2026 SoCon Football Preview: Wofford is No Longer an FCS Nomad
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| Wofford Quarterback JT Fayard Helped Turnaround Wofford's Fortunes in 2025 |
WOFFORD TERRIERS
Head Coach: Shawn Watson (16-25/5th Yr)
Offensive Coordinator: Co-Offensive Coordinator Lane Knost/Co-Offensive Coordinator Corey Woods
Defensive Coordinator: Mitch Doolittle
2025 Record: 6-6, 4-4 SoCon/T-3rd
2026 Projected Finish: No. 7 in SoCon Coaches Poll/No. 2 by FCS Nation
Home Facility: Gibbs Stadium (13,000)
All-Time Record at Gibbs Stadium: 108-54/31st Season)
Starters Returning/Lost Offense: 8/3
Starters Returning/Lost Defense: 4/7
Basic Offensive Scheme: Pro Spread
Basic Defensive Scheme: Multiple/3-4
Key Returnees Offense: QB JT Fayard; WR Ivory Aikens; WR Terrence Honeywood; RB Gerald Modest (Preseason Second-Team All-SoCon Selection); WR Anjuan Coleman Jr; OL Reggie Houston (Preseason Second-Team All-SoCon selection); WR Isaiah Scott; OL Clayton Hixon; QB Ethan Drumm; OL J’Vion Lindsey; WR Colby Alexander; OL Landon Harris; TE Matt Flanders; TE Jaden Fowler; OL Dillon Porter
Key Losses Offense: OL Luke Moise (transferred to New Mexico State); WR CJ Adams (out of eligibility); QB Jayden Whitaker (entered transfer portal); OL Mason Howard (transferred to UConn); RB Ihson Jackson-Anderson (transferred to Western Illinois/Second Team All-SoCon pick in ’25); OL Quincy Hughes (Second-Team All-SoCon selection in ’25/out of eligibility)
Key Returnees Defense: DB Eli Campbell (Preseason First-Team All-SoCon selection); LB Wyatt Ward (Preseason Second-Team All-SoCon selection); DL Ramon McCollough (Preseason Second-Team All-SoCon selection); LB Elijah Washington; LB Kade Moleador; LB Javario Tinch; LB Tyce Donnelly; DL Nicholas Mathious; LB Alijah Williams; DB Zayd Rogan; DB Perrin Ketchin; DB Cole Walker; DB Jacobi Hatter; DB J’Vion Luster
Key Losses Defense: DB Maximus Pulley (out of eligibility; First-Team All-SoCon selection/AFCA and Walter Camp All-America selection in ’25/Currently in camp with the Philadelphia Eagles); DL Brandon Maina (out of eligibility/First-Team All-SoCon selection in ‘25); DB CJ Coombes (transferred to North Texas); DB Darius Malcolm Jr. (transferred to Memphis/Second-Team All-SoCon selection in ’25); LB Benny Radicia (out of eligibility)
Key Transfer Portal Additions: PK Cillian Bonner (North Greenville); DL Matthew Fernandez (Hudson Valley CC); DL Esom Nnajiofor (Liberty); DL Joseph Polite (West Georgia); OL Moritz Schmoranzer (Appalachian State); WR Cameron Robinson (Iowa Western); DB Corey Williams (Saint Francis)
Best Quote: “When we kind broke through last season was when JT [Fayard] stepped in and we always kind of knew we had a great defense and Mitch [Doolittle] and the defensive staff did awesome and when the offense came through and started clicking JT helped us really realize our wide receivers and that sort of opened everything up for us offensively and that’s probably the most talented group on our football team is the wide receiver room and those guys getting involved helped open up the run game and that opened up the play-action and run-action passes and then we really took off…JT really did a great job of understanding his role in our offense and maximizing it.”
--Wofford head coach Shawn Watson at SoCon Media Day 2026 (July 21, 2026)
Terriers ’26 Outlook
Nomads No More!
Wofford head coach Shawn Watson and the Terriers had a breakthrough towards the middle part of the season, and the fruits of the long labor and tireless work to get this program back to the top of the SoCon as a regular title contender again hasn’t been easy. That’s how much damage had been done in such a short amount of time in the Josh Conklin era, which was also exacerbated by letting it go on to long, which Conklin had no part in.
For a while, it seemed like Wofford was a nomad football program and one that with some NFL Films music and a John Facenda poetic voiceover, you could have the story in a lot more glamorous and entertaining way than I can tell it through words. However, the gist of it is, Wofford has a proud tradition, but due to the way things ended during the Mike Ayers era, it has caused a disconnection between that tradition and the current state of affairs under Watson.
It's as if Watson is building this thing himself like Ayers once did. Wofford’s new identity is far different than its successful past, when we once knew it as the other wing-bone option team in the SoCon, with others like The Citadel and Georgia Southern putting their own twist on a similar base offense.
Wofford’s was much more old school, and it was a wing bone much like that run by Tubby Raymond’s bunch at Delaware in the late 1980s all the way up until the early 2000s and the arrival of KC Keeler. Wofford would face Keeler’s Blue Hens a year later on Delaware’s jaunt to one of the most dominant seasons in FCS history, as the Blue Hens won once more after beating the Terriers in the Division I-AA (now FCS) semifinals in what was one of the most competitive games the Blue Hens had all year—a 24-9 loss in Newark—as Delaware went on to claim the ’03 title in resounding fashion, with a 43-0 win over Colgate.
Getting back to the brink of a national title caliber program has always been the goal, even in down years at Wofford, but with Ayers there was that old sense of “old reliable” and by that I mean that “old reliable” offense.
Someone watching Wofford’s offense in the present wouldn’t even likely recognize it was the same program if it weren’t for the uniforms. Wofford’s disconnect from its former self has been more because of a complete overhaul of system, culture and players, but the standard that Ayers helped establish has never changed.
Wofford is still a proud program, and the road to recovery has been multi-faceted, and perhaps its needed to exercise some patience along the way, and that’s one thing the administration has definitely gotten right with Watson, giving him time to help mold this program into a different looking form of its former title-winning self. That’s just the offense though. Where Wofford has looked most like its former self is on the defensive side of the football, where the Terriers ranked tops in the league last season (350.8 YPG), as well as ranking 40th nationally last season in total defense.
While Wofford’s offense has morphed into a more pass-oriented attack on offense these days, its defense has stayed true to the fundamental toughness and grit that made it such a force during the Mike Ayers era under the leadership of defensive coordinator Nate Woody.
After starting the 2025 campaign with an 0-5 mark, with four of those losses coming to FCS foes by a total of eight points, the Terriers proceeded to find an offense along the way for the second half of the season, winning six of their final seven games to finish in a tie for third in the Southern Conference regular-season standings.
The other component that helped account for such a remarkable turnaround was quarterback JT Fayard returning at just the right time from injury, as he would start the final seven games of the season, leading the Terriers to a 6-1 mark in those starts. His only loss in a start came on the road, which was a 14-10 setback at East Tennessee State.
The Terriers, who started the season 0-5, and four of those losses came by a combined eight points.
Wofford started the season on the road at South Carolina State, and while the offense struggled most of the night, the Terriers came up just short in Orangeburg, and while their defense did enough to keep them in it, it was three missed field goals, including a 42-yarder that would have won the game, which proved to be the Terriers' ultimate demise, dropping what was a 16-15 contest to the Bulldogs to open the 2025 season.
The Terriers offense was anemic, mustering just 135 yards in the game, as South Carolina State held a commanding 408-135. Wofford's points in the game came via an 89-yard kickoff return and a blocked punt recovered for a touchdown, as Wofford could never gain any traction the entire evening with Jayden Whitaker at the controls of the offense.
Wofford is still a proud program, and the road to recovery has been multi-faceted, and perhaps its needed to exercise some patience along the way, and that’s one thing the administration has definitely gotten right with Watson, giving him time to help mold this program into a different looking form of its former title-winning self. That’s just the offense though. Where Wofford has looked most like its former self is on the defensive side of the football, where the Terriers ranked tops in the league last season (350.8 YPG), as well as ranking 40th nationally last season in total defense.
While Wofford’s offense has morphed into a more pass-oriented attack on offense these days, its defense has stayed true to the fundamental toughness and grit that made it such a force during the Mike Ayers era under the leadership of defensive coordinator Nate Woody.
After starting the 2025 campaign with an 0-5 mark, with four of those losses coming to FCS foes by a total of eight points, the Terriers proceeded to find an offense along the way for the second half of the season, winning six of their final seven games to finish in a tie for third in the Southern Conference regular-season standings.
Wofford’s lone loss over the final stretch of play was a 14-10 defensive struggle in Johnson City against East Tennessee State. A big key to that success was quarterback JT Fayard under center, and he is one of only two returning starters in the SoCon under center this fall, with The Citadel’s Quentin Hayes being the other.
For me, it came as a shock on media day to see the coaches pick Wofford seventh overall in the league after such a strong finish a year ago. The team that beat Norfolk State and a solid Furman team in mid-October had clearly found their offense and their quarterback, and with Fayard back and the most collective returning starters of any team in the league (13), that kind of thing should held a little more weight.
For me, it came as a shock on media day to see the coaches pick Wofford seventh overall in the league after such a strong finish a year ago. The team that beat Norfolk State and a solid Furman team in mid-October had clearly found their offense and their quarterback, and with Fayard back and the most collective returning starters of any team in the league (13), that kind of thing should held a little more weight.
However, it is just a preseason poll, but I’ve been really high on this group since I saw how they played the second half of last season and I expect them to far exceed the preseason coaches’ poll expectations of seventh overall.
Every year at media day, I enjoy my conversations with coach Shawn Watson, and it’s easy to see why he’s the right guy for Wofford. He’s not Mike Ayers and no other coach will ever mean what he did to Wofford, but Watson is building a culture at Wofford in which a new foundation of winning is being built and the Terrier football program is no longer a nomad in a foreign land trying to find its way back to identity.
2025 Recap
Perhaps no team in FCS football had the type of in-season turnaround that the Wofford Terriers did, and when the Terriers started the 2025 campaign 0-5, few could have seen the team rallying to finish 6-6 overall and post a winning mark in conference play, finishing 5-3 in league action.
The Terriers, who were under the direction of fourth-year head coach, are finally starting to show some signs of returning to some of the glory years the program enjoyed mostly under Mike Ayers and for at least the first two seasons with Josh Conklin leading the program.
It hasn't been easy to get back to a .500 season. In fact, the six overall wins, which includes five in league play, are the most for the Old Gold and Black in a season since2019, when Wofford went 8-4 overall and 7-1 in league play to capture a third-straight SoCon gridiron title.
One element that Watson has really been able to maintain over the past three seasons is a consistently strong defense, and in 2025, the Terriers finished out the campaign with a unit that finished up ranking 40th in the nation in total defense (350.8 YPG), as well as completing the campaign ranking fourth in scoring defense (17.2 PPG).
It was the main ingredient that not only saw the Terriers exceed the preseason prognostications of seventh by the league's head coaches by three spots in the standings, but also it was the main component that allowed Wofford to turn its season on a dime and finish in such drastically different fashion than it started the campaign.
