In a game that had everything but a happy ending for the home crowd, Western Carolina’s dream of a first Southern Conference championship took a crushing blow Saturday as No. 10/12 Mercer escaped E.J. Whitmire Stadium with a 49-47 victory in one of the wildest FCS games of the season.
The loss snapped WCU’s six-game winning streak and left the Catamounts (6-4, 5-1 SoCon) needing wins over ETSU and VMI to stay alive for an FCS playoff berth. Mercer (8-1, 7-0) remains unbeaten in league play and in control of the SoCon title race. Mercer has now won 10 straight against the Catamounts after losing the first two meetings in 2014 and 2015. None likely hurt as much as this one for the purple and gold.
My heart is broken and empty.
— WCU CATAMOUNTS (@GSM_Western) November 8, 2025
A Fourth-Quarter Roller Coaster
Mercer appeared to take control early in the fourth, going up 46-34 after an 81-yard touchdown strike from Braden Atkinson to Adjatay Dabbs. But Taron Dickens and the Catamounts came roaring back. Dickens threw a 10-yard TD to Jai Boyd and a 42-yard bomb to James Tyre to put Western ahead 47-46 with 3:13 left.
The Bears answered with a six-play, 47-yard march capped by Reice Griffith’s 37-yard field goal at the 1:30 mark. Undeterred, Western drove from its own 25 to the Mercer 15 in the 87 seconds, setting up a 33-yard field goal attempt for Marcus Trout — but the kick went wide right as time expired, sending the Bears’ sideline into celebration and leaving Cullowhee stunned, though at first some in WCU colors thought the kick had gone through. It was that close.
Offensive Fireworks
The teams combined for 1,167 yards of total offense — 599 by Western Carolina and 568 by Mercer — with both quarterbacks turning in eye-popping performances.
- Taron Dickens (WCU): 33-of-49, 551 yards, 7 TD, 1 INT
- Braden Atkinson (Mercer): 23-of-39, 443 yards, 3 TD
Mercer’s CJ Miller rushed for 91 yards and 3 TDs, while Dabbs added 147 receiving yards and a score. Western’s Malik Knight caught five passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns, and Michael Rossin and Patrick Boyd Jr. each added scores in a record-setting passing day for the Catamounts.
Linebacker Samaurie Dukes led the WCU defense with 13 tackles in a game where, statistically, defense was optional.
What’s Next
Western Carolina will look to regroup as it hosts East Tennessee State next Saturday before closing the regular season at VMI. With the SoCon unlikely to earn more than one automatic FCS playoff bid, the Catamounts likely need to win out — and get help — to extend their season.
By the Numbers Recap
• 1,167 – Combined total yards of offense between the two teams (WCU 599, Mercer 568).
• 7 – Touchdown passes by Western Carolina quarterback Taron Dickens, continuing to cement his resume as an FCS All-American
• 6 – Win streak snapped for the Catamounts, who fell to 5-1 in SoCon play.
• 33 – Yards on the field goal attempt that missed wide right as time expired.
• 3 – Touchdowns by Mercer running back CJ Miller, who also topped 90 rushing yards.
• 13 – Tackles by WCU linebacker Samaurie Dukes to lead all defenders.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
– WCU 7-0: Michael Rossin 27-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Marcus Trout kick)
– Tie 7-7: CJ Miller 7-yard run (Reice Griffith kick)
2nd Quarter
– WCU 14-7: Patrick Boyd Jr. 21-yard pass from Dickens (Trout kick)
– WCU 14-9: Safety (bad snap recovered in end zone)
– MER 15-14: Kendall Harris 6-yard pass from Braden Atkinson (conversion failed)
– WCU 21-15: Rossin 25-yard pass from Dickens (Trout kick)
– WCU 21-18: Griffith 24-yard field goal
3rd Quarter
– MER 25-21: Miller 5-yard run (Griffith kick)
– MER 32-21: Harris 24-yard pass from Atkinson (Griffith kick)
– MER 32-27: Malik Knight 32-yard pass from Dickens (kick failed)
– MER 39-27: Miller 26-yard run (Griffith kick)
4th Quarter
– MER 39-34: Knight 54-yard pass from Dickens (Trout kick)
– MER 46-34: Adjatay Dabbs 81-yard pass from Atkinson (Griffith kick)
– MER 46-41: Jai Boyd 10-yard pass from Dickens (Trout kick)
– WCU 47-46: James Tyre 42-yard pass from Dickens (conversion failed)
– MER 49-47: Griffith 37-yard field goal
