Western Carolina Catamounts

1-2

Ugh, no.

Western Carolina Catamounts lost to the Cincinnati Bearcats

1-2 10 – 62

2-0

Final · Sat, Sep 12

Game Details

Nippert Stadium (Cincinnati) · 34,827 fans · ESPN+

Highlights

Gi'Bran Payne and JC French IV power Cincinnati to big win over Western Carolina

Quarterback JC French IV passed for 245 yards and two touchdowns, and four different running backs scored rushing touchdowns to lead Cincinnati to a 62-10 win over Western Carolina on Saturday night at Nippert Stadium.

Recap via ESPN

0:25 Lex Thomas finds the end zone for 1-yard TD

0:20 Cole Tabb powers past defense for 36-yard rushing touchdown

0:12 Zion Johnson runs for 3-yard TD

0:21 Gi'Bran Payne scores 17-yard rushing TD

Clips play on ESPN

Nippert Stadium · Cincinnati

Line Score

	1	2	3	4	T
WCU	3	7	0	0	10
CIN	7	21	21	13	62

Win Probability · Western Carolina Catamounts

kickoffnow: 0%

Game Leaders

Western Carolina Catamounts

Lex Thomas · 23/32, 165 YDSPassing Yards
Marlin Cochran · 3 CAR, 25 YDSRushing Yards
Jake Young · 5 REC, 49 YDSReceiving Yards
Andre Jackson Jr. · 7Tackles

Cincinnati Bearcats

JC French IV · 21/24, 245 YDS, 2 TDPassing Yards
Gi'Bran Payne · 12 CAR, 102 YDS, 2 TDRushing Yards
Malachi Henry · 3 REC, 87 YDSReceiving Yards
Marquaze Parker · 1Sacks
Simeon Coleman · 8Tackles

2026 Southern Conference Standings

Team
East Tennessee State
Tennessee Tech
Chattanooga
Wofford
Furman
Mercer
Western Carolina
Samford
The Citadel
VMI

2026 Big 12 Conference Standings

Team
Texas Tech
BYU
Baylor
Utah
Oklahoma State
Arizona
Houston
Cincinnati
Iowa State
UCF
Arizona State
Kansas State
Kansas
West Virginia
Colorado
TCU

Scoring

Q4 0:43

TD Samaj Jones 4 Yd Run (Stephen Rusnak Kick)10–62

Q4 11:51

TD Liam O'Brien 11 Yd Run (Max Lemasters PAT failed)10–55

Q3 2:02

TD Zylan Perry 40 Yd Run (Stephen Rusnak Kick)10–49

Q3 5:03

TD Gi'Bran Payne 17 Yd Run (Stephen Rusnak Kick)10–42

Q3 9:10

TD Gi'Bran Payne 40 Yd Run (Stephen Rusnak Kick)10–35

Q2 0:38

TD Zion Johnson 3 Yd Run (Stephen Rusnak Kick)10–28

Q2 3:00

TD Cole Tabb 36 Yd Run (Stephen Rusnak Kick)10–21

Q2 6:23

TD Lex Thomas 1 Yd Run (Bryan McCollum Kick)10–14

Q2 12:35

TD Lyviel Waters 2 Yd pass from JC French IV (Stephen Rusnak Kick)3–14

Q1 3:34

TD JV Gibson 5 Yd pass from JC French IV (Stephen Rusnak Kick)3–7

Q1 8:57

FG Bryan McCollum 33 Yd Field Goal 3–0

Team Stats

Western Carolina CatamountsCincinnati Bearcats

Offense

241 Total Yards 690

167 Passing Yards 272

74 Rushing Yards 418

13 First Downs 32

Efficiency

2-12 3rd Down 8-11

1-2 4th Down 1-2

24/37 Completions 28/31

Turnovers & Clock

1 Turnovers 0

5-45 Penalties 11-105

27:23 Possession 32:37

Box Score

Western Carolina Catamounts ▾

Passing

Player	C/ATT	YDS	AVG	INT	QBR
Lex Thomas	23/32	165	5.2	0	--
Isaac Lee	1/3	2	0.7	1	--
Patrick Harding	0/2	0	0.0	0	--
Team	24/37	167	4.5	1	--

Rushing

Player	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG
Marlin Cochran	3	25	8.3	0	21
Josh Perry	7	24	3.4	0	7
Lex Thomas	5	18	3.6	1	8
Joshua Balloon	1	4	4.0	0	4
Jadarius Dobie	1	3	3.0	0	3
Derrick Davis Jr.	2	0	0.0	0	0
Anthony Benjamin	1	0	0.0	0	0
Team	20	74	3.7	1	21

Receiving

Player	REC	YDS	AVG	LONG
Jake Young	5	49	9.8	19
Jai Boyd	6	32	5.3	9
Santana Carlos	2	26	13.0	25
AJ Colombo	2	17	8.5	13
Kha'leal Sterling	1	12	12.0	12
Josh Perry	2	11	5.5	9
Derrick Davis Jr.	2	7	3.5	7
Bode Burns	1	6	6.0	6
Kale Woodburn	2	5	2.5	5
Austin Cunningham	1	2	2.0	2
Team	24	167	7.0	25

