# 2017 Western Carolina Catamounts football team

The 2017 Western Carolina Catamounts team represented Western Carolina University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Mark Speir, the Catamounts compiled an overall record of 7–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing fourth in the SoCon. Western Carolina played their home games at Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 12:00 a.m. | at Hawaii* | | Aloha StadiumHonolulu, HI | SPEC | L 18–41 | 25,472 |
| September 9 | 6:00 p.m. | Davidson* | | Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire StadiumCullowhee, NC | ESPN3 | W 63–17 | 11,763 |
| September 16 | 6:00 p.m. | at Gardner–Webb* | | Ernest W. Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | WMYA | W 42–27 | 6,152 |
| September 23 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 18 Samford | | Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire StadiumCullowhee, NC | ESPN3 | W 38–34 | 12,018 |
| September 30 | 6:00 p.m. | at Chattanooga | | Finley StadiumChattanooga, TN | ESPN3 | W 45–7 | 10,101 |
| October 7 | 1:30 p.m. | at No. 5 Wofford | No. 22 | Gibbs StadiumSpartanburg, SC | ESPN3 | L 28–35 $^{OT}$ | 6,982 |
| October 14 | 3:30 p.m. | East Tennessee State | No. 21 | Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire StadiumCullowhee, NC | ESPN3 | W 49–10 | 8,300 |
| October 21 | 1:30 p.m. | at VMI | No. 19 | Alumni Memorial FieldLexington, VA | ESPN3 | W 26–7 | 4,119 |
| October 28 | 3:30 p.m. | Furman | No. 18 | Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire StadiumCullowhee, NC | ESPN3 | L 6–28 | 9,973 |
| November 4 | 2:00 p.m. | at The Citadel | No. 24 | Johnson Hagood StadiumCharleston, SC | ESPN3 | W 31–19 | 7,384 |
| November 11 | 2:00 p.m. | Mercer | No. 22 | Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire StadiumCullowhee, NC | ESPN3 | L 33–35 | 10,681 |
| November 18 | 3:00 p.m. | at North Carolina* | | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC | ACCN Extra | L 10–65 | 43,000 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### At Hawaii

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Catamounts | 0 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 18 |
| Rainbow Warriors | 7 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 41 |

### Davidson

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
| Catamounts | 28 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 63 |

### At Gardner–Webb

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Catamounts | 7 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 42 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 27 |

### Samford

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 18 Bulldogs | 7 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 34 |
| Catamounts | 10 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 38 |

### At Chattanooga

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Catamounts | 10 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
| Mocs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |

### At Wofford

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| No. 22 Catamounts | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| No. 5 Terriers | 3 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 35 |

### East Tennessee State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| No. 21 Catamounts | 0 | 7 | 21 | 21 | 49 |

### At VMI

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 19 Catamounts | 0 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 26 |
| Keydets | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |

### Furman

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Paladins | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
| No. 18 Catamounts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |

### At The Citadel

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 24 Catamounts | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Bulldogs | 0 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 19 |

### Mercer

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 14 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 35 |
| Catamounts | 7 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 33 |

### At North Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Catamounts | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Tar Heels | 7 | 35 | 10 | 13 | 65 |

## Ranking movements

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| STATS FCS | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | 22 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 24 | 22 | RV | RV | RV |
| Coaches | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | 25 | 21 | 20 | RV | 25 | RV | RV | RV |