Sept. 11, 2000
CULLOWHEE, N.C. --- Western Carolina head coach Bill Bleil addressed members of the media Monday at his weekly press conference where he discussed the Catamounts' upcoming game against The Citadel on Saturday, September 16 with a kickoff of 7 p.m.
Western Carolina is coming off a 53-10 win over Lenoir-Rhyne. The Catamounts totaled over 680 yards of total offense, their highest offensive output in 30 years. Highlighted by the play of a pair of freshmen, the Catamounts scored at will. Lamont Seward's 194 yards receiving and Fred Botaeng's 135 yards rushing helped the Catamounts record their third consecutive victory in their home opener.
The Catamounts (1-1) will now turn their attention to the first Southern Conference game of the year and after playing two non-Division I-AA schools, Bleil knows this game is very important for his football team.
"This game will help set the tone for the conference season and give us a chance to see exactly where we're at as a football team," stated Bleil. "The kids are excited about playing a conference opponent and they're ready to compete."
The Citadel (0-2) will be looking to score its first points of the year after being shutout 38-0 by both Clemson and Delaware. The Bulldogs' running game is led by Maurice Murphy, who rushed for 62 yards against 16th-ranked Clemson in their season opener. On the defensive side of the ball, Travis Stephens is one of the best linebackers in the conference for the Bulldogs.
"The Citadel is very young, but very athletic. The one thing about The Citadel is that they're going to play from start to finish," Bleil said. "They're going to be very well coached. The stadium is going to be filled with people that are very avid Citadel fans and our kids are going to have to do a good job of being focused."
Leading the Catamount offense is senior quarterback David Rivers. Rivers ranks 17th nationally with a pass efficiency rating of 147.0. He completed 14-of-20 passes for 302 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week.
This will be the 25th meeting between the two schools with The Citadel leading the series 13-10-1. Western Carolina won last year's game 24-17 in E.J. Whitmire Stadium.
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