Every year at media day, I enjoy my conversations with coach Shawn Watson, and it’s easy to see why he’s the right guy for Wofford. He’s not Mike Ayers and no other coach will ever mean what he did to Wofford, but Watson is building a culture at Wofford in which a new foundation of winning is being built and the Terrier football program is no longer a nomad in a foreign land trying to find its way back to identity.
2025 Recap
Perhaps no team in FCS football had the type of in-season turnaround that the Wofford Terriers did, and when the Terriers started the 2025 campaign 0-5, few could have seen the team rallying to finish 6-6 overall and post a winning mark in conference play, finishing 5-3 in league action.
The Terriers, who were under the direction of fourth-year head coach, are finally starting to show some signs of returning to some of the glory years the program enjoyed mostly under Mike Ayers and for at least the first two seasons with Josh Conklin leading the program.
It hasn't been easy to get back to a .500 season. In fact, the six overall wins, which includes five in league play, are the most for the Old Gold and Black in a season since2019, when Wofford went 8-4 overall and 7-1 in league play to capture a third-straight SoCon gridiron title.
One element that Watson has really been able to maintain over the past three seasons is a consistently strong defense, and in 2025, the Terriers finished out the campaign with a unit that finished up ranking 40th in the nation in total defense (350.8 YPG), as well as completing the campaign ranking fourth in scoring defense (17.2 PPG).
It was the main ingredient that not only saw the Terriers exceed the preseason prognostications of seventh by the league's head coaches by three spots in the standings, but also it was the main component that allowed Wofford to turn its season on a dime and finish in such drastically different fashion than it started the campaign.
The other component that helped account for such a remarkable turnaround was quarterback JT Fayard returning at just the right time from injury, as he would start the final seven games of the season, leading the Terriers to a 6-1 mark in those starts. His only loss in a start came on the road, which was a 14-10 setback at East Tennessee State.
The Terriers, who started the season 0-5, and four of those losses came by a combined eight points.
Wofford started the season on the road at South Carolina State, and while the offense struggled most of the night, the Terriers came up just short in Orangeburg, and while their defense did enough to keep them in it, it was three missed field goals, including a 42-yarder that would have won the game, which proved to be the Terriers' ultimate demise, dropping what was a 16-15 contest to the Bulldogs to open the 2025 season.
The Terriers offense was anemic, mustering just 135 yards in the game, as South Carolina State held a commanding 408-135. Wofford's points in the game came via an 89-yard kickoff return and a blocked punt recovered for a touchdown, as Wofford could never gain any traction the entire evening with Jayden Whitaker at the controls of the offense.
In fact, Whitaker finished just 6-for-21 passing for 56 yards and was sacked three times. SC State's Stubblefield, meanwhile, finished the night splitting time with Willaim Atkins IV under center for the Bulldogs. Atkins IV completed the contest connecting on 19-of-34 passes for 181 yards, while Stubblefield went 10-for-17 for 128 yards and one score, as the Bulldogs completed the season opener with 309 yards through the air.
By ground, things weren't much better, as Wofford finished the night with just 79 rushing yards on 30 attempts, averaging 2.6 yard-per-rush. Ihson Jackson-Anderson and Gerald Modest Jr. both finished with seven rushes for 27 yards to lead the Terrier ground game.
By ground, things weren't much better, as Wofford finished the night with just 79 rushing yards on 30 attempts, averaging 2.6 yard-per-rush. Ihson Jackson-Anderson and Gerald Modest Jr. both finished with seven rushes for 27 yards to lead the Terrier ground game.
SC State didn't fare all that much better on the ground, completing the contest with 99 yards on 40 rush attempts, averaging 2.5 yards-per-attempt. KZ Adams led the Bulldogs' ground-gaining efforts by finishing the game with 39 yards on 14 attempts.
As woeful as Wofford was on offense, the kicking game was much worse. In fact, three missed field goals most assuredly cost the Terriers the football game. By contrast, South Carolina State went 3-for-4 on its field goal attempts in the game, converting from 33, 41 and 25 yards out, with the lone miss in the game coming from 48 yards. Wofford freshman Conner Deviney missed all three attempts more than 40 yards in distance. Deviney missed from 48, 44 and 49 yards, respectively.
Under Shawn Watson, Wofford's defense has been solid, however, it's the offense that has yet to find its tracking entering his third full season as the head coach. Some of that is due to quarterback stability, with Amari Odom's saga playing out as it did.
As woeful as Wofford was on offense, the kicking game was much worse. In fact, three missed field goals most assuredly cost the Terriers the football game. By contrast, South Carolina State went 3-for-4 on its field goal attempts in the game, converting from 33, 41 and 25 yards out, with the lone miss in the game coming from 48 yards. Wofford freshman Conner Deviney missed all three attempts more than 40 yards in distance. Deviney missed from 48, 44 and 49 yards, respectively.
Under Shawn Watson, Wofford's defense has been solid, however, it's the offense that has yet to find its tracking entering his third full season as the head coach. Some of that is due to quarterback stability, with Amari Odom's saga playing out as it did.
When he was injured last season, the numbers for the Terriers really took a nose-dive statistically, and now this season, since leaving Wofford, Odom transferred to Kennesaw State and now is not even playing. Odom was beaten out for the starting job with the Owls by Dexter Williams II and currently is the third-string quarterback for the Owls.
Wofford's struggles offensively against the Bulldogs can be summed up by just looking at third down efficiency. The Terriers finished their evening in Orangeburg going just 4-for-15 on third down, which when you struggle like that in crucial situations, it overwhelming leads to negative outcomes.
The 143 yards of total offense in the 2025 season opener against the Bulldogs marked the lowest total output by Wofford in terms of total offense since the 2023 season opener against Pittsburgh, as the Terriers posted just 126 total yards on only 36 plays in the 45-7 setback to their ACC opposition.
Defensive lineman Brandon Maiana was a definite bright spot for Wofford on an otherwise dismal season-opener, posting seven tackles and two sacks, with one of those sacks resulting in Wofford points, as he sacked SC State quarterback Ryan Stubblefield in the end zone for a safety to give the Terriers a 15-9 lead with just over nine minutes remaining.
Next up for the Terriers was a battle against the Richmond Spiders, who now played their Saturday football in a new conference, competing regularly in the Patriot League.
In a matchup between an old SoCon member and a newer one, it was the Spiders that would come away with the spoils, avenging last season's 26-19 defeat at the hands of Terriers at UR Stadium, the Spiders enjoyed a 14-10 win at Gibbs Stadium to even the score and take a 2-1 all-time series lead against.
Wofford's lone score of the evening came from its defense, as CJ Coombes picked off a Richmond pass and returned it 72 yards for a score, tying the game 7-7 as time expired in the opening quarter.
In a game that was offensively challenged for both teams, it would be the Spiders that would eventually come out on top, avenging last year's home defeat to the Terriers, with a 14-10 win over Wofford to bring an end to another tough Saturday for the league as a whole.
As far as the game was concerned, neither team reached 300 yards of total offense, with Wofford failing to reach 200 yards total offense for a second week in a row. After struggling to gain 135 yards in the season-opening road loss at South Carolina State.
Defensive lineman Brandon Maiana was a definite bright spot for Wofford on an otherwise dismal season-opener, posting seven tackles and two sacks, with one of those sacks resulting in Wofford points, as he sacked SC State quarterback Ryan Stubblefield in the end zone for a safety to give the Terriers a 15-9 lead with just over nine minutes remaining.
Next up for the Terriers was a battle against the Richmond Spiders, who now played their Saturday football in a new conference, competing regularly in the Patriot League.
In a matchup between an old SoCon member and a newer one, it was the Spiders that would come away with the spoils, avenging last season's 26-19 defeat at the hands of Terriers at UR Stadium, the Spiders enjoyed a 14-10 win at Gibbs Stadium to even the score and take a 2-1 all-time series lead against.
Wofford's lone score of the evening came from its defense, as CJ Coombes picked off a Richmond pass and returned it 72 yards for a score, tying the game 7-7 as time expired in the opening quarter.
In a game that was offensively challenged for both teams, it would be the Spiders that would eventually come out on top, avenging last year's home defeat to the Terriers, with a 14-10 win over Wofford to bring an end to another tough Saturday for the league as a whole.
As far as the game was concerned, neither team reached 300 yards of total offense, with Wofford failing to reach 200 yards total offense for a second week in a row. After struggling to gain 135 yards in the season-opening road loss at South Carolina State.
The Terrier offense, which has yet to settle on a starter under center, finished with 23 more yards this week, gaining 158 yards of total offense in week two. They say the most improvement occurs from week one to week two...It is improvement.
The Terriers had went with Jayden Whitaker under center as the starter week one against the Bulldogs. He finished 6-for-21 for 56 yards. Whitaker also gained 11 rushing yards on 10 attempts in the opener. In week two, it was Ethan Drumm's turn under center for Wofford, and against the Spiders, he would finish 12-of-25 for 112 yards.
The scariest part for Wofford is that, of its 25 combined points this season through two games, only three of them have come from an offensive drive. The other majorly scary stat is that Wofford has yet to turn the ball over this season through eight quarters, and that has probably kept scores close, as well as the Terriers' stellar play on the defensive end.
However, the defense is eventually going to run itself ragged if the offense doesn't improve. It is almost remarkable that, despite gaining less than 300 yards of total offense (296 yds) through eight quarters of football, the Terriers have managed to lose both games to start the season against reputable FCS foes by a combined five points to open the season.
The Terriers had went with Jayden Whitaker under center as the starter week one against the Bulldogs. He finished 6-for-21 for 56 yards. Whitaker also gained 11 rushing yards on 10 attempts in the opener. In week two, it was Ethan Drumm's turn under center for Wofford, and against the Spiders, he would finish 12-of-25 for 112 yards.
The scariest part for Wofford is that, of its 25 combined points this season through two games, only three of them have come from an offensive drive. The other majorly scary stat is that Wofford has yet to turn the ball over this season through eight quarters, and that has probably kept scores close, as well as the Terriers' stellar play on the defensive end.
However, the defense is eventually going to run itself ragged if the offense doesn't improve. It is almost remarkable that, despite gaining less than 300 yards of total offense (296 yds) through eight quarters of football, the Terriers have managed to lose both games to start the season against reputable FCS foes by a combined five points to open the season.
Neither of those teams reached the 20-point plateau. A remarkable feat by the Terrier defense, which would have required only an adequate offensive effort in either of the two games to be sitting 1-1 right now, however, the Terriers are 0-2.
Wofford's lone touchdown of the evening came when CJ Coombes picked off a Kyle Wickersham pass and scampered 72 yards to tie the game, 7-7, on the final play of the opening quarter of football. The defensive battle would continue in the second quarter, and that would remain the score as the two teams entered their respective locker rooms for halftime.
The lone points of the third quarter would come a little less than four minutes into the frame, as Sam Spence connected on a 47-yard field goal to give the Terriers a 10-7 lead. That would remain the score as the two teams entered the fourth period.
