Adam Hearns (Western Carolina new QB)

[TheCatamount]

Western Carolina has finally found the QB of the future and it's Adam Hearns. He was a 3 star recruit coming out of HS and had offers from VT, UNC and others before commiting to Syracuse. An on-field team brawl cost him his scholarship with the Orange and ended up with him landing at Western Carolina.

He is a redshirt freshman and I really think he can bring WCU back to where the belong - among the SOCON elite. He thrashed Elon in his first career start for 310 yards passing and 73 yards rusing - including 4 touchdowns. It was really unbelievable how many tackles he broke during the game, Elon fans who went to the game could tell you, and how well he played. Look out for this guy because he is a very special player

http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/805/adamhearnsdi0.jpg

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/1769/hearnsrt5.jpg
AMAZING TD run

[youwouldno]

Since when was WCU in the SoCon elite? One player isn't enough to turn around WCU, though it helps.

[PaladinFan]

So he just transferred during the season? Why not play him earlier?

[walliver]

Western Carolina has finally found the QB of the future and it's Adam Hearns. He was a 3 star recruit coming out of HS and had offers from VT, UNC and others before commiting to Syracuse. An on-field team brawl cost him his scholarship with the Orange and ended up with him landing at Western Carolina.

He is a redshirt freshman and I really think he can bring WCU back to where the belong - among the SOCON elite. He thrashed Elon in his first career start for 310 yards passing and 73 yards rusing - including 4 touchdowns. It was really unbelievable how many tackles he broke during the game, Elon fans who went to the game could tell you, and how well he played. Look out for this guy because he is a very special player



Usually a "thrashing" means you win the game.

Who would have thought that a SoCon team would ever get excited about almost beating Elon?

[The Cats]

So he just transferred during the season? Why not play him earlier?

No, he is a red shirt freshman at Western, did not play last year, came to Western in Jan of 2006.

But at the start of this year's season, our coaching staff decided to use the dual quarterback rotation with Todd Spitzer & Hearns. Spitzer was getting the nod to start each game until the Elon game. The way the rotation worked was Spitzer started the game and played until the game was out of reach, then Coach Briggs would put Hearns in (unsually third or forth quarter). Every time Hearns came in, he rallied the team, scored points, made great scramble plays, etc. Most WCU fans could not understand why Spitzer started but Briggs seems to be sold on his "senior leadership" abilities.

[The Cats]

Who would have thought that a SoCon team would ever get excited about almost beating Elon?

One that has a 10 game SoCon losing streak

Also, Elon is no doubt an improved team.

[TheCatamount]

We need something to get excited about, and Elon is a pretty good football team this season and we should have won. I may be getting a little over-excited but this guy is the real deal.

If you have ESPNU you will get to see him take on Wofford @ WCU on a Thursday night game on Oct 25!!

[gophoenix]

Usually a "thrashing" means you win the game.

Who would have thought that a SoCon team would ever get excited about almost beating Elon?

Times change. You know, like Wofford being in first place this year.


We need something to get excited about, and Elon is a pretty good football team this season and we should have won. I may be getting a little over-excited but this guy is the real deal.

If you have ESPNU you will get to see him take on Wofford @ WCU on a Thursday night game on Oct 25!!

Hearns is good. He was like Foster except with a better arm. It helps that he has a good receiver in Cohen to throw too also. I am not going to say Western should have won, if that was the case they would have won. But there is reason for hope in Cullowhee right now that is for sure. One player won't turn things around, but things are quite as bleak as they were.

On a side note, Hearns was playing against Elon's 2nd string LB corp. All of our LBs and 2 of the defensive linemen were out injured for the game.

[The Cats]

I am not going to say Western should have won, if that was the case they would have won.

Fumbles are part of the game, but you also know that Western had two fumbles that resulted in Elon touchdowns, which if it had not happened would have probably resulted in two WCU scores. Not making excuses here for losing the game, but every Elon fan that was at the game or listened to it on the radio know they were very, very lucky to come out of the 'Whee with that win.

I've seen many posts on other boards about that being your 2d string LB corps and that is an excuse. Want us to list ALL the injuries we had for the game? xnonox xnonox xnonox

[straightshooter]

Hearns looks like a nice player, but to say he is like Foster - well you guys haven't faced Jayson Foster yet. Your opinion will likely change Saturday.

Hearns did some good things agains the GSU scrubs in the fourth quarter, but he lost a fumble and got sacked a few times by the guys getting their first playing time of the year.

