April 19, 2008

Spring Game Photo Gallery

Spring Game Individual Stats / Drive Summaries

Cullowhee, N.C. - - Red-shirt freshman quarterback Adam Hearns threw a pair of touchdown passes as the Catamount Offense downed the Defense, 34-16, Saturday afternoon in the annual Spring Game held in front of nearly 1,800 fans at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field. The offense scored four touchdowns, adding a pair of field goals late en route to the win.

The 100-play, hour and 45 minute long scrimmage featured the offense against the defense in three separate sets. The first two sets featured seven drives, with the final set shortened to three drives for a total of 17 on the afternoon. The defense scored on 11 of the 17 drives, combining for 10 tackles for loss and four sacks, while the offense came away with points on the other six opportunities.

"Our guys have worked hard. We have had 15 practices and everyday we got better, that was our goal to make steps forward no matter what happens and every day we got a little bit better," said first-year head coach Dennis Wagner. "I thought the defense came out strong. I thought they did some great things early and then kind of ran out of gas. Offensively, we kept with it. I do not like the sloppiness we had in the middle (of the scrimmage) where we had some penalties. Those are things we have got to eliminate - we can't waste any opportunities. Again, there are a lot of things we can do discipline-wise and consistency-wise to be a better football team."

He added, "Now, the big challenge is going to be for us this summer, keeping our guys around lifting weights and doing the things you have got to do to get ahead in the classroom. We have got a lot of work to do before the first game and we are getting better."

Western Carolina junior quarterback Andy Horn connected with freshman tight end Taylor Spangler on a 10-yard strike which moved the chains for the first-time in the Wagner era.

The offense moved into scoring position twice during its opening six drives before coming away with points on its seventh opportunity. The defense forced a pair of missed field goals and created one of its two takeaways on the day in the opening set. On the fourth drive, junior Chaz Jackson jarred the ball loose from freshman running back Josh Wright, before sophomore Lee Stanley pounced on the pigskin for the turnover.

Down 9-0 after the six defensive stands, the offense drove 55 yards in five plays under the guidance of true freshman quarterback Zack Jaynes. The scoring drive was capped off by a three-yard touchdown plunge by sophomore Willie Harper to pull within two points of the defense, trailing, 9-7, at halftime.

The offense capitalized on its success in the final drive of the opening set by moving 40 yards in seven plays with red-shirt freshman quarterback Adam Hearns finding classmate Marquell Pittman from five-yards out for the go-ahead points, 14-9. Hearns completed a perfect 4-for-4 on the drive for 28 yards, including a 14-yard swing pass to Harper.

Trailing for the first-time in the contest, the defense responded with consecutive stops including its second takeaway of the game when freshman Jenoris Darby intercepted Jaynes, returning it nearly 30 yards before being tackled. The back-to-back stops trimmed the deficit to two, 14-12, in favor of the offense. Jaynes finished 6-of-11 for 75 yards and the one pick.

Western's offense pulled away, though, with consecutive scoring drives to stretch its lead to 28-12. Hearns and Horn combined on a six-play drive with Hearns scrambling and finding red-shirt sophomore Kyle Garland on a 30-yard scoring strike. Horn capped the latter of the two scoring sequences with a two-yard romp after a pass interference penalty on the defense moved the ball closer to the goal line.

The defense concluded the second set of drives with two additional stops, forcing a three-and-out and a missed field goal opportunity to trail, 28-15.

Sophomore kicker Blake Bostic put six points on the board for the offense in the final set as the unit managed a pair of field goals. The first two drives both went nine plays before the consecutive kicks pushed the score to 34-15. The defense rounded out the scrimmage scoring by holding the offense despite a 10-play drive for the final tally, 34-16.

Harper led all rushers with 13 carries for 64 yards and a score, amassing 95 yards total offense on the afternoon. Horn threw for a game-high 109 yards on 11-of-21 passing, adding 19 yards rushing and a touchdown to finish with a team-best 128 yards total offense. Hearns was 8-of-11 for 67 yards, adding 51 yards on the ground for 118 total yards.

Defensively, junior Michael Shaw led the squad with seven tackles including one for loss, while linebacker Quinton Phillips, defensive back Antoine George and defensive end Chris Everett each posted six stops on the afternoon. Stanley and Darby came away with the two turnovers, with Jackson forcing the fumble.

Also, freshman Jon Julien posted a pair of quarterback sacks, applying a two-hand tag on the signal callers in the otherwise live scrimmage, while junior Brandon Drumgoole posted three tackles for loss on a four-tackle performance.

The afternoon began with fans lining up at the gates prior to Noon for the first-ever "A Taste of Tailgating," held on the concourse of the West Side Stands. Nine local restaurants participated in the festivities with fans.

"The people at Western Carolina want to support a winner and that's our job," concluded Wagner. "We have got to put a great product on the field. When people come like they did today, it helps the outcome. We are very proud to be in front of them. Between now and that first game, we have got to do everything we can to keep these people coming back."

Saturday afternoon's Spring Game concludes WCU's 15 days of spring practice. The Catamounts now turn their attention to summer strength and conditioning, with the squad scheduled to report the first week of August to begin preparation for the 2008 season.