# 2019 Western Carolina Catamounts football team

The 2019 Western Carolina Catamounts team represented Western Carolina University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Mark Speir, the Catamounts compiled an overall record of 3–9 with a mark of 2–6 in conference play, placing eighth in the SoCon. Western Carolina played their home games at Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

## Preseason
### Preseason polls

The SoCon released their preseason media poll and coaches poll on July 22, 2019. The Catamounts were picked to finish in eighth place in both polls.
Media poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Wofford | 253 (21) |
| 2 | Furman | 229 (6) |
| 3 | East Tennessee State | 187 (2) |
| 4 | Mercer | 146 |
| 5 | Chattanooga | 134 |
| 6 | Samford | 125 |
| 7 | The Citadel | 111 |
| 8 | Western Carolina | 88 |
| 9 | VMI | 32 |
Coaches poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Wofford | 63 (7) |
| 2 | Furman | 55 (1) |
| 3 | East Tennessee State | 44 (1) |
| 4 | Chattanooga | 40 |
| 5 | Mercer | 34 |
| 6 | Samford | 33 |
| 7 | The Citadel | 22 |
| 8 | Western Carolina | 21 |
| 9 | VMI | 12 |

### Preseason All-SoCon Teams

The Catamounts placed three players on the preseason all-SoCon teams.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 6:00 p.m. | Mercer | E. J. Whitmire StadiumCullowhee, NC | Nexstar/ESPN+ | L 27–49 | 10,542 |
| September 7 | 12:30 p.m. | at NC State* | Carter–Finley StadiumRaleigh, NC | FSS | L 0–41 | 55,681 |
| September 14 | 3:30 p.m. | North Greenville* | E. J. Whitmire StadiumCullowhee, NC | ESPN+ | W 20–17 | 7,216 |
| September 28 | 4:00 p.m. | at Chattanooga | Finley StadiumChattanooga, TN | ESPN+ | L 36–60 | 7,636 |
| October 5 | 3:30 p.m. | Gardner–Webb* | E. J. Whitmire StadiumCullowhee, NC | ESPN+ | L 21–24 | 11,865 |
| October 12 | 2:00 p.m. | at The Citadel | Johnson Hagood StadiumCharleston, SC | ESPN3 | L 17–35 | 8,023 |
| October 19 | 1:30 p.m. | at Wofford | Gibbs StadiumSpartanburg, SC | Nexstar/ESPN+ | L 7–59 | 5,733 |
| October 26 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 14 Furman | E. J. Whitmire StadiumCullowhee, NC | ESPN3 | L 7–28 | 8,174 |
| November 2 | 1:30 p.m. | at VMI | Alumni Memorial FieldLexington, VA | ESPN+ | W 43–35 | 4,568 |
| November 9 | 3:30 p.m. | East Tennessee State | E. J. Whitmire StadiumCullowhee, NC | Nexstar/ESPN+ | W 23–20 $^{OT}$ | 7,681 |
| November 16 | 2:00 p.m. | Samford | E. J. Whitmire StadiumCullowhee, NC | ESPN+ | L 13–31 | 7,336 |
| November 23 | 12:00 pm | at No. 5 FBS Alabama* | Bryant–Denny StadiumTuscaloosa, AL | ESPN | L 3–66 | 101,821 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Game summaries
### Mercer

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 14 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 49 |
| Catamounts | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 27 |

### At NC State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Catamounts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wolfpack | 3 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 41 |

### North Greenville

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Crusaders | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 17 |
| Catamounts | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 20 |

### At Chattanooga

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Catamounts | 7 | 14 | 15 | 0 | 36 |
| Mocs | 6 | 31 | 7 | 16 | 60 |

### Gardner–Webb

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
| Catamounts | 14 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 |

### At The Citadel

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Catamounts | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Bulldogs | 14 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 35 |

### At Wofford

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Catamounts | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Terriers | 7 | 28 | 14 | 10 | 59 |

### Furman

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 Paladins | 3 | 10 | 15 | 0 | 28 |
| Catamounts | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |

### At VMI

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Catamounts | 14 | 6 | 7 | 16 | 43 |
| Keydets | 13 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 35 |

### East Tennessee State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Catamounts | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 23 |

### Samford

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Catamounts | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 |

### At Alabama

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Catamounts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| No. 5 (FBS) Crimson Tide | 17 | 21 | 21 | 7 | 66 |