Western Carolina secured a key conference victory, while North Carolina Central nearly broke the scoreboard in its final tune-up before MEAC action heats up.
Those were the top highlights from FCS football in our state Saturday. Davidson and Elon both lost defensive battles that may have knocked them out of their respective conference races. Gardner-Webb, Campbell and North Carolina A&T had the week off.
FCS Scoreboard | Week 7
- Western Carolina 30, The Citadel 16
- North Carolina Central 68, Virginia-Lynchburg 0
- Dayton 16, Davidson 14
Headlines And Highlights | Week 7
* After playing without fans last week, Western Carolina reported an attendance of 6,278 for the appropriately named Heroes Day game. The Cullowhee area is still in recovery mode from the recent hurricane and used the contest to raise money for relief efforts.
* WCU quarterback Cole Gonzales threw for 294 yards and one touchdown. He did not have an interception and was sacked just once. Zion Booker hauled in the touchdown throw and finished with six catches for 102 yards.
As we look to "Fill the Truck" with donations for Hurricane Helene relief across Western North Carolina, our @Catamounts football team is debuting a special "Prayers for Western North Carolina" helmet decal for today's game against The Citadel.#PrayersForWNC | #SoConSupports pic.twitter.com/m4vo8ZXX4d
— Western Carolina Football (@CatamountsFB) October 12, 2024
* Jalynn Williams only managed 17 yards on seven attempts for the Catamounts but found the end zone three times. His 3-yard TD run put the Catamounts up 14-0 in the second period. His longest run of the day, 9 yards, put WCU ahead 21-7 heading into halftime.
Williams’ final score from 2 yards away put an exclamation point on the victory with 4:33 to go.
* WCU got back to .500 (3-3 overall) for the first time since last season. The Catamounts improved to 2-0 in the Southern Conference. Furman awaits on deck next week.
* The NCCU-VUL game was a mismatch from the start. The Eagles improved to 5-2, while the Dragons fell to 0-7. Central built a 33-0 lead after one quarter and 47-0 by halftime.
* NC Central quarterback Walker Harris threw three touchdown passes, with J’Mari Taylor, Joaquin Davis and Mehki Wall on the receiving ends of the scoring plays. Joshua Jones threw a 15-yard TD pass to Sterling Greene during garbage time.
Win Week 7 ✅#CultureOverScheme #BeGreat #NCCUFootball #EaglePride pic.twitter.com/cujs1w9k90
— NCCU Athletics (@NCCUAthletics) October 12, 2024
* The Eagles rolled up 326 rushing yards, and five different players found the end zone on the ground — Taylor, Chris Mosley, Zion Dobson, Aleni Mageo and Quest Powell.
* Virginia-Lynchburg recorded just three first downs and went backwards 42 yards on the ground. Dragon quarterbacks were sacked five times.
* Davidson missed a 51-yard field goal attempt short with 27 seconds left that would have put them ahead 17-16.
The Wildcats struggled in the kicking game all day. Dayton blocked a punt and three field goals, then scored what would be the decisive points on a 25-yard field goal by Danny Baker early in the fourth quarter.
* Davidson came into Saturday averaging 368 rushing yards per game. Dayton outgained the Wildcats 260-212 on the ground, with star back Mason Hackett carrying 22 times for 218 yards on his own.
Davidson’s points came courtesy of a pair of rushing touchdowns from Mason Sheron, covering 39 and 44 yards. Adam Zouagui booted both extra points.
Sheron finished with 152 yards on 22 totes, while teammate Mari Adams had 75 yards on 16 carries.
* Davidson’s Dominic Njoku had a busy day, making 11 solo tackles and assisting on four others. Daniel Carter picked off a Dayton pass and returned it 21 yards. Amare Hill also had an interception.
* A season that began with such promise seems to be slipping away for Elon, now 1-5, 0-2 in the CAA. The Phoenix hovered around the Top 25 in the early weeks and scored a dominating win over North Carolina Central in week two.
Elon led 10-0 in the first half Saturday but couldn’t build on the momentum. New Hampshire recorded nine sacks.
* Elon’s points came courtesy of a 41-yard field goal from Jack Berkowitz and a 39-yard TJ Thomas Jr. run in the first quarter. Thomas, a freshman, has now scored in five straight games.
New Hampshire blocked a punt right before the half and turned that opportunity into seven points. Trailing 17-10 late in the fourth quarter, Elon advanced to the New Hampshire 30. But the Phoenix fumbled a snap and suffered a sack to end the threat.
