The Citadel
3-4 , 2-2
Western Carolina
5-3 , 4-0
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W. Carolina | 7 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
| The Citadel | 14 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
Late Rally Falls Short Against Western Carolina, The Citadel Edged in Shootout, 45-38
10/18/2025 6:22:00 PM | Football
"We talk all the time about winning the middle eight – the last four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the third quarter," head coach Maurice Drayton said. "We didn't well in the middle eight and that proved to be the difference in the game."
KEY NOTES
-- Offensively, the unit generated a season second-best 410 yards on 54 plays, punching in five scores and setting up a Ben Barnes field goal on one occasion; on the ground, the O-Line and Co. battled for 278 yards with four touchdowns while the passing game 132 yards on 5-of-9 through the air for one score
-- Under center, Cobey Thompkins impressed in both facets of the game, accounting for 111 passing yards for one TD on a 3-of-5 performance while also racking up 79 yards via 11 carries for another score as well; meanwhile, Quentin Hayes paced the rushing attack with 90 yards and two touchdowns while also posting a 2-of-4 outing for 21 yards through the air
-- For the running backs, Garrison Johnson Sr. led the group with 72 yards on seven carries, including a 55-yard gash up the middle late in the first quarter; Beau Herrington contributed a solid 24 yards with a touchdown on seven rushes as well
-- Braylon Knauth and Javonte Graves-Billips repped the receiving corps with a combined four catches for 121 yards and a TD, including the opening score of the game courtesy of a 61-yard yard play-action success for Thompkins to the former up the seam
-- Defensively, Cale Williams posted a game-high 11 tackles with six coming solo; Mikey Rosa slotted in eight of his own as well, including a notable 2.5 sacks, with one pass breakup
-- For the fourth straight game this year, The Citadel led in time-of-possession, maintaining ball control for 30:16 compared to the Catamounts' 29:44
-- Notably, The Citadel defense notched the first interception against SoCon Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Taron Dickens, as Drew Nyangweso took advantage of a tipped ball in the second quarter deep in Western Carolina territory
-- Finally, The Citadel proved fatal in the red zone and on fourth down, converting 5-of-5 chances on the former while cementing a 3-of-3 rate on the latter
BRAYLON KNAUTH TO THE HOUSE!!!
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 18, 2025
Cobey Thompkins finds the sophomore wide open straight up the seam for TD Bank touchdown, notching the opening score of the game early here in the first quarter 🌩️🌪️
The Citadel -- 7
Western Carolina -- 0
Q1 | 11:23#FireThoseCannons pic.twitter.com/aduLCRl8zA
DREW NYANGWESO W/ THE PICK!!!
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 18, 2025
The grad transfer benefits from the tipped pass to convert the first turnover of the game, swiping a massive takeway deep in Catamount territory 🌪️🔥
The Citadel -- 14
Western Carolina -- 14
Q2 | 7:18#FireThoseCannons pic.twitter.com/hS0TyMrzcO
MIKEY ROSA AGAIN!!!
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 18, 2025
The redshirt sophomore blitzes untouched up the middle for a MASSIVE sack late here at the end of the half, setting Western back just outside field goal range 🌩️🏈
The Citadel -- 17
Western Carolina -- 21
Q2 | 0:11#FireThoseCannons pic.twitter.com/aUd8g1C7GE
THOMPKINS TO JGB ON THE FLEA FLICKER!!!
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 18, 2025
The Bulldogs return the WCU trickery in kind w/ a fake of their own, generating a 39-yard gain on the flea flicker up the seam 🪲🌪️
The Citadel -- 24
Western Carolina -- 38
Q3 | 2:01#FireThoseCannons pic.twitter.com/K6AEkypkoU
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
WCU 0, CIT 7
CIT - Knauth,Braylon 61 yd pass from Thompkins,Cobey (Barnes,Ben kick) 1 plays, 61 yards, TOP 00:13
WCU 7, CIT 7
WCU - Knight,Malik 14 yd pass from Dickens,Taron (Trout,Marcus kick) 6 plays, 65 yards, TOP 02:10
WCU 7, CIT 14
CIT - Hayes,Quentin 5 yd run (Barnes,Ben kick), 7 plays, 80 yards, TOP 04:27
WCU 14, CIT 14
WCU - Thomas,Josiah 5 yd pass from Dickens,Taron (Trout,Marcus kick) 11 plays, 70 yards, TOP 05:03
WCU 14, CIT 17
CIT - Barnes,Ben 42 yd field goal 4 plays, -4 yards, TOP 02:01
WCU 21, CIT 17
WCU - Townsend,Markel 7 yd run (Trout,Marcus kick), 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:21
WCU 24, CIT 17
WCU - Trout,Marcus 25 yd field goal 7 plays, 38 yards, TOP 01:05
WCU 31, CIT 17
WCU - Tyre,James 9 yd pass from Dickens,Taron (Trout,Marcus kick) 7 plays, 73 yards, TOP 03:19
WCU 31, CIT 24
CIT - Herrington,Beau 12 yd run (Barnes,Ben kick), 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 06:02
WCU 38, CIT 24
WCU - Knight,Malik 37 yd pass from Dickens,Taron (Trout,Marcus kick) 6 plays, 51 yards, TOP 02:36
WCU 38, CIT 31
CIT - Hayes,Quentin 8 yd run (Barnes,Ben kick), 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:27
WCU 45, CIT 31
WCU - Dutton,Dominic 18 yd pass from Dickens,Taron (Trout,Marcus kick) 10 plays, 87 yards, TOP 04:57
WCU 45, CIT 38
CIT - Thompkins,Cobey 20 yd run (Barnes,Ben kick), 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:25