However, just over half-a-minute into the final quarter of football the Spiders came up with what proved to be the game-winning points, as Wickersham called his own number, finding the end zone on a 10-yard scoring run, completing what had been a nine-play, 54-yard scoring drive.
Wofford's lone touchdown of the evening came when CJ Coombes picked off a Kyle Wickersham pass and scampered 72 yards to tie the game, 7-7, on the final play of the opening quarter of football. The defensive battle would continue in the second quarter, and that would remain the score as the two teams entered their respective locker rooms for halftime.
The lone points of the third quarter would come a little less than four minutes into the frame, as Sam Spence connected on a 47-yard field goal to give the Terriers a 10-7 lead. That would remain the score as the two teams entered the fourth period.
However, just over half-a-minute into the final quarter of football the Spiders came up with what proved to be the game-winning points, as Wickersham called his own number, finding the end zone on a 10-yard scoring run, completing what had been a nine-play, 54-yard scoring drive.
For the remainder of the night, the defensive minded Russ Huesman's Spiders did the job, looking much like the unit he helped lead as the defensive coordinator 18 years ago as the defensive coordinator at Richmond.
Huesman would of course go on to coach at Chattanooga from 2009-16, where he would go 1-2 as the head coach of the Mocs, with his lone coaching win at Gibbs Stadium other than that '07 win as UR's defensive coordinator coming during the 2015 season, as the Mocs picked up what was a resounding 31-13 win in Spartanburg. In the win, Richmond out-gained Wofford 272-158, and Spiders quarterback Kyle Wickersham finished the contest by connecting on 20-of-29 passes for 153 yards, with one touchdown and one INT.
Huesman would of course go on to coach at Chattanooga from 2009-16, where he would go 1-2 as the head coach of the Mocs, with his lone coaching win at Gibbs Stadium other than that '07 win as UR's defensive coordinator coming during the 2015 season, as the Mocs picked up what was a resounding 31-13 win in Spartanburg. In the win, Richmond out-gained Wofford 272-158, and Spiders quarterback Kyle Wickersham finished the contest by connecting on 20-of-29 passes for 153 yards, with one touchdown and one INT.
He also added a scoring run to account for both Richmond touchdown responsibilities in the contest. The Spiders improved to 2-1 against the Terriers in the all-time series. Coombes, who had that 72-yard INT return for a score, also posted five tackles and half-a-tackle-for-loss and garnered SoCon Defensive Player of the Week accolades for his efforts on this particular Saturday.
Wofford's next game took them on the road to open SoCon play, and the task at hand wouldn't be an easy one, as the Terriers faced off against preseason league favorite and defending league champion Mercer, which was still smarting from a home opening loss to Presbyterian.
Wofford's next game took them on the road to open SoCon play, and the task at hand wouldn't be an easy one, as the Terriers faced off against preseason league favorite and defending league champion Mercer, which was still smarting from a home opening loss to Presbyterian.
Despite Wofford's extremely challenged offense to open the first two games of the season, it would be the big-play offense of the Terriers, particularly in the passing game, which would allow them to keep pace with the reigning champions the entire evening.
The Bears claimed the 22-21 win over a Wofford team that continues to improve as the season progresses. The Terriers have now lost three games by a combined six points, as the offense continues to struggle to find its footing under a new leader under center. On the other side, Mercer had a good offensive evening in its 2025 league debut, as the Bears rolled up 470 yards of total offense en route to improving to 7-6 all-time in SoCon openers.
Mercer took an early 10-0 lead when Reice Griffith capped off a solid 73-yard scoring drive to open the scoring on their first possession of the game. On the next possession, CJ Miller would put Mercer ahead 10-0 when he capped the drive with a 3-yard scoring run to give the Bears the two-score lead with 4:47 left in the first.
The Bears claimed the 22-21 win over a Wofford team that continues to improve as the season progresses. The Terriers have now lost three games by a combined six points, as the offense continues to struggle to find its footing under a new leader under center. On the other side, Mercer had a good offensive evening in its 2025 league debut, as the Bears rolled up 470 yards of total offense en route to improving to 7-6 all-time in SoCon openers.
Mercer took an early 10-0 lead when Reice Griffith capped off a solid 73-yard scoring drive to open the scoring on their first possession of the game. On the next possession, CJ Miller would put Mercer ahead 10-0 when he capped the drive with a 3-yard scoring run to give the Bears the two-score lead with 4:47 left in the first.
Wofford would get on the board late in the second quarter, and after nearly 10 quarters without an offensive touchdown to start the season, the Terriers finally had a breakthrough, as Ivory Aikens hauled in an 80-yard scoring strike from Ethan Drumm to make it a 10-7 game with 3:31 remaining in the half.
Mercer responded, however, using a late 40-yard field goal by Griffith as time expired in the opening half, giving the Bears the 13-7 lead at the break. The field goal was set up by freshman quarterback Braden Atkinson, who was making his first start for the Bears, connected on a beautifully thrown 32-yard pass to a wide-open Kendall Harris to set up the final points of the opening half.
In the second half, the Terriers would use their second big pass play to take what would be their first lead of the night, as Ethan Drumm connected with Isaiah Scott on a 50-yard scoring strike to make it a 14-13 Terrier lead a little less than two minutes into the second half.
The Terriers would then come up with more points, thanks in large part to their opportunistic defense, as defensive back Eli Campbell picked off a Atkinson offering and returned 53 yards before being brought down at the Mercer 10. It would eventually set up Drumm's third scoring strike of the night, as he found true freshman wideout CJ Adams streaking across the middle of the end zone for a 7-yard scoring strike, giving the Terriers the eight-point, 21-13, lead with 10:46 remaining in the third.
Mercer responded, however, using a late 40-yard field goal by Griffith as time expired in the opening half, giving the Bears the 13-7 lead at the break. The field goal was set up by freshman quarterback Braden Atkinson, who was making his first start for the Bears, connected on a beautifully thrown 32-yard pass to a wide-open Kendall Harris to set up the final points of the opening half.
In the second half, the Terriers would use their second big pass play to take what would be their first lead of the night, as Ethan Drumm connected with Isaiah Scott on a 50-yard scoring strike to make it a 14-13 Terrier lead a little less than two minutes into the second half.
The Terriers would then come up with more points, thanks in large part to their opportunistic defense, as defensive back Eli Campbell picked off a Atkinson offering and returned 53 yards before being brought down at the Mercer 10. It would eventually set up Drumm's third scoring strike of the night, as he found true freshman wideout CJ Adams streaking across the middle of the end zone for a 7-yard scoring strike, giving the Terriers the eight-point, 21-13, lead with 10:46 remaining in the third.
Griffith would tack on his third trifecta of the night, converting from 44 yards out to cut Wofford's lead to five, at 21-16, on the ensuing drive, and did so with just under seven minutes remaining in the frame. The 44-yard conversion by Griffith tied a career-long.
The Bears then took over the ball late in the third quarter and would end up getting what would prove to be the final points of the night, which also proved to ultimately be the game-winning points. CJ Miller scampered into the end zone from six yards out with 14:02 remaining to give the Bears a 22-21 lead.
The Bears then took over the ball late in the third quarter and would end up getting what would prove to be the final points of the night, which also proved to ultimately be the game-winning points. CJ Miller scampered into the end zone from six yards out with 14:02 remaining to give the Bears a 22-21 lead.
The two-point conversion attempt, however, failed. The Bears' defense would do enough down the stretch to preserve the one-point win over the Terriers, with sophomore and preseason SoCon Defensive Player of the Year Andrew Zock having a lot to do with that, as he posted eight tackles and matched a school record with his 4.5 tackles-for-loss in the game.
Atkinson was stellar in his first start for the Bears, finishing the contest with 316 yards, a touchdown and two INTs on 26-of-36 passing in the game. His effort helped the Bears post a dominating 463-293 advantage in total offense, including snapping the ball 34 more times than Wofford (82-48).
Atkinson was stellar in his first start for the Bears, finishing the contest with 316 yards, a touchdown and two INTs on 26-of-36 passing in the game. His effort helped the Bears post a dominating 463-293 advantage in total offense, including snapping the ball 34 more times than Wofford (82-48).
The Bears also dominated the time of possession, using a near 18-minute advantage in overall time of possession (38:54-21:06). In the losing effort, Wofford was led by Drumm, who finished the night 7-of-17 passing for 175 yards and three scores. Mercer increased its lead in the all-time series on the gridiron with Wofford to 11-7 by taking its fifth-straight win over the Terriers.
At 0-3 overall and 0-1 in league play, the Terriers stepped out of league play and up a level to take on power conference member Virginia Tech, which was also looking for its first win of the season.
Additionally, the Hokies were also under the direction of an interim head coach, Phillip Montgomery, who was able to help the Hokies improve to 1-3 on the season with a decisive 38-6 win over Wofford.
The Hokies raced out to a 21-0 second quarter lead following a pair opening half touchdown passes from quarterback Kyron Drones and one touchdown run from Brayden Bennett, eventually settling for a 21-3 halftime lead after a 43-yard field goal from Sam Spence with 43 seconds remaining in the half.
The Hokies got a 3-yard scoring run from Bennett with 26 seconds remaining in the opening quarter for the only points of the opening quarter before following that up with a 19-yard scoring connection from Drones to Devin Alves with just under 12 minutes to play in the half to make it a 14-0 game. Drones added an 18-yard scoring strike to Ayden Greene with 6:24 left in the half, taking a 21-0 lead. Spence's long field goal for the Terriers meant the Hokies sported an 18-point lead at the break.
The Hokies tacked on 10 more points in the third quarter, as John Love connected on a 20-yard field goal and Drones called his own number to score on a 1-yard plunge with 1:08 left in the third quarter to make it a 31-3 Hokies lead.
After Spence connected on his second field of the contest, which came from 42 yards out this time around with 13:18 left, making it a 31-6 game, the Hokies would tack on their final score of the game when Drones capped a six-play, 65-yard drive with a 2-yard scoring plunge to set the final score, at 38-6.
The Terriers stepped back into SoCon play a week later, returning home to face another of the league title favorites, in the Western Carolina Catamounts and electrifying Walter Payton Award candidate quarterback Taron Dickens, who was playing in just his third game of the season due to being suspended for the opening three games of the season.
At 0-3 overall and 0-1 in league play, the Terriers stepped out of league play and up a level to take on power conference member Virginia Tech, which was also looking for its first win of the season.
Additionally, the Hokies were also under the direction of an interim head coach, Phillip Montgomery, who was able to help the Hokies improve to 1-3 on the season with a decisive 38-6 win over Wofford.
The Hokies raced out to a 21-0 second quarter lead following a pair opening half touchdown passes from quarterback Kyron Drones and one touchdown run from Brayden Bennett, eventually settling for a 21-3 halftime lead after a 43-yard field goal from Sam Spence with 43 seconds remaining in the half.
