2017 Western Carolina Catamounts football
Conference	Southern Conference
Record	7–5 (5–3 SoCon)
Head coach	Mark Speir (6th season)
Offensive coordinator	Brad Glenn (6th season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	John Wiley (1st season)
Base defense	3–4
Home stadium	Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium
Seasons ← 2016 2018 →

2017 Southern Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 6 Wofford $^		7	–	1					10	–	3
No. 18 Samford ^		6	–	2					8	–	4
No. 19 Furman ^		6	–	2					8	–	5
Western Carolina		5	–	3					7	–	5
Mercer		4	–	4					5	–	6
The Citadel		3	–	5					5	–	6
Chattanooga		3	–	5					3	–	8
East Tennessee State		2	–	6					4	–	7
VMI		0	–	8					0	–	11
$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2017 Western Carolina Catamounts team represented Western Carolina University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Mark Speir, the Catamounts compiled an overall record of 7–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing fourth in the SoCon. Western Carolina played their home games at Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	12:00 a.m.	at Hawaii*		Aloha Stadium Honolulu, HI	SPEC	L 18–41	25,472
September 9	6:00 p.m.	Davidson*		Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium Cullowhee, NC	ESPN3	W 63–17	11,763
September 16	6:00 p.m.	at Gardner–Webb*		Ernest W. Spangler Stadium Boiling Springs, NC	WMYA	W 42–27	6,152
September 23	3:30 p.m.	No. 18 Samford		Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium Cullowhee, NC	ESPN3	W 38–34	12,018
September 30	6:00 p.m.	at Chattanooga		Finley Stadium Chattanooga, TN	ESPN3	W 45–7	10,101
October 7	1:30 p.m.	at No. 5 Wofford	No. 22	Gibbs Stadium Spartanburg, SC	ESPN3	L 28–35 OT	6,982
October 14	3:30 p.m.	East Tennessee State	No. 21	Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium Cullowhee, NC	ESPN3	W 49–10	8,300
October 21	1:30 p.m.	at VMI	No. 19	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA	ESPN3	W 26–7	4,119
October 28	3:30 p.m.	Furman	No. 18	Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium Cullowhee, NC	ESPN3	L 6–28	9,973
November 4	2:00 p.m.	at The Citadel	No. 24	Johnson Hagood Stadium Charleston, SC	ESPN3	W 31–19	7,384
November 11	2:00 p.m.	Mercer	No. 22	Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium Cullowhee, NC	ESPN3	L 33–35	10,681
November 18	3:00 p.m.	at North Carolina*		Kenan Memorial Stadium Chapel Hill, NC	ACCN Extra	L 10–65	43,000
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

^[1]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Catamounts	0	10	8	0	18
Rainbow Warriors	7	14	13	7	41

	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	0	14	0	3	17
Catamounts	28	21	7	7	63

	1	2	3	4	Total
Catamounts	7	14	14	7	42
Runnin' Bulldogs	0	13	0	14	27

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 18 Bulldogs	7	7	13	7	34
Catamounts	10	7	7	14	38

	1	2	3	4	Total
Catamounts	10	14	14	7	45
Mocs	0	0	0	7	7

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
No. 22 Catamounts	7	7	7	7	0	28
No. 5 Terriers	3	10	8	7	7	35

	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	3	0	0	7	10
No. 21 Catamounts	0	7	21	21	49

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 19 Catamounts	0	13	3	10	26
Keydets	7	0	0	0	7

	1	2	3	4	Total
Paladins	0	7	14	7	28
No. 18 Catamounts	0	0	0	6	6

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 24 Catamounts	7	10	7	7	31
Bulldogs	0	10	9	0	19

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	14	14	0	7	35
Catamounts	7	13	3	10	33

	1	2	3	4	Total
Catamounts	7	0	0	3	10
Tar Heels	7	35	10	13	65

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Final
STATS FCS	—	RV	RV	RV	RV	22	21	19	18	24	22	RV	RV	RV
Coaches	—	—	—	—	RV	RV	25	21	20	RV	25	RV	RV	RV