Fumbles

Player	FUM	LOST	REC
Anthony Benjamin	1	0	0
Team	1	0	0

Defense

Player	TOT	SOLO	TFL	PD
Andre Jackson Jr.	7	3	0.5	0
Alant'e Reese	7	3	0	0
Ken Moore Jr.	6	3	0.5	0
Ja'Torian Mack	6	0	0	0
Nassor Ashenafi	5	2	1	0
Na'koma Simpson-Nealy	4	4	0	0
Ryan McKinnis	4	3	0	0
Jermiyah Douglas	4	3	0	0
Braylon Jones	4	2	0	1
Braeden Barger	4	1	0	0
Caleb Young Jr.	4	1	0	0
Beady Waddell V	4	0	0	0
Jaden Meeks	4	0	0.5	0
Caleb Turner-Allen	3	2	0	0
Devin Brown	3	2	0	0
Joshua Collins	3	1	0.5	0
Jayden Cornelius	3	1	0	0
Trystan Anderson	2	1	0	0
Marseille Taylor	2	1	0	0
Jayden Joselin	2	1	0	0
Marco Patierno	2	0	0.5	0
Jordan Martin-Durham	2	0	0	0
Derrick Davis Jr.	1	1	0	0
Dylan Harris	1	1	0	0
Hank Bodine	1	1	0	0
Jakoby Diamond	1	1	0	0
Terrell Poyser	1	1	1	0
Brandon Joseph II	1	0	0	0
Christian Robbins	1	0	0	0
Chase Kerns	1	0	0.5	0
Team	93	39	5	1

Kick Returns

Player	NO	YDS	AVG	LONG
Richard Hollis	1	26	26.0	26
Jadarius Dobie	2	25	12.5	16
Team	3	51	17.0	26

Kicking

Player	FG	PCT	LONG	XP	PTS
Bryan McCollum	1/1	100.0	33	1/1	4
Team	1/1	100.0	33	1/1	4

Punting

Player	NO	YDS	AVG	TB	In 20	LONG
Mark Fitzgerald	6	266	44.3	0	0	52
Team	6	266	44.3	0	0	52

Cincinnati Bearcats ▾

Passing

Player	C/ATT	YDS	AVG	TD	QBR
JC French IV	21/24	245	10.2	2	66.9
Liam O'Brien	5/5	18	3.6	0	14.1
Samaj Jones	2/2	9	4.5	0	--
Team	28/31	272	8.8	2	--

Rushing

Player	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG
Gi'Bran Payne	12	102	8.5	2	40
Zylan Perry	5	76	15.2	1	40
Cole Tabb	5	72	14.4	1	36
Samaj Jones	8	52	6.5	1	13
JC French IV	7	52	7.4	0	14
Zion Johnson	5	26	5.2	1	9
Liam O'Brien	4	23	5.8	1	11
James Lewis	2	11	5.5	0	7
Jayzon Thompson	1	4	4.0	0	4
Team	49	418	8.5	7	40

Receiving

Player	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG
Malachi Henry	3	87	29.0	0	56
JV Gibson	5	79	15.8	1	50
Isaiah Johnson	5	20	4.0	0	9
Cade Wolford	4	18	4.5	0	12
Gi'Bran Payne	2	14	7.0	0	10
Gavin Grover	1	12	12.0	0	12
Zion Johnson	1	11	11.0	0	11
Devyn Zahursky	1	9	9.0	0	9
Giyahni Kontosis	1	8	8.0	0	8
Elijah Jones	1	5	5.0	0	5
Kellen Davis	1	5	5.0	0	5
Lyviel Waters	1	2	2.0	1	2
Larenzo Fenner	2	2	1.0	0	3
Team	28	272	9.7	2	56

Defense

Player	TOT	SOLO	SACKS	TFL	PD	QB HUR
Simeon Coleman	8	1	0	0	0	0
Damaine Wilson	7	4	0	0	0	0
Jonathan Thompson	6	5	0	1	0	0
Jacob Finley	6	3	0	0	0	0
Antwan Peek Jr.	5	2	0	0	0	1
Thomas Johnson	4	1	0	0	0	2
Filip Maciorowski	4	1	0	0	0	0
Kenny Worthy	3	3	0	0	0	0
KK Meier	2	1	0	0	1	0
Marqavious Saboor	2	1	0	0	0	1
Patrick Bauer	2	1	0	0	0	0
Josh Hough	2	0	0	0	0	0
Jasper Beeler	2	0	0	0	1	0
Keegan Horn	2	0	0	0	0	0
Marquaze Parker	1	1	1	1	1	0
D'Angelo Hutchinson	1	1	0	0	0	0
Montay Weedon	1	1	0	0	0	0
CJ Crite	1	1	0	0	1	0
Zay Johnson	1	1	0	0	0	0
Jonathan Rulo	1	1	0	0	0	0
Jaylon White-McClain	1	0	0	0	0	0
Cam Roetherford	1	0	0	0	0	0
MJ Cannon	1	0	0	0	0	0
Chidera Otutu	1	0	0	0	0	1
Team	65	29	0	2	4	5

Interceptions

Player	INT	YDS	TD
Marqavious Saboor	1	0	0
Team	1	0	0

Kick Returns

Player	NO	YDS	AVG	LONG	TD
Zylan Perry	2	42	21.0	24	0
Team	2	42	21.0	24	0

Punt Returns

Player	NO	YDS	AVG	LONG	TD
Cade Wolford	3	22	7.3	12	0
Team	3	22	7.3	12	0

Kicking

Player	FG	XP	PTS
Stephen Rusnak	0/0	8/8	8
Max Lemasters	0/0	0/1	0
Team	0/0	8/9	8

Punting

Player	NO	YDS	AVG	TB	In 20	LONG
Max Fletcher	1	53	53.0	0	1	53
Team	1	53	53.0	0	1	53

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Western Carolina Catamounts

Game Details

Highlights

On the Field LIVE

Line Score

Game Flow

Win Probability · Western Carolina Catamounts

Game Leaders

2026 Southern Conference Standings

2026 Big 12 Conference Standings

Scoring

Team Stats

Box Score

Roster

Schedule Add to calendar