The Hokies got a 3-yard scoring run from Bennett with 26 seconds remaining in the opening quarter for the only points of the opening quarter before following that up with a 19-yard scoring connection from Drones to Devin Alves with just under 12 minutes to play in the half to make it a 14-0 game. Drones added an 18-yard scoring strike to Ayden Greene with 6:24 left in the half, taking a 21-0 lead. Spence's long field goal for the Terriers meant the Hokies sported an 18-point lead at the break.
The Hokies tacked on 10 more points in the third quarter, as John Love connected on a 20-yard field goal and Drones called his own number to score on a 1-yard plunge with 1:08 left in the third quarter to make it a 31-3 Hokies lead.
After Spence connected on his second field of the contest, which came from 42 yards out this time around with 13:18 left, making it a 31-6 game, the Hokies would tack on their final score of the game when Drones capped a six-play, 65-yard drive with a 2-yard scoring plunge to set the final score, at 38-6.
The Terriers stepped back into SoCon play a week later, returning home to face another of the league title favorites, in the Western Carolina Catamounts and electrifying Walter Payton Award candidate quarterback Taron Dickens, who was playing in just his third game of the season due to being suspended for the opening three games of the season.
Dickens wouldn't show any rust, in fact, setting a new NCAA record for consecutive completions, as he connected on his first 46 throws of the day and would lead Western Carolina to a hard-fought 23-21 road win over the Terriers.
Dickens' 37th-straight pass connection against Wofford made him the all divisions record holder, as that previous mark was held by former East Carolina quarterback Dominique Davis, who connected on 36-straight passes spanning two games, with the final 26 coming in the Pirates' 38-35 win over Navy back in 2011. He had also completed his final 10 passes a week earlier in a game against Memphis.
Dickens' 37th-straight pass connection against Wofford made him the all divisions record holder, as that previous mark was held by former East Carolina quarterback Dominique Davis, who connected on 36-straight passes spanning two games, with the final 26 coming in the Pirates' 38-35 win over Navy back in 2011. He had also completed his final 10 passes a week earlier in a game against Memphis.
Dickens' mark, however, shattered that mark held by the former Pirates quarterback, setting the new standard for all divisions at 14 more completions.
All told, Dickens' 53-of-56 passing effort in the win over Wofford saw him set another NCAA record, with a 94.6 completion percentage in the win over the Terriers. The Catamounts needed a 34-yard game-winning field goal with just 23 seconds remaining to take a two-points, 23-21, lead and on the ensuing kickoff, Wofford fumbled the football, as Isaiah Scott had the ball dislodged by WCU's Julian Quintero and then it was subsequently recovered by Armond Anderson of the Catamounts at the Wofford 25.
All told, Dickens' 53-of-56 passing effort in the win over Wofford saw him set another NCAA record, with a 94.6 completion percentage in the win over the Terriers. The Catamounts needed a 34-yard game-winning field goal with just 23 seconds remaining to take a two-points, 23-21, lead and on the ensuing kickoff, Wofford fumbled the football, as Isaiah Scott had the ball dislodged by WCU's Julian Quintero and then it was subsequently recovered by Armond Anderson of the Catamounts at the Wofford 25.
That allowed the Catamounts to breathe easily for the first time all day, as Dickens took a knee to run out the remaining time off the clock.
What's wild is despite Western Carolina's complete domination of pretty much every statistical category, the Catamounts needed Marcus Trout's 34-yard game-winning field goal to get out of Spartanburg with the win.
What's wild is despite Western Carolina's complete domination of pretty much every statistical category, the Catamounts needed Marcus Trout's 34-yard game-winning field goal to get out of Spartanburg with the win.
The Catamounts out-gained Wofford 466-241 in total offense, while also holding huge advantages in the following categories: first downs (31-8), rushing yards (88 32), passing yards (378-209), plays (93-37), and time of possession (38:46-21:14). The wildest statistical edges are having the ball for better than 17 minutes longer than Wofford, while snapping the ball 56 more times than Wofford in the game, and yet the game was still in doubt late into the fourth quarter.
Wofford, though, averaged better than 20.9 yards per pass completion, while Western Carolina averaged just 7.1 yards-per-completion. Those stats alone are revealing, as well, as it shows the Terriers were trying to keep the play in front of them and were worried about Western's overall speed and athleticism at receiver. According to the game stats, WCU's was only averaging 6.8 yards-per-pass-attempt, while Wofford averaged 11.6 yards-per-pass-attempt.
Wofford's gameplan to keep the Catamounts from making the big play in the passing game ultimately backfired, while also allowing the Catamounts to take the yardage they were being given, and in turn, with a passer as accurate as Dickens in fact is, allowed him to have a record-setting day for consecutive connections.
Wofford, though, averaged better than 20.9 yards per pass completion, while Western Carolina averaged just 7.1 yards-per-completion. Those stats alone are revealing, as well, as it shows the Terriers were trying to keep the play in front of them and were worried about Western's overall speed and athleticism at receiver. According to the game stats, WCU's was only averaging 6.8 yards-per-pass-attempt, while Wofford averaged 11.6 yards-per-pass-attempt.
Wofford's gameplan to keep the Catamounts from making the big play in the passing game ultimately backfired, while also allowing the Catamounts to take the yardage they were being given, and in turn, with a passer as accurate as Dickens in fact is, allowed him to have a record-setting day for consecutive connections.
Wofford would get on the board first in the game Ihson Anderson hauled in a 49-yard pass from quarterback Jayden Whitaker, giving the Terriers the early 6-0 lead and after Whitaker found Blake Shirley on a two-point conversion toss to extend the lead to 8-0 with 11:26 remaining in the quarter.
From there, Western Carolina offered a response on the ensuing possession, as you might imagine when averaging only 7.1 yards-per-pass-play and 5.0 yards-per-play overall, the Catamounts launched their first of four double-digit scoring drives.
From there, Western Carolina offered a response on the ensuing possession, as you might imagine when averaging only 7.1 yards-per-pass-play and 5.0 yards-per-play overall, the Catamounts launched their first of four double-digit scoring drives.
The Catamounts used 14 plays and almost an entire six minutes off the game clock before Dickens found wideout James Tyre on a 2-yard scoring toss to bring WCU to within a point, at 8-7, following Trout's PAT with 5:29 remaining in the first quarter.
The Catamounts would take their first lead of the contest late in the opening half, as Dickens capped a 13-play, 73-yard drive when he tossed his second scoring pass of the day to Tyre, which this time covered five yards, and gave the Catamounts a six-point edge, at 14-8, with 3:40 remaining in the opening half
With the ball back and a chance to cushion its lead to double digits before the break, the Terriers defense ultimately came up with a big stop on third down, as the Catamounts were flagged for an illegal touch pass on 3rd-and-8 and were forced to punt the ball back over to the Terriers with a little less than a minute remaining in the opening half.
With the ball back and a chance to cushion its lead to double digits before the break, the Terriers defense ultimately came up with a big stop on third down, as the Catamounts were flagged for an illegal touch pass on 3rd-and-8 and were forced to punt the ball back over to the Terriers with a little less than a minute remaining in the opening half.
However, Wofford's Isaiah Scott returned Stephen Brantley's punt 66 yards for a touchdown with just 44 seconds left in the half to give the Terriers the lead back, allowing Wofford to take the momentum into the halftime locker room and 15-14 lead following Sam Spence's PAT. Dickens had finished the opening half of football at Gibbs Stadium having connected on all 27 of his passes for 183 yards and a pair of scores.
The fireworks in the second half wouldn't begin until late on in the third quarter. After Wofford, which has been plagued by problems in the kicking game all season, missed a 32-yard field goal that could have seen the Terriers extend their lead to four with just over six minutes left in the frame, and the Catamount offense would get the ball back and put points on the board late in the third quarter.
Dickens engineered an 11-play, 78-yard drive that consumed 5:06 off the game clock and culminated with his third scoring pass to Tyre of the day, as he found the freshman wideout 4-yard scoring pass to allow WCU to pull back in front at 20-15 with 45 seconds remaining in the quarter.
The fireworks in the second half wouldn't begin until late on in the third quarter. After Wofford, which has been plagued by problems in the kicking game all season, missed a 32-yard field goal that could have seen the Terriers extend their lead to four with just over six minutes left in the frame, and the Catamount offense would get the ball back and put points on the board late in the third quarter.
Dickens engineered an 11-play, 78-yard drive that consumed 5:06 off the game clock and culminated with his third scoring pass to Tyre of the day, as he found the freshman wideout 4-yard scoring pass to allow WCU to pull back in front at 20-15 with 45 seconds remaining in the quarter.
The Catamounts' two-point conversion attempt, however, failed leaving the advantage at five points instead of six. Just 15 seconds later, however, Wofford would restore its lead when Whitaker found Ivory Aikens on an 83-yard scoring strike to give the Terriers a 21-20 lead with 29 seconds remaining, however, Wofford's two-point conversion attempt was no-good, leaving Wofford with the narrowest of leads.
After netting three first downs and then facing a 3rd-and-3 play at the Wofford 15 early in the fourth quarter, Dickens' pass intended for tight end Brayden Blackmon fell incomplete, marking his first incompletion of the game and brought an end to record-setting passing streak at 46-consecutive completions.
After netting three first downs and then facing a 3rd-and-3 play at the Wofford 15 early in the fourth quarter, Dickens' pass intended for tight end Brayden Blackmon fell incomplete, marking his first incompletion of the game and brought an end to record-setting passing streak at 46-consecutive completions.
With the drive having stalled, WCU head coach Kerwin Bell opted to call on freshman Marcus Trout to attempt a 32-yard field goal. However, it was blocked by Wofford's Seth Foster and the Terriers preserved their narrow one-point advantage.
Wofford then put together its most positive offensive drive of the afternoon, moving 46 yard in nine plays, and taking some much-needed time off the clock. After reaching the Catamount 29-yard line, which was just out of field goal range, the Terrier offense stayed on the field for the fourth down conversion attempt. However, WCU's Justin Wallace broke through to sack Whitaker on the fourth down play, forcing the Terriers to turn the ball over on downs.
With the ball back in its possession, Dickens and Catamount offense put together a drive that would ultimately yield the game-winning points. Dickens and the Catamount offense used 16 plays, which included three third down conversions and one fourth down conversion on a pass completion to freshman tight end Josiah Thomas to get within the Terrier red zone. After reaching the Terrier 10, however, the Catamounts faced another crucial fourth down and with the game inside a minute remaining.
Wofford then put together its most positive offensive drive of the afternoon, moving 46 yard in nine plays, and taking some much-needed time off the clock. After reaching the Catamount 29-yard line, which was just out of field goal range, the Terrier offense stayed on the field for the fourth down conversion attempt. However, WCU's Justin Wallace broke through to sack Whitaker on the fourth down play, forcing the Terriers to turn the ball over on downs.
With the ball back in its possession, Dickens and Catamount offense put together a drive that would ultimately yield the game-winning points. Dickens and the Catamount offense used 16 plays, which included three third down conversions and one fourth down conversion on a pass completion to freshman tight end Josiah Thomas to get within the Terrier red zone. After reaching the Terrier 10, however, the Catamounts faced another crucial fourth down and with the game inside a minute remaining.
