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Post by The Cats on Jul 5, 2018 14:08:02 GMT -5
 Throughout this preseason, Purple & Gold will preview all of Western Carolina's 2018 football opponents. In the Cat's seventh game of the season and the first of two back to back road games, the Cats travel to Macon, GA to play the Mercer Bears. Western faces the Bears for just the fifth time since Mercer joined the Southern Conference. Mercer
When: Saturday, October 6th at 4:00 pm Where: Five Star Stadium, Macon, GA Radio: Catamount Sports Network TV / video: ESPN3 or ESPN+ Games that will be played by the Bears this season prior to the WCU contest: (6 games) The Bears kick off the season in Memphis. TN against the Memphis Tigers, before returning home against the Pioneer League's Jacksonville. The Bers then travel to Birmingham to meet the Stamford Bulldogs, then return to Macon to host The Citadel, then travel to Lexington to meet VMI, then remain on the road traveling to New Haven, Conn. to face Yale. The Series: In only the 5th meeting between the two teams, the Cats own a 2-2 record against the Bears, having dropped the last two games played, one in Macon and one in Cullowhee. Last Season's Game vs. Mercer (Nov. 10, 2017) Turnovers, Special Teams Lead Mercer Past No. 25 Western Carolina, 35-33 - Tyrie Adams threw for a season-high 378 yards and three touchdowns as No. 25 Western Carolina tallied its third-highest total offensive output with 507 yards on Saturday afternoon. However, costly turnovers and big plays in the special teams by Mercer guided the Bears to the upset victory over the Catamounts, 35-33, on Hall of Fame / Senior Day at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field. Last season's Record (Mercer): 5-6 overall, 3-2 home, 2-4 away, 4-4 SoCon Head Coach: Bobby Lamb enters his sixth season as head coach of Mercer football. Named the 19th head football coach in program history in 2011, he led the Bears to immediate success, claiming the third 10-win season of his career and setting the NCAA Division I record for wins by a first-year program with a 10-2 campaign. The 2013 win total also set a school record for victories, surpassing the previous mark of seven wins by Lake Russell’s 1931 and 1932 squads. For his efforts, he finished third in the PFL Coach of the Year voting and ranked among the top 11 finalists for FCS National Coach of the Year. Offensive Formation: Spread (Pistol) Defensive Formation: 3-4 Starters Returning/Lost: 13 / 9 Offensive starters - Returning/Lost: 6 / 5 Defensive starters - Returning/Lost: 7 / 4 Specialist - Returning/Lost: 4 / 1 Lost from the two-deep roster: 14 Key Losses:
Offense: WR Chandler Curtis; WR Avery Ward 6; LT Thomas Marchman; RG Caleb Yates; Defense: DE Jalen Penn; OLB Kyle Williams; ILB Lee Bennett; OLB LeMarkus Bailey; Specialist: KR & PR Chandler Curtis In the offseason, HC Bobby Lamb hired a new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Joe Pizzo, safeties coach Mitch Doolittle and cornerbacks coach Darius Safford in addition to three other title changes on his coaching staff. Offensive line coach Casey Vogt will serve as Running Game Coordinator while running backs coach Carter Barfield will be the Co-Recruiting Coordinator alongside La'Donte Harris. Pizzo most recently held the same titles at NCAA Division II North Greenville, Doolittle returns to Mercer after spending one season at PC as their DC, Safford comes from West Georgia. 2017 Mercer Statistics:Rushing Offense: 1822 yards Yards per game: 143.3 Yards per rush: 3.6 yards Rushing 1st downs: 92 TDs rushing: 21 Passing Offense: 2079 yards or 189 yards per game Avg. per pass: 7 yards Passing 1st downs: 89 Passing Comp-Att-Int: 295-176-10 TDs Passing: 14 Total Offense: 3656 yards or 333.2 yards per game Fumbles-Lost: 9-6 3d Down Conversions: 37% 4th Down Conversions: 47% Field goal attempts: 16 - 23 PAT-Attempts: 36 of 38 (95%) On-side kicks: 0-0 Red Zone Scores: 32 of 35 Red Zone Touchdowns: 25 of 35 Game prediction: Per the Massey Ratings, the Cats have a 39% probability of winning (27-31) over the Bears. According to Massey, Western Carolina should be 4-3 after this game. I'm going to disagree, the Cats are 6-1 after this game. |
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Post by The Cats on Jul 10, 2018 12:35:54 GMT -5
