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Western Carolina football shoots up national rankings with 4-game win streak

Catamounts jump to No. 11 in Stats Perform poll, best since 1993

Published

October 2, 2023

Western Carolina hasn't been ranked as high as No. 11 since the 1993 season. (Graphic/photo courtesy Western Carolina University athletics | CatamountSports.com)

FROM WESTERN CAROLINA SPORTS INFORMATION | CatamountSports.com

CULLOWHEE – With a four-game seasonal win streak and victories over seven-consecutive NCAA FCS opponents dating back to last year, Western Carolina again climbed in both national polls as they were unveiled on Monday. The Catamounts advanced from No. 17 to No. 11 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 media poll, while also moving from No. 21 to No. 17 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll.

WCU’s seasonal-best No. 11 ranking in the media poll represents the highest ranking for a Catamount football team in either tabulation since 1993 when the Catamounts also tipped the scales at No. 11. That same year, Catamount football boasted its highest national ranking as a Division I program by soaring to eighth in the early-September polling.

It’s the third straight week that the Catamount football team has been among the national rankings – and the second consecutive to be listed in both national polls. Back in 2017, WCU maintained a number next to its moniker for six consecutive weeks from early October through mid-November representing the longest streak since double-digit runs in the 1993 and 1994 seasons.

The Catamounts are among three Southern Conference teams in the national rankings with Furman (3-1) leading the way at No. 4 and No. 20 Chattanooga (4-1) joining WCU in the coaches poll. Both Mercer and Samford, as well as week three opponent Eastern Kentucky, remain among those receiving votes from the national panel of coaches. In the Stats Perform FCS poll, Furman is ranked fifth and Chattanooga entered the poll this week at No. 24. Mercer, Samford, and EKU were again listed as others receiving votes.

Western Carolina (4-1, 2-0 SoCon) puts its current winning streaks on the line this Saturday, traveling to nationally-ranked Chattanooga (4-1, 3-0 SoCon) for a 4 p.m. SoCon showdown at Finley Stadium. The Catamounts halted a three-game slide in the head-to-head series with the Mocs, closing the 2022 season with a 32-29 victory over then No. 15 Chattanooga in Cullowhee. The win was just the second over the past 13 series meetings with the Mocs as WCU looks to snap a two-game slide in Chattanooga.

Both teams are riding four-game winning seasonal streaks entering the clash of FCS-ranked teams as WCU plays its second game of the year against a ranked opponent. The Catamounts upset then No. 7/8 Samford in Cullowhee earlier this season. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. in a game that will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live audio from the Catamount Sports Network beginning at 3 p.m.

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