The Catamounts opted for the 29-yard field goal attempt from Trout, however, a delay of game penalty pushed the ball five yards further back from the freshman kicker. The five-yard difference was not a problem for Trout, however, as he knocked through the 34-yard attempt to give WCU a 23-21 lead with 29 seconds remaining. WCU would finish off the win by forcing a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, which was recovered by the Catamounts and Dickens took the field to take a knee in fitting fashion, capping off his record-setting afternoon in Spartanburg.
Wofford's defense had done the right thing by keeping WCU's explosive wideouts in front of them, however, unfortunately Dickens had one of those days' quarterbacks dream about.
It would have been easy for a Wofford team, which was now 0-5 overall and 0-2 in SoCon play, with two league losses by a combined three points and four losses to FCS foes by a combined eight points, for the Terriers to have mailed it in and given up and just given in to what was going to be just another tough season.
However, a week after witnessing a legendary performance from WCU's Dickens, the Terriers welcomed the legendary Michael Vick into Gibbs Stadium, as the former Virginia Tech legend was now the first-year head coach of Norfolk State, and his Spartans had won only one time in its first six games of the season, while Wofford was still hungry for its first win of the campaign. That hunger would be satisfied for the first time in 2025, as the Terriers claimed a 31-14 win over the Spartans to snap a seven-game losing skid, which dated back to the end of the 2024 season.
There was some good news for the Terriers heading into the final non-conference game in the second week of October, and that was the fact that JT Fayard was finally healthy and finally ready to lead Terriers into action for the first time in 2025. Fayard had been the best quarterback in preseason camp before suffering an injury and the former Northwestern State quarterback would begin to vitalize the Wofford offense for the first time in 2025.
With the Terriers falling behind early on a 12-yard scoring run from Elyjah Mitchell for the Spartans with 9:15 left in the opening period, it would take Fayard and the Terrier offense less than two minutes to respond, as he would find Isaiah Scott on a 22-yard scoring strike with 7:40 left in the opening quarter. Ihson Jackson-Anderson's 3-yard scoring run with 5:35 remaining in the first half were the lone points of the second quarter, and Wofford went to the locker room holding a 14-7 lead.
Early in the third quarter, however, the Spartans would tie the game, getting on the board for the first time since the opening quarter, as Kam'Ryn Thomas hauled in a 33-yard scoring pass from Otto Kuhns to make it a 14-14 game with 11:48 remaining in the third quarter.
However, from that point, it would be all Terriers, as Wofford scored the final 17 points of the day to win their first game of the 2025 season in demonstrative fashion. First, CJ Adams would haul in a 23-yard strike from Fayard to conclude a six-play, 76-yard drive to make it a 21-14 game with 2:42 left in the third.
Sam Spence opened the fourth quarter with a 41-yard fields goal, capping a mammoth 13-play, 40-yard drive to make it a 24-14 game with 9:07 remaining. Fayard then cemented Wofford's first win of the 2025 season, as he helped engineer an 11-play, 52-yard scoring drive, which was eventually capped off by a 2-yard scoring run from Gerald Modest Jr. with 1:55 left, capping the contest and setting the final margin, 31-14.
Wofford's defense had done the right thing by keeping WCU's explosive wideouts in front of them, however, unfortunately Dickens had one of those days' quarterbacks dream about.
It would have been easy for a Wofford team, which was now 0-5 overall and 0-2 in SoCon play, with two league losses by a combined three points and four losses to FCS foes by a combined eight points, for the Terriers to have mailed it in and given up and just given in to what was going to be just another tough season.
However, a week after witnessing a legendary performance from WCU's Dickens, the Terriers welcomed the legendary Michael Vick into Gibbs Stadium, as the former Virginia Tech legend was now the first-year head coach of Norfolk State, and his Spartans had won only one time in its first six games of the season, while Wofford was still hungry for its first win of the campaign. That hunger would be satisfied for the first time in 2025, as the Terriers claimed a 31-14 win over the Spartans to snap a seven-game losing skid, which dated back to the end of the 2024 season.
There was some good news for the Terriers heading into the final non-conference game in the second week of October, and that was the fact that JT Fayard was finally healthy and finally ready to lead Terriers into action for the first time in 2025. Fayard had been the best quarterback in preseason camp before suffering an injury and the former Northwestern State quarterback would begin to vitalize the Wofford offense for the first time in 2025.
With the Terriers falling behind early on a 12-yard scoring run from Elyjah Mitchell for the Spartans with 9:15 left in the opening period, it would take Fayard and the Terrier offense less than two minutes to respond, as he would find Isaiah Scott on a 22-yard scoring strike with 7:40 left in the opening quarter. Ihson Jackson-Anderson's 3-yard scoring run with 5:35 remaining in the first half were the lone points of the second quarter, and Wofford went to the locker room holding a 14-7 lead.
Early in the third quarter, however, the Spartans would tie the game, getting on the board for the first time since the opening quarter, as Kam'Ryn Thomas hauled in a 33-yard scoring pass from Otto Kuhns to make it a 14-14 game with 11:48 remaining in the third quarter.
However, from that point, it would be all Terriers, as Wofford scored the final 17 points of the day to win their first game of the 2025 season in demonstrative fashion. First, CJ Adams would haul in a 23-yard strike from Fayard to conclude a six-play, 76-yard drive to make it a 21-14 game with 2:42 left in the third.
Sam Spence opened the fourth quarter with a 41-yard fields goal, capping a mammoth 13-play, 40-yard drive to make it a 24-14 game with 9:07 remaining. Fayard then cemented Wofford's first win of the 2025 season, as he helped engineer an 11-play, 52-yard scoring drive, which was eventually capped off by a 2-yard scoring run from Gerald Modest Jr. with 1:55 left, capping the contest and setting the final margin, 31-14.
Next up for the Terriers would be the annual rivalry game with Furman, and the confidence gained from a week earlier in a non-conference win over Norfolk State would also prove beneficial to the Terriers in their meeting against arch-rival Furman, as the Terriers stepped back into league play.
For the third-straight year, Wofford would limit the Paladins to just 13 points and would also pick up a third-straight win in the series, as Wofford went on to a 31-13 win over the Paladins.
The Terriers held a narrow 329-325 edge in total yards in the game, and for most of the afternoon, had firm control of a game that would end up turning out to be their second win of the season, and first of what would be five league wins.
Wofford's revamped offense was clicking once again with JT Fayard at the controls, as he finished the contest by connecting on 18-of-25 passes for 179 yards and a pair of touchdowns, as the Terriers would use a pair of first half touchdown to Colby Alexander (hauled in a 29-yd scoring pass from Fayard in the first quarter) and a scoring toss to Terrence Honeywood (hauled in a 23-yard pass from Fayard in the 2nd quarter), as Wofford went to the half with a somewhat surprising 21-6 lead. It had arguably been the best half of the season put together by the Terriers.
Despite the fact that the Paladins would open the half with a 4-yard scoring run from Gavin Hall to get back to within eight points with just over five minutes left in the third quarter, making it a 21-13 game, the Terriers would tack on a pair of fourth quarter scores to put the game away, as Javario Tinch picked off a Trey Hedden pass and returned it 66 yards for a score, while the final points of the day would come from a 42-yard field goal by Sam Spence, setting the final margin at 18.
Last season, both Wofford and ETSU engaged in a defensive struggle at Gibbs Stadium, with the Bucs going out the victors, eventually wearing the Terriers down en route to a 24-7 win in Spartanburg. The 2025 clash would have that toughness and defensive grit to it like it had a year earlier and just like the '24 clash, the Bucs would in the end be the victor, although the score would be a lot closer.
ETSU would claim what was a 14-10 win over Wofford in a game that would see the Bucs defense hold the Terriers scoreless in the second half en route to a third-straight win in the series against the Terriers. Fayard would put together a decent afternoon passing the ball, connecting on 22-of-29 passes for 145 yards, while Gerald Modest Jr. rushed for 80 yards and Ihson Jackson added 70, as the Terriers would be held to just 307 yards of total offense on the day, as they would held in check for most of the matchup by the Bucs defensive unit.
Wofford's lone touchdown of the afternoon would come from Colby Alexander, as he scored on a 17-yard run to tie the game, 7-7, midway through the opening quarter. The Terriers' only other points in the contest would come with 8:34 remaining in the half, as Sam Spence's 34-yard field goal made it a 14-10 deficit at the break. Neither team would be able to find points in the second half, and the Bucs would hold a slight 323-307 advantage in total offense in the win. The loss would mark the only setback the Terriers would suffer the rest of the season.
It wouldn't take long for the Terriers to find their rhythm once again, as Samford paid a visit to Gibbs Stadium a week later and it would prove to be a "get right" game for the Terriers.The Wofford defense would do its part in helping the Terriers take down the Bulldogs on this afternoon, and despite the Terrier offense generating just 191 yards of total offense, despite giving up 351 yards on the day, which included 332 through the air, Wofford's defense only surrendered 16 points in what was a 26-16 win in front of almost 5,000 fans on-hand at Gibbs Stadium.
The Terriers returned two Samford passes for scores in the contest, with All-SoCon defensive back Maximus Pulley coming up with the first of the two, as he would return Charlie Gillam pass 25 yards for a score to tie the game. 7-7, with just under 10 minutes remaining in the opening quarter of play.
The touchdown return by Pulley actually answered the opening score of the day, which came from Samford, as Charlie Gilliam tossed a 2-yard scoring pass on Samford's first possession of the day to get the Bulldogs on the board first. It would turn out to be the lone advantage the Bulldogs would hold the entire afternoon.
Gerald Modest Jr. would get the Wofford offense on the board for the first time in the game, as he scored on a 5-yard run into the end zone after a Pulley pick set the Wofford offense up with great field position after an INT at the Samford 17. Modest's score gave the Terriers a 14-7 lead with 8:50 left in the opening quarter.
Samford then tacked on a Jake Garner 23-yard field goal to get the deficit back to four late in the opening quarter. Both teams were scoreless in the second quarter, and Wofford took a 14-10 lead into the half.
Early in the third quarter, Wofford's third INT of the game would result in its second pick-six of the contest, as Eli Mitchell picked off another Gilliam pass and raced 42 yards for the score to make it a 21-10 Terriers lead.
Two-straight field goals of 25 and 30 yards, respectively, got the Bulldogs back to within five points, at 21-16, with 4:13 remaining in the third quarter. Wofford finished off the win, however, with a safety from Brandon Maina with 1:01 remaining in the third quarter, as he sacked the Bulldogs quarterback in the end zone to extend the Wofford lead to 21-16.
Then in the fourth quarter, the Terriers finished off their third win of the season when Sam Spence put the finishing touches on a nine-play, 55-yard drive for Wofford by connecting on a 25-yard field goal. Wofford followed up the win over Samford by going on the road to Lexington, VA, and produced potentially its signature win of the season, as the Terriers routed VMI, 52-10, at Foster Stadium.Wofford's offense would record its top performance of the season, rolling up 507 yards of total offense, which included 375 through the air, en route to scoring a season-high 52 points. The Terriers' opportunistic defense was at it once again, forcing three VMI turnovers in the contest.
