Game #7 - Wofford Terriers

For the seventh game of the season, the Cats remain on the road as they travel to Spartanburg, SC to face the Wofford Terriers. Western and Wofford face off for the forty-fifth time since 1972. This year, it's Wofford's Homecoming.

Game #7 - Wofford

When: Saturday, October 19 at 1:30 pm
Where: Gibbs Stadium, Spartanburg, SC  (natural grass)
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
-Radio announcers: Gary Ayers (PBP), Daniel Hooker (color), Greg McLamb (sideline)
TV / video: Nextar / ESPN+
-TV Announcers: Pete Yanity (PBP); Jared Singleton (analyst)
  -WYCW (Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville)
  -WCBD (Charleston)
  -WWCW (Lynchburg)
  -WJHL (Johnson City)
  -WMUB (Macon)
Live Stats:  Wofford Live Stats
Game Notes:  WCU   -    Wofford
Wofford Message Board:  Terrier Fans

The Series: The Cats are 14-27 overall against the Terriers in a series that started in 1952, The Cats & Terriers have played a total of 41 times, and Western has lost three in a row to the Terriers. In Spartanburg, S.C., WCU trails, 4-15

The last game played vs. Wofford:  November 10, 2018 -  Wofford Survives WCU on Senior Day    Cullowhee, N.C. – Quarterback Tyrie Adams accounted for 396 yards of total offense and his eighth-rushing score of the season, but a late interception again thwarted an upset bid by Western Carolina against No. 14/15 Wofford. The Terriers rallied from a 20-7 first-half deficit, limiting the high-octane Catamounts to a fourth-quarter field goal in keeping their conference title and postseason hopes alive with a 38-23 victory to spoil WCU’s Senior Day at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field.

Games played by the Bulldogs this season prior to the WCU contest:  (5 games) The Terriers opened the season on the road in Orangeburg, SC against SC State, with a 13-28 loss to State. The Terriers returned home to open SoCon play against Samford in Spartanburg, losing 14-21. The Terriers picked up their first win of the season against Gardner-Webb, 49-10. In games 4 & 5, Wofford returned to conference play on the road, facing VMI in Lexington with a 51-36 win, then traveled to Johnson City to meet ETSU, taking home a 35-17 victory over the Bucs, before returning home for a bye week, the to face the Cats in their Homecoming game in Spartanburg.

Head Coach:  Josh Conklin - Josh Conklin is entering his second season as head coach of the Wofford College football team. In his first season at the helm, the Terriers won the Southern Conference Championship and reached the second round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs. Wofford announced on Tuesday, January 2, 2018, the hiring of Josh Conklin as the head football coach.

Last Season's Record (Wofford): 9-4 overall, 6-0 home, 3-4 away, 6-2 in the SoCon

This Season's Record (Wofford): 3-2 overall, 1-1 home, 2-1 away, 2-1 in the SoCon

Offensive Formation:  Triple Option
-2018 Offensive: 29.6 ppg. (45th in FCS)
Defensive Formation:   Multiple 50
-2018 Defensive: 19.0 ppg. (8th in FCS)
Starters returning/lost:    16  /  9
Offensive starters - Returning/Lost:  9  /  2
Defensive starters - Returning/Lost:  5 /  6
Specialist - Returning/Lost: 2  /  1
Lettermen - Returning/Lost:  47 /  18


Picked first in the SoCon preseason polls, Wofford led all SoCon teams with nine total preseason all-conference selections, putting three on the first teams and a league-best six on the second teams. Leading the Terriers on the first team were offensive linemen Justus Basinger and Michael Ralph, along with defensive lineman Thad Mangum. Second-team selections included safety Mason Alstatt, offensive lineman Justus Basinger, punter Luke Carter, cornerback George Gbesee, defensive lineman Mikel Horton and linebacker Jireh Wilson.

However, the Terriers got off to a troubled start of the season, dropping the first two games, before righting the ship and going on a 3 game win streak. Currently, the major problem for the Cats, as the Terriers are second in the nation with 357.2 rushing yards per game, over 40 yards per game more than in 2018. to make matters worse, Wofford is ranked 23rd in the nation in total defense and 28th in the nation in total offense.

The Cats are looking to halt a 10-game winless drought in SoCon play that dates back to last season.  The 10-straight losses in conference play ranks as the second-longest active skid in the NCAA FCS behind Brown, which has endured 16-straight defeats in Ivy League play.

2019 Wofford Statistics (total of 5 games) 
Rushing Offense:1852 yards
Yards per game: 357.2
Yards per rush:6.4 yards
Rushing 1st downs: 86
TDs rushing: 18
Passing Offense: 418 yards or 83.6 yards per game
Avg. per pass: 7.89 yards
Passing 1st downs: 18
Passing Comp-Att-Int: 53-26-5
TDs Passing: 3
Total Offense: 2204 yards or 440.8
3d Down Conversions: 31-64
4th Down Conversions: 8-9
Field Goal:  5-6
On-side kicks: 0-1
Red Zone Scores: 19-21
Red Zone Touchdowns: 15-21
Avg per punt: 41.25 yards
PAT-Attempts: 36-21
Fumbles-Lost: 4-1

Game prediction: Per the Massey Ratings, the Cats have a 6% probability of winning (14-42) over the Terriers.
According to Massey, Western Carolina should be 1-6 after this game. I'm going to agree on the possible loss in Spartanburg.

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