"Excited." Hogs Football Enemy Lines: Chat with Western Carolina Writer

Week 1 Razorback Football preview and a perspective from the opposite press box

Author:
Daniel Shi
Publish date:
Sep 1, 2023 3:27 PM EDT

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It's finally here. The season kicks off in under 24 hours. Each week, a fresh perspective from the opposing press room will be released. This week I sat down with Liam Bridgeman, the editor-in-chief of The Western Carolinian, the WCU student newspaper to preview the upcoming game against the Western Carolina Catamounts.

Note: The Interview has been edited for clarity.

Daniel Shi: What's the general impression of the team through camp?

Liam Bridgeman: We've had two really good scrimmages. One where the offense showed up. Two days later, the defense looked really good, the offense didn't look too good.

DS: Coach (Kerwin Bell) has discussed the tackling issues at length, has it gotten any better?

LB: The second scrimmage that they had, coach Bell was adamant about giving the defense some respect. They really outperformed the offense. I know defensive coordinator (Chazmon) Scales emphasized tackling a lot, as he should have. Last year, it got a little embarrassing for a lot of people.

DS: What's the mood around the team given that they are opening against a team like Arkansas?

LB: Previously we've opened against Oklahoma, and they got punched in the mouth (76-0, Week 2 2021). There are still a lot of guys on this team from that year. They know how it feels to go up against a bigger school with bigger and better athletes. It's going to be a tough challenge, I think they know that, but excitement is a good word for it.

DS: WCU is coming off their best offensive season ever in terms of total yards, can they replicate that success this year?

LB: They lost a lot of weapons. The starting quarterback is gone, but sophomore Cole Gonzales (who took over the starting position mid-season) is back. They also lost their biggest weapon on the outside. It will be a challenge, but the biggest focus should still be defense. We lost a lot of games last year because it just didn't perform up to the standard of Coach Bell and Coach Scales.

DS: What challenges can Gonzales present to a Razorback defense and secondary that has questions of their own?

LB: Cole is a game manager; you can take that in either a positive way or a negative way. He moves the ball around and he doesn't have a favorite weapon. He doesn't make mistakes, which is what our previous quarterback did.

DS: If there was a breakout receiver on the roster, who is it?

LB: Losing Raphael Williams (transfer to San Diego State, 658 yards in 2022) hurts. There are four guys that could be over 500 yards by the end of the year. Censere Lee is a playmaker and really fast. Ajay Belanger is a big tight end that can make plays down the middle. David White Jr. is going to be a threat in the red zone. Finally, Santana Fleming, a three-star recruit who had really big offers including one from Arkansas but chose WCU.

DS: What's the mood around the fanbase about the game?

LB: Our athletic department is so excited to get this season started. We have sold a lot of tickets. I'm very excited to have football back at Western.

DS: What would a win mean to the city and the people of Western?

LB: It would be huge for our campus and the program. I'm hopeful, but I'm also more realistic.