Throughout this preseason, Purple & Gold will preview all of Western Carolina's 2018 football opponents. For the eighth game of the season, the Cats travel to Johnson City to face the Bucs of East Tennessee State University for the first time at the new William B. Greene, Jr. Stadium, in a game that has become known as the Blue Ridge Border Battle. Two seasons ago, Western and the Bucs revived the series that started back in 1932, but abruptly ended in 2003 when the Bucs eliminated football. Adding to the newfound rivalry between the two mountain teams, the Bucs upset the Cats at the Bristol Motor Speedway in 2016. ETSUWhen: Saturday, October 27 at 3:30 pm Where: William B. Greene, Jr. Stadium, Johnson City, TN Radio: Catamount Sports Network TV / video: ESPN3 or ESPN+ The Series: This series stretches back to 1932, with the Cats holding a slim 24-22-1 lead. Games that will be played by the Bucs this season prior to the WCU contest: (8 games) ETSU kicks off their season at home against DII, Mars Hill, then travel to Knoxville to play the Volunteers a week later. In week three of the season, the Bucs remain on the road as they travel to Lexington, VA to meet the Keydets, then return home to host the Paladins. The Mocs then visit Johnson City for the second of three straight home games, as Big South foe Gardner-Webb visits the Bucs for game six. After 3 home games, ETSU goes on the road for two games prior to Western's visit, as the Bulldogs of the Citadel host the Bucs followed by Wofford the next week in games 7 & 8. The last game played vs. ETSU: October 14, 2017 - Defense, Spencer Key Strong Second Half in WCU's 49-10 Win over ETSU - Redshirt freshman tailback Donnavan Spencer scored four rushing touchdowns while the defense and special teams units tallied scores of their own as No. 25/21 Western Carolina stormed past upset-minded East Tennessee State in the second half, winning 49-10, in Southern Conference action on Saturday afternoon at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field. Western Carolina (5-2, 3-1 SoCon) created three takeaways including two John Brannon III interceptions - one returned for a touchdown with the second return setting-up WCU with a first-and-goal situation - with the third turnover coming on a muffed kickoff fumble recovery. WCU also blocked an ETSU punt with Tyran Reynolds scooping-and-scoring from 35 yards out as a part of a 42-point second half.- Head Coach: Randy Sanders - Sanders was named ETSU football head coach on Dec. 17, 2017, becoming the 18th head coach in program history. Sanders, a Morristown, Tenn. native, has spent the last 29 years coaching on the Football Bowl Subdivision level, which includes stints as offensive coordinator at Tennessee, Kentucky and most recently Florida State. Sanders was the offensive coordinator when Tennessee won the 1998 BCS National Title and the quarterbacks coach at Florida State when the Seminoles claimed the 2013 National Championship. Sanders played a part in either coaching or recruiting a pair of No. 1 overall picks in the NFL Draft – Peyton Manning (1998) and Jameis Winston (2015). In his 29 years of coaching, Sanders has coached in 26 bowl games and his teams hold a combined record of 258-105-2. Last Season's Record (ETSU): 2017 record - 4-7 overall, 4-2 home, 0-5 away, 2-6 SoCon Offensive Formation: Spread Defensive Formation: 3-4 Starters returning/lost: 18 /4 Offensive starters - Returning/Lost: 9 / 2 Defensive starters - Returning/Lost: 9 / 2 Specialist - Returning/Lost: 7 / 0 Losses on 2 deep roster: 6 Significant losses: Offense: TB - Falon Lee; RT Alex Rios Defense: CB - Daren Ardis; SS - Paul Hunter Top Returners: QB Austin Herink, RB Jajuan Stinson New head coach Randy Sanders returns a wealth of experience as the Bucs look to improve on a 4-7 record from last season. The Buck lost only 4 starters from the 2017 team. Sanders hired former Bucs wide receiver Marcus Satterfield as his offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, Steve Brown his defensive backs coach and Matt McCutchan to oversee the offensive line. Sanders retained Billy Taylor (Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers), Mike Rader (Wide Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator), Gary Downs (Running Backs), Daryl Daye (Defensive Line/Special Teams), Dylan Lewellyn (Outside Linebackers) and Al Johnson (Strength and Conditioning) from the previous staff. 