Wofford, which improved to 4-6 overall and 3-3 in SoCon action, got another big passing day from JT Fayard, who finished his afternoon by connecting on 22-of-33 passes for 365 yards and five touchdowns, while Ivory Aikens was a thorn in the side of the Keydets secondary all day, posting four catches, with three of those going for scores. Isaiah Scott finished his day with five catches for 113 yards.
The Keydets were led by quarterback Chandler Wilson, who finished with 138 passing yards.
It was VMI actually that took the lead in the game, as the Keydets used a 73-yard pass from Wilson-to-Morgan McPhaul to move the ball to the Wofford 1. Three plays later on a 4th-and-1 play, Wilson connected with Owen Sweeney for a 7-0 Keydets lead following the PAT.
From that point, it would be all Wofford, as the Terriers would score 45 unanswered points before VMI would get on the scoreboard again. Wofford starting the scoring onslaught in the second quarter when Sam Spence booted through a 24-yard field goal before Ivory Aikens added a 5-yard scoring catch to make it a 10-7 Wofford lead with 3:44 remaining in the half. That would remain the score as the two teams entered the halftime locker room.
Wofford then added five-straight touchdowns, including three of which came in the third quarter, stretching its lead to 31-7. Aikens would first haul in a 59-yard scoring strike from Fayard less than 90 seconds into the second half, giving the Terriers the 17-7 lead.
With just under six minutes remaining in the quarter, Fayard connected with Terrence Honeywood on a 6-yard strike for a 24-7 lead with 5:55 left in the third. Aikens capped the quarter with his third scoring catch of the day, hauling in an 18-yard strike from Fayard following a turnover forced by Wofford's defense to set up the Terrier offense deep in Keydets territory. Aikens score with 3:24 remaining in the third gave Wofford a 31-7 lead.
In the fourth quarter, the explosiveness from the Wofford passing attack would continue, as Isaiah Scott hauled in a 77-yard scoring strike from Fayard before Maximus Pulley intercepted his second pass of the game, returning this one 50 yards for a score and a 45-7 Wofford lead with 13:25 remaining.
VMI would finally get back on the scoreboard when Jack Joyce connected on a 30-yard field goal with 8:37 remaining to make it a 45-10 game. However, that left just enough time for one more trip to the end zone for Wofford, as Isaiah Nell put the final nail in VMI's coffin with a 14-yard scoring scamper, settling the final score, at 52-10.
Before a crowd of over 12,000 fans on-hand at Johnson-Hagood Stadium for the rivalry/homecoming contest, Wofford was able to capture a 16-14 win against its Palmetto State rival from the Low Country, The Citadel, Saturday afternoon in the battle for the 'Big Dog' trophy.
The Terriers, who held a slight advantage in total offense (369-367), raced out to a 9-0 halftime lead on a CJ Adams 11-yard scoring catch from quarterback JT Fayard, as the two-point conversion attempt failed. The lone points of the second quarter came via the right foot of Sam Spence, who knocked through a 29-yard field goal to give the Terriers a 9-0 lead with only 23 seconds left in the opening half of football.
The Bulldogs would finally get on the board midway through the third quarter, as Jihad Marks hauled in a 34-yard scoring pass from quarterback Quentin Hayes, which finally gave Bulldogs fans something to cheer about with 8:46 remaining in the third quarter.
For the third-straight year, Wofford would limit the Paladins to just 13 points and would also pick up a third-straight win in the series, as Wofford went on to a 31-13 win over the Paladins.
The Terriers held a narrow 329-325 edge in total yards in the game, and for most of the afternoon, had firm control of a game that would end up turning out to be their second win of the season, and first of what would be five league wins.
Wofford's revamped offense was clicking once again with JT Fayard at the controls, as he finished the contest by connecting on 18-of-25 passes for 179 yards and a pair of touchdowns, as the Terriers would use a pair of first half touchdown to Colby Alexander (hauled in a 29-yd scoring pass from Fayard in the first quarter) and a scoring toss to Terrence Honeywood (hauled in a 23-yard pass from Fayard in the 2nd quarter), as Wofford went to the half with a somewhat surprising 21-6 lead. It had arguably been the best half of the season put together by the Terriers.
Despite the fact that the Paladins would open the half with a 4-yard scoring run from Gavin Hall to get back to within eight points with just over five minutes left in the third quarter, making it a 21-13 game, the Terriers would tack on a pair of fourth quarter scores to put the game away, as Javario Tinch picked off a Trey Hedden pass and returned it 66 yards for a score, while the final points of the day would come from a 42-yard field goal by Sam Spence, setting the final margin at 18.
Last season, both Wofford and ETSU engaged in a defensive struggle at Gibbs Stadium, with the Bucs going out the victors, eventually wearing the Terriers down en route to a 24-7 win in Spartanburg. The 2025 clash would have that toughness and defensive grit to it like it had a year earlier and just like the '24 clash, the Bucs would in the end be the victor, although the score would be a lot closer.
ETSU would claim what was a 14-10 win over Wofford in a game that would see the Bucs defense hold the Terriers scoreless in the second half en route to a third-straight win in the series against the Terriers. Fayard would put together a decent afternoon passing the ball, connecting on 22-of-29 passes for 145 yards, while Gerald Modest Jr. rushed for 80 yards and Ihson Jackson added 70, as the Terriers would be held to just 307 yards of total offense on the day, as they would held in check for most of the matchup by the Bucs defensive unit.
Wofford's lone touchdown of the afternoon would come from Colby Alexander, as he scored on a 17-yard run to tie the game, 7-7, midway through the opening quarter. The Terriers' only other points in the contest would come with 8:34 remaining in the half, as Sam Spence's 34-yard field goal made it a 14-10 deficit at the break. Neither team would be able to find points in the second half, and the Bucs would hold a slight 323-307 advantage in total offense in the win. The loss would mark the only setback the Terriers would suffer the rest of the season.
It wouldn't take long for the Terriers to find their rhythm once again, as Samford paid a visit to Gibbs Stadium a week later and it would prove to be a "get right" game for the Terriers.The Wofford defense would do its part in helping the Terriers take down the Bulldogs on this afternoon, and despite the Terrier offense generating just 191 yards of total offense, despite giving up 351 yards on the day, which included 332 through the air, Wofford's defense only surrendered 16 points in what was a 26-16 win in front of almost 5,000 fans on-hand at Gibbs Stadium.
The Terriers returned two Samford passes for scores in the contest, with All-SoCon defensive back Maximus Pulley coming up with the first of the two, as he would return Charlie Gillam pass 25 yards for a score to tie the game. 7-7, with just under 10 minutes remaining in the opening quarter of play.
The touchdown return by Pulley actually answered the opening score of the day, which came from Samford, as Charlie Gilliam tossed a 2-yard scoring pass on Samford's first possession of the day to get the Bulldogs on the board first. It would turn out to be the lone advantage the Bulldogs would hold the entire afternoon.
Gerald Modest Jr. would get the Wofford offense on the board for the first time in the game, as he scored on a 5-yard run into the end zone after a Pulley pick set the Wofford offense up with great field position after an INT at the Samford 17. Modest's score gave the Terriers a 14-7 lead with 8:50 left in the opening quarter.
Samford then tacked on a Jake Garner 23-yard field goal to get the deficit back to four late in the opening quarter. Both teams were scoreless in the second quarter, and Wofford took a 14-10 lead into the half.
Early in the third quarter, Wofford's third INT of the game would result in its second pick-six of the contest, as Eli Mitchell picked off another Gilliam pass and raced 42 yards for the score to make it a 21-10 Terriers lead.
Two-straight field goals of 25 and 30 yards, respectively, got the Bulldogs back to within five points, at 21-16, with 4:13 remaining in the third quarter. Wofford finished off the win, however, with a safety from Brandon Maina with 1:01 remaining in the third quarter, as he sacked the Bulldogs quarterback in the end zone to extend the Wofford lead to 21-16.
Then in the fourth quarter, the Terriers finished off their third win of the season when Sam Spence put the finishing touches on a nine-play, 55-yard drive for Wofford by connecting on a 25-yard field goal. Wofford followed up the win over Samford by going on the road to Lexington, VA, and produced potentially its signature win of the season, as the Terriers routed VMI, 52-10, at Foster Stadium.Wofford's offense would record its top performance of the season, rolling up 507 yards of total offense, which included 375 through the air, en route to scoring a season-high 52 points. The Terriers' opportunistic defense was at it once again, forcing three VMI turnovers in the contest.
Wofford, which improved to 4-6 overall and 3-3 in SoCon action, got another big passing day from JT Fayard, who finished his afternoon by connecting on 22-of-33 passes for 365 yards and five touchdowns, while Ivory Aikens was a thorn in the side of the Keydets secondary all day, posting four catches, with three of those going for scores. Isaiah Scott finished his day with five catches for 113 yards.
The Keydets were led by quarterback Chandler Wilson, who finished with 138 passing yards.
It was VMI actually that took the lead in the game, as the Keydets used a 73-yard pass from Wilson-to-Morgan McPhaul to move the ball to the Wofford 1. Three plays later on a 4th-and-1 play, Wilson connected with Owen Sweeney for a 7-0 Keydets lead following the PAT.
From that point, it would be all Wofford, as the Terriers would score 45 unanswered points before VMI would get on the scoreboard again. Wofford starting the scoring onslaught in the second quarter when Sam Spence booted through a 24-yard field goal before Ivory Aikens added a 5-yard scoring catch to make it a 10-7 Wofford lead with 3:44 remaining in the half. That would remain the score as the two teams entered the halftime locker room.
Wofford then added five-straight touchdowns, including three of which came in the third quarter, stretching its lead to 31-7. Aikens would first haul in a 59-yard scoring strike from Fayard less than 90 seconds into the second half, giving the Terriers the 17-7 lead.
With just under six minutes remaining in the quarter, Fayard connected with Terrence Honeywood on a 6-yard strike for a 24-7 lead with 5:55 left in the third. Aikens capped the quarter with his third scoring catch of the day, hauling in an 18-yard strike from Fayard following a turnover forced by Wofford's defense to set up the Terrier offense deep in Keydets territory. Aikens score with 3:24 remaining in the third gave Wofford a 31-7 lead.
In the fourth quarter, the explosiveness from the Wofford passing attack would continue, as Isaiah Scott hauled in a 77-yard scoring strike from Fayard before Maximus Pulley intercepted his second pass of the game, returning this one 50 yards for a score and a 45-7 Wofford lead with 13:25 remaining.
VMI would finally get back on the scoreboard when Jack Joyce connected on a 30-yard field goal with 8:37 remaining to make it a 45-10 game. However, that left just enough time for one more trip to the end zone for Wofford, as Isaiah Nell put the final nail in VMI's coffin with a 14-yard scoring scamper, settling the final score, at 52-10.
