BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell clawed back from a 25-point deficit, bringing the game to a single score twice in the fourth quarter, but the comeback fell short, with Western Carolina holding off the Camels, 42-35 on Saturday at Barker-Lane Stadium.
The Catamounts moved to 2-3 on the season, while CU dipped to 1-4 overall.
With three early touchdown passes from Taron Dickens, WCU jumped out to a 28-3 with 3:45 to go in the second quarter. Campbell responded with a 12-play, 83-yard drive ending in a 12-yard
Kamden Sixkiller TD scamper just before the half.
After Dickens' fourth touchdown pass of the day, a touchdown run from
Mike Chandler II and an
Alex Crabb 21-yard field goal, cut the Catamount lead to 35-21 with 13:12 on the clock in the fourth quarter.
Campbell outscored WCU 17-7 in the fourth quarter, including a
Stevie Keener 26-yard touchdown catch, the first of the freshman's career, to bring the score to 35-28 with 4:58 remaining in regulation.
Western Carolina quickly answered 39 seconds later a 61-yard wide receiver pass from Jame Tyre to Painter Richards-Baker, pushing the game back to a two-score difference. Sixkiller added a second rushing score on the Camels' next possession to make it 42-35 with 2:11 to play, finding paydirt after an eight-play, 65-yard drive.
After recovering the ensuing on-side kick, the Catamounts faced a fourth-and-one at the Campbell 38, but converted, melting the remaining clock down to secure their second-straight win.
Dickens ended the day with 427 yards and four touchdowns on 26-of-40 passing, leading a WCU offense that rolled up 564 total and 488 yards passing. Tyre hauled in six catches for 101 yards while Richards-Baker added five grabs for 99 yards and a TD. Malik Knight and Michael Rossin also combined for 164 yards on seven catches.
Jordan Thompson led the Catamounts defensively with 11 tackles, including 2.5 stops for loss and a sack. Caleb Fisher also posted 2.0 tackles for loss, while WCU totaled nine stops behind the line of scrimmage in the win.
Sixkiller, meanwhile, paced Campbell, completing 18-of-45 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown, tacking on 55 rushing yards and two more scores.
Trayjen Llanas-Wilcox collected five catches for 124 yards, a career-high in a Campbell uniform, while
Naieem Kearney added 46 yards rushing.
Kalen Villanueva posted 11 tackles, while
Justin Garza notched a strip sack, one of two forced fumbles for the Camels in the second half.
Next week, the Camels will head to NC State for their final nonconference game of the season, taking on the Wolfpack at 2:00 p.m. in Raleigh, N.C. CU returns home on October 18, hosting New Hampshire for Homecoming.
Single game, mini-plan and season ticket options for the 2025 football season are still available at
GoCamels.com/Tickets and by phone through the CU Athletics Ticket Office, at 1-877-GO-HUMPS.
