CULLOWHEE, N.C. (Nov. 10, 2023) – The ETSU football team plays its final road game of the 2023 season on Saturday when the Buccaneers head to Cullowhee, N.C. to take on No. 17 Western Carolina in the Blue Ridge Border Battle. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at E.J. Whitmire Stadium.  
 
GAMEDAY INFO 
Date: Saturday, Nov. 11
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Cullowhee, N.C. | E.J. Whitmire Stadium
Teams: ETSU (2-7, 1-5) vs. #17 Western Carolina (6-3, 4-2)
Weather: 58° | Cloudy | Winds ESE @ 4 mph 
Live Video: ESPN+
TV Crew: Kyle Rush (pbp); Phil Cox (analyst) 
Live Audio: WXSM-AM 640 | 104.9 NASH ICON
Radio Crew: Jay "Voice of the Bucs" Sandos (pbp), Mark Hutsell (analyst), Robert Harper (sideline) 
Live Stats: CatamountSports.com
Twitter: @ETSUFootball
 
ABOUT THE BUCS 
REMEMBERING CARL TORBUSH 
Earlier this week, our university community lost a beloved member who left an indelible mark on our campus, region, and hearts as Carl Torbush passed away … On Saturday, the team will honor Coach Torbush by wearing "CT" stickers on their helmets … Torbush was named ETSU's head coach on June 21, 2013 and retired on Dec. 8, 2017 as he built the Buccaneer football program when it was restarted in 2015 … Torbush's first signing class was announced on Feb. 5, 2014, while the Bucs played their first game against Kennesaw State on Sept. 3, 2015 … The Bucs got their first win in the Torbush era against Warner on Oct. 31, 2015, 42-9 … ETSU opened the 2016 season with the thrilling 20-17 win at Kennesaw State on Sept. 3 and followed that up with the 34-31 win over Western Carolina at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sept. 17 … ETSU ended the 2016 season with the 15-14 win over No. 18 Samford on Nov. 19 … He was the leader in ETSU's first game played at Greene Stadium where the Bucs opened with a 31-10 victory over Limestone on Sept. 2, 2017 … Torbush began coaching in 1975 as a graduate assistant at Baylor and served as head coach at North Carolina from 1997-2000 and at Louisiana Tech in 1987 … In addition, Torbush served as defensive coordinator at North Carolina (1988-97), Ole Miss (1983-86), Alabama (2001-02), Texas A&M (2003-05), Mississippi State (2009) and Kansas (2010-11 … Torbush won 31 games as a head coach (11 at ETSU) and was 2-0 in Bowl Games – 1997 Gator Bowl and 1998 Las Vegas Bowl … Torbush was also the head baseball coach at Southeastern Louisiana from 1977-79 where he won 75 games … Torbush graduated from Carson-Newman where he played football and baseball and later served as the associate head football coach from 2006-08.
 
ETSU'S STOUT SCHEDULE 
ETSU has played the 14th toughest schedule among FCS teams this season … The Bucs have played nine games this season with the opposition generating a .566-win percentage (43-33) … ETSU and The Citadel have played the toughest schedules in the SoCon as the Bulldogs have played the 13th hardest (.568-win percentage) … ETSU has played four teams who are currently ranked in the Top-25 of the FCS – No. 2 Furman, No. 14 Austin Peay, and No. 17 Chattanooga, No. 23 Mercer … Samford is also receiving votes. 
 
BUCS ON THIS DATE   
Saturday marks the 13th all-time game for the Bucs on this date … ETSU is 5-6-1all-time on Nov. 11 … The last time the Bucs played on Nov. 11 was in 2017 when ETSU lost 42-7 at Samford … The Bucs' last win on this date came in 2000 when ETSU took down Chattanooga 24-22, while the Bucs also beat the Mocs on this date in 1985 (38-9) … The Bucs also beat MTSU in 1978 (34-0) as well as taking down Tusculum in 1950 and 1938.
 
