# 2018 Western Carolina Catamounts football team

The 2018 Western Carolina Catamounts team represented Western Carolina University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Mark Speir, the Catamounts compiled an overall record of 3–8 with a mark of 1–7 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
### Award watch lists

| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Walter Payton Award | Tyrie Adams | QB | JR |
| Buck Buchanan Award | Marvin Tillman | S | SR |

### Preseason media poll

The SoCon released their preseason media poll on July 25, 2018, with the Catamounts predicted to finish in fifth place. The same day the coaches released their preseason poll with the Catamounts predicted to finish in fourth place.
Media poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Samford | 204 (20) |
| 2 | Furman | 174 (2) |
| 3 | Wofford | 163 (1) |
| 4 | Mercer | 133 |
| 5 | Western Carolina | 114 |
| 6 | Chattanooga | 88 |
| 7 | The Citadel | 83 |
| 8 | East Tennessee State | 53 |
| 9 | VMI | 23 |
Coaches poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Samford | 63 (7) |
| 2 | Wofford | 53 (1) |
| 3 | Furman | 52 (1) |
| 4 | Western Carolina | 39 |
| 5 | Chattanooga | 34 |
| 6 | Mercer | 32 |
| 7 | The Citadel | 28 |
| 8 | East Tennessee State | 15 |
| 9 | VMI | 8 |

#### Preseason All-SoCon Teams

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

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 6:00 p.m. | Newberry* | Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire StadiumCullowhee, NC | ESPN+ | W 33–26 | 12,111 |
| September 14 | 6:00 p.m. | at Gardner–Webb* | Ernest W. Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | ESPN+ | W 28–10 | 2,257 |
| September 22 | 3:30 p.m. | VMI | Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire StadiumCullowhee, NC | ESPN+ | W 52–50 | 12,759 |
| September 29 | 2:00 p.m. | at Furman | Paladin StadiumGreenville, SC | ESPN+ | L 38–44 | 7,201 |
| October 6 | 1:30 p.m. | at Samford | Seibert StadiumHomewood, AL | ESPN3 | L 28–66 | 3,178 |
| October 13 | 3:30 p.m. | Chattanooga | Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire StadiumCullowhee, NC | ESPN+ | L 6–26 | 7,362 |
| October 20 | 4:00 p.m. | at Mercer | Five Star StadiumMacon, GA | ESPN+ | L 46–59 | 8,230 |
| October 27 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 25 East Tennessee State | William B. Greene Jr. StadiumJohnson City, TN | ESPN+ | L 43–45 $^{3OT}$ | 7,121 |
| November 3 | 3:30 p.m. | The Citadel | Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire StadiumCullowhee, NC | ESPN+ | L 24–38 | 10,499 |
| November 10 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 15 Wofford | Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire StadiumCullowhee, NC | ESPN3 | L 23–38 | 10,169 |
| November 17 | 3:00 p.m. | at North Carolina* | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC | ACCN Extra | L 26–49 | 41,151 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||
* ↑ This game was originally scheduled for September 15. It was moved up one day in anticipation of Hurricane Florence.

## Game summaries
### Newberry

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wolves | 7 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 26 |
| Catamounts | 3 | 16 | 0 | 14 | 33 |

### At Gardner–Webb

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Catamounts | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |

### VMI

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Keydets | 14 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 50 |
| Catamounts | 14 | 7 | 21 | 10 | 52 |

### At Furman

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Catamounts | 7 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 38 |
| Paladins | 14 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 44 |

### At Samford

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Catamounts | 0 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Bulldogs | 35 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 66 |

### Chattanooga

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mocs | 9 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 26 |
| Catamounts | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |

### At Mercer

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Catamounts | 7 | 20 | 6 | 13 | 46 |
| Bears | 0 | 28 | 17 | 14 | 59 |

### At East Tennessee State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | 3OT | Total |
| Catamounts | 0 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 43 |
| No. 25 Buccaneers | 6 | 6 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 45 |

### The Citadel

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 38 |
| Catamounts | 10 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 24 |

### Wofford

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 15 Terriers | 7 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 38 |
| Catamounts | 10 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 23 |

### At North Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Catamounts | 7 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 26 |
| Tar Heels | 14 | 21 | 14 | 0 | 49 |