 10:48. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 3:19. ELON – Landyn Backey 35-yard pass from Landen Clark (Luke Barnes kick), 0:06. Phoenix 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 88 yards, 1:21. Second quarter ELON – Landen Clark 10-yard run (Pass failed), 9:13. Phoenix 20–7. Drive: 12 plays, 88 yards, 5:30. WCU – Dominic Dutton 7-yard pass from Isaac Lee (Marcus Trout kick), 3:06. Phoenix 20–14. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 6:07. ELON – Luke Barnes 48-yard field goal, 0:00. Phoenix 23–14. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 0:41. Third quarter WCU – Dominic Dutton 97-yard kick return (Marcus Trout kick), 14:48. Phoenix 23–21. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:00. WCU – James Tyre 62-yard fumble recovery (Christian Lowery kick), 11:07. Catamounts 28–23. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 0:46. ELON – Luke Barnes 38-yard field goal, 8:22. Catamounts 28–26. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 2:34. ELON – Luke Barnes 42-yard field goal, 1:34. Phoenix 29–28. Drive: 11 plays, 46 yards, 4:58. Fourth quarter WCU – Marcus Trout 28-yard field goal, 13:05. Catamounts 31–29. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 3:29. ELON – Landen Clark 10-yard run (Landen Clark pass), 4:53. Phoenix 37–31. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 3:59.

Statistics	ELON	WCU
First downs	24	25
Total yards	456	425
Rushing yards	151	179
Passing yards	305	246
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	11–29–2	36–55–2
Time of possession	30:23	29:27

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Elon	Passing	Landen Clark	11/28, 305 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Landen Clark	25 carries, 72 yards
	Receiving	Isaiah Fuhrmann	5 receptions, 105 yards
Western Carolina	Passing	Isaac Lee	19/31, 132 yards, TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Patrick Boyd Jr.	10 carries, 58 yards
	Receiving	James Tyre	9 receptions, 122 yards, TD

Samford

See also: 2025 Samford Bulldogs football team

Samford Bulldogs (0-3) at Western Carolina Catamounts (0-3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	6	14	6	9	35
Catamounts	14	7	29	0	50

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

• Date: September 20
• Game time: 2:30 PM EDT
• Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C) • Wind: SE at 7 miles per hour (11 km/h)
• Game attendance: 10,593
• Referee: Brian Hilpisch
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Pete Yanity (play-by-play) and John Brannon III (analyst)

Game information

First quarter SAM – Jake Garner 28-yard field goal, 11:07. Bulldogs 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 3:53. WCU – Camury Reid 14-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Marcus Trout kick), 8:26. Catamounts 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 2:34. SAM – Jake Garner 29-yard field goal, 3:17. Catamounts 7–6. Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 5:05. WCU – James Tyre 6-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Marcus Trout kick), 1:06. Catamounts 14–6. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:11. Second quarter SAM – Calvin Jones 28-yard pass from Quincy Crittendon (Jake Garner kick), 13:12. Catamounts 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:54. SAM – Calvin Jones 11-yard pass from Quincy Crittendon (Jake Garner kick), 9:36. Bulldogs 20–14. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 1:50. WCU – Jordan Thomas 2-yard pass from Taron Dickens, 1:32. Catamounts 21–20. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 2:01. Third quarter WCU – Painter Richards-Baker 20-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Marcus Trout kick), 13:42. Catamounts 28–20. Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, 1:11. SAM – Calvin Jones 12-yard pass from Quincy Crittendon (Kick failed), 11:08. Catamounts 28–26. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:34. WCU – Camury Reid 24-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Taron Dickens pass), 8:22. Catamounts 36–26. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 2:46. WCU – Camury Reid 2-yard run (Marcus Trout kick), 3:08. Catamounts 43–26. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:31. WCU – Camury Reid 62-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Marcus Trout kick), 1:12. Catamounts 50–26. Drive: 3 plays, 70 yards, 0:37. Fourth quarter SAM – C.J. Evans 32-yard run (Pass failed), 8:50. Catamounts 50–33. Drive: 8 plays, 91 yards, 2:56. SAM – Jake Garner 33-yard field goal, 1:56. Catamounts 50–36. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 1:43.

