SoCon Football Week 3 Recap
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| Chattanooga improved to 25-25 all-time in SoCon openers, winning its eighth-straight lid-lifter (Photo courtesy of UTC athletics) |
SoCon Football took another turn in week three, as Chattanooga got its league campaign underway with a key matchup against Wofford, and having lost two straight games after opening the season with a 24-10 win at West Georgia, most had forgotten about tjhe Mocs, at least temporarily anyway.
On Saturday evening in its SoCon opener against Wofford, the Mocs made sure that everyone had their proverbial memory jogged that Chattanooga was indeed a SoCon title contender by taking down the Terriers, 41-7, in a game that was pivotal for both teams. For Chattanooga, a third-straight loss could have been detrimental to the season, especially to overall team morale and confidence.
The win by the Mocs helped Chattanooga avenge what was a 35-13 loss at Wofford to close out the 2025 regular-season. The Mocs played their best game of the season on both sides of the ball, as Chattanooga would break open what had been a close game in the second quarter. Following a scoreless first quarter, Chattanooga got things started with a 2-yard run from Journey Wyche to take a 7-0 lead with 12:37 remaining in the half to assume the lead. Little could anyone have predicted that it would be the start of a 31-point second quarter explosion.
Wofford would answer that score on the very first play of the ensuing drive, as starting quarterback Ethan Drumm hooked up with wideout Terrance Honeywood for a 75-yard scoring strike to tie the game, 7-7, just 11 seconds after the Mocs opened the scoring in the game. It would be the only points the Terriers would score in the entire and would account for 30% of Wofford's offense for the entire evening. The Terriers would finish the night with a total of 250 yards of total offense, as the Mocs would post a 356-250 advantage in total yards gained.
Kevin Lalin answered with a 2-yard scoring run of his own on UTC's next possession, as it would be part of a 116-yard rushing effort, as he also finished with a pair of scores on the ground. He was one of two Mocs to finish with over 100 yards rushing, with Wyche leading the ground attack by gaining 122 yards on 13 rush attempts, which included one TD.
Both Lalin and Wyche were part of a dominant UTC ground game that finished with 310 rushing yards. Chattanooga had only 46 rushing yards in the game. Lalin's TD, which came with 9:32 remaining in the half and gave the Blue and Gold a 14-7 lead. It would be part of a 24-point explosion from UTC, which scored its most points in a half since 2019.
Chattanooga registered its third-consecutive rushing touchdown of the evening when Harrison Bey-Blue scampered in from seven yards out to make it 21-7 with 7:24 remaining in the half. The third-straight rushing score was set up by Chattanooga's defensive unit, which sacked Drumm for an 11-yard loss, causing a fumble and it was recovered by UTC linebacker Isaiah Harvey at the Wofford 31. It took only five plays for Bey-Blue to find the end zone.
The next score wouldn't have to be set up by the defense, but rather it came directly from the unit, as Jaden Nelson picked off a Drumm pass and sprinted 42 yards for a score to make it a 28-7 game with 4:21 remaining in the half. Jude Kelley's 42-yard field goal with 27 seconds remaining in the half made it a 31-7 game as the two teams entered the halftime locker room.
Chattanooga's lone points of the second half would come from Lalin, who scored his second TD of the evening with another 2-yard scoring run with just under nine minutes remaining in the third quarter, making it a 38-7 game. Kelley's 37-yard field goal with 8:51 left capped the scoring and provided the 41-7 final score line.
The win sees Chattanooga even its record at 2-2 and the Mocs start out league play in strong fashion, at 1-0. The Terriers dropped to 2-2 with their second-straight setback, while the loss also evened Wofford's SoCon mark at 1-1. The Terriers opened league play with a 42-14 win over The Citadel in week zero. Chattanooga hits the road next Saturday to take on The Citadel (1-2, 0-1 SoCon) at Johnson-Hagood Stadium, with kickoff for that contest set for 2 p.m. EST.
The Terriers return to Gibbs Stadium to host No. 10 Tennessee Tech (3-0, 1-0 SoCon) in a key SoCon tilt, as the two teams will meet for the first time as SoCon rivals and it will also mark the first time the two have met in a decade on the gridiron. Wofford has won all four previous meetings between the two, including a 21-7 win in Cookeville back in the season opener in 2016. Kickoff at Gibbs Stadium for the key SoCon tilt is slated for 1:30 p.m. EST.