FOSTER CARRYING THE LOAD 
ETSU redshirt sophomore running back Trey Foster has carried the load for the Buccaneers on offense over the last two games as he has totaled 252 rushing yards on 40 carries, while catching six passes for 47 yards … Foster is coming off a career day over VMI last Saturday where he rushed for 172 yards on 28 carries and scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 32-yard run in the third quarter over the Keydets … Foster accounted for 217 yards of total offense last week as he also had five catches for 45 yards … Two weeks ago at Furman, Foster had 12 carries for then a career-high 80 yards … Foster has accounted for 299 of ETSU's 654 yards on offense during the last two weeks.
 
BARRAGE OF BUCCANEER BLOCKED PUNTS
ETSU has blocked five punts this season with four of them coming in the last five weeks ... Linebacker Teddy Wilson has four of the Bucs' four blocks with Trey Foster getting in on the fun vs. Wofford ... Wilson got his first blocked punt in the home opener against Carson-Newman, which led to Ray Coney falling on the ball, resulting in a touchdown ... At Furman, Wilson had another blocked punt result in a score as Ton'Quez Ball recovered the loose ball and ran one in from 8-yards out for the touchdown … Wilson's four blocked punts are tied for the national lead, while ETSU's five punts are also tied with the most with New Hampshire. 
 
ARNOLD NAMED TO MIDSEASON ALL-AMERICAN WATCH LIST
ETSU junior safety Sheldon Arnold II was named to the Phil Steele/DraftScout Midseason All-American Watch List … Arnold was a third team selection … The Buccaneer has totaled 73 tackles, 9 TFLs, one sack, four interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles this season in nine games … Arnold, who is two-time SoCon Defensive Player of the Week selection, had a pick-6 in the win over Wofford on Oct. 14. 
 
BUCS IN THE FCS RANKINGS 
Teddy Wilson leads the country with his four blocked punts and Sheldon Arnold II leads the FCS sixth with his three fumble recoveries and fourth in interceptions per game (0.4) … Arnold also ranks 20th in solo tackles (5.2) … Nate Brackett ranks fourth nationally in punting as he's averaging 44.1 yards per punt … Brackett's 70-yard punt against Carson-Newman is tied for the 13th-longest among FCS players this season. 
 
T0 30 AND BEYOND…
ETSU is 19-4 when scoring at least 30 points since restarting the program in 2015 … ETSU had won its last 13 games when scoring at least 30 points following the lone setback at Furman on Sept. 30, 2017, before falling to No. 11 Mercer, 55-33, No. 15 Samford 55-45 and Wofford 48-41 last season ... ETSU is 2-0 this year when scoring at least 30 points.   
 
