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Taron Dickens Returns, WCU Football Rolls Bulldogs for First Win

By Coach Steve
The best QB in the country is back on the football field in Cullowhee! Returning QB Taron Dickens went 35/46 for 582 yards and SIX TDs on Saturday in a rain-delayed 50-35 victory over the Samford Bulldogs football team. Not only was this Dickens’ return to action, this was also the first win of the 2025 season for the Cats from Cullowhee, and there’s no place like home at the Whit for your first win. The Western Carolina Catamounts put up an eye-watering 733 yards of total offense, including another 151 yards on the ground to compliment Dickens’ production. Not to be outdone, Camury Reid had 4 catches for 107 yards and 4 TDs, along with another 39 yards and 1 TD on the ground. If Dickens hadn’t been the MVP of this game, Reid absolutely would have been. Just a week ago, there were several among the WCU faithful ready to write this team off as a lost cause. I would love to hear what some of these people have to say today after a stellar performance from the Catamounts on offense.
The offensive side of the football wasn’t the only story of the day. Despite giving up 20 in the first half, the Catamounts defense held Samford to just 15 points in the 2nd frame, while the offense put up another 29. This is a large improvement over what we have seen from the Catamount defense so far this season in FCS competition. There is certainly room for improvement still on the defensive side of the ball, but the only way you can say this unit hasn’t improved is if you spend more time on twitter than watching the actual game. Next up, the Catamounts travel to Buies Creek to take on in-state CAA foe, the Campbell Fighting Camels football team. The Camels have been surprisingly competitive in their 3 games against FCS competition so far in 2025. Campbell earned their first win of the season this week against Bryant in a 50-48 shootout. This will be the final non-conference game of 2025 for Western Carolina. As always, see you Thursday, and GO CATS!