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| Furman limited to just 53 rushing yards in three-point home loss to No.16 SC State (Photo courtesy of Furman Athletics) |
The big non-conference tilt of Saturday's week three slate came later in the evening in Greenville, S.C., as No. 24 Furman hosted No. 16 South Carolina State, as the Bulldogs garnered their first win at Paladin Stadium since the 1982 NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs, holding off a late rally from Furman for a 20-17 win.
The loss sees the Paladins drop to 2-2 overall after opening SoCon play with a 20-13 upset win over No. 14 Mercer last Saturday at Five Star Stadium. The Bulldogs remained perfect, posting a 12th-straight win dating back to last season, improving to 4-0.
For Furman, it was not only a bit of a missed opportunity for the Paladins moving forward, but one larger missed opportunity for the Southern Conference, which needed a big win after VMI's 12-game winning streak over Pioneer Football League member Davidson came to an end Saturday afternoon in overtime.
It was another semi-embarrassing loss for the league, although certainly not in the realm of Furman or Mercer's losses to Presbyterian last season. Still, Saturday night's game offered a great opportunity for the Paladins to garner a big win for the league, but the Paladins weren't up to the task. The silver lining is that it was against a very good opponent, but the missed opportunity still stings a bit.
The truth is two very good defenses played on each side on Saturday night, while each offense continues to figure things out as the season progresses. SC State used two quarterbacks as part of its regular design, while Furman had to use two by default, with Jake Garcia leaving the game early in the third quarter with some sort of upper body injury and did not return.
Enter backup Connor Ackerley, who got his chance leading the Furman offense for the first time this season, and in his debut, the Western New Mexico transfer turned in a solid effort, finishing the night by finishing 10-of-18 passing for 164 yards and one touchdown. When Garcia left the game in the third quarter, he had connected on 11-of-22 passes for 100 yards.
Furman's ground attack, which was mostly non-existent for much of the evening, was led by Ben Croasdale's 24 yards on nine carries.
The Paladins got a great effort from Tennessee Tech transfer wideout Luke Shields, who finished the night by hauling in seven passes for 133 yards and a score, which included that 67-yard scoring catch that made things especially interesting late in the game.
SC State's two signal-callers were not spectacular by any stretch of the imagination but were efficient enough to fuel an offense that ended up outgaining the Paladins by a total of 15 total yards (332-317), while the Paladins had the ball for six more snaps. Both Keely Watson and Ronnie Robinson played under center for the Bulldogs.
If the Bulldogs had one major edge over the Paladins Saturday night, however, it was in the ground game. The Bulldogs ended up finishing the night with a big advantage in rushing offense, finishing with a 124-53 in rushing yards.
Due to both defenses being so stout and talented, rushing yards were hard to come by. The Paladins held a slight advantage in passing yardage, finishing the night with a 264-208 advantage.
Watson ended the night connecting on 12-of-25 passes for 186 yards, with one TD and one INT, while Robinson finished the night going 4-of-7 through the air for 22 yards. Robinson also rushed it three times for 15 yards.
The top target in the passing game for the Bulldogs was DJ Maultsby, who hauled in four passes for 118 yards, which included a 65-yard scoring catch on the game's first play from scrimmage.
The Bulldogs' leading ground threat was Josh Shaw, who rushed nine times for 55 yards and one score, while Mason Pickett-Hicks finished off an evening, which saw him post 52 yards on 15 rush attempts.
After kickoff was pushed back a half-hour, South Carolina State didn't take long to provide introduce its own proverbial lightning offensively, following Furman being flagged for a kickoff out of bounds infraction on the game's opening kickoff. Bulldogs quarterback Keely Watson found wideout DJ Maultsby well behind the Furman secondary, on an out-and-up, for a 65-yard scoring strike on the first play from scrimmage to give South Carolina State a 7-0 only nine seconds into the game.
The Bulldog defense fed off the fast start, forcing the Paladins to punt it way after one first down and a total of 15 yards on Furman's opening possession of the night.
South Carolina State made the most of its early momentum, capitalizing once again on Furman's shaky start on defense, as the Bulldogs put together their most successful scoring drive of the night, as the Bulldogs used 12 plays to move the ball 80 yards, bleeding just over six minutes off the clock to go ahead 14-0 with 6:58 remaining in the opening quarter following a nine-yard scoring run by Josh Shaw, as he knifed through the middle of the Paladin defense. Furman had rarely yielded such running lanes up the middle in the previous three games in 2026.
