‘Kicker-Treat!’ Bryan McCollum Nails Late FG in Road Win at Furman

Bryan McCollum drilled a 36-yard field goal with four seconds remaining Saturday afternoon as Western Carolina rallied in the closing moments to defeat snakebitten Furman 27-26 in Southern Conference action at Paladin Stadium.

After Furman's Nate Chapman connected on his fourth field goal of the day to give the Paladins a 26-24 lead with 1:55 remaining, Catamount quarterback Lex Thomas calmly guided a nine-play, 58-yard drive. The march was sparked by a career-long 31-yard reception by Matthew Keener before McCollum's game-winning kick secured WCU's first road victory of the season.

Furman's final desperation attempt ended with a fumble on the ensuing kickoff that was recovered by AJ Mintze, sealing Western Carolina's third straight victory over the Paladins and matching the longest winning streak by either team in series history.

The setback was Furman's sixth straight defeat, all coming by a single possession.

Western Carolina's defense wasted little time setting the tone, accounting for 14 points in the game's opening 70 seconds. Ken Moore Jr. scooped up a fumble on Furman's first offensive snap and raced 15 yards for a touchdown just nine seconds into the contest. On the Paladins' next possession, Jermiyah Douglas intercepted a deflected pass and returned it 37 yards for another score, staking the Catamounts to a stunning 14-0 lead before the offense took the field.

Furman answered the early avalanche with 17 consecutive points, erasing the deficit and claiming a 17-14 lead with 4:58 left in the second quarter. Chapman connected from 39 yards, and Connor Adams returned a blocked punt for a touchdown as part of the Paladins' response.

The Catamount defense again came up big in the closing moments before intermission as Jayden Cornelius thwarted a Paladin drive with his team-best fourth interception of the season. Four plays later, Thomas took to the air for a 40-yard touchdown pass to Jai Boyd to put Western Carolina ahead at halftime, 24-17.

The defenses controlled much of the second half, combining to allow just 12 points after halftime. All four scores came via field goals, three off the foot of Chapman before McCollum's game-winner capped the afternoon.

Thomas finished 22-for-37 passing for 195 yards and a touchdown, connecting with Jai Boyd on a 40-yard scoring strike before finding Keener for a critical career-long 31-yard gain on the game-winning drive. He also added 36 rushing yards, including 21 on two scrambles during the decisive possession.

Nine different players caught passes for the Catamounts, with AJ Colombo leading the way with five catches for 35 yards, while Boyd had four receptions for a team-best 83 yards. Keener had two catches for 36 yards, with Anthony Benjamin (4) and Josh Perry (3) recording multiple catches.

For the Paladins, rookie quarterback Trey Smith ran for a career-high 162 yards, including a 79-yard touchdown, while completing 9-of-19 passes for 120 yards, but was intercepted twice and lost a fumble. Ben Croasdale ran for 82 yards, while Luke Shields and Daniel Haughton had two receptions apiece for 47 combined yards. Cameron James had a 47-yard reception for his lone catch.

Furman outgained Western Carolina 388-321 in total offense, rushing for 268 yards and totaling 120 through the air. WCU countered with 195 passing yards and 126 rushing yards.

Braylon Jones paced Western Carolina with 11 total tackles, including six solo stops. Blue Monroe, Caleb Turner-Allen and Na'koma Simpson-Nealy each recorded six tackles. Simpson-Nealy added 2.5 tackles for loss, while Joshua Collins was credited with a sack among his 1.5 tackles for loss.

Ken Moore Jr. added a pair of tackles to his fumble recovery and touchdown return, while Jermiyah Douglas had two tackles, including one for a loss, and his 37-yard interception return for a touchdown. Jayden Cornelius was credited with three tackles and the momentum-shifting interception, while AJ Mintze covered the Furman fumble on the game’s final play.

For the Paladins, Raleigh Herbert finished with a game-high 14 tackles, including five solo stops and 1.5 for loss with half a sack. Caleb Easterling finished with seven tackles, while two of Demetrius Baldwin’s three tackles went for sacks. Daco Coleman intercepted WCU’s Thomas in double coverage for the Furman’s lone takeaway.

Western Carolina (4-5, 2-3 SoCon) returns to the friendly confines of E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field next Saturday, Nov. 7, to host Wofford (5-4, 3-3 SoCon), which suffered a 10-9 loss on a walk-off field goal on Saturday at Samford. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) and the Catamount Sports Network.

WCU will celebrate its relationship with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians on EBCI Day, while also celebrating Heroes Day, honoring all military – active and veteran – as well as first responders, including law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel. Saturday is also Youth Football Day, with area youth players and cheerleaders admitted free just by wearing their uniforms to the game.