CULLOWHEE, N.C. –
Chad Mascoe, Jr. threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns while the Campbell defense turned in five turnovers to defeat No. 17 Western Carolina 24-16 on Saturday at Whitmire Stadium, the Fighting Camels' first win over a ranked opponent in program history.
The win also marked the first as head coach of the Camels for
Braxton Harris.
Campbell (1-1) held WCU (0-2) without an offensive touchdown, outgaining the Catamounts 444-287, all while collecting its most takeaways since tallying 10 on September 18, 2021, a 72-0 win over Presbyterian.
After two turnovers in its first three possessions, Campbell tallied touchdowns in three of its next five drives, adding a
Connor Lytton 30-yard field goal to take a 24-10 lead with 7:46 to go in the third.
A pair of Christian Lowery field goals cut the CU lead to 24-16, and with 37 seconds to go, the Catamounts got the ball back, driving down to the Campbell 27 yard line before quarterback Cole Gonzales' last second heave was batted down in the back of the end zone.
Mascoe completed 18-of-29 passes for 306 yards, his second career 300-yard passing game, with two touchdowns and two interceptions, also rushing for a score. Both TD passes went to
VJ Wilkins, who collected five catches for 68 yards.
Sincere Brown crossed the century mark for the second straight game, recording 108 yards on four catches, while
Mark Biggins added 81 yards on the ground on 23 carries.
Jalen Brooks led the CU defense with 12 tackles and an interception, while
Jonathan Melvin registered six stops, including a sack.
CJ Tillman also posted six tackles with a TFL, while
Logan Livermon,
Jojo Pace and
Lakeem Rudolph added picks in the win.
Gonzales completed 18-of-35 passes for 172 yards with four interceptions, while Corey Reddick, Jr. rushed for 52 yards on seven carries. Defensively, Samaurie Dukes gathered 12 tackles for the Catamounts, with Antarron Turner notching a pair of sacks.
Previously, Campbell was 0-12 all-time against top-25 ranked opponents.
Next up, the Camels will open CAA play at Rhode Island on September 14. Campbell makes its home debut on September 21, hosting Stony Brook in the first of six dates at Barker-Lane Stadium.
Season, single game and mini-plan ticket options for the 2024 football season are available at
GoCamels.com/Tickets and by phone through the CU Athletics Ticket Office, at 1-877-GO-HUMPS.