The Paladin offense continued to find it hard to solve the Bulldogs' defensive riddle, as the two teams exchanged punts before Furman's offense got the ball back late in the opening quarter and would put together what turned out to be its most promising offensive drive of the evening to that point in the game.
Furman, which took over the ball with 2:29 remaining in the opening quarter, used 12 plays to cover 43 yards, but had to settle for a Nathan Champman field goal after Jake Garcia was sacked on 2nd-and-goal from the three-yard line for a loss of six yards, and after his helmet came off in the process, Connor Ackerley entered the game, but his 3rd-and-goal pass from the SC State nine fell incomplete, and the Paladins had to settle for a 27-yard Nathan Chapman field goal with 11:59 remaining in the half to make it a 14-3 game.
Both defenses controlled the middle portions of the third quarter, and with the Paladins looking to establish some momentum midway through the second, had one of those significant drops by wideouts prove costly. Garcia found an open Daniel Haughton on a short pass which would have yielded a five-yard gain on 3rd-and-4, however, the ball was bobbled by Haughton and that mishap led to an INT by Tyler Jones at the Furman 22. However, after the play was reviewed, it was overturned and ruled incomplete, allowing the Paladins to punt the ball away.
Following a 44-yard punt by Furman's William Pendergrass, the Bulldogs marched back into Furman territory, but the Paladin defense held firm after the Bulldogs reached the Furman 24, and instead of to try and convert on 4th-and-3, opted for a Jett Jackson field goal. The former Presbyterian Blue Hose kicker, which had been part of PC's 39-38 overtime win over Furman a year earlier, connected on the 42-yard attempt to put the Bulldogs ahead 17-3 with 4:21 remaining in the half.
Furman again threatened to put points on the board late in the half, driving to the SC State 24 before having to settle for a 41-yard Nathan Chapman field goal attempt on 4th-and-9, but the kick was wide right. However, the Bulldogs were flagged for offsides and the Paladins took the penalty, but instead of opting to re-kick the field goal attempt, decided instead to send the offense back out on the field on 4th-and-4. Garcia's pass was broken up by SC State's Zavian Wells, which kept the Bulldogs' advantage at 14 (17-3) as the two teams entered their respective locker rooms for halftime.
Furman would put the only points on the board in the third quarter, as Chapman connected on a 49-yard field goal midway through the third quarter to make it 17-6 game. On the second play of the second half, Furman lost quarterback Jake Garcia for the remainder of the game, as he exited the game with some sort of shoulder/upper arm injury and did not return to the game. He also was seen exiting the stadium on a motorized cart and did not return to the sidelines. No updates as to his status were provided postgame. Connor Ackerley would finish out the game under center for Furman.
Later in the quarter, the Paladins would seem to gain further momentum in the when Watson's pass down field was complete to tight end Nicolas Brown, however, a big hit was provided by Braylon Peebles to force the ball to deflect in the air and into the waiting arms of Furman 'spur' safety AK Burrell, who returned 17 yards inside Bulldog territory to the 45, giving the Paladin offense excellent field position. However, a sack by the Bulldogs on 3rd-and-12 thwarted any thoughts of drawing closer on the scoreboard for the Paladins, as Gray Gitter was called upon to punt the ball away.
Furman's next points would come a little over a minute into the final period, as Chapman connected on a 44-yard field goal to conclude a five-play, 39-yard drive to get the Paladins to within eight, at 17-9, with 13:57 remaining.
The Paladin defense forced a three-and-out to get the ball back to the Paladin offense. Furman reached the South Carolina State 38, but were faced with a 4th-and-7 and the Paladins opted to go for it. However, Ackerley was sacked by Bulldogs defensive end Joshua Dollard for a loss of seven yards, thwarting another scoring opportunity.
Another Jett Jackson field goal, which was good from 28 yards out, concluding an eight-play, 45-yard drive with 3:03 left, it appeared the game was done and dusted for Furman. Jackson's field goal increased SC State's lead to 11, at 20-9, with just over three minutes remaining.