2017 ETSU StatisticsRushing Offense: 1130 yards Yards per game: 70 Yards per rush: 2.1 yards Rushing 1st downs: 56 TDs rushing: 8 Passing Offense: 2216 yards or 201 yards per game Avg. per pass: 12 yards Passing 1st downs: 93 Passing Comp-Att-Int: 183-323-6 TDs Passing: 14 Total Offense: 2997 yards or 273 yards per game Fumbles-Lost: 12-8 3d Down Conversions: 51 of 159 (32%) 4th Down Conversions: 5 of 14 (36%) Field goal attempts: 14 - 18 PAT-Attempts: 21 of 21 On-side kicks: 0-0 Red Zone Scores: 20 of 24 (83%) Red Zone Touchdowns: 13 of 24 (54%) Punts - Yards: 68 - 2660 - Avg per punt: 36 Game prediction: Per the Massey Ratings, the Cats have a 70% probability of winning (31-24) over the Bears. According to Massey, Western Carolina should be 5-3 after this game. I'm going to disagree, the Cats are 7-1 after this game. at 1:17 PM No comments: Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest |
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Post by The Cats on Jul 17, 2018 13:49:13 GMT -5
 Throughout this preseason, Purple & Gold will preview all of Western Carolina's 2018 football opponents. For the ninth game of the season, the Cats return to the friendly confines of E.J. Whitmire Stadium to host the Bulldogs of The Citadel. Western faces the Bulldogs for the forty-third time since 1972. The Citadel
When: Saturday, November 3 at 3:30 pm Where: E.J. Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC Radio: Catamount Sports Network TV / video: ESPN3 or ESPN+ The Series: Western trails The Citadel 17-24-1 overall in the series, after winning on the road in Charleston last season, breaking a two game skid to the Bulldogs. Coach Speir is 2-4 against the Citadel. Games that will be played by the Bulldogs this season prior to the WCU contest: (8 games) The Bulldogs kick off the season with a opening conference game at Wofford, followed up by another conference game against the Mocs in Charleston. Week three has the Dogs going out of conference against Charleston Southern, followed by SoCon foe Mercer in Macon. In week five, the Bulldogs are OOC again, this time at Towson, followed by a home game veres ETSU, then back on the road to Lexington, VA to meet the Keydets of VMI. The Paladins then visit Charleston before traveling to Cullowhee. Last Season's Game vs. The Citadel (Nov. 14, 2017) - Catamount Football Scores Road Win at The Citadel, 31-19 - Senior running back Detrez Newsome broke Saturday's third tie with an 81-yard touchdown romp to cap a one-play scoring drive that gave No. 24 Western Carolina a lead it would never relinquish as the Catamounts scored a 31-19 Southern Conference road victory over The Citadel Bulldogs in Southern Conference action at Johnson Hagood Stadium. Redshirt sophomore QB Tyrie Adams threw for three touchdowns - two to redshirt senior WR Terryon Robinson - and Newsome rushed for 197 yards as the Catamounts picked up their seventh victory of the season - fifth in league play. Head Coach: Brent Thompson - Third year 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. He was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year for the 10-2 campaign that resulted in the first time in program history with back-to-back playoff appearances. Last season's Record (The Citadel): 5-6 overall, 2-3 home, 3-3 away, 3-5 SoCon Offensive Formation: Triple Option Defensive Formation: Multiple Starters returning/lost: 15 / 7 Offensive starters - Returning/Lost: 9 / 2 Defensive starters - Returning/Lost: 6 / 5 Specialist - Returning/Lost: 5 / 5 Losses on 2-Deep Roster: 9 Significant Losses: Offense: QB Dominique Allen; A-BACK Cam Jackson Defense: DT Jonathan King; LB Myles Pierce; CB Tyus Carter; FS Kailik Williams; CB Ben Roberts Returning: All-SoCon center - Tyler Davis; All SoCon safety Aaron Spann; All SoCon defensive end Ja'Lon Williams; All SoCon left guard Jon Barrett Lewis; All Son right guard Jonathan Lewis; and All SoCon B-Back Brandon Rainey The young Bulldog offense only had two losses of personnel from 2017, but they are big losses. Gone are quarterback Dominique Allen, and A-back Cam Jackson, and these are major holes in the offense to fill for the Bulldogs. However, the well is certainly not dry, look for Jordan black to take the QB reins, and running back Grant Drakeford returns. Also returning for The Citadel, with preseason honors are standouts Tyler Davis (center) and Aron Spann, III (safety), both named Preseason All-Americans by HERO Sports. The Bulldogs hope to once again lead the conference in grounding out the yardage and eating up the clock to dominate time of possession. 