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 Quarterback Zack Jaynes was named SoCon Freshman of the Week today by the league office. |
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Oct. 13, 2008
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina red-shirt quarterback Zack Jaynes was today named the Southern Conference Freshman of the Week following his career-performance in his first-ever collegiate start last Saturday against the 20th-ranked Furman Paladins.
Jaynes' recognition is the fourth for the Catamount football team this season. Backfield classmate, Quan Warley, was named the SoCon Freshman of the Week after rushing for 202 yards at Presbyterian on Sept. 20. Junior linebacker Quintin Phillips earned the weekly defensive award on Sept. 15 after posting 16 tackles against Liberty, with senior signal caller Andy Horn garnering SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week plaudits following the season-opener on Sept. 2.
Jaynes, a native of Canton, N.C., accounted for all three WCU touchdowns on Saturday, passing for two and scampering up the middle from four yards out for his first career rushing TD. Jaynes completed 33-of-48 attempts (68.8-percent) to 10 different receivers for a career-high 302 yards in orchestrating a second-half rally, pulling the Catamounts within one score twice after falling behind, 21-0. His career-best 33 completions were just two off a WCU single-game record of 35 set by Brian Gaither at Georgia Southern in 2003.
He added 36 yards rushing for a total offensive production of 338 yards.
It was the 31st time since 1966 that a WCU quarterback had thrown for 300-or-more yards, with Jaynes becoming just the 14th different QB to do so all-time. He is also just the third freshman QB to eclipse the 300-yard barrier joining Mark Smith (362 against The Citadel on 10/31/87) and Adam Hearns a year ago (310 vs. Elon, 10/6/07).
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Western Carolina is on the road again this week as the Catamounts travel to Spartanburg, S.C., to face the No. 6 Wofford Terriers at Gibbs Stadium. WCU has dropped nine of the last 11, including two-straight, meetings with the Terriers and has not won in Spartanburg since 1981 (0-5).
WCU will again try and snap its 18-game SoCon losing skid which dates back to 2005. The Catamounts' last conference triumph came over the same Terriers in a 24-0 shutout victory, the first-time Wofford had been blanked in conference play since joining the league in 1997.