However, Furman found life on the first play of its next possession. Furman's lone touchdown of the night game when Ackerley launched a pass to a wide-open Luke Shields behind the SC State defense for a 67-yard pitch-and-catch to bring Furman to within 20-15. Ackerley then found Haughton on the two-point conversion to make it a 20-17 game with 2:47 remaining.
Furman's defense then forced a three-and-out to get the ball back at its own 28 with 2:20 remaining following an excellent 54-yard punt from SC State's Max' Ceon Cobb, flipping the field position.
However, three-straight incompletions by Ackerley saw Furman face a 4th-and-10 with just over two minutes remaining. On fourth down, Ackerley scrambled and then found running
room along the near sideline but was stopped two yards short of the first down marker by Jordan Franklin and Roderick Taylor, who chased down Furman's backup signal-caller from behind, effectively securing the road win for SC State.
Furman (2-2, 1-0 SoCon) returns to action next Saturday against Richmond (3-1, 2-0 Patriot League) in what will be the first meeting between the two programs in 21 years. Kickoff for that contest is set for 2 p.m. EST at UR Stadium. SC State (4-0, 0-0 MEAC) will be on the road to face Bethune-Cookman (2-1, 0-0 SWAC) in a 7 p.m. EST contest next Saturday.
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Brandon Winton's 88-yard scoring pass was the longest scoring pitch-and-catch in ETSU history (Photo courtesy of ETSU Athletics)
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East Tennessee State got back in the win column Saturday, as the Bucs picked up their first FCS win of the 2026 season, outlasting West Georgia, 35-27, as the Wolves remained winless on the season (0-4), while ETSU evened its overall mark to 2-2. The Bucs will open Southern Conference play this Saturday, as Western Carolina (2-2, 0-0 SoCon) will be in town for the Blue Ridge Border Battle on Saturday.
It was a balanced offensive attack, which helped the Bucs past the Wolves this past Saturday, as ETSU finished the day with 198 yards through the air and another 175 on the ground. Mason Mims continued his solid start to the 2026 season, as he connected on 15-of-24 passes for 198 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Mims completed passes to eight different receivers in the contest, which included Suderian Harrison and Tyler Griffin, who led the Bucs with three catches apiece. Brandon Winton led the way yardage-wise, as he hauled in two passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. Vashawn Nalls hauled in ETSU's other passing score, as he posted two catches for 13 yards and a score. All told, Mims finished his day by connecting on 15-of-24 passes for 198 yards and a pair of scores.
On the ground, the Bucs looked to establish the run against the Wolves more than in any other game in the early portion of the season, as the Bucs ran the ball 41 times, with TJ Peyton putting in a solid afternoon of work, as he finished the contest with 94 rushing yards on 17 attempts. Jaiden Daniels set a new career-high with 69 yards rushing on 10 carries. Jason Albritton scored the other rushing touchdown for ETSU, as found the end zone first in the game, as his six-yard scoring scamper would give the Bucs an early 7-0 lead with 2:04 left in the first quarter.
The Wolves would scored 10 unanswered points to take the 10-7 lead early in the second quarter, as Malik Leverett hauled in a 1-yard pass from Colton Fitzgerald to tie the game with just under 11 minutes remaining in the half, and then Logan Lopez put UWG on top following a fumble recovery of the Wolves' kickoff was bobbled and fumbled away by ETSU. Lopez's 46-yard field goal was good with 9:36 remaining in the half, giving UWG the 10-7 lead.
ETSU would make the most of its final two possessions of the half, with Peyton capping a seven-play, 73-yard scoring drive on a 14-yard scoring run before Vashawn Nalls' eight-yard scoring catch with just 1:53 remaining in the opening 30 minutes of football gave the Bucs a 21-10 lead. That would remain the score as the two teams headed into the halftime locker room.
The see-saw affair continued, however, as the Wolves stunned the Bucs by scoring 14 unanswered points to re-take the lead. Josh Schucts hauled in a six-yard scoring pass from Fitzgerald just under three minutes into the second half, concluding a seven-play, 75-yard drive to make it a 21-17 game with 12:22 left in the half. Fitzgerald's nine-yard scoring toss to T.J. Lockley with 5:15 left in the third helped the Wolves regain the lead, at 24-21.
