2015 Football Preseason Preview: Wofford

Throughout this preseason, Purple & Gold will preview all of Western's 2015 football opponents. Today we look at the Wofford Terriers. 

In the sixth game of the 2015 season, the Catamounts take to the road, traveling to Spartanburg, SC to play in one of the tougher places in the Southern Conference for the Cats, Gibbs Stadium.

The Cats are 13-24 overall when facing Wofford, and had lost eight straight until last season, when the Cats beat the dogs in Cullowhee.




Wofford

When: Saturday, October 17 at 1:30 pm

Where: Gibbs Stadium  (8,500). Spartanburg, SC

Radio: Catamount Sports Network

TV / video:  SoCon Digital Network

Head Coach:  Mike Ayers
Entering his 28th season, Mike Ayers is the dean of Southern Conference football coaches. Ayers has guided the Terriers from the NAIA and NCAA Division II ranks to Division I and the Southern Conference. Along the way, the team made appearances in the Division II Playoffs in 1990 and 1991, the Division I FCS Playoffs in 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2012, and claimed Southern Conference titles in 2003, 2007, 2010, and 2012.


Last Year's Record:  6-5 overall, 4-3 SoCon (home 5-0,  road 1-5)

Last Season's Game vs. Wofford (October 11th 2014) - Defense, Special Teams Leads WCU Past Wofford, 26-14 - Freshman Detrez Newsome returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for the game's first points, and later capped a game-sealing scoring drive with a 24-yard touchdown romp as the Catamounts upended the Wofford Terriers, 26-14, on Saturday afternoon in Southern Conference action at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field.

Offensive starters - Returning/Lost: 10 / 1 -

Defensive starters - Returning/Lost: 9 / 2 - On defense, the Terriers lost the following starters: defensive end Tarek Odom and linebacker Kevin Thomas to graduation

Specialist - Returning/Lost: 7 / 0

Offensive Formation: Triple Option (Wingbone)

Defensive Formation: Multiple 50

In 2014, the Terriers secured a winning record with a 6-5 overall finish, making it the 11th winning season in the last 13 years for Wofford.  The Terriers also had a winning SoCon record at 4-3, but it was only good enough to finish the dogs in fourth place. The Terriers had eight student-athletes named to All-Southern Conference teams, OL Anton Wahrby and DL Tarek Odom on the first team, and  DL E.J. Speller on the second team. In addition, OL Davis Lenoir, LB Terrance Morris, and K David Marvin earned All-Freshman Team honors.  Wofford finished third in the nation in rushing, 121st in passing offense and 74th in total offense ... On defense, Wofford was ninth in rushing defense and 74th in passing yards allowed to rank 23rd in total defense ... The rushing defense allowed only 1,182 yards this season, the fewest in school history.

At the 2015 Media Day, the Terriers were picked by both the media and coaches to finish in 4th place in the conference standings. Wofford earned eight preseason honorees, and leading the Terriers on the first team were offensive lineman Anton Wahrby and punter Brian Sanders. Second team honorees include running back Lorenzo Long, offensive lineman T.J. Chamberlin, defensive lineman E.J. Speller, linebacker Terrance Morris, linebacker Drake Michaelson, and return specialist Will Gay.

2014 Wofford Statistics:
Rushing Offense: 3264 yards (297 per game average)
Yards per rush: 5.7 yards
TDs rushing: 35
Passing Offense: 763 yards (69 yards per game)
Yards per pass: 6.8
Passing Comp-Att-Int: 63-113-8
Total Offense: 40271 yards or 366 yards per game
Fumbles-Lost: 18 - 6
Penalties-Yards: 54 - 473 yards
3d Down Conversions: 61 of 138 or 44%
4th Down Conversions: 18 of 31 or 58%
Field Goals - Attempts: 5 of 6
Red-Zone Scores: 28 of 32 (88%)
Red-Zone Touchdowns: 26 of 32 (81%)\
On-side kicks:  0 - 0
Punts (No. Yards): 37 (1450 yds)
Avg, per punt: 39.2 yds

Assistant Coaches turnover: Since the end of last season, four assistant football coaches have left Wofford. Aaron Johnson, running backs coach and recruiting coordinator, is now the head coach at Oakbrook Prep in Spartanburg. Safeties coach Philip Pigott is now defensive coordinator at a high school in Mississippi. Linebackers coach Kevin Adleman and tight ends coach Pete Kalinowski departed the school as well.  This is a lot of changes for one season, how will the team react to so many changes?

Who does the Terriers play prior to Western? The Terriers open up the 2015 season in Clemson, SC, against the Tigers.  The following weekend, Wofford returns home against Tennessee Tech, then hits the road to Moscow, Idaho, to play Sun Belt opponent, Idaho Vandals.  The Terriers return home on the 28th against Gardner-Webb.  To open their SoCon schedule, the Terriers will be on the road for three straight weekends, visiting Mercer on Oct. 3, then traveling to Charleston the following weekend to take on the Bulldogs. On the move again, the Terriers then travel to Cullowhee.

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