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A relatively unknown Western Carolina Catamounts team meets Texas A&M Saturday for the first time. The Catamounts are 6-3 on the season and 4-2 in the Southern Conference. The two teams will tangle at 7 p.m. (ET) at Kyle Field. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
Western Carolina isn’t afraid to play with the “big boys,” but they’ve have had little success. In fact, the Catamounts have had no success against SEC opponents, losing all 17 previous meetings, including a 55-10 loss at Tennessee earlier this season.
But don’t sleep on the Catamounts. This is a program on the rise – and it’s been a long time in coming. Head coach Mark Speir guided last year’s team to a winning season (7-5), just the second for Western Carolina since 2001. The Catamounts finished second in the Southern Conference, its highest finish since 1986. They’ve never won the conference title.
In his fourth year at Western Carolina, Speir is hoping to accomplish back-to-back winning seasons, which hasn’t been done there since the 1993-94 seasons. A victory on Saturday would assure that goal.
All 11 starters return on offense from last season, including explosive senior QB Troy Mitchell, who ranks third in the Southern Conference in total offense (averaging 257.9 yards per game) and fourth in passing yardage (208 yards per outing).
Mitchell was named the Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in last Saturday’s 48-10 victory over Furman. He accounted for 360 yards of total offense and had a hand in five touchdowns. The Houston product moved into fifth place on the league’s career total offense list with 8,891 yards. He also ranks 10th in conference history with 2,002 career rushing yards by a quarterback.
The Catamounts also return nine defensive starters.
WESTERN CAROLINA: A CLOSER LOOK
Top returning player, offense: Troy Mitchell, Sr. QB – This guy is fun to watch, a dual-threat signal-caller who can make the big play either with his arm or his feet. In nine games this season, Mitchell has thrown for 1,872 yards and 11 TDs while completing 63 percent (167-for-266) of his passes with just six interceptions. But that’s not all, Mitchell is the team’s second-leading rusher with 449 yards on the ground and three scores.
Top returning player, defense: Daniel Riddle, Soph. LB – A classic standout linebacker always around the football and plays with an instinct for the game. Riddle leads the team with 104 tackles, including 67 assists. He’s recorded 2.5 tackles for loss, one quarterback hurry, and also forced a fumble. Riddle displayed a little speed and agility when he returned an interception 46 yards.
Top returning player, special teams: Detrez Newsome, Soph. RB – In addition to leading the team in rushing (857 yards), Newsome has also proven to be an effective kick returner as well, rolling up 372 yards on 17 returns for a 21.9 average. His longest was a 38-yard return.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