The play that turned the tide in the game, however, came from the ETSU defense, as eventual SoCon Defensive Player of the Week and veteran Bucs defensive back Mike Jenkins intercepted a Fitzgerald pass and returned 25 yards for a score with 31 seconds remaining in the third quarter, as the Bucs would re-take the lead, 28-24.
That would set the stage for the biggest offensive play from either team a little over the midway point of the fourth quarter, as Mims found Winton on an 88-yard scoring strike with 6:10 remaining, as Ewan Johnson's PAT would give the Bucs an 11-point lead, at 35-24. The 88-yard scorinf strike from Mims-to-Winton set a new program record for the longest passing score in program history, surpassing Todd Wells' 86-yard scoring strike to Anthony Stringfield back in 1997 in a lopsided road win over Appalachian State.
The Bucs defense would do the rest, holding the Wolves to just a 29-yard field goal from Lopez with 3:37 remaining, and that would prove to be the final points of the game. ETSU's defense would force one more turnover on downs, and the Bucs offense would run out the remaining time off the clock to hold on for the eight-point win.
All told, UWG did finish the game with a slight advantage in total offense, finishing with a 411-377 advantage in total offense.
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| Mercer and Georgia Tech met for the first time since 2016 in Atlanta (photo courtesy of AP) |
The only team to have faced off against an FBS foe on Saturday was No. 23 Mercer facing off against Georgia Tech, and it would be the Yellow Jackets that would pick up their first win of the 2026 season and as a result, hand the Bears their second-straight loss, posting what was a 44-11 win in front of a crowd of 50,852 fans on hand at Bobby Dodd Stadium on a warm, late Summer September Saturday in Atlanta.
Georgia Tech would score the first two touchdowns of the afternoon, with Yellow Jackets quarterback Alberto Mendoza finding running back Justice Haynes on a short, 1-yard pass to make it a 7-0 game on their second possession of the afternoon.
The Yellow Jackets made it 14-0 early in the second quarter, as Taje McCoy's strip sack of Jaylen King would set up the Yellow Jackets in great field position late in the opening quarter of play. King would not return to the game for the Bears as a result, leaving the game with a concussion. The turnover by Mercer would see the Yellow Jackets offense set up with great field position inside Mercer territory at the 37-yard line.
Seven plays later, Justice Haynes finished off the scoring drive with his second of three touchdowns of the afternoon, as he plunged overt the top for a 1-yard score to make it a 14-0 Yellow Jackets lead with 13:29 left in the half.
Mercer would then find its first points of the day when Simon Zeidan connected on a 21-yard field goal, capping what was a solid 11-play, 71-yard scoring drive for the Bears, making it a 14-3 game with 8:19 remaining in the opening half.
Georgia Tech would score the final 10 points of the half in the final two minutes of the frame, however, taking a commanding 24-3 lead into the half, as Aidan Burr's 32-yard field goal with 1:56 left was followed up by a Jaiven Plummer 37-yard scoring catch from Mendoza after the Ramblin' Wreck defense forced a quick Mercer three-and-out, and that would set the advantage at 21 points (24-3) with just 32 seconds remaining in the half.
Mercer looked solid on its opening drive of the second half, as JP Pickles helped engineer a 10-play. 53-yard drive, which once again culminated in a Simon Zeidan field goal, as his 40-yard kick split the uprights for a 24-6 game early in the third quarter.
Order would be restored, however, on the Yellow Jackets' next possession, as Haynes would score his third touchdown of the game on a 31-yard jaunt with 8:20 left in the third, making it a 30-6 game. However, Mercer blocked the PAT and it was returned 87 yards for two points by Mercer's Cameron Goggins to make it a 30-8 game.
The Bears would then score their final points of the afternoon on the ensuing possession, as Pickles helped engineer a 10-play, 62-yard scoring drive, and for the third time on the afternoon, Zeidan was called upon to provide the scoring, as his 31-yard field goal was good to make it a 30-11 game. The key play in the drive was a 37-yard connection from Pickles-to-Brayden Smith, setting up the Mercer offense in great field position.
The Yellow Jackets would tack on a pair of touchdowns to provide the final margin, as Mendoza hooked up with wideout Isaiah Furhmann for a 19-yard gain before finding Debron Gatling on a 33-yard scoring strike to make it a 37-11 Tech lead with just under a minute remaining in the third quarter. The scoring drive was set up by a 41-yard kickoff return by the Yellow Jackets to put Georgia Tech just inside Mercer territory at the 48.