Before a crowd of over 12,000 fans on-hand at Johnson-Hagood Stadium for the rivalry/homecoming contest, Wofford was able to capture a 16-14 win against its Palmetto State rival from the Low Country, The Citadel, Saturday afternoon in the battle for the 'Big Dog' trophy.
The Terriers, who held a slight advantage in total offense (369-367), raced out to a 9-0 halftime lead on a CJ Adams 11-yard scoring catch from quarterback JT Fayard, as the two-point conversion attempt failed. The lone points of the second quarter came via the right foot of Sam Spence, who knocked through a 29-yard field goal to give the Terriers a 9-0 lead with only 23 seconds left in the opening half of football.
The Bulldogs would finally get on the board midway through the third quarter, as Jihad Marks hauled in a 34-yard scoring pass from quarterback Quentin Hayes, which finally gave Bulldogs fans something to cheer about with 8:46 remaining in the third quarter.
However, early in the fourth quarter, the Terriers restored their nine-point advantage when Gerald Modest Jr. scored on a 2-yard run on fourth-and-goal just four seconds into the final 15 minutes of football, which concluded an impressive eight-play, 86-yard drive for Wofford, giving the Terriers the 16-7 lead.
The Bulldogs responded with an 11-yard scoring run from Quentin Hayes, which allowed The Citadel to pull within two, at 16-14, with just over five minutes remaining. The Bulldogs defense then did its job by forcing the Wofford offense into a three-and-out and a punt. With the Bulldogs having the football back in their possession, The Citadel posted a pair of first downs and one of those came on a pass interference penalty.
The Bulldogs responded with an 11-yard scoring run from Quentin Hayes, which allowed The Citadel to pull within two, at 16-14, with just over five minutes remaining. The Bulldogs defense then did its job by forcing the Wofford offense into a three-and-out and a punt. With the Bulldogs having the football back in their possession, The Citadel posted a pair of first downs and one of those came on a pass interference penalty.
Eventually the Bulldogs would move the ball inside Wofford territory to the 37, but Quentin Hayes' pass was intercepted by Eli Campbell at the Terrier 21 on 4th-and-9, and the Terriers took over the ball with 1:42 remaining. One has to wonder if attempting a field goal when down by two points here might be something that could be questioned here.
The Bulldogs would burn all three timeouts, and only 20 seconds came off the clock before The Citadel would the ball back with one more opportunity to win the game. However, the Terriers defense stood strong and forced an incompletion on 4th-and-3 to ultimately take over the football and run off the remaining time on the clock to escape Charleston with a big win over one of its two in-state rivals.
In fact, in avenging a 30-17 home loss on Senior Day to the Bulldogs last season with Saturday's 16-14 win in Charleston, the Terriers have now gone 2-0 against both Furman and The Citadel in two out of the past three seasons.
Gerald Modest Jr. led the Terriers with 99 yards and one touchdown on 13 attempts, while JT Fayard connected on 18-of-34 passes for 210 yards with one TD and no picks. Quentin Hayes completed 12-of-19 passes for 153 yards, with a touchdown and an INT, while also rushing 22 times for 78 yards and another score. The final act of the 2025 football season would fittingly come in Spartanburg for Wofford, and it would come against a Chattanooga program that has owned Wofford on the gridiron in recent seasons, having posted five-straight wins in the series over the Terriers.
However, before a crowd of 3,091 fans on the final day of the regular season at Gibbs Stadium, the Terriers would put an end to the Mocs' string of wins in the series in emphatic fashion, sending Chattanooga back to the Scenic City and into the offseason saddled with a 35-13 loss.
The win meant the Terriers had evened their record at 6-6, which included a 5-3 mark in SoCon play after a rough 0-5 start to the season. It also marked the first time Wofford finished a season at .500 or above since 2019. Wofford finished off its final game of 2025 by outgaining Chattanooga, 371-300, which included another solid passing effort, as the Terriers put up 244 yards through the air and another 127 on the ground. The Terrier defense would also continue to do its thing in the regular-season finale, limiting the Mocs to just 85 yards on the ground in the game.
It was another solid performance for JT Fayard under center, as he finished his day completing 22-of-28 passes for 244 yards and three scores, and finished the season with a 6-1 record as the Terriers' starting signal-caller. Gerald Modest Jr. turned in a solid day on the ground, finishing his day with 76 yards and two scores.
Chattanooga would be led by freshman quarterback Battle Alberson, who finished his day connecting on 21-of-32 passing for 215 yards with one INT. Journey Wyche led the Mocs on the ground, finishing out the game with 53 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
Wofford would get on the board twice before Chattanooga knew what had hit them. First, Fayard found Colby Alexander on a 22-yard scoring strike just 1:45 into game, making it a 7-0 game. Wofford needed only five plays to cover the 75 yards to get the game's opening points. Early in the second quarter, Wofford would make it 14-0 when Gerald Modest Jr. scampered in from two yards out, capping a short four-play, 32-yard scoring drive after a poor, 28-yard punt from UTC's Heath Jehu and a holding penalty that set Wofford up in great field position.
Midway through the second quarter, the Mocs would cut Wofford's lead in half when former Terrier running back Ryan Ingram scored on a 3-yard run to conclude a nine-play, 55-yard drive, which made it a 14-7 game with 7:54 left in the first half. Wofford would respond accordingly, and after gaining three first downs, the Terriers capped the 70-yard drive on the eighth play of the drive, as Modest Jr. found his way to the end zone on a 14-yard scamper, increasing the Wofford lead to 21-7 with 4:50 left in the opening half.
Chattanooga wouldn't go quietly, however, at least in the first half anyway, as Journey Wyche capped a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive with a 21-yard run with just 13 seconds remaining in the half, as the score would make it a 21-13 game. However, Wofford carried a little morsel of momentum into the halftime locker room by blocking the PAT, keeping the Mocs deficit at eight.
In the second half, Wofford would do all the scoring, as the Terriers added a pair of scores in the third and fourth quarters to finish out the game and the 2025 season. The defense also did its part by keeping Chattanooga out of the end zone over the final 30 minutes of action.
With 10:02 remaining in the third quarter, Ivory Aikens hauled in a 3-yard pass from Fayard to make it a 15-point Wofford lead, at 28-13. The short scoring drive of 29 yards was set up by a Maximus Pulley INT. The final score of 2025 for Wofford come five seconds into the final quarter, as Isaiah Scott hauled in a four-yard scoring pass, concluding an eight-play, 70-yard scoring drive to make it a 35-13 game.
Previewing the Wofford Offense in 2026
If you take a look back to last season, you’ll notice real progress made on the offensive side of the football. In fact, you could almost split the season into “When JT Fayard was healthy” and “When JT Fayard was not fully healthy” to find a discernible difference.
The Terriers didn’t even score an offensive touchdown for the first nine quarters of the football season, but after that, things gradually improved as Wofford gained some stability under center, and by the time Fayard was healthy again, the Wofford football team found itself in an 0-5 hole and facing off against an HBCU, as the mid-season clash against Norfolk State would ultimately be the day when the offense started to find a little consistency and confidence moving forward.
The Terriers would end up finishing the season 112th nationally in total offense (289.4 YPG) and as for scoring offense, the Terriers were a little better there, averaging 22.8 PPG to rank in a tie for 80th nationally with Butler.
Safe to say Fayard will be firmly in controls of the offense this season, as at this time last season, the quarterback had plenty of uncertainty surrounding it to say the least. In eight games last season, Fayard connected on 139-of-207 passes for 1,471 yards, with 13 TDs and only three INTs.
Fayard made seven starts in the eight games he saw action in a year ago for the Terriers, and despite limited time starting under center, managed to put up some impressive totals. In the win over VMI, Fayard put together one of the signature passing performances in program history, as he connected on 22-of-35 passes for 365 yards and five scores. Prior to coming to Wofford, the 6-2, 225-lb senior spent two seasons at Northwestern State where he threw for 1,046 yards over the course of his time there.
Sophomore Ethan Drumm will once again serve as the primary backup to Fayard it appears. Drumm, who also got injured, showed some impressive glimpses into what his future may hold as a Terrier early on last season. He finished the season connecting 19-of-42 passes for 287 yards with three TDs and no INTs, with both of the games he saw action in being starts.
The Bulldogs would burn all three timeouts, and only 20 seconds came off the clock before The Citadel would the ball back with one more opportunity to win the game. However, the Terriers defense stood strong and forced an incompletion on 4th-and-3 to ultimately take over the football and run off the remaining time on the clock to escape Charleston with a big win over one of its two in-state rivals.
In fact, in avenging a 30-17 home loss on Senior Day to the Bulldogs last season with Saturday's 16-14 win in Charleston, the Terriers have now gone 2-0 against both Furman and The Citadel in two out of the past three seasons.
Gerald Modest Jr. led the Terriers with 99 yards and one touchdown on 13 attempts, while JT Fayard connected on 18-of-34 passes for 210 yards with one TD and no picks. Quentin Hayes completed 12-of-19 passes for 153 yards, with a touchdown and an INT, while also rushing 22 times for 78 yards and another score. The final act of the 2025 football season would fittingly come in Spartanburg for Wofford, and it would come against a Chattanooga program that has owned Wofford on the gridiron in recent seasons, having posted five-straight wins in the series over the Terriers.
However, before a crowd of 3,091 fans on the final day of the regular season at Gibbs Stadium, the Terriers would put an end to the Mocs' string of wins in the series in emphatic fashion, sending Chattanooga back to the Scenic City and into the offseason saddled with a 35-13 loss.
The win meant the Terriers had evened their record at 6-6, which included a 5-3 mark in SoCon play after a rough 0-5 start to the season. It also marked the first time Wofford finished a season at .500 or above since 2019. Wofford finished off its final game of 2025 by outgaining Chattanooga, 371-300, which included another solid passing effort, as the Terriers put up 244 yards through the air and another 127 on the ground. The Terrier defense would also continue to do its thing in the regular-season finale, limiting the Mocs to just 85 yards on the ground in the game.
It was another solid performance for JT Fayard under center, as he finished his day completing 22-of-28 passes for 244 yards and three scores, and finished the season with a 6-1 record as the Terriers' starting signal-caller. Gerald Modest Jr. turned in a solid day on the ground, finishing his day with 76 yards and two scores.
Chattanooga would be led by freshman quarterback Battle Alberson, who finished his day connecting on 21-of-32 passing for 215 yards with one INT. Journey Wyche led the Mocs on the ground, finishing out the game with 53 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
Wofford would get on the board twice before Chattanooga knew what had hit them. First, Fayard found Colby Alexander on a 22-yard scoring strike just 1:45 into game, making it a 7-0 game. Wofford needed only five plays to cover the 75 yards to get the game's opening points. Early in the second quarter, Wofford would make it 14-0 when Gerald Modest Jr. scampered in from two yards out, capping a short four-play, 32-yard scoring drive after a poor, 28-yard punt from UTC's Heath Jehu and a holding penalty that set Wofford up in great field position.
