Welcome back, Taron Dickens. In his first game action of 2025, Western Carolina’s preseason All-America signal caller delivered a record-setting performance to lead the Catamounts past Samford 50-35 in a Southern Conference shootout on Saturday night.
Dickens threw for a career-high 582 yards and six touchdowns to help the Catamounts to their first win of the season after an 0-3 start. WCU needed every yard and every point, with Samford quarterback Quincy Crittendon unleashing his own career performance. Despite the early season setbacks, the Catamounts start SoCon play on top of the standings at 1-0.
The start of the game was delayed more than three hours due to lightning concerns. Once the weather cleared, both offenses lit up the Cullowhee skies:
- WCU scored 29 points in the third quarter to build an insurmountable lead
- The two teams combined for 1,309 yards of offense, with most of that coming through the air (1,038 yards).
- Dickens posted what is the best passing performance in FCS football at this point of the season and the second-most passing yards in both school and conference history.
- Crittendon finished with a career-best 456 passing yards, completing three TD strikes to former Western Carolina receiver Calvin Jones, a grad transfer.
- Camury Reid caught three of Dickens’ TD throws, including a 62-yard play that pushed the WCU lead to 50-26 late in the third quarter. He also rushed for a 2-yard score.
Nothing like ringing the Victory Bell 🔔! WHEE WIN 🌊🏄♂️#WHEEWIN #NoExcuses #LOTE pic.twitter.com/1UB1iUEssn — Western Carolina Football (@CatamountsFB) September 21, 2025
Western Carolina 50, Samford 35
📝 Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
- SAM – Jake Garner 28-yd FG, 11:07
- WCU – Camury Reid 14-yd pass from Taron Dickens (Marcus Trout kick), 8:26
- SAM – Garner 29-yd FG, 3:17
- WCU – James Tyre 6-yd pass from Dickens (Trout kick), 1:06
2nd Quarter
- SAM – Calvin Jones 28-yd pass from Quincy Crittendon (Garner kick), 13:12
- SAM – Jones 11-yd pass from Crittendon (Garner kick), 9:36
- WCU – Josiah Thomas 2-yd pass from Dickens (Trout kick), 1:32
3rd Quarter
- WCU – Painter Richards-Baker 20-yd pass from Dickens (Trout kick), 13:42
- SAM – Jones 12-yd pass from Crittendon (XP failed), 11:08
- WCU – Reid 24-yd pass from Dickens (James Tyre pass good), 8:22
- WCU – Reid 2-yd run (Trout kick), 3:08
- WCU – Reid 62-yd pass from Dickens (Trout kick), 1:12
4th Quarter
- SAM – C.J. Evans 32-yd run (2-pt failed), 8:50
- SAM – Garner 33-yd FG, 1:56
⭐ Stat Leaders
Western Carolina (1-3, 1-0 SoCon)
- QB Taron Dickens: 35-46, 582 yds, 6 TD (school record-tying)
- RB/WR Camury Reid: 4 rec, 107 yds, 3 TD; 39 rush yds, 1 TD (4 total TDs)
- WR Painter Richards-Baker: 6 rec, 85 yds, 1 TD
- WR Malik Knight: 6 rec, 67 yds
- WR Josiah Thomas: 2-yd TD reception
- Hasaan Sykes: 11 tackles
- Sean Morris: 2 sacks
- Samaurie Dukes: 5 tackles, interception
Samford (0-4, 0-2 SoCon)
- QB Quincy Crittendon: 35-54, 456 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT; 53 rush yds
- WR Calvin Jones: 7 rec, 108 yds, 3 TD (transfer from WCU)
- WR Jaden Gibson: 9 rec, 122 yds
- RB C.J. Evans: 15 rushes, 56 yds, 32-yd TD run
- Jaden Mosley: 9 tackles
- LaShon Young: 8 tackles
Review the full day of North Carolina FCS football with our FCS Game Day thread.