The final score of the game would be set up by a Mercer turnover, as CJ Gamble intercepted a JP Pickles pass at the Mercer 40 to set up the Yellow Jackets offense in good field position. Following converting a key 4th-and-1 on the drive, Chad Alexander's 1-yard scoring plunge with 11:42 remaining, concluding an eight-play, 40-yard drive to make it a 44-11 game.
The Yellow Jackets ended the game holding a 405-290 edge in total offense. No. 23 Mercer (2-2) will be on the road Saturday, as it begins a three-game road trip with a trip to west Texas to face off against Abilene Christian (1-3), with kickoff slated for 8 p.m. EST Saturday evening. Georgia Tech (1-2) will be on the road to open ACC play Saturday night in Palo Alto, as the Yellow Jackets will tangle with the Stanford Cardinal (1-2, 0-2 ACC) in a game slated to kickoff at 10:30 p.m. EST.
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| VMI loses to Davidson for the first time since 1972 (Photo courtesy of VMI Athletics) |
The most disappointing result of week three came in Davidson, N.C., as VMI dropped what was a 27-24 overtime game to Davidson this past Saturday.
The loss means the Keydets remain winless on the season, dropping to 0-4, while Davidson improved to 2-2.
Things looked good in the opening quarter for the Keydets, as Cole Varner ripped off a 40-yard scoring run before Ian Reynolds made it 14-3 following a 1-yard scoring plunge with just 43 seconds remaining in the opening quarter and it looked like VMI was going to be well on its way to a 13th-straight win in the series over the Wildcats.
However, things would change in the second quarter, as the Wildcats would score 14 unanswered points to re-take the lead. Midway through the second quarter, Davidson quarterback Casey Bullock found Alani Ajigbotosho for a 32-yard scoring strike to bring the Wildcats to within four points, at 14-10.
The final minute of the half was wild, as it first appeared the Wildcats would carry the momentum into the halftime break following a 22-yard scoring reception from Jacary Lightsey, who found himself wide open behind the Keydets secondary, and a perfectly lofted pass from Bullock found him for a score and a 17-14 lead with 49 seconds remaining in the half.
VMI, however, would tie the game just before the half, as the Keydets efficiently moved the ball 44 yards in six plays before calling upon Jack Joyce to connect on a 49-yard field goal attempt with two seconds left in the half, tying the game 17-17 at the break.
Both teams couldn't find a breakthrough in the second half until the final minute of the game, and much like the ending of the opening half of play, the final minute provided a dramatic finish to what had been a good football game all afternoon.
It appeared Davidson was going to end its long losing streak to VMI and against scholarship programs when Davidson quarterback Casey Bullock capped off what was an impressive nine-play, 87-yard scoring drive with a 1-yard scoring plunge to make it a 24-17 game with only 59 seconds remaining.
However, VMI would have one more answer, as Ian Reynolds came with the biggest play of his young career under center for the Keydets, finding Halim Hardnett for a 75-yard scoring strike to force overtime with just 38 seconds remaining. It marked VMI's first touchdown pass of the season.
With the game tied at 24 in overtime, the Keydets went on defense first and forced the Wildcats to settle for a Christos Tzoumakas 25-yard field goal to make it a 27-24 Davidson lead. However, it would be the Davidson defense that would provide the final verdict, as Traveion Slaughter rushed around left corner and appeared to have some daylight and a positive gain, however, Davidson's Hayden Meese came up with a timely hit to force the ball loose and then subsequently recovered the fumble to seal Davidson's first win over VMI since 1979 and first win over a scholarship program since 1981.
Superlatives for VMI on the offensive side of the ball included running back Leo Boehling, who rushed for a season-high 102 yards on 20 carries, while Ian Reynolds connected on 8-of-18 passes for 135 yards with one touchdown and one INT, leading a VMI offense that finished the afternoon with 302 yards. The Wildcats had a substantial 451-302 edge in total yards gained.
Davidson quarterback Casey Bullock was strong all day, as he finished with 392 yards of total offense and three touchdown responsibilities (2-passing, 1-rushing). Bullock finished the day connecting on 20-of-32 passes for 288 yards, two touchdowns and no INTs, while also rushing for 104 yards and a touchdown on 25 attempts.
