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Western Carolina football team will start season with home game tonight
Western Carolina’s football team will open the season at home tonight (Thursday) against NCAA Division II member West Virginia State.
Kickoff time is 7 p.m. at Carr Hooper Stadium/Bob Waters Field.
The Yellow Jackets opened their season last week with a 27-0 loss to Bowie State.
WCU Coach Kent Briggs knows his team will be favored, and he’s confident the Whitmire Stadium crowd will provide a good atmosphere for the opener. However, he’s wary of West Virginia State.
“They’ll come here to play and have their best game,” Briggs said. “It’s a chance for them to make a big upset for their league.
Quarterback Kerrick Cooper provided the bulk of the offense for the Jackets against Bowie State. He completed 13 of 27 passes for 143 yards and was also his team’s leading rusher with 23 yards.
John Bonecutter was his favorite receiver with five catches for 83 yards.
Western’s program has been boosted by transfers, including starting quarterback Bennett Swygert, who previously played at South Carolina.
Safeties Primus Glover (East Tennessee) and O.J. Owens (Tennessee) along with wide receiver Andre Hemphill (South Carolina) are other transfers expected to contribute for the Catamounts, who went 5-7 overall and 3-5 in the Southern Conference a year ago.
“We’ve got to be able to run the football better than we have in the past two years,” Briggs said. “We’ve improved our package, and I think we’ve improved our talent.”
He noted in WCU’s final intrasquad scrimmage more emphasis was placed on the running game.
Nicholas Wishart ripped off a 52-yard gain and finished with 64 yards on four carries in the scrimmage. Lamont Reid, who has been moved from the secondary, added 36 yards in seven attempts.
In the only previous meeting between the teams, the Cats won 41-19 in 1971.
The schedule is as follows:
Sept. 2 – West Virginia State; 11 – Nicholls State; 18 – at Alabama; 25 – at Gardner-Webb.
Oct. 2 – at Furman; 9 – Georgia Southern; 16 – at Wofford; 23 – Chattanooga; 30 – at Elon.
Nov. 13 – Appalachian State; 20 – at Citadel.
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