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 The annual Homecoming Parade will take place on Friday, Oct. 16 at 6:15 pm in downtown Sylva before the Catamount women's soccer team hosts College of Charleston at 7:00 pm at the Catamount Athletic Complex. |
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Oct. 7, 2009
Cullowhee, N.C. - As Western Carolina begins its annual Fall Break on Wednesday evening, the Catamount football team is amidst its off-week, using the lack of a scheduled game to heal numerous injuries. Second-year head coach Dennis Wagner spoke Tuesday on the weekly Southern Conference Head Coaches Teleconference, reflecting on the road loss at Samford, and looking ahead to the bye week and The Citadel, which WCU while face on Oct. 17.
Injuries have claimed numerous players for the Catamounts thus far this season, most notably on offense where injuries to four running backs - senior Jayson Williams, sophomore Nate Harris, redshirt freshman Dion Wilson and true freshman Michael Johnson - forced freshman RaShawn Grate into action a week ago at Samford.
Johnson was able to play despite an injury, while Grate responded with 24 yards in nine carries on the ground and one reception against what was the fourth-ranked defense in the nation.
Other notable injuries include 2008 All-Freshman team member, John Julien along the defensive front, with Eric Robinson and Ricky Schwarz in the defensive secondary. Offensively, injuries have included junior Jacoby Hammon on the offensive line; junior tight end Andrew Rogers; wide receiver Josh Cockrell; and most recently, sophomore wide receiver Andrerius Thomas, who suffered an ankle injury and his status is uncertain this week.
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Western Carolina (0-5, 0-3 SoCon) returns home for the first of back-to-back home dates for its annual Homecoming game, welcoming The Citadel Bulldogs to Cullowhee on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 4:00 pm. The game will be broadcast live on WMYA-TV, My 40 out of Asheville.
WCU has dropped five-straight to the Bulldogs, including last year's 34-14 decision at the newly-renovated Johnson-Hagood Stadium in the Lowcountry, and a six-point, 37-31, setback in the last meeting at home. Western trails in the all-time series, 13-19-1, but the two stand even at 8-8 in games played in Western North Carolina.
After winning six-straight series games at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field from 1993 through 2003, the Catamounts will try and end a two-game slide in head-to-head meetings with The Citadel.
Western Carolina will welcome home all alumni for a busy Homecoming weekend, which officially commences at Noon on Friday, Oct. 16 with the annual Alumni Scholarship Golf Tournament at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville.
The Homecoming Parade will being at 6:15 pm in downtown Sylva. Meanwhile, the WCU women's soccer team will host Southern Conference rival, the College of Charleston, in a crucial conference tilt on-campus at the Catamount Athletic Complex beginning at 7:00 pm. Following the match, fans will want to stick around for Spirit Night 2009.
Again, Saturday's football game kicks off at 4:00 pm. For more information on WCU Homecoming 2009, please visit CatamountSports.com or Western Carolina's official web site, www.WCU.edu.
Here is an excerpt from Tuesday's SoCon Teleconference from WCU head coach Dennis Wagner:
On the Samford game:
"We turn the ball over way too much right now. Turning the ball over four times at Samford is not going to help you win a football game. Whenever you turn the ball over in this league, it's going to cost you. We threw a couple of interceptions that were costly, including one in the end zone where we were driving to score. We fumbled and that allowed them to go eight or nine yards to score. We made it a little bit easier shortening the field for them to put points on the board. We've got to change that."
On plans for the bye week:
"Obviously, fixing the turnover issue has been the emphasis these last couple of days during practice. We are going to continue to practice through Thursday then our guys will be off on fall break. They will go home Thursday, Friday and Saturday. They will come back Sunday and we will start practice again on Monday."
On redshirt sophomore quarterback, Zack Jaynes:
"He has got to play better. We have two men behind him that are young freshmen. If they are put in the game, they are not as seasoned as Zack (Jaynes) is at this point. You want people to be pushed and compete for their spot and that's a problem we have right now. Zack knows that there is no one in behind him that we are going to put in the game unless we are in a position we have to. His performance has to improve obviously. He is not the reason we are losing games. He is just contributing to it, which is disappointing because we expect him to be a leader and put us in the right situations."
"We have thrown more interceptions in five games than we threw in the entire season last year. Zack needs to improve in regards to making good decisions on third down and knowing when to throw the ball away. We had some management issues with the clock because we don't get plays off in a timely manner. If you receive a play with 20 seconds or more, you should call it and get the play off. Those are things we talked about and he's well aware of it. Zack is a great young man and he's going to do everything to change it."
On the focus during the bye week and preparing for The Citadel:
"We focus on ourselves because teams now are going to be basically who they are. They developed their pattern of what they are going to do offensively and defensively. They may throw a wrinkle in every now and then. It goes back to us and protecting the football. If you can protect the football in two or three of these games then there might be a different outcome. If you drive the ball for a 15-play drive then throw a pick in the end zone, it kills you. It takes all the air right out of you. (No turnovers) is going to be our number one goal going into The Citadel game."
