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 Red-shirt freshman receiver Marquel Pittman was named SoCon Freshman of the Week after catching six passes for 124 yards and two scores against No. 11 Wofford last Thursday. |
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Oct. 29, 2007
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina red-shirt freshman wide receiver Marquel Pittman was today selected as the Southern Conference's Freshman of the Week as announced by the league office. Pittman posted six catches for a career-high 124 yards and a pair of scores in last Thursday's exciting near come-from-behind performance on national television against the 11th-ranked Wofford Terriers.
Pittman's selection marks the first of his career and the sixth time a Catamount football player has been recognized by the conference including four-straight weeks from late-September through early October. Junior place kicker Jonathan Parsons earned back-to-back Special Teams Player of the Week honors on Sept. 17 and 24, with junior linebacker Quinton Phillips garnering Defensive Player of the Week accolades on Oct. 1 and again on Oct. 22. Red-shirt freshman quarterback Adam Hearns received WCU's additional freshman honor back on Oct. 8.
A native of Maxton, N.C., Pittman went over 100 yards receiving for the second time in his career with 124 yards on six catches with a career single-game high two touchdown receptions of 29 and 27 yards against the Terriers. His first 100-yard receiving game was a 107 against Presbyterian earlier this season in a game in which he suffered a broken hand. Pittman currently ranks eighth in the SoCon in receiving yards per game (55.8 yds/gm) and is the highest ranking freshman among all receivers.
After being limited to just 23 yards on two catches in the first half, Pittman hauled in four passes for 101 in the second stanza. His first touchdown catch came in the waning seconds of the third quarter and capped off a 21-point session for the Catamounts and closed WCU to within 20 points after trailing at halftime, 37-3. His second touchdown catch was an acrobatic grab he snagged from behind a Terrier defender to pull Western to within 3 points, 47-44, late in the game which proved to be the final margin.
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Having played last Thursday night, Western will now have a few extra days added to its bye week this week before traveling to nationally-ranked Appalachian State in Boone on Saturday, Nov. 10 in the annual "Battle for the Old Mountain Jug" at Kidd Brewer Stadium. WCU has not won in Boone since a 34-7 victory over its arch-rival back in 1984.