[gophoenix]

I've seen many posts on other boards about that being your 2d string LB corps and that is an excuse. Want us to list ALL the injuries we had for the game? xnonox xnonox xnonox

No. But I am just saying, reserve judgment for your QB until you've played a healthy D. Injuries are part of the game, I didn't mean to imply that as an excuse for us, but just trying to get you guys to get a better measuring stick than our D.


Hearns looks like a nice player, but to say he is like Foster - well you guys haven't faced Jayson Foster yet. Your opinion will likely change Saturday.

Blah blah blah. I saw Foster last year. Heaven forbid one fan compliment a player on another team without a GSU getting their panties in a wad.

[ElonPride]

Fumbles are part of the game, but you also know that Western had two fumbles that resulted in Elon touchdowns, which if it had not happened would have probably resulted in two WCU scores. Not making excuses here for losing the game, but every Elon fan that was at the game or listened to it on the radio know they were very, very lucky to come out of the 'Whee with that win.

I've seen many posts on other boards about that being your 2d string LB corps and that is an excuse. Want us to list ALL the injuries we had for the game? xnonox xnonox xnonox

You're shaking your finger at us about making excuses? The quoted post is nothing but one big excuse for WCU!!!!!! Sorry, but the Elon team that was "thrased" by Hearns caused those TOs. You guys lost the game, plain and simple.

Excuses, please.....xrolleyesx

[gsugt1]

[QUOTE=gophoenix;681757]



Blah blah blah. I saw Foster last year. QUOTE]


You didn't see him at QB. He played wide receiver last year. You saw him in 2005 though run up and down the field on Elon if I recall right. I also recall a 80-85 yard td pass he threw.

[gsugt1]

No. But I am just saying, reserve judgment for your QB until you've played a healthy D. Injuries are part of the game, I didn't mean to imply that as an excuse for us, but just trying to get you guys to get a better measuring stick than our D.



Blah blah blah. I saw Foster last year. Heaven forbid one fan compliment a player on another team without a GSU getting their panties in a wad.

You didn't see him at QB. He played wide receiver last year. You saw him in 2005 though run up and down the field on Elon if I recall right. I also recall a 80-85 yard td pass he threw.

[gophoenix]

You didn't see him at QB. He played wide receiver last year. You saw him in 2005 though run up and down the field on Elon if I recall right. I also recall a 80-85 yard td pass he threw.

One question, who didn't run up and down the field on us in 2005???? That isn't exactly saying much..... an untrained monkey could have out coached Paul Hamilton.

Again, blah blah blah blah. I make one comment about Foster comparing to Hearns and GSU people get bent out of shape. Get over it.

[appstate38]

Since when was WCU in the SoCon elite? One player isn't enough to turn around WCU, though it helps.


You Know, I was thinking the exact same thing!xeyebrowx

[walliver]

What was the deal with the on-field brawl?

Was he in the wrong place at the wrong time?

[The Cats]

You're shaking your finger at us about making excuses? The quoted post is nothing but one big excuse for WCU!!!!!! Sorry, but the Elon team that was "thrased" by Hearns caused those TOs. You guys lost the game, plain and simple.

Excuses, please.....xrolleyesx

No excuses, we lost the game, plain and simple no doubt. Just saying that the TOs resuled in two Elon scores. Two Elon scores that would have probably been Western scores had they not happened. Hearns caused neither of the two fumbles that resulted in Elon scores. (Willie Harper fumbled on the 50 yard line toward the end of the first qtr, and Mike Malone fumbled on a kick off return at the WCU 25 yard line at the start of the second qtr - both fumbles resulted great Elon field position and thus Elon touchdowns). No escuses there, just fact, we have got to hold on the ball and the outcome of the game would have been different without these fumbles.

As far as injuries go, lets look at WCU injury list.

PRESEASON: RB Quan Warley (ankle) was injured during the first weeks of practice; had surgery to repair the break on the non-load bearing
bone in his ankle; DE Chris Everett (forearm) suffered a broken arm early in preseason drills; has also already had surgery - UPDATE: the cast/
sling were removed this week; OL Josh Deaver (knee) had linebacker Kadeem Morgan fall on his leg following a tackle sustaining the injury;
OL Dan Lawrence (back) herniated disc; OL Nick Williams (knee) was injured prior to coming to Cullowhee in the East-West game;

ALABAMA: LS John McDaris (hip) was injured during the opener at Alabama ... he was taken off the field on a stretcher with a dislocated
hip which was relocated by doctors at the stadium ... preliminary reports indicate a possible fractured hip; he was transported to a local hospital
in Birmingham, Ala. ... He is currently listed as OUT for the remainder of the year.