Statistics	SAM	WCU
First downs	34	31
Total yards	576	733
Rushing yards	120	151
Passing yards	456	582
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	35–53–1	35–46–0
Time of possession	30:13	29:47

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Samford	Passing	Quincy Crittendon	35/53, 456 yards, 3 TD, INT
	Rushing	C.J. Evans	15 carries, 56 yards, TD
	Receiving	Jaden Gibson	9 receptions, 122 yards
Western Carolina	Passing	Taron Dickens	35/46, 582 yards, 6 TD
	Rushing	Markel Townsend	13 carries, 56 yards
	Receiving	Camury Reid	4 receptions, 107 yards, 3 TD

at Campbell

See also: 2025 Campbell Fighting Camels football team

Western Carolina Catamounts (1-3) vs. Campbell Fighting Camels (1-3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Catamounts	7	21	7	7	42
Fighting Camels	0	10	8	17	35

at Barker–Lane Stadium • Buies Creek, NC

• Date: September 27
• Game time: 3:30 PM EDT
• Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C) • Wind: SE at 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h)
• Game attendance: 4,060
• Referee: Jeff Pumphrey
• TV announcers (FloFootball): Lendi Suggs (play-by-play) and Jay Sonnhalter (analyst)

Game information

First Quarter (10:37) WCU – Camury Reid 1-yard run, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 3 plays, 12 yards, 0:40; Western Carolina 7–0) Second Quarter (14:56) WCU – Brayden Blackmon 17-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 6 plays, 76 yards, 2:47; Western Carolina 14–0) (11:46) CAM – Alex Crabb 32-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 2:58; Western Carolina 14–3) (8:36) WCU – Marcus Striggles 32-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 3 plays, 55 yards, 0:56; Western Carolina 21–3) (3:45) WCU – David Hulbert 9-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 5 plays, 89 yards, 1:24; Western Carolina 28–3) (0:17) CAM – Kamden Sixkiller 12-yard run, Alex Crabb kick (Drive: 12 plays, 83 yards, 3:19; Western Carolina 28–10) Third Quarter (11:11) WCU – Patrick Boyd Jr. 10-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 2:07; Western Carolina 35–10) (7:08) CAM – Mike Chandler II 10-yard run, Trevor Wilson pass (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:03; Western Carolina 35–18) Fourth Quarter (13:12) CAM – Alex Crabb 21-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 3:15; Western Carolina 35–21) (4:58) CAM – Stevie Keener 26-yard pass from Kamden Sixkiller, Alex Crabb kick (Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 2:04; Western Carolina 35–28) (4:19) WCU – Painter Richards-Baker 61-yard pass from James Tyre, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:39; Western Carolina 42–28) (2:11) CAM – Kamden Sixkiller 5-yard run, Alex Crabb kick (Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 2:08; Western Carolina 42–35)

Statistics	WCU	CAM
First downs	27	24
Total yards	564	437
Rushing yards	76	153
Passing yards	488	284
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	27–41–0	20–48–1
Time of possession	23:20	36:40

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Carolina	Passing	Taron Dickens	26/40, 427 yards, 4 TD
	Rushing	Camury Reid	11 carries, 43 yards, TD
	Receiving	James Tyre	6 receptions, 101 yards
Campbell	Passing	Kamden Sixkiller	18/45, 205 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Kamden Sixkiller	10 carries, 55 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Trayjen Llanas-Wilcox	5 receptions, 124 yards

at Wofford

See also: 2025 Wofford Terriers football team

Western Carolina Catamounts (2-3) vs. Wofford Terriers (0-4) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Catamounts	7	7	6	3	23
Terriers	8	7	6	0	21

at Gibbs Stadium • Spartanburg, SC

• Date: October 4
• Game time: 1:30 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C) • Wind: NE at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
• Game attendance: 3,571
• Referee: Bruce Austin
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Jim Noble (play-by-play), Thom Henson (analyst) and Van Hipp (sideline)

