Western Carolina Catamounts at Furman Paladins
· NCAA - Football
Gonzales throws for a program-record 620 yards, 5 TDs to lead Western Carolina over Furman 52-20
Gonzales completed 35 of 55 passes and connected with Isaiah Johnson, De’Andre Tamarez, Zion Booker and Branson Adams for scores. Johnson caught six passes for 117 yards with two touchdowns. Booker and Boyd each broke 100 yards receiving for the Catamounts (4-3, 3-0 Southern Conference).
Gonzales' 62-yard TD pass to Johnson gave Western Carolina a 14-0 lead midway through the second quarter, and his 48-yard scoring throw to Adams stretched the lead to 45-13 with 5:40 remaining.
Taron Dickens added a late 32-yard touchdown pass to Malik Knight for the Catamounts.
Gonzales surpassed David Rivers, who threw for 474 yards against Wofford in 2000. Gonzales completed 26 of 45 passes for 475 yards through three quarters.
Trey Hedden was 22-of-34 passing for 239 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for Furman (2-5, 1-2). Colton Hinton returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown midway through the second quarter for the Paladins. Hinton made nine catches for 114 yards receiving.
How To Watch
How can I watch Western Carolina Catamounts vs. Furman Paladins?
- TV Channel: Catamounts at Paladins 2021 College Football, week 8, is broadcasted on ESPN+.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Scoring Summary
 |
TD | 1st Period 14:00 | Isaiah Johnson 15 Yd pass from Cole Gonzales (Paxton Robertson Kick) |
|
TD | 2nd Period 9:25 | Isaiah Johnson 62 Yd pass from Cole Gonzales (Paxton Robertson Kick) |
 |
TD | 2nd Period 9:12 | Colton Hinton 96 Yd Kickoff Return (Ian Williams PAT failed) |
|
FG | 2nd Period 0:02 | Paxton Robertson 26 Yd Field Goal |
|
TD | 3rd Period 11:07 | De'Andre Tamarez 23 Yd pass from Cole Gonzales (Paxton Robertson Kick) |
|
TD | 3rd Period 4:31 | Jalynn Williams 4 Yd Run (Paxton Robertson Kick) |
|
TD | 3rd Period 0:06 | John Holbrook 3 Yd pass from Trey Hedden (Ian Williams Kick) |
|
TD | 4th Period 13:17 | Zion Booker 20 Yd pass from Cole Gonzales (Paxton Robertson Kick) |
|
TD | 4th Period 5:40 | Branson Adams 48 Yd pass from Cole Gonzales (Paxton Robertson Kick) |
|
TD | 4th Period 2:57 | Jackson Pryor 3 Yd pass from Trey Hedden (Ian Williams Kick) |
|
TD | 4th Period 1:54 | Malik Knight 32 Yd pass from Taron Dickens (Paxton Robertson Kick) |
Statistics
 WCU |
 FUR |
|
|---|---|---|
| 33 | 1st Downs | 17 |
| 5-13 | 3rd down efficiency | 6-19 |
| 1-1 | 4th down efficiency | 1-2 |
| 801 | Total Yards | 294 |
| 652 | Passing | 239 |
| 36/56 | Comp/Att | 22/34 |
| 11.6 | Yards per pass | 7.0 |
| 149 | Rushing | 55 |
| 27 | Rushing Attempts | 37 |
| 5.5 | Yards per rush | 1.5 |
| 11-96 | Penalties | 8-75 |
| 2 | Turnovers | 1 |
| 2 | Fumbles lost | 0 |
| 0 | Interceptions thrown | 1 |
| 27:43 | Possession | 32:17 |
Game Information
Location: Greenview, SC
Attendance: 9,897 · Capacity:
College Football News
Jayce Johnson, No. 3 QB in '27 recruiting class, picks Texas A&M
Four-star recruit Jayce Johnson, ESPN's No. 3 prospect at the quarterback position in the 2027 class, has committed to Texas A&M and coach Mike Elko.
No. 2 DT Deuce Geralds commits to LSU Tigers football
Deuce Geralds, the No. 2 defensive tackle in the 2026 ESPN 300, committed to LSU on Saturday, choosing the Tigers over finalists Oregon, Michigan, Ole Miss and Ohio State.
Florida QB DJ Lagway returns to practice after calf injury
Florida quarterback DJ Lagway practiced for the first time since camp opened following a calf injury.
Why Finebaum likes Texas to win the national championship
Paul Finebaum joins "SportsCenter" to break down why he's backing Texas to reach and win the national championship game.
What you missed from college football recruiting this summer
Almost all the five-stars have committed, and top classes loaded up this summer. Here's our recap and what happens next.