201 The Citadel Statistics: Rushing Offense: 3241 yards Yards per game: 295 Yards per rush: 5.0 yards Rushing 1st downs: 169 TDs rushing: 22 Passing Offense: 1042 yards or 95 yards per game Avg. per pass: 7.5 yards Passing 1st downs: 31 Passing Comp-Att-Int: 52-139-8 TDs Passing: 9 Total Offense: 4288 yards or 389 yards per game Fumbles-Lost: 20 - 7 3d Down Conversions: 73 of 173 (42%) 4th Down Conversions: 10 of 26 (38%) Field goal attempts: 6 - 14 PAT-Attempts: 29 of 30 (97%) On-side kicks: 2-2 Red Zone Scores: 25 of 41 (61%) Red Zone Touchdowns: 21 of 41 (51%) Punts - Yards: 52 - 1993 - Avg per punt: 38 Game prediction: Per the Massey Ratings, the Cats have a 65% probability of winning (31-26) over the Bears. According to Massey, Western Carolina should be 6-3 after this game. I'm going to disagree, the Cats are 8-1 after this game. |
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Post by The Cats on Jul 23, 2018 13:07:36 GMT -5
 Throughout this preseason, Purple & Gold will preview all of Western Carolina's 2018 football opponents. For the tenth game of the season, the Wofford Terriers will visit Cullowhee. The Cats remain in Cullowhee for the final home and conference game of the season. In a series that started in 1952, The Cats & Terriers have played a total of 40 times, and Western has won 2 of the last 4 games against the Terriers, having dropped a road game in Spartanburg last season. WoffordWhen: Saturday, November 10 at 3:30 pm Where: E.J. Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee Radio: Catamount Sports Network TV / video: ESPN3/SoCon Digital Network The Series: The Cats are 14-26 overall against the Terriers. having won two of the last four games played. Games that will be played by the Bulldogs this season prior to the WCU contest: (9 games) The Terriers open the season with two home games verses two SoCon opponents First up is the Citadel, then VMI pays a visit to Spartanburg the new Saturday. In game three, the Terriers go out of conference for an FBS game at Wyoming, then travel to Boiling Springs, NC to face Gardner-Webb. In game five, Wofford returns to conference play at Chattanooga, followed by a trip to Furman. ETSU then visits Spartanburg, followed by Mercer. The final game before coming to Cullowhee is against Samford in Birmingham. The last game played vs. Wofford: October 7, 2017 - No. 22 Western Carolina Falls at No. 5 Wofford in Overtime - Spartanburg, S.C. - Redshirt freshman tailback Donnavan Spencer scored an equalizing touchdown on a toss sweep with three minutes remaining in regulation to ultimately force overtime for No. 22 Western Carolina on Saturday afternoon at Gibbs Stadium. However, fifth-ranked Wofford scored on their second play of the extra session before sealing the win with a third interception - the second by George Gbesee - this one coming in the end zone as the Terriers held off upset-minded WCU, 35-28. Spencer capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a one-yard plunge around the right end with the Will Horton extra point knotting the game at 28 in the closing minutes of regulation. On the ensuing possession, Wofford moved down the field, but the ball-control offense stalled with a fourth-down pass play as time expired falling incomplete. In overtime, running back Andre Stoddard scored his second rushing TD of the game, finding the end zone from three yards out to push the Terriers ahead for the third-time in the game. The Catamount offense suffered a loss on the first play on its turn with the football before Tyrie Adams moved back into position with an 11-yard run. But on the next play, Adams' pass intended for Terryon Robinson was corralled by Gbesee as he undercut the route to end the game. Head Coach: Josh Conklin - Wofford College announced on Tuesday, January 2, 2018, the hiring of Josh Conklin as head football coach. Conklin, who spent the past three seasons as the defensive coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh, was an assistant coach at Wofford from 2007-09 working with the secondary. Conklin has additional experience at Florida International, Tennessee, The Citadel and South Dakota State University, serving as the defensive coordinator at Pitt, Florida International and The Citadel. He has worked with the 4-3, 4-2 and 3-4 defensive packages during his