2018 Western Carolina Catamounts football team
The 2018 Western Carolina Catamounts team represented Western Carolina University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Mark Speir, the Catamounts compiled an overall record of 3–8 with a mark of 1–7 in conference play, placing eighth in the SoCon. Western Carolina played their home games at Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium in Cullowhee, North Carolina.
2018 Western Carolina Catamounts football | |
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Conference | Southern Conference |
Record | 3–8 (1–7 SoCon) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Brad Glenn (7th season) |
Offensive scheme | Spread |
Defensive coordinator | John Wiley (2nd season) |
Base defense | 3–4 |
Home stadium | Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium (capacity: 13,742) |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 13 Wofford +^ | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 22 East Tennessee State +^ | 6 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Furman + | 6 | – | 2 | 6 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Samford | 5 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chattanooga | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Citadel | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mercer | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Western Carolina | 1 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
VMI | 0 | – | 8 | 1 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason
Award watch lists
Award | Player | Position | Year |
---|---|---|---|
Walter Payton Award[1] | Tyrie Adams | QB | JR |
Buck Buchanan Award[2] | Marvin Tillman | S | SR |
Preseason media poll
The SoCon released their preseason media poll on July 25, 2018, with the Catamounts predicted to finish in fifth place.[3] The same day the coaches released their preseason poll with the Catamounts predicted to finish in fourth place.[4]
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
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1 | Samford | 204 (20) |
2 | Furman | 174 (2) |
3 | Wofford | 163 (1) |
4 | Mercer | 133 |
5 | Western Carolina | 114 |
6 | Chattanooga | 88 |
7 | The Citadel | 83 |
8 | East Tennessee State | 53 |
9 | VMI | 23 |
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
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1 | Samford | 63 (7) |
2 | Wofford | 53 (1) |
3 | Furman | 52 (1) |
4 | Western Carolina | 39 |
5 | Chattanooga | 34 |
6 | Mercer | 32 |
7 | The Citadel | 28 |
8 | East Tennessee State | 15 |
9 | VMI | 8 |
Preseason All-SoCon Teams
The Catamounts placed six players on the preseason all-SoCon teams.
Offense 1st team Zach Weeks – OL 2nd team Tyrie Adams – QB Nathan Dalton – OL Andrew Miles – OL |
Defense 1st team Marvin Tillman – DB |
Specialists 1st team Ian Berryman – P |
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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September 1 | 6:00 p.m. | Newberry* | ESPN+ | W 33–26 | 12,111 | |
September 14[lower-alpha 1] | 6:00 p.m. | at Gardner–Webb* | ESPN+ | W 28–10 | 2,257 | |
September 22 | 3:30 p.m. | VMI |
| ESPN+ | W 52–50 | 12,759 |
September 29 | 2:00 p.m. | at Furman | ESPN+ | L 38–44 | 7,201 | |
October 6 | 1:30 p.m. | at Samford | ESPN3 | L 28–66 | 3,178 | |
October 13 | 3:30 p.m. | Chattanooga |
| ESPN+ | L 6–26 | 7,362 |
October 20 | 4:00 p.m. | at Mercer | ESPN+ | L 46–59 | 8,230 | |
October 27 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 25 East Tennessee State | ESPN+ | L 43–45 3OT | 7,121 | |
November 3 | 3:30 p.m. | The Citadel |
| ESPN+ | L 24–38 | 10,499 |
November 10 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 15 Wofford |
| ESPN3 | L 23–38 | 10,169 |
November 17 | 3:00 p.m. | at North Carolina* | ACCN Extra | L 26–49 | 41,151 | |
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- This game was originally scheduled for September 15. It was moved up one day in anticipation of Hurricane Florence.
Game summaries
Newberry
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Wolves | 7 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 26 |
Catamounts | 3 | 16 | 0 | 14 | 33 |
At Gardner–Webb
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Catamounts | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
Runnin' Bulldogs | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
VMI
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Keydets | 14 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 50 |
Catamounts | 14 | 7 | 21 | 10 | 52 |
At Furman
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Catamounts | 7 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 38 |
Paladins | 14 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 44 |
At Samford
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Catamounts | 0 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
Bulldogs | 35 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 66 |
Chattanooga
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Mocs | 9 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 26 |
Catamounts | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
At Mercer
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Catamounts | 7 | 20 | 6 | 13 | 46 |
Bears | 0 | 28 | 17 | 14 | 59 |
At East Tennessee State
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | 3OT | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Catamounts | 0 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 43 |
No. 25 Buccaneers | 6 | 6 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 45 |
The Citadel
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Bulldogs | 7 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 38 |
Catamounts | 10 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
Wofford
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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No. 15 Terriers | 7 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 38 |
Catamounts | 10 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
At North Carolina
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Catamounts | 7 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 26 |
Tar Heels | 14 | 21 | 14 | 0 | 49 |
References
- "FCS football: 2018 Walter Payton Award watch list". August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- "FCS football: 2018 Buck Buchanan Award watch list announced". August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
- "Media picks Samford to win 2018 SoCon football title".
- "Football coaches select preseason all-conference teams, poll".
- "2021 Western Carolina Catamount Football Media Guide" (PDF). Cullowhee, North Carolina: Western Carolina University Athletics. 2021. p. 124. Retrieved November 22, 2021.