Thomas, Defense Fuel Second-Half Surge in 45-21 Opening Win over EKU

Cullowhee, N.C. – Lex Thomas threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns, including a pair to Josh Perry, and added a fourth-quarter rushing score as Western Carolina rallied for a 45-21 season-opening victory over Eastern Kentucky on Saturday night at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field.

The Catamounts rallied from seven-point deficits twice and erased a 14-10 halftime deficit, outscoring the Colonels 35-7 after intermission to secure their first season-opening victory since 2022. A crowd of 13,482 fans, the 10th-largest in E.J. Whitmire Stadium history, was on hand to witness the debut of the stadium's latest facility enhancements, including the new playing surface, new lights, updated videoboard, and premium seating additions.

Thomas, who earned the starting nod out of fall camp, connected on 10 of his first 11 passes on the night on the way to finishing 27-of-35 through the air. Despite the early completion success, the Raleigh, N.C., transfer had just 67 passing yards at the break.

He found his rhythm after halftime, completing 11-of-15 passes in the third quarter for 180 yards and three touchdowns on the way to a career-best 320-yard passing performance.

Thomas added a team-best 69 yards rushing with a score, and even recorded a reception and four receiving yards as he collected a batted ball for the completion.

Eight different receivers caught passes with three posting six receptions apiece. Michael Rossin finished with six catches for a team-best 94 yards, while AJ Colombo made his return to the turf, going for 90 yards on six touches. Perry caught six passes, including two touchdowns, finishing with 29 receiving yards while adding 31 yards rushing. Bode Burns finished with four catches for 51 yards.

Behind Thomas on the ground, Marlin Cochran ran five times for 60 yards and rumbled 34 yards for WCU’s first touchdown of the season. Anthony Benjamin capped the scoring with a 14-yard sprint in the game’s final minute to provide the final tally.

Western Carolina amassed 508 yards of total offense, including 320 through the air and 188 on the ground, while recording 28 first downs.

For Eastern Kentucky (0-1), quarterback Tyler Travers finished 22-for-34 with three touchdown passes and one interception that came on a deflection in his first collegiate start. He targeted receiver Elijah Caldwell 12 times, completing six for a game-high 102 yards and a touchdown, with Jarvis Hayes finishing with 47 yards and a score on five catches.

Cochran knotted the game at seven late in the first quarter, capping an 89-yard drive with a 34-yard touchdown jaunt to the end zone. Neither team was able to take control through most of the second quarter before the Colonels put together a grueling 12-play, 89-yard march capped by a nine-yard TD toss to running back Brayden Latham just after the two-minute timeout.

EKU seemed poised to carry the seven-point cushion into the locker room until Richard Hollis flipped the script. After briefly stumbling near the goal line, Hollis regained his balance and returned the kickoff 59 yards to give the Catamounts tremendous field position in the waning moments of the half.

Spurred by a 17-yard scramble by Thomas on a third-and-10, the Catamounts trimmed the deficit to four, 14-10, on a 20-yard field goal by Bryan McCollum.

That late momentum swing to close the opening half bled over into the second as the Catamounts marched the opening kickoff 75 yards in six plays for the go-ahead score on an 18-yard pitch-and-catch with Burns, who dragged defenders into the new purple turf for the 17-14 lead.

The Catamount defense forced a quick three-and-out, and Thomas immediately capitalized. Highlighted by a 36-yard connection with freshman wideout Santana Carlos, the Catamounts stretched the lead to 10 on Perry’s 12-yard scoring catch to lead 24-14.

WCU was unable to capitalize on a recovered on-side kick, turning the football over on downs five plays later. However, the defense came up with one of its two takeaways as Nassor Ashenafi and Ja’Torian Mack combined to jar the football loose on a collision after a reception, with Ashenafi coming away with the fumble recovery.

Seven plays later, WCU grabbed a commanding 31-14 lead, capping the 21-point third quarter with Perry’s second receiving score.

Eastern Kentucky didn’t go away in the frame as Travers orchestrated a 75-yard scoring drive capped with a 15-yard connection with Jarvis Hayes to make it 31-21 headed to the fourth.

With EKU still within striking distance entering the fourth quarter, neither team asserted control in the fourth quarter until fifth-year corner Marseille Taylor intercepted a deflection inside the game’s final five minutes. Thomas hit Rossin for a 52-yard gainer that sparked the scoring drive to ice the win, snaking through the middle for a 15-yard TD rush and a 38-21 lead.

Following a turnover on downs, reserve QB Isaac Lee and WCU took advantage of a short field, handing off to running back Anthony Benjamin three times, including a 14-yard score to provide the final tally.

Joshua Collins led all Catamount defenders with seven total stops, including 1.5 tackles for loss with a QB sack. Ken Moore Jr. and Alant’e Reese were both credited with five stops apiece, with Moore halving a TFL. Transfer defensive lineman Trystan Anderson and Ashenafi both had four tackles in the win, Anderson adding the second of two WCU sacks and Ashenafi recovering a fumble.

Transfer corner Andre Jackson Jr. impressed in his Catamount debut, recording three pass breakups and four tackles. Marseille Taylor collected his first interception in a Catamount uniform.

Western Carolina (1-0) hits the road for the first of back-to-back games, traveling back to Buies Creek, N.C., for a second-straight season to face Campbell (1-0), which opened its season with a 49-37 road win at East Tennessee State. Kickoff at Barker-Lane Stadium is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. next Saturday, Sept. 6.