career. Last Season's Record (Wofford): 10-3 overall, 5-1 home, 5-2 away, 7-1 in the SoCon - Beat Furman 28-10 in the first round NCAA playoffs, lost to ND State on the quarterfinals 42-10 Offensive Formation: Triple Option Defensive Formation: Multiple 50 Starters returning/lost: 11 / 11 Offensive starters - Returning/Lost: 5 / 6 Defensive starters - Returning/Lost: 6 / 5 Specialist - Returning/Lost: 5 / 5 Lost from 2-Deep Roster: 13 (6 offense, 7 defense, 0 specialists) Top losses:Offense: QB 14 Brandon Goodson; LG 72 Chuck Rouse; C 50 Roo Daniels; TE 81 Chandler Gouger; WR 19 R.J. Taylor Defense: LDE 92 Tyler Vaughn; OLB 44 Daryl Vining; ILB 21 Colton Clemons; OLB 9 Terrance Morris; FS 31 Malik Rivera At the end of the 2017 season, former Wofford head coach, Mike Ayers, announced his retirement after 30 years of leading the Terriers. New HC Josh Conklin hired four new coaches, three on defense & one on offense. Sam Siefkes hired as the new DC; Trey McCray as OLB coach; Allen Smith, as DL coach; and Trey Johnson for the OL coach. With the loss of 5 starters from the defensive side of the ball, and three new defensive coaches, there might be some letdown on that side of the ball. 2017 Wofford StatisticsRushing Offense: 3483 yards Yards per game: 244.8 Yards per rush: 8.6 yards Rushing 1st downs: 157 TDs rushing: 38 Passing Offense: 1337 yards or 102.9 yards per game Avg. per pass: 7 yrds Passing 1st downs: 51 Passing Comp-Att-Int: 81-156-3 TDs Passing: 5 Total Offense: 4519 yards or 347.6 yards per game Fumbles-Lost: 25 - 11 3d Down Conversions: 47% 4th Down Conversions: 57% Field goal attempts: 17 - 23 PAT-Attempts: 42 of 43 (98%) On-side kicks: 0-0 Red Zone Scores: 44 of 48 Red Zone Touchdowns: 33 of 48 Punts - Yards: 55 - 2253 - Avg per punt: 40.9 Touchdowns scored: 46 Game prediction: Per the Massey Ratings, the Cats have a 42% probability of winning (27-30) over the Terriers. According to Massey, Western Carolina should be 6-4 after this game. I'm going to disagree, the Cats are 9-1 after this game. |
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Post by The Cats on Aug 1, 2018 13:16:42 GMT -5
 Throughout this preseason, Purple & Gold has previewed all of Western Carolina's 2018 football opponents, here's the final preview for the season. In the Cat's eleventh and final regular season game of the season, Western Carolina travels to Chapel Hill for the second ever meeting with the Tar Heels on the football field. The Cats dropped last season's game to the Tar Heels in a 65-10 setback for the short-handed Catamounts. UNC at Chapel Hill
When: Saturday, November 17 (Time - TBA) Where: Kenan Stadium (63,000) - Natural Grass - Chapel Hill, NC Radio: Catamount Sports Network TV / Video: TBA The Series: Second meeting on the football field between these two UNC sister schools, the Cats dropped last season's game to the Tar Heels in a 65-10 setback for the short-handed Catamounts. Games that the Heels will play this season prior to the WCU contest: The Tar Heels will kick off the season with two road games, first at California, then returning to Greenville, NC to face the Pirates. The Heels then return home for two games, opening with UCF, followed by Pitt then next weekend. For the fifth game of the season, UNC travels to face Miami, followed by a game in Chapel Hill against Virginia Tech. Then two more road games, at Syracuse and at Virginia respectively. Back in Chapel Hill, the Heels will face Georgia Tech, followed by Duke, prior to the Western Carolina visit. The last game played vs. UNC: Nov. 17, 2017 - Catamount Football Drops Season Finale at North Carolina, 65-10 - Chapel Hill, N.C. - Western Carolina senior tailback Detrez Newsome rushed for 107 yards on Saturday afternoon, eclipsing the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season to cap his career in Cullowhee. However, it was one of the few bright spots in a disappointing finish for the short-handed Catamounts. North Carolina (3-8) erupted for 35 points in a decisive second quarter, breaking open a 7-7 game as a part of scoring 65-straight in handing Western Carolina (7-5) a 65-10 setback on Saturday afternoon at Kenan Stadium. Newsome accounted for 155 all-purpose yards, adding a team-best seven catches for 48 yards receiving to lead the Catamount offensive attack. Tyrie Adams, who played just the first half on Saturday, finished 8-for-18 for 69 yards and WCU's lone