Game information

First Quarter (11:26) WOF – Ihson Jackson-Anderson 49-yard pass from Jayden Whitaker, Blake Shirley pass (Drive: 4 plays, 57 yards, 1:50; Wofford 8–0) (5:29) WCU – James Tyre 2-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 14 plays, 85 yards, 5:52; Wofford 8–7) Second Quarter (3:40) WCU – James Tyre 5-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 6:07; Western Carolina 14–8) (0:48) WOF – Isaiah Scott 66-yard punt return, Sam Spence kick (Wofford 15–14) Third Quarter (0:45) WCU – James Tyre 4-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 5:06; Western Carolina 20–15) (0:29) WOF – Ivory Aikens 83-yard pass from Jayden Whitaker (Drive: 1 play, 83 yards, 0:12; Wofford 21–20) Fourth Quarter (0:23) WCU – Marcus Trout 34-yard field goal (Drive: 16 plays, 51 yards, 4:40; Western Carolina 23–21)

Statistics	WCU	WOF
First downs	31	8
Total yards	471	241
Rushing yards	93	42
Passing yards	378	209
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	53–56–0	10–18–0
Time of possession	38:46	21:14

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Carolina	Passing	Taron Dickens	53/56, 378 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Taron Dickens	19 carries, 44 yards
	Receiving	James Tyre	13 receptions, 102 yards, 3 TD
Wofford	Passing	Jayden Whitaker	10/18, 209 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Ihson Jackson-Anderson	10 carries, 29 yards
	Receiving	Ivory Aikens	3 receptions, 97 yards, TD

Furman

See also: 2025 Furman Paladins football team

Furman Paladins (4-1) vs. Western Carolina Catamounts (3-3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Paladins	0	7	0	0	7
Catamounts	0	24	14	14	52

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

• Date: October 11
• Game time: 2:30 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 70 °F (21 °C) • Wind: N at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
• Game attendance: 8,375
• Referee: Michael Farmer
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Pete Yanity (play-by-play) and Jay Sonnhalter (analyst)

Game information

First Quarter No scoring plays Second Quarter (14:23) WCU – Marcus Trout 44-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 18 yards, 2:03; Western Carolina 3–0) (10:05) WCU – Michael Rossin 50-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:18; Western Carolina 10–0) (7:39) WCU – Joshua Perry 9-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 4 plays, 28 yards, 1:42; Western Carolina 17–0) (1:38) WCU – Ken Moore Jr. 64-yard interception, Marcus Trout kick (Western Carolina 24–0) (0:13) FUR – Joshua Burrell 8-yard pass from Trey Hedden, Ian Williams kick (Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 1:25; Western Carolina 24–7) Third Quarter (13:24) WCU – Malik Knight 41-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:36; Western Carolina 31–7) (5:25) WCU – Markel Townsend 12-yard run, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 4:55; Western Carolina 38–7) Fourth Quarter (9:35) WCU – Josiah Thomas 6-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:29; Western Carolina 45–7) (6:20) WCU – Isaac Lee 66-yard run, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards, 1:28; Western Carolina 52–7)

Statistics	FUR	WCU
First downs	23	23
Total yards	356	522
Rushing yards	137	302
Passing yards	219	220
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	19–38–3	17–24–0
Time of possession	30:16	29:44

