CULLOWHEE, N.C. (Interstat) — Western Carolina defeated Wofford 26-10 in an NCAA Football Championship Division game Saturday at E.J. Whitmire Stadium, leaving both teams with 5-5 records. An announced attendance of 9,524 watched the Catamounts score in every quarter and limit the Terriers to 10 points. Western Carolina used 237 passing yards from Lex Thomas and a pair of Bryan McCollum field goals to secure the home victory. Wofford got a touchdown run from Terrence Honeywood and a field goal from Conner Deviney.

Thomas completed 22 of 35 passes for 237 yards and ran 11 times for 28 yards. The Wake Forest, N.C., native led Western Carolina’s offense and was the game’s top performer. Kaeden Gilstrap completed 9 of 18 passes for 96 yards for Wofford and ran 16 times for 16 yards. J.T. Fayard completed 4 of 13 passes for 22 yards in relief. Gilstrap also had a 6-yard touchdown run nullified by a holding penalty late in the first half.

Ky’Ree Murphy recorded five tackles for Wofford, and Javario Tinch had five tackles with one sack. Elijah Washington and Logan McCloud each made eight tackles, while Wyatt Ward posted 11 tackles. Nicholas Mathious had one tackle and one quarterback hurry, and Zayd Rogan made one tackle.

Cameron Robinson had a punt return for no yards, Walker Kelley caught a 12-yard pass, and Anjuan Coleman Jr. caught five passes for 51 yards. Ivory Aikens ran once for 2 yards, caught two passes for 4 yards and returned three kickoffs for 76 yards. Colby Alexander ran once for 4 yards, caught two passes for 12 yards and returned two kickoffs for 35 yards. Terrence Honeywood ran once for 26 yards, caught one pass for 18 yards and scored a touchdown. Tay Franklin ran nine times for 52 yards and caught one pass for nine yards. Gerald Modest Jr. ran 17 times for 71 yards and caught one pass for 12 yards.

Bryan McCollum handled the kicking for Western Carolina, making field goals of 47 and 33 yards and adding extra points. Ramon McCollough Jr. had two tackles for Wofford. Cillian Bonner punted nine times for 409 yards. Conner Deviney made a 34-yard field goal and added an extra point. Gavin Batt had a 13-yard punt return, and Jeremiah Shelby recorded one tackle and one quarterback hurry. Jaxon Earle, Jordan Johnson, Trenton Kintigh, Joshua Hodge and Mark Arthur each made one tackle.

Da’Shawn Davis had one quarterback hurry for Western Carolina. Dh’King Brown, Jake Thorner, Tyree Myrick and Aiden Morris each had two tackles for Wofford. Cole Walker and Alijah Williams each recorded three tackles and one quarterback hurry. Marek Marcellus had three tackles. Eli Campbell and Jacobi Hatter each made four tackles.

Anthony Benjamin caught three passes for 15 yards for Western Carolina. Blue Monroe, Alant’e Reese and Braylon Jones each made five tackles. Ken Moore Jr. had five tackles, half a sack and one quarterback hurry. Joshua Collins made seven tackles and one sack. Trystan Anderson had eight tackles, two sacks and one quarterback hurry. Caleb Turner-Allen had three tackles, half a sack and two quarterback hurries. Marcus Striggles caught one pass for 3 yards, and Bode Burns caught two passes for 12 yards.

Western Carolina opened the scoring in the first quarter when J. Perry ran 3 yards up the middle for a touchdown. Bryan McCollum added the extra point. Early in the second quarter, McCollum made a 47-yard field goal. Later in the second, J. Balloon Jr. scored on an 11-yard run, but the extra point failed. Wofford responded just before halftime when Conner Deviney made a 34-yard field goal after a 6-yard touchdown run by Kaeden Gilstrap was nullified by a holding penalty.

Wofford found the end zone in the third quarter when Terrence Honeywood broke loose for a 26-yard touchdown run, and Deviney added the extra point. McCollum answered with a 33-yard field goal later in the third. In the fourth quarter, Josh Perry capped the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run, and McCollum made the extra point.

Western Carolina’s defense produced pressure in key spots throughout the game. The Catamounts finished with multiple sacks and quarterback hurries while keeping Wofford from building momentum on the ground. Wofford’s defense also had productive moments, with Ward’s 11 tackles and the sack by Tinch among the highlights.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Wofford 36, Western Carolina 33. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Western Carolina with a 70.7 percent probability to win. Western Carolina next plays at Samford, while Wofford hosts East Tennessee State.