VMI (0-4, 0-0 SoCon) returns to action Saturday, as the Keydets will be on the road to face Samford (0-3, 0-1 SoCon) at Pete Hanna Stadium in a kickoff slated for 3:30 p.m. EST. Davidson (2-2, 0-0 PFL) will open Pioneer Football League action Saturday when it hosts Drake (0-3, 0-0 PFL) at Davidson College Stadium in a 1 p.m. EST battle.
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| WCU has now outscored Presbyterian 135-35 in last two meetings (Photo courtesy of Western Carolina Athletics) |
The final game to recap is the one that saw Western Carolina and Presbyterian to do battle in Cullowhee on a "White Out Whitmire" battle in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina in the shadows of Balsam Mountain.
The Catamounts would even their 2026 record at 2-2 in strong fashion, knocking former legendary Hall-of-Fame head coach Bob Waters' alma mater, 58-14, before a crowd of 11,811 fans on-hand at EJ Whitmire Stadium. The Catamounts rolled up a season-high 689 yards of total offense and would head to the half leading by 13 (27-14) before breaking open the game in the second half, out-scoring the Blue Hose, 31-0, in the second half.
The offensive efforts for WCU were led by running back Josh Perry, who rushed for a career-high 142 yards and three touchdowns, finishing with 162 all-purpose yards, as he also added 20 receiving yards in what was an impressive performance for the sophomore running back. It was impressive enough to garner Perry SoCon Offensive Player of the Week honors.
The Catamounts held a 689-234 advantage in total offense, and the WCU defense allowed just 23 yards of total offense and only one first down in the second half en route to another big win over the Blue Hose. The Catamounts recorded a 77-21 win over the Blue Hose back in 2022 and have now outscored the Blue Hose 135-35 in the past two meetings.
It was the 14th time the Catamounts have scored 50 or more points and the 38th time in 61 games under Kerwin Bell that WCU has posted 30 or more points, including having done so twice already this season.
Lex Thomas put together his best performance of the season under center for the Catamounts, as he finished 24-of-33 passing for 268 yards and one TD. Isaac Lee added 66 yards and a TD on 4-of-8 passing in the game. The 334 passing yards were a season-high for WCU.
Jai Boyd led the receiving efforts for the Catamounts, hauling in three passes for 103 yards, which included a 36-yard scoring pass to open the big day scoring-wise for the Catamounts. Boyd also had another 41-reception in the win, accounting for 77 of his 103 receiving yards on two receptions.
Joshua Collins led the Catamounts defensively with four tackles and an INT.
Western Carolina (2-2, 0-0 SoCon) has a big one on the horizon, as the Catamounts head to East Tennessee State (2-2, 0-0 SoCon) for a Saturday showdown in the Blue Ridge Border Battle at William B. Greene Stadium, with kickoff slated for 3:30 p.m. EST. The Catamounts will be looking to avenge a 52-35 home loss to the Bucs last season. Presbyterian (1-3, 0-0 PFL) will open conference play Saturday with a trip to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to face Marist (1-2, 0-0 PFL) in a kickoff slated for noon EST.
Team Awards and Superlatives for Week 3
Team of the Week: Chattanooga
Most Disappointing Loss: VMI's 27-24 overtime loss at Davidson
Most Boring Team to Watch in Week 1: Wofford
Best Rebound Win: Chattanooga 41, Wofford 7
Five Notes and Observations
1. Chattanooga's improvement in the trenches continued to show Saturday, as the Mocs got off to a strong start in SoCon play in a 41-7 win over Wofford. The Mocs rushed for 310 of their 356 yards of total offense in Saturday's win over the Terriers, with a pair of 100-yard rushers, in Kevin Lalin (110 yds, 2 TDs) and Journey Wyche (122 yds, 1 TD), while the Mocs defense held the Terriers to just 250 yards of total offense, holding Wofford to just 92 yards on the ground. UTC's 31 points in the second quarter against Wofford was the most in a quarter since equaling that total on Sept. 28, 2019 against Western Carolina.
2. The SoCon continues to shine on defense, with six defenses ranking inside the top half of FCS football, with Chattanooga (9th/275.0 YPG), Tennessee Tech (11th/283.0 YPG), Mercer (45th/354.2 YPG), The Citadel (46th/356.3 YPG), Furman (53rd/372.8 YPG) and Samford (58th/378.7 YPG). Tennessee Tech (9th/14.0 PPG), Chattanooga (15th/15.75 PPG), Mercer (T-27th/20.5 PPG) and Furman (36th/23.0 PPG) also rank among the top 40 in scoring defense.