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Furman	Passing	Trey Hedden	18/35, 208 yards, TD, 3 INT
	Rushing	Ben Croasdale	6 carries, 72 yards
	Receiving	Ethan Harris	6 receptions, 95 yards
Western Carolina	Passing	Taron Dickens	17/24, 220 yards, 4 TD
	Rushing	Patrick Boyd Jr.	11 carries, 68 yards
	Receiving	Michael Rossin	2 receptions, 59 yards, TD

at The Citadel

See also: 2025 The Citadel Bulldogs football team

Western Carolina Catamounts (4-3) vs. The Citadel Bulldogs (3-3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Catamounts	7	17	14	7	45
Bulldogs	14	3	7	14	38

at Johnson Hagood Stadium • Charleston, SC

• Date: October 18
• Game time: 2:00 PM EDT
• Game attendance: 9,151
• TV: ESPN+

Statistics	WCU	CIT
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Carolina	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
The Citadel	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Chattanooga

See also: 2025 Chattanooga Mocs football team

Western Carolina Catamounts (5-3) vs. Chattanooga Mocs (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Catamounts	-	-	-	-	0
Mocs	-	-	-	-	0

at Finley Stadium • Chattanooga, TN

• Date: November 1
• Game time: 4:00 PM EDT

Statistics	WCU	UTC
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Carolina	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Chattanooga	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Mercer

See also: 2025 Mercer Bears football team

Mercer Bears (0-0) vs. Western Carolina Catamounts (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	-	-	-	-	0
Catamounts	-	-	-	-	0

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

• Date: November 8

Statistics	MER	WCU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Mercer	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Western Carolina	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

East Tennessee State

See also: 2025 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team

East Tennessee State Buccaneers (0-0) vs. Western Carolina Catamounts (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	-	-	-	-	0
Catamounts	-	-	-	-	0

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

• Date: November 15

Statistics	ETSU	WCU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
East Tennessee State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Western Carolina	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at VMI

See also: 2025 VMI Keydets football team

Western Carolina Catamounts (0-0) vs. VMI Keydets (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Catamounts	-	-	-	-	0
Keydets	-	-	-	-	0

at Alumni Memorial Field • Lexington, VA

• Date: November 22

Statistics	WCU	VMI
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Carolina	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
VMI	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Roster