ABOUT WESTERN CAROLINA

• Western Carolina is ranked No. 17 in the STATS Perform FCS Top 25 Poll and No. 21 in Coaches Poll 
• The Catamounts sit 6-3 overall and 4-2 in SoCon play after coming off a 28-25 win at Wofford on Saturday 
• As a team, WCU is averaging 36.8 points per game and giving up 30.1 … The Catamounts are also averaging 490.0 yards of total offense (305.0 passing/185.9 rushing), while allowing 390.7 yards (230.3 passing/160.3 rushing)
• The Catamounts have scored 43 touchdowns on the season and are 37-of-49 in red zone scoring with 29 touchdowns 
• Western Carolina is converting on 45.6 percent of its third down chances (47-103), while opponents are hitting on 44.5 percent on third down (53-119)
• The Catamounts lead all FCS in total offense and first downs offense (231), while ranking fifth in passing offense, sixth in sacks allowed (0.78), eighth in tackles for loss allowed (3.67), ninth in scoring offense, 10^th in team passing efficiency (159.04), 12^th in third down conversion and 16^th in completion percentage (.659)
• Quarterback Cole Gonzales has thrown for 2,418 yards and 23 touchdowns, while completing 66 percent of his passes (177-268) … Gonzales ranks third in yards per pass attempt (9.02), fourth in passing touchdowns, fifth in passing efficiency (164.2), eighth in total offense (289.7), ninth in passing yards and passing yards per game (268.7), 16^th in passing yards per completion (13.66), and 17^th in completion percentage
• Censere Lee leads the team in receptions (38), receiving yards (660) and receiving touchdowns (7) … Eight different players have at least 10 receptions and eight players have caught a touchdown pass … Lee ranks 10^th nationally in receiving touchdowns, 27^th in yards per reception (17.37), and 28^th in receiving yards 
• Desmond Reid has rushed for 857 yards on 115 carries with 12 touchdowns in seven games (averaging 122.4 rushing yards per game) … Reid also has 14 catches for 182 yards … Reid ranks second nationally in rushing yards per game, fourth in scoring (10.3), fifth in all-purpose yards per game (148.43), sixth in rushing yards per carry (7.32), seventh in rushing touchdowns and 15^th in rushing yards 
• Defensively, Andreas Keaton leads the team with 55 tackles, while Jayelin Davis tops the team with 3.5 sacks and four tackles for loss … Five different players have recorded an interception and seven have forced a fumble … Ed Jones IV has a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown 
• Western Carolina has turned the ball over 19 times (12 interceptions, seven fumbles lost), while the Catamounts have forced nine takeaways (five INTs, four fumbles) 
• The Catamounts have scored at least 30 points five times, while posting a season-high 77 points against Charleston Southern and putting up 52 at Chattanooga 
• WCU is 4-1 at home this season with the lone loss coming to Furman … The Catamounts are 8-2 at home since last season 

SERIES HISTORY 

• Saturday marks the 53rd all-time meeting between ETSU and Western Carolina with the Catamounts holding a slight 26-25-1 advantage 
• This also marks the sixth showdown of the Blue Ridge Border Battle with the Bucs capturing three of the last five games in this newly-created rivalry game 
• The 52 games played against the Catamounts mark the most against an opponent with Appalachian State coming second with 47 
• The ETSU-Western Carolina series began in 1932 with the Bucs winning 26-0
• When the Bucs returned football and rejoined the SoCon in 2016, the two teams met at the Bristol Motor Speedway where ETSU defeated the Catamounts in its first SoCon meeting, 34-31 … Last year, Western Carolina won 20-17 on a walk-off 33-yard field goal by Richard McCollum in Johnson City 
• In the Bucs' last trip to Cullowhee in 2021, ETSU survived a shootout in Cullowhee where the teams combined for 70 first-half points and were tied at 35 at intermission, before the Blue and Gold outscored the Catamounts, 21-0, in the second half to win 56-35 … The 56 points scored marked the most points put up in the series, while Jacob Saylors set the ETSU single-game rushing record with 266 yards … In total, the Bucs ran for 461 yards. 

COVERAGE
The Buccaneer Sports Network (BSN) will provide ETSU fans with complete pregame, in-game and postgame coverage on the Bucs' flagship station WXSM-AM 640 and affiliate station 104.9 FM NASH ICON. Click herefor live audio. 
 
BSN begins its pregame programing one hour and 30 minutes prior to kickoff with the 30-minute Tennessee Lottery Tailgate Show, followed by the Pregame Show presented by Lafayette Heat & Air, which will lead up to 30 minutes prior to kickoff. The Appalachian Orthopedic Countdown to Kickoff will then lead into the final moments before kickoff.     
 
The broadcast team of "Voice of the Bucs" Jay Sandos, analyst Mark Hutsell and sideline reporter Robert Harper will provide ETSU fans all the information they need to complement their game-day activities.
 
At halftime, the crew will have the Mr. Electric Halftime Show, while fans can tune into the Mullican Flooring Post Game Show for a full wrap up, with game statistics, players and coach interviews and other post-game information. 
 
Saturday's game will also be broadcast on ESPN+ with the team of Kyle Rush (play-by-play) and Phil Cox (analyst) on the call.
 
UP NEXT
ETSU concludes the 2023 season next Saturday when the Bucs host The Citadel at 1 p.m. at Greene Stadium. 
 
For more information on Buccaneer football, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the football tab.