Looking at Game 8, Wofford College

Who:   Wofford Terriers

When:  Saturday, October 19th

Where:  Bob Waters Field at E.J. Whitmire Stadium - Cullowhee, NC

Series history:  WCU trails in the series with the Bulldogs, 12-23 having lost the last 7 games.

Their conference:   Southern Conference (SoCon)

Their coach:   Mike Ayers.  Entering his 26th season, the leader of the Wofford football program is now the dean of Southern Conference football coaches with the departure of Jerry Moore from ASU.

Last year’s record:  9-4, 6-2 SoCon

How they got there:  The Terriers roared out to start the season with five straight victories.  Wofford kicked off the season with two out of conference wins over Gardner-Webb and Lincoln University.  The Terriers then entered conference play, rolling off three SoCon wins over WCU, Elon and Furman.  The Terriers were then tripped up in Statesboro, leaving with a 9-17 loss to GSU, but bounced back the new week with a big iwn over App State in Boone.  The Terriers picked up a total of two conference wins before dropping a 17-24 loss to Samford, but did win a 16-13 overtime game against Chattanooga to end conference play.

Offense:  Triple Option

Lettermen Returning:    42

Offensive starters Returning/Lost:     5 /  6

Defensive starters Returning/Lost:    5 /  6

2012 Stats:
Points per game:  28.5
Rushing Yardage:  4546  - Avg. per game:  349.7
Passing Yardage:  663  - Avg. per game:  51
Total Yardage Per Game:  400.7

Losses/Weaknesses:  Two of the biggest holes to fill will be quarterback and running back, while the offensive line returns only two starters.  While the defense only returns 5 starters as well, like the offensive line, the defensive line only returns two starters as well.

Strengths: The Terriers have seven players recognized by the league’s coaches, three on the first and four on the second team preseason all . Leading the Terriers on the first team were offensive linemen Tymeco Gregory and Jared Singleton, along with linebacker Alvin Scioneaux. Gregory, a senior from Greer, S.C., was a starter in all 13 games at left guard last season and was named second team All-SoCon. Singleton, a senior from Lugoff, S.C., started all 13 games at center last season to earn All-SoCon first team honors. Scioneaux, a senior from Garyville, Louisiana, was first team All-SoCon last season after leading the team in sacks and tackles for loss. He is on the 2013 Buck Buchanan Award Watch List. Second team honorees include running back Donovan Johnson, defensive lineman Tarek Odom, linebacker Mike McCrimon, and safety James Zotto. Johnson, a senior from McDonough, Georgia, moves to fullback this season after playing half back in 2012 and rushing for 473 yards. Odom, a junior from St. Augustine, Florida, earned second team All-SoCon honors last season after starting twelve games at defensive end. McCrimon, a senior from Center Hill, Florida, started all 13 games at inside linebacker and led the team with 76 tackles. Zotto, a senior from Libertyville, Illinois, has started 25 straight games at strong safety and was second on the team in tackles last season.


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