3. Western Carolina (22nd/433.8 YPG) and East Tennessee State (29th/411.0 YPG) have easily been the league's top two offenses this season, featuring the league's top two quarterbacks to this point in the season. WCU's Lex Thomas ranks sixth in the nation in passing yards (1,079 yds), while Mason Mims currently ranks 14th nationally in passing yards (991 yds). The two will face off Saturday in a much-anticipated Blue Ridge Border Battle.
4. Both Mercer and Furman will head into their final non-conference matchups Saturday led by their backup quarterbacks, as both Bears starter Jaylen King and Paladins starter Jake Garcia suffered injuries this past Saturday, and while thankfully not of the season-ending variety, will keep both out for this Saturday's non-conference tilts against Abilene Christian and Richmond, respectively. King suffered what appeared to be a concussion in the Bears' 44-11 loss at Georgia Tech this past Saturday, while Garcia suffered some sort of shoulder/upper body injury that will likely keep him out for multiple games, but shouldn't be an extended period of time. JP Pickles (Mercer) and Connor Ackerley (Furman) were both effective in relief, and both showed they were full capable of leading their respective offenses.
5. The SoCon heads into the weekend with an 8-10 mark in non-conference FCS games, while having posted a 1-6 mark against FBS foes. Road wins by Mercer and Furman could bring the non-conference mark to 10-10 against other leagues, and for Furman, it could give the Paladins their first ranked win on the road against a ranked foe since 2005, when the Paladins bested No. 20 Jacksonville State, 37-35. It will be the first meeting between Furman and Richmond since 2005, when the Paladins were 24-20 winners over Richmond in the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs. Mercer, meanwhile, will be looking to avoid a third-straight loss at Abilene Christian, as the Bears haven't lost three-straight games since the beginning of the Drew Cronic era in 2020-21, losing games at Jacksonville State (L, 34-28), at Army (L, 49-3), vs. Abilene Christian (L, 20-17) and at No. 16 Wofford (L, 31-14). In a weekend dominated by four league games, these two non-conference games are vital for the league to garner more postseason ammunition. Furman is 4-0 all-time against Patriot League programs.
FCS Nation's Players of the Week
Offense: RB--Josh Perry (WCU)
Defense: DB--Mike Jenkins (ETSU)
Special Teams: PK--Bryan McCollum (WCU)
Schedule For Sept. Sept. 26, 2026
Blue Ridge Border Battle
*Western Carolina (2-2, 0-0 SoCon) at East Tennessee State (2-2, 0-0 SoCon), 3:30 p.m. EST/Series tied 27-27-1
*Chattanooga (2-2, 0-0 SoCon) at The Citadel (1-2, 0-1 SoCon), 2p.m. EST/UTC leads series 36-21-2
*VMI (0-4, 0-0 SoCon) at Samford (0-3, 0-1), 3:30 p.m. EST/Samford leads series 10-3
*No. 10 Tennessee Tech (3-0, 1-0 SoCon) at Wofford (2-2, 1-0 SoCon), 1:30 pm. EST/Wofford leads series 4-0
Furman (2-2, 1-0 SoCon) at No. 19 Richmond (3-1, 2-0 Patriot League), 2 p.m. EST/Richmond leads 15-10
No. 23 Mercer (2-2, 0-1 SoCon) at Abilene Christian (1-3, 0-0 UAC), 8 p.m. EST/Abilene leads 1-0
*--denotes SoCon Game
SoCon Power Rankings Following Week Three
1. Tennessee Tech (3-0, 1-0 SoCon)
2. Chattanooga (2-2, 1-0 SoCon)
3. Western Carolina (2-2, 0-0 SoCon)
4. Furman (2-2, 1-0 SoCon)
5. Mercer (2-2, 0-1 SoCon)
6. East Tennessee State (2-2, 0-0 SoCon)
7. Wofford (2-2, 1-1 SoCon)
8. The Citadel (1-2, 0-1 SoCon)
9. Samford (0-3, 0-1 SoCon)
10. VMI (0-4, 0-0 SoCon)
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