2018 Western Carolina Catamounts football team

2018 Western Carolina Catamounts football
2018 Western Carolina Catamounts football
Conference	Southern Conference
Record	3–8 (1–7 SoCon)
Head coach	Mark Speir (7th season);
Offensive coordinator	Brad Glenn (7th season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	John Wiley (2nd season)
Base defense	3–4
Home stadium	Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium
	Seasons ← 2017 2019 →

The 2018 Western Carolina Catamounts team represented Western Carolina University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Mark Speir, the Catamounts compiled an overall record of 3–8 with a mark of 1–7 in conference play, placing eighth in the SoCon. Western Carolina played their home games at Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

2018 Southern Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
No. 13 Wofford +^	6	–	2	9	–	4
No. 22 East Tennessee State +^	6	–	2	8	–	4
Furman +	6	–	2	6	–	4
Samford	5	–	3	6	–	5
Chattanooga	4	–	4	6	–	5
The Citadel	4	–	4	5	–	6
Mercer	4	–	4	5	–	6
Western Carolina	1	–	7	3	–	8
VMI	0	–	8	1	–	10

+ – Conference co-champions ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from STATS Poll

Preseason edit

Award watch lists edit

Award	Player	Position	Year
Walter Payton Award^[1]	Tyrie Adams	QB	JR
Buck Buchanan Award^[2]	Marvin Tillman	S	SR

Preseason media poll edit

The SoCon released their preseason media poll on July 25, 2018, with the Catamounts predicted to finish in fifth place.^[3] The same day the coaches released their preseason poll with the Catamounts predicted to finish in fourth place.^[4]

Media poll
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Samford	204 (20)
2	Furman	174 (2)
3	Wofford	163 (1)
4	Mercer	133
5	Western Carolina	114
6	Chattanooga	88
7	The Citadel	83
8	East Tennessee State	53
9	VMI	23

Coaches poll
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Samford	63 (7)
2	Wofford	53 (1)
3	Furman	52 (1)
4	Western Carolina	39
5	Chattanooga	34
6	Mercer	32
7	The Citadel	28
8	East Tennessee State	15
9	VMI	8

Preseason All-SoCon Teams edit

The Catamounts placed six players on the preseason all-SoCon teams.

Offense

1st team

Zach Weeks – OL

2nd team

Tyrie Adams – QB

Nathan Dalton – OL

Andrew Miles – OL

Defense

1st team

Marvin Tillman – DB

Specialists

1st team

Ian Berryman – P

Schedule edit

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	6:00 p.m.	Newberry*	Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium Cullowhee, NC	ESPN+	W 33–26	12,111
September 14^[a]	6:00 p.m.	at Gardner–Webb*	Ernest W. Spangler Stadium Boiling Springs, NC	ESPN+	W 28–10	2,257
September 22	3:30 p.m.	VMI	Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium Cullowhee, NC	ESPN+	W 52–50	12,759
September 29	2:00 p.m.	at Furman	Paladin Stadium Greenville, SC	ESPN+	L 38–44	7,201
October 6	1:30 p.m.	at Samford	Seibert Stadium Homewood, AL	ESPN3	L 28–66	3,178
October 13	3:30 p.m.	Chattanooga	Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium Cullowhee, NC	ESPN+	L 6–26	7,362
October 20	4:00 p.m.	at Mercer	Five Star Stadium Macon, GA	ESPN+	L 46–59	8,230
October 27	3:30 p.m.	at No. 25 East Tennessee State	William B. Greene Jr. Stadium Johnson City, TN	ESPN+	L 43–45 ^3OT	7,121
November 3	3:30 p.m.	The Citadel	Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium Cullowhee, NC	ESPN+	L 24–38	10,499
November 10	3:30 p.m.	No. 15 Wofford	Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium Cullowhee, NC	ESPN3	L 23–38	10,169
November 17	3:00 p.m.	at North Carolina*	Kenan Memorial Stadium Chapel Hill, NC	ACCN Extra	L 26–49	41,151
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

^[5]

^ This game was originally scheduled for September 15. It was moved up one day in anticipation of Hurricane Florence.

Game summaries edit

Newberry edit

	1	2	3	4	Total
Wolves	7	10	3	6	26
Catamounts	3	16	0	14	33

At Gardner–Webb edit

	1	2	3	4	Total
Catamounts	7	14	0	7	28
Runnin' Bulldogs	7	3	0	0	10

VMI edit

	1	2	3	4	Total
Keydets	14	10	13	13	50
Catamounts	14	7	21	10	52

At Furman edit

	1	2	3	4	Total
Catamounts	7	3	14	14	38
Paladins	14	17	7	6	44

At Samford edit

	1	2	3	4	Total
Catamounts	0	21	0	7	28
Bulldogs	35	7	14	10	66

Chattanooga edit

	1	2	3	4	Total
Mocs	9	10	7	0	26
Catamounts	0	3	0	3	6

At Mercer edit

	1	2	3	4	Total
Catamounts	7	20	6	13	46
Bears	0	28	17	14	59

At East Tennessee State edit

	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	3OT	Total
Catamounts	0	13	10	7	0	7	6	43
No. 25 Buccaneers	6	6	3	15	0	7	8	45

The Citadel edit

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	7	3	14	14	38
Catamounts	10	14	0	0	24

Wofford edit

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 15 Terriers	7	7	14	10	38
Catamounts	10	10	0	3	23

At North Carolina edit

	1	2	3	4	Total
Catamounts	7	9	3	7	26
Tar Heels	14	21	14	0	49

References edit

^ "FCS football: 2018 Walter Payton Award watch list". August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
^ "FCS football: 2018 Buck Buchanan Award watch list announced". August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
^ "Media picks Samford to win 2018 SoCon football title".
^ "Football coaches select preseason all-conference teams, poll".
^ "2021 Western Carolina Catamount Football Media Guide" (PDF). Cullowhee, North Carolina: Western Carolina University Athletics. 2021. p. 124. Retrieved November 22, 2021.

[5] This game was originally scheduled for September 15. It was moved up one day in anticipation of Hurricane Florence.

[1] "FCS football: 2018 Walter Payton Award watch list". August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2018.

[2] "FCS football: 2018 Buck Buchanan Award watch list announced". August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.

[3] "Media picks Samford to win 2018 SoCon football title".

[4] "Football coaches select preseason all-conference teams, poll".

[6] "2021 Western Carolina Catamount Football Media Guide" (PDF). Cullowhee, North Carolina: Western Carolina University Athletics. 2021. p. 124. Retrieved November 22, 2021.

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