EASTERN KENTUCKY: DL John Martin (back) had to be taken from the game with a back injury ... WR Michael Hines (knee) was rolled
up on the sidelines and injured his knee in the second half ... DE Levander Thomas (knee) was injured during the game at EKU, playing most
of the snaps late before reporting to the training staff.

GEORGIA: DL Gene Singletary (ankle) suffered a high ankle sprain in the second quarter and ... S Ryan Nesby, making his return after battling
hip issues, injured his opposite knee at UGA.

PRESBYTERIAN: WR Marquel Pittman (hand) suffered a broken hand sometime during the fourth quarter of a game where he caught seven
passes for a career-high 107 yards.

GEORGIA SOUTHERN: TE Travis Osborne (ankle)

REPORT FOR THE ELON GAME:
PROBABLE: S Ryan Nesby (hip & knee) ... DE Levander Thomas (knee)
QUESTIONABLE: LB Drew Walker (ankle) ... DL Darren Curtis (knee) ... WR Marquel Pittman (broken hand)
DOUBTFUL: LB Chaz Jackson ... DL Gene Singletary (ankle) ... TE Travis Osborne (ankle)
OUT: LS John McDaris (hip) ... LB Marcus Nelums (back) ... WR Michael Hines (knee) ... DL John Martin (back) ... OL Wes Lancaster
(hamstring) ... OL Dan Lawrence (back) ...

No excuses here either... Injuries happen, you play with what you got, not make excuses about playing 2 or 3d team anything.

Also, it was Coach Lembo that compaired Hearns to Foster - “It was like the Twilight Zone,” Lembo said. “I’m standing here saying to myself, we play (Georgia Southern quarterback) Jayson Foster next week and this guy was running like Jayson Foster, but he’s bigger and stronger and can throw the ball 60 yards.”

[gophoenix]

No excuses here either... Injuries happen, you play with what you got, not make excuses about playing 2 or 3d team anything.

Also, it was Coach Lembo that compaired Hearns to Foster - “It was like the Twilight Zone,” Lembo said. “I’m standing here saying to myself, we play (Georgia Southern quarterback) Jayson Foster next week and this guy was running like Jayson Foster, but he’s bigger and stronger and can throw the ball 60 yards.”

Yep, crap happens and we all hope we have the personnel to fill the gaps. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. I'll compare Hearns to Foster any day of the week despite the objections from GSU fans.

[The Cats]

Who would have thought that a SoCon team would ever get excited about almost beating Elon?

Guess that win over ASU went to your collective Wofford head, after that win you guys are starting to have all the sarcasm of GSU fans.

[TheCatamount]

What was the deal with the on-field brawl?

Was he in the wrong place at the wrong time?

From a Syracuse message board:

"First, Adam Hearns did not simply have academic problems, he was involved in a vicious brawl with a rival school that got him into serious trouble and cost him most of his senior season. Some folks close to the situation said he was made the scapegoat because he was the star of the team and he really did not deserve to be punished so badly. Be that as it may, he got in serious trouble. From all accounts he is a good kid though."

[proasu89]

Glad you have something positive going onxthumbsupx

[TheCatamount]

He was named SOCON Freshman of the week today as well.

Western Carolina's Adam Hearns Named SoCon Freshman of the Week
Rookie signal caller threw for 310 yards and three TDs through the air

Cullowhee, N.C. - After turning in a career-best performance in his first career start, Western Carolina red-shirt freshman quarterback Adam Hearns was today named the Southern Conference Freshman of the Week by the league office.

Hearns' selection marks the fourth-straight week a Catamount football player has been recognized by the conference. 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 last week.

Joining Hearns in the weekly honors was Elon quarterback Scott Riddle (354 yards on 30-for-45 passing with four touchdowns) as the Offensive Player of the Week; Furman free safety Thomas Twitty (17 tackles, INT and PBU) as the Defensive Player of the Week; and Georgia Southern's place kicker Jesse Hartley (5-for-5 on PATs, two FGs including a game-winning 54-yarder) as the league's Special Teams Player of the Week.

Hearns accounted for four Western Carolina touchdowns including three TD passes and his first-ever rushing score - an 11-yard scamper that ended with a head-first leap and flip into the end zone as to avoid three Phoenix defenders - in Saturday's exciting 38-36 game versus Elon in Cullowhee. The Philadelphia, Pa., native completed a career-best 21-of-41 attempts for a career-high 310 yards marking the first WCU quarterback to eclipse the 300-yard plateau since Justin Clark threw for 350 yards back in 2004.

