2018 Western Carolina Catamounts football team

American college football season

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 →

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

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.

Preseason

Award watch lists

Award	Player	Position	Year
Walter Payton Award	Tyrie Adams	QB	JR
Buck Buchanan Award	Marvin Tillman	S	SR

Preseason media poll

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

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

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

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	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	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

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

Game summaries

Newberry

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

At Gardner–Webb

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

VMI

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

At Furman

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

At Samford

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

Chattanooga

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

At Mercer

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

At East Tennessee State

	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

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

Wofford

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

At North Carolina

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

References

"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.

v t e Western Carolina Catamounts football
Venues	Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium (1974–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Appalachian State: Battle for the Old Mountain Jug
Culture & lore	Paws "Fight on! You Catamounts" Pride of the Mountains Marching Band
People	Head coaches NFL draftees
Seasons	1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942–1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

Categories: