Players to Watch:

Zack Jaynes, So., Quarterback

Jaynes emerged as the Catamounts’ top signal caller midway through the 2008 season, as he threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns in a near-upset of Furman in mid-October. He finished the year with 1,162 yards passing and 10 touchdowns, compared to just four interceptions.

Chris Collins, Sr., Safety

Collins was a defensive leader for WCU in 2008, totaling 92 tackles and forcing a league-high six fumbles. As a junior, he recorded 11 tackles on four different occasions.

Preview:

In Dennis Wagner’s first season in Cullowhee, the Catamounts snapped a 20-game conference losing streak with a 27-7 victory over Chattanooga and began the resurgence of a program that suffered through back-to-back winless seasons in league play.

One of the biggest improvements for the Catamounts from 2007 to 2008 was on defense where it limited opponents to 89 fewer yards and nearly 17 fewer points per contest than in the previous year. Despite winning just one league game, WCU fell by just seven points at Furman and in overtime against Georgia Southern.

The offense looks to be in good hands with sophomore QB Zack Jaynes who started the final six games of 2008. Wide receiver Marquel Pitman, who caught 40 passes for a team-high 571 yards and four touchdowns, provides dual threat with sophomore Andrerius Thomas out wide. However, Wagner will need to find a newcomer to shoulder the load at running back.

Among the seven returning starters on defense are Mitchell Bell and Antoine George, who both ranked in the top 10 in the league in interceptions a year ago, and Adrian McLeod, WCU’s leading tackler with 100 stops.