Late in the second quarter, Hearns' 11-yard acrobatic TD run gave WCU its final lead of the game, 23-21. He gained 105 yards on the ground before a pair of sacks late in the game while attempting to mount a fourth quarter comeback dropped him to 73 yards total on the ground, including a career-long 30-yard rush.

[The Cats]

Glad you have something positive going onxthumbsupx

Thanks. Hopefully he will make the WCU/ASU Battle for the Old Mountain Jug a little more interesting this year. Not saying we will win, but........ our chances just improved substantially.

[TheCatamount]

I can't wait for our Thursday night game on ESPNU!! You going Cats?

[The Cats]

You going Cats?


I'll be there smiling for the camara.

[The Cats]

.....and his first-ever rushing score - an 11-yard scamper that ended with a head-first leap and flip into the end zone as to avoid three Phoenix defenders.

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/1769/hearnsrt5.jpg

[catamount man]

He does bring a much improved chance to win the game that's for sure. Don't let these other SoCon fans get you down WCU supporters as someday, we will have our time in the sun again.

It's just gonna take major changes and about 9-10 people being shown the door in Cullowhee. Carry on!

GO CATAMOUNTS!!!

[WCU LawCat]

I really hope this kid keeps playing well...and that he dose not have an attitude problem.

[seantaylor]

Hearns is a lot like Foster except for he runs a 4.6 and Foster runs a 4.3.

[TheCatamount]

Hearns is a lot like Foster except for he runs a 4.6 and Foster runs a 4.3.

And the fact that Foster is a WR playing QB

[straightshooter]

Hearns is listed as a WR on the WCU website.

[bobbythekidd]

And the fact that Foster is a WR playing QB
xnonono2x xnonono2x

[Eaglesrus]

And the fact that Foster is a WR playing QB

Hello, Mr. Van Gorder (can't bring myself to say coach). I didn't know that you are a Western Carolina fan!

[Baldy]

And the fact that Foster is a WR playing QB
Hey if your team can allow a WR to go 10 for 10 passing with 147 yards and a TD, I guess that tells how bad Western really is. xrolleyesx

[WCU LawCat]

I'll just add that for WCU, the GSU game was the most heartless effort I have ever scene out of a Western team ever. The team completely turned it around against Elon and stalled in the 4th. I expect WCU to beat UTC easily this week.

[NashMoc]

I'll just add that for WCU, the GSU game was the most heartless effort I have ever scene out of a Western team ever. The team completely turned it around against Elon and stalled in the 4th. I expect WCU to beat UTC easily this week.

What gives you the opinion that WCU will easily beat UTC? WCU hasn't beaten a SoCon in quite some time, the defense is giving up 42 ppg, and you have a freshman quarterback. I think the Mocs take this one at home.

[ElonPride]

What gives you the opinion that WCU will easily beat UTC? WCU hasn't beaten a SoCon in quite some time, the defense is giving up 42 ppg, and you have a freshman quarterback. I think the Mocs take this one at home.

......and UTC lost to a D-II SCHOOL!!!!!!

WCU's stats are a little skewed seeing that they played 2 upper tier FBS teams.

Teams can be competitive and win with a good freshman QB.

[blueballs]

Teams can be competitive and win with a good freshman QB.

xnodx

Didn't App win every game it played last year, including 4-0 in the playoffs, that FR QB Armanti Edwards started?

[ElonPride]

xnodx

Didn't App win every game it played last year, including 4-0 in the playoffs, that FR QB Armanti Edwards started?

There are some REALLY good emerging QB's in the SoCon that are underclassman (Edwards, Riddle, Lawson, Hearns).

[The Cats]

I think the Mocs take this one at home.

both teams need a win, but the Mocs misery continues this weekend.

[seantaylor]

There are some REALLY good emerging QB's in the SoCon that are underclassman (Edwards, Riddle, Lawson, Hearns).


Lawson is a senior.

[NashMoc]

......and UTC lost to a D-II SCHOOL!!!!!!

WCU's stats are a little skewed seeing that they played 2 upper tier FBS teams.

Teams can be competitive and win with a good freshman QB.

And WCU lost by 29 to a team that UTC beat. xnodx

[WCU LawCat]

If WCU puts together a performance like it did against GSU then WCU will lose. I really really don't think that is going to happen this week.