2025 Western Carolina Catamounts football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR 0 AJ Colombo Sr WR 1 Patrick Boyd Jr.  So RB 2 Branson Adams Sr WR 3 Kha'leal Sterling Fr WR 4 Dominic Dutton Sr QB 5 Taron Dickens  So WR 6 Marcus Striggles So WR 7 Malik Knight  Jr WR 5 Painter Richards-Baker  Sr WR 9 Jaylin Terzado  Jr WR 10 Michael Rossin Fr QB 11 Isaac Lee  Fr QB 12 Jack Benson Jr WR 13 Richard Hollis Fr TE 14 Josiah Thomas Fr WR 15 Jai Boyd  So WR 16 James Tyre  So QB 17 Bennett Judy  So QB 18 Jordan Martin-Durham Fr TE 19 Bode Burns  Fr RB 20 Camury Reid  Jr RB 21 Jaiden Bond  Sr RB 22 Josh Perry Fr RB 24 Anthony Benjamin  So WR 25 Noah Best Fr RB 28 Markel Townsend  So TE 44 Isaac McLellan  Jr TE 48 Cole Craddock Fr OL 50 Jarvis Adams Jr.  Fr OL 51 Aaron Sanez  Jr OL 52 Manasseh Ripert  Jr OL 53 Zach Watson  So OL 55 Secrea Algie  Fr OL 58 Brett Gray Sr OL 64 Konrad Henderson  Fr OL 65 Nicholas Foster Fr OL 66 John Hammond Fr OL 67 Steven Hamby  So OL 68 Aidan Cooper Fr OL 69 Cole Cooke Fr OL 70 Dale Greene  Fr OL 74 Elijah Collins So OL 75 Renard Smith  So OL 77 Ilija Krajnovic  Sr OL 78 Evan Carney  So OL 79 Vito Moriana-Sigel Jr WR 80 Trey Walker Fr WR 81 Ca'Lique Cunningham  Jr WR 82 Matthew Keener  Fr WR 83 Austin Cunningham  Fr TE 85 David Hulbert  So TE 86 Brayden Blackmon  Sr WR 87 Eli Griffin Fr WR 88 Jemarious Reaves  Fr WR 89 Ellis Chappell Fr RB Marlin Cochran  So QB Ian Grissom Fr QB Tate Rodemaker  Sr	Defense Pos. # Name Class NB 0 Ken Moore Jr.  Jr DE 1 Caleb Fisher  Sr DE 2 Micah Nelson  Sr S 3 Samaurie Dukes Sr LB 4 Jordan Thompson  So LB 5 Hayward McQueen Jr. Sr DB 6 Bo Simpson-Nealy  So S 7 Ed Jones IV  Sr DT 8 Jahleel Anderson Sr CB 9 Darian Anderson Jr.  Jr DE 10 Justin Wallace  Jr DE 11 Kenyon Partridge  So CB 12 Hasaan Sykes So CB 13 Marseille Taylor Jr DT 14 Vanier Baptiste III  Fr DE 15 Gavin Rowell  Jr S 16 Jhamari Pierre-Louis  Jr LB 17 Armond Anderson Sr LB 18 Ryan McKinnis  So CB 19 Cam Smith  So S 20 Na'koma Simpson-Nealy  Fr CB 21 Cam'Ron Dabney  Sr NB 22 Jeno Junius Jr.  So S 24 Zayveon Wells  So NB 25 Nas Ashenafi Fr NB 26 Devin Brown Fr CB 27 Jayden Cornelius Fr CB 29 Christian Robbins Fr DE 30 Richard Garrett  Jr CB 31 Don Robinson III  Jr S 32 AJ Mintze Fr S 33 Lee Campbell  Jr LB 34 Joshua Collins  Fr LB 35 Trey Berry III Fr NB 36 Ja'Morri Downing  Jr CB 37 Chris Hobbs Fr CB 38 Canden McGill  Fr S 39 Julian Quintero  Fr DE 40 Cain Jefferson Fr LB 41 Beady Waddell V  Fr LB 42 Hank Bodine Fr LB 43 Braeden Barger Fr DT 45 Sean Morris  Sr LB 46 Nolan McClanahan Fr LB 47 Blue Monroe  Jr LB 49 Bryce Hart Fr DT 57 Jeremy Johnson  Fr DT 59 J'evon Bush Fr DL 90 Jamichael Wilson GS DT 91 Jackson Banks  So DT 92 Brandon Joseph II Fr DT 93 Adrian Stone  Fr DT 94 Jaden Meeks  Fr DT 97 Caleb Bradford  Sr DT 98 Jackson Hensley  Fr DE 99 Jordan Cardentey  Fr DB Trevaughn Martinez  So	Special teams Pos. # Name Class LS 56 Mabry Bumgarner  So K 60 Marcus Trout Fr K 61 Bryan McCollum Fr LS 62 Emmett Rhoades  So P 63 Thomas Guerrero Fr P 95 Stephen Brantley Jr K 96 Christian Lowery Sr	Head coach Kerwin Bell Coordinators/assistant coaches Jerry Odom – Defensive coordinator Rylan Wells – Offensive coordinator/recruiting coordinator Kerry Webb – Special teams coordinator Brian Cochran – Defensive line Kyle Dickey – Tight ends Malik Goodman – Safeties Ethan Harris – Cornerbacks Corey Headley – Quarterbacks/director of player personnel Jeremy King – Offensive line Greg McGruder – Wide receivers Rudi Small – Running backs Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: July 29, 2025

References

1. Kelley, Kevin (January 14, 2025). "Western Carolina announces 2025 football schedule". FBSchedules. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
2. Hooker, Daniel (January 13, 2025). "Western Carolina Announces Full 2025 Football Schedule". Western Carolina University, Department of Athletics. Retrieved May 9, 2025.