touchdown, completing a one-yard, play-action TD pass to Connell Young that capped a 61-yard drive and gave Western Carolina an early, 7-0, lead. Redshirt freshman QB Ray Smith saw his most extensive action of the year, completing 8-of-15 passes for 84 yards as the Catamounts threw for 153 through the air. Head Coach: Larry Fedora - North Carolina head coach Larry Fedora, who is entering his seventh season at UNC, has built a program in Chapel Hill that provides his student-athletes the chance to excel on the gridiron, in the classroom and in the community. Over the last five seasons, the Tar Heels have set records in bunches, electrified fans with their special teams play, produced numerous professional prospects and finished first in the Coastal Division on two occasions. Fedora, who already ranks fifth all-time at UNC with 40 victories, signed a new contract extension in May 2017 to keep him in Chapel Hill through the 2022 season. Last season's Record (Tar Heels): 3-9 overall, 1-6 home, 2-3 away, 1-7 ACC - The Tar Heels wins came over WCU, Old Dominion, and Pitt. Starters Returning/Lost: 15 / 12 Offensive starters - Returning/Lost: 5 / 6 Defensive starters - Returning/Lost: 7 / 4 Specialist - Returning/Lost: 3 / 2 Lost from 2-Deep roster: 18 The Tar Heels are loaded with talent at the skill positions, but question marks remain on the front line with the loss of four full-time starters and after the line allowed 30 sacks last year. Improvement on offense won't be enough to avoid a repeat of last year. The defense surrendered 31.3 points per game, and while Fedora has recruited well, improvement should be noticeable, but a return to the postseason might be at least a year away. Key Offensive losses: Quarterback - Brandon Harris; Left Tackle - Bentley Spain; Left Guard - Khaliel Rodgers; Center - Cam Dillard; Right Guard - R.J. Prince; Wide Receiver - Austin Proehl; Wide Receiver - Jordan Cunningham Key Defensive losses: Linebacker - Hunter Crafford; Linebacker - Cayson Collins; Cornerback - M.J. Stewart; Nickelback 6 - M.J. Stewart Top returnees: WR Anthony Ratliff-Williams, QB Chazz Surratt, QB Nathan Elliot, RB Jordon Brown, RB Michael Carter, TE Brandon Fritts, LB Cole Holcomb, DB K.J. Sails, DE Malik Carney, DT Aaron Crawford, DE Tomon Fox, DE Jalen Dalton, DB Myles Dorn. Strengths: Redshirt sophomore Chazz Surratt and junior Nathan Elliot will continue their battle for the starting quarterback position. Surratt played in seven games in 2017, completing 58.5 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and three interceptions. UNC lost six of seven games he started. As for Elliott, he helped UNC win two of the final three games last season, completing 51.4 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. North Carolina junior running back Antonio Williams will be eligible to play this fall. The New London, North Carolina, native has two years of eligibility remaining after spending two seasons at Ohio State. North Carolina junior Anthony Ratliff-Williams was named to the All-ACC Preseason Football Team as a specialist. Ratliff-Williams had a breakout season a year ago in his first season as an offensive starter. He led the Tar Heels in receptions (35), receiving yards (630) and receiving touchdowns (6). He also established himself as one of the best kick returners in college football with a pair of kick return touchdowns and 895 return yards, second-most nationally. Weaknesses: The UNC’s defense lost its leader in linebacker Andre Smith, while the offensive line will have to gel with many new pieces in the mix. 2017 UNC Statistics: Rushing Offense: 2128 yards Yards per game: 144 Yards per rush: 4.1 yards Rushing 1st downs: 89 TDs rushing: 17 Passing Offense: 2704 yards or 225 yards per game Avg. per pass: 5.3 yards Passing 1st downs: 129 Passing Comp-Att-Int: 407-221-16 TDs Passing: 41 Total Offense: 4435 yards or 370 yards per game Fumbles-Lost: 14 - 6 3d Down Conversions: 31% 4th Down Conversions: 62% Field goal attempts: 9-14 PAT-Attempts: 51 of 52 (98%) On-side kicks: 0-3 Red Zone Scores: 31 of 37 Red Zone Touchdowns: 26 of 37 Punts - Yards: 72 - 3183 Game prediction: Per the Massey Ratings, the Cats have a 2% probability of winning (16-44) over the Terriers. According to Massey, Western Carolina should be 6-5 after this game. I'm going to disagree, the Cats are 9-2 after this loss. |
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