Oct. 3, 2005
Charleston, SC -
Go ahead, look up October 1, 2005 on your calendar and write this in big, bold letters.
Citadel 17, No. 18 Western Carolina 7
Why, you may ask?
Last Saturday in Cullowhee, North Carolina the Bulldogs and first-year head coach Kevin Higgins notched their first Southern Conference win of 2005 against the Catamounts. Also, it was the Citadel's first win in the mountains of western North Carolina since 1992.
While everyone inside the team will accept the win for what it is and move their focus toward their battle with Mississippi this weekend, it is our job as outsiders to dig deep inside that triumph and what the future may hold for these gutsy Bulldogs. Coach Higgins arrived in the spring and vowed to turn around a program that achieved only two six-win seasons in the last 11 years.
Things started out great with a win over Charleston Southern and gained momentum in the first half against Florida State, but took a downhill slide in the third quarter when the Seminoles scored 35 unanswered points. After an off week, hopes were high heading into the SoCon opener with Appalachian State, but four turnovers and three Richie Williams' touchdowns later the Bulldogs found themselves 1-2 overall and 0-1 in the SoCon.
Trying to answer questions from the media after the Bulldogs' 48-13 loss to the Mountaineers, Coach Higgins pushed fundamentals and attempted to get his team back to the basics before their trip to Cullowhee. As his quarterback, sophomore Duran Lawson, struggled with consistency, Coach Higgins knew he would have to work hard to get his team to believe his philosophy can win and maybe pull out some tricks in Cullowhee to do it.
And that he did.
He called for an end around to wide receiver Kinta Palmer who stopped off tackle and hit a wide-open Ta'Mar Jernigan for a touchdown that set off pandemonium in Bulldog nation.
A touchdown reception by Palmer and a Blake Vandiver field goal later The Citadel found themselves up 17-0 late in the fourth quarter and gaining respect from around the league as the seconds ticked down to zero.
Except for a "Tennessee Titan Miracle" kickoff return for a score by Western, the Bulldogs played great with a swarming defense that allowed only 14 yards rushing and mustered enough offense to pull off the upset.
The Catamounts, who knocked off No. 2 Furman two weeks prior, were held to 166 total yards. They used multiple quarterbacks and tried everything to get their offense going, but The Citadel defense, led by senior Porter Johnson's 10.5 tackles (six tackles for a loss), held them in tact.
The win, a first for Coach Higgins in the SoCon and the Bulldogs' in Cullowhee since 1992, is not just a win that evens The Citadel's record at 2-2, but does a whole lot more for days, weeks, and even years to come. It helps the student-athletes that represent this fine institution each Saturday of the fall realize that they can compete against the top-notch programs of this conference week in and week out.
In a couple of years when Coach Higgins is winning consistently at this Military College of South Carolina because of his work ethic and desire to succeed, look back to October 1, 2005 and read about what happened on that cool night in Cullowhee.
Then you will know the win was the beginning of what is to come.
Covy's Cove is written by senior outfielder Matt Covington, an English major here at The Citadel.