Midway through the second quarter, the Mocs would cut Wofford's lead in half when former Terrier running back Ryan Ingram scored on a 3-yard run to conclude a nine-play, 55-yard drive, which made it a 14-7 game with 7:54 left in the first half. Wofford would respond accordingly, and after gaining three first downs, the Terriers capped the 70-yard drive on the eighth play of the drive, as Modest Jr. found his way to the end zone on a 14-yard scamper, increasing the Wofford lead to 21-7 with 4:50 left in the opening half.
Chattanooga wouldn't go quietly, however, at least in the first half anyway, as Journey Wyche capped a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive with a 21-yard run with just 13 seconds remaining in the half, as the score would make it a 21-13 game. However, Wofford carried a little morsel of momentum into the halftime locker room by blocking the PAT, keeping the Mocs deficit at eight.
In the second half, Wofford would do all the scoring, as the Terriers added a pair of scores in the third and fourth quarters to finish out the game and the 2025 season. The defense also did its part by keeping Chattanooga out of the end zone over the final 30 minutes of action.
With 10:02 remaining in the third quarter, Ivory Aikens hauled in a 3-yard pass from Fayard to make it a 15-point Wofford lead, at 28-13. The short scoring drive of 29 yards was set up by a Maximus Pulley INT. The final score of 2025 for Wofford come five seconds into the final quarter, as Isaiah Scott hauled in a four-yard scoring pass, concluding an eight-play, 70-yard scoring drive to make it a 35-13 game.
Previewing the Wofford Offense in 2026
If you take a look back to last season, you’ll notice real progress made on the offensive side of the football. In fact, you could almost split the season into “When JT Fayard was healthy” and “When JT Fayard was not fully healthy” to find a discernible difference.
The Terriers didn’t even score an offensive touchdown for the first nine quarters of the football season, but after that, things gradually improved as Wofford gained some stability under center, and by the time Fayard was healthy again, the Wofford football team found itself in an 0-5 hole and facing off against an HBCU, as the mid-season clash against Norfolk State would ultimately be the day when the offense started to find a little consistency and confidence moving forward.
The Terriers would end up finishing the season 112th nationally in total offense (289.4 YPG) and as for scoring offense, the Terriers were a little better there, averaging 22.8 PPG to rank in a tie for 80th nationally with Butler.
Safe to say Fayard will be firmly in controls of the offense this season, as at this time last season, the quarterback had plenty of uncertainty surrounding it to say the least. In eight games last season, Fayard connected on 139-of-207 passes for 1,471 yards, with 13 TDs and only three INTs.
Fayard made seven starts in the eight games he saw action in a year ago for the Terriers, and despite limited time starting under center, managed to put up some impressive totals. In the win over VMI, Fayard put together one of the signature passing performances in program history, as he connected on 22-of-35 passes for 365 yards and five scores. Prior to coming to Wofford, the 6-2, 225-lb senior spent two seasons at Northwestern State where he threw for 1,046 yards over the course of his time there.
Sophomore Ethan Drumm will once again serve as the primary backup to Fayard it appears. Drumm, who also got injured, showed some impressive glimpses into what his future may hold as a Terrier early on last season. He finished the season connecting 19-of-42 passes for 287 yards with three TDs and no INTs, with both of the games he saw action in being starts.
Drumm has good size, at 6-3, 212, and all three of scoring tosses came against Mercer last season, as he managed to keep the Terriers in it with the eventual SoCon champions before Wofford eventually fell by a single point, 22-21.
The Terriers are loaded with potential big-play options in both the ground game and passing game. It’s maybe the fastest Wofford offense speed-wise in its storied history. The Terriers have always had good players at the skill positions, but most of the speed on offense was combined in one or two players.
The Terriers are loaded with potential big-play options in both the ground game and passing game. It’s maybe the fastest Wofford offense speed-wise in its storied history. The Terriers have always had good players at the skill positions, but most of the speed on offense was combined in one or two players.
Think back to 2007, there were three on that offense—one of the best in school history—as running back Kevious Johnson and wideouts Justice Joslin and Andy Stricklin. The rest of that unit was mostly possession receivers and durable, short-yardage battering ram running backs.
Gerald Modest Jr. is back at running back and better resembles Kevious Johnson (Wofford, 2003-07) than say JR McNair (Wofford, 1999-03) or Eric Breitenstein (Wofford, 2010-13). You get the picture.
Gerald Modest Jr. is back at running back and better resembles Kevious Johnson (Wofford, 2003-07) than say JR McNair (Wofford, 1999-03) or Eric Breitenstein (Wofford, 2010-13). You get the picture.
Modest Jr, who was a preseason Second-Team All-SoCon selection, will see almost all the reps this season following Ishon Anderson-Jackson’s transfer to Western Illinois during the offseason. Modest saw action in 11 games last season, which included a pair of starts and ranked second on the team in rushing with 567 yards on 115 attempts, scoring five touchdowns. His five rushing scores for the Terriers last season led the team.
Look for a guy like Isaiah Nell to get plenty more reps as the No. 2 guy behind Modest Jr. in the ground game this fall. Nell saw action in six games as a freshman last fall, posting eight carries for 33 yards and one TD.
One thing about Watson and his offensive staff is they aren’t afraid to utilize their receiving threats in the ground game due to that speed I referenced above. Guys like Terrence Honeywood and Ivory Aikens were both excellent examples of this last season, and will once again be go to guys on the offensive side of the football for the Terriers.
Look for a guy like Isaiah Nell to get plenty more reps as the No. 2 guy behind Modest Jr. in the ground game this fall. Nell saw action in six games as a freshman last fall, posting eight carries for 33 yards and one TD.
One thing about Watson and his offensive staff is they aren’t afraid to utilize their receiving threats in the ground game due to that speed I referenced above. Guys like Terrence Honeywood and Ivory Aikens were both excellent examples of this last season, and will once again be go to guys on the offensive side of the football for the Terriers.
Aikens logged time in all 12 games for Wofford a year ago, finishing the season with 39 catches for 489 yards and posted a team-best six touchdown grabs, including three in one game against Chattanooga to tie a school record. He also added eight carries for 35 yards and was the second-leading pass-catcher last season.
He posted 80-yard receptions against both Mercer and is Western Carolina last season, with his 83-yard scoring grab against the Catamounts accounting for the third longest pass play in school history, while his 80-yard catch against Mercer now ranks fourth in program history.
Honeywood is a 6-1, 180-lb sophomore out of Miami, and he was outstanding catching the football last fall in his first season with the program. Honeywood logged action in all 12 games, which included making eight starts and finished off his rookie campaign with some solid numbers, hauling in 16 passes for 167 yards and a pair of scores.
Honeywood is a 6-1, 180-lb sophomore out of Miami, and he was outstanding catching the football last fall in his first season with the program. Honeywood logged action in all 12 games, which included making eight starts and finished off his rookie campaign with some solid numbers, hauling in 16 passes for 167 yards and a pair of scores.
Colby Alexander is yet another wideout that cut his teeth in the Terriers’ passing attack last season, as he hauled in 25 passes for 244 yards and a pair of scores in 10 games, including three starts.
Junior wideout Isaiah Scott might be the best wideout on the roster, and he’s coming off a solid season last fall, as he posted starts in all 12 games and has his most rewarding season yet as a Wofford a wideout.
Junior wideout Isaiah Scott might be the best wideout on the roster, and he’s coming off a solid season last fall, as he posted starts in all 12 games and has his most rewarding season yet as a Wofford a wideout.
He finished the season with 36 catches for 587 yards and four touchdowns, leading the unit in receiving last season. Scott was also a huge threat as a punt return threat last season for the Terriers, as he averaged 16.0 YPR, ranking third in the country. Scott turned in an outstanding afternoon at the office in the one-point loss against Mercer, as he hauled in three passes for 99 yards, including a 51-yard scoring catch.
He turned in his best game of the season by putting together an outstanding afternoon at the office in the one-point loss against Mercer, hauling in three passes for 99 yards, including a 51-yard scoring catch.
He turned in his best game of the season by putting together an outstanding afternoon at the office in the one-point loss against Mercer, hauling in three passes for 99 yards, including a 51-yard scoring catch.
A player that figures to be very much apart of the two-deep one again this fall is Anjuan “Ant” Coleman Jr. after logging only limited time as a freshman last season for Wofford. Another player that could factor in at wideout this fall for Wofford is transfer receiver Acie Hatfield, who comes aboard after logging a season at The Citadel. Hatfield was a four-year letterman at nearby Christ Church in Greenville, S.C.
Tight end has another veteran starter returning to the fold, in 6-4, 250-lb junior Matt Flanders. He ended up starting 11 games as a sophomore last season for the Terriers, finishing out the season with 15 catches for 92 yards.
Tight end has another veteran starter returning to the fold, in 6-4, 250-lb junior Matt Flanders. He ended up starting 11 games as a sophomore last season for the Terriers, finishing out the season with 15 catches for 92 yards.
Flanders has been a reliable target throughout his three seasons even before coming to Wofford last season, as he has posted a combined 44 catches for 473 and six touchdowns over the course of time spent at Wingate before coming to Wofford prior to the start of the 2025 season.
Junior Jaden Fowler will add some solid depth at tight end this fall. He played in al 12 games last season, including having made a pair of starts, making five catches for 45 yards.
Set to anchor the Terrier offensive line this fall will be built around sophomore right guard Reggie Houston, who is a preseason Second-Team All-SoCon selection. He started 10 of 12 games for Wofford last season, and started three games at left guard before starting the other seven at right guard. Houston is one of three starters that returns along the offensive front for the Terriers this fall, as he is joined by both rising sophomore right tackle Dillon Porter, while Clayton Hixon is back at center.
Set to anchor the Terrier offensive line this fall will be built around sophomore right guard Reggie Houston, who is a preseason Second-Team All-SoCon selection. He started 10 of 12 games for Wofford last season, and started three games at left guard before starting the other seven at right guard. Houston is one of three starters that returns along the offensive front for the Terriers this fall, as he is joined by both rising sophomore right tackle Dillon Porter, while Clayton Hixon is back at center.
Porter is a 6-5, 300-lb native of Pulaski, VA., who was in his first season with the Terriers program last season after transferring in from Virginia Union, where he played the previous two seasons. Hixon started nine of the 10 games he saw action in at center last season for the Terriers. His first start came in Wofford’s big, 31-13, win over Furman.
With Luke Moise transferring out to New Mexico State, look for the left guard spot to potentially be occupied by Nathaniel Cole, as the senior will look to lock down the job and his first playing time with the Terriers after having not seen action at all over the course of the previous three seasons.
Overall Offensive Synopsis
The jury is still very much out on Wofford’s offense, but having JT Fayard back under center is huge in terms of how the offense looked prior to his first game as the starting quarterback and how it was once he entrenched himself as a starter in the middle of the season. The Terriers have playmakers all over the place at the skill positions, but the biggest concern might be overall offensive line depth. In the end, that is the biggest concern right now for the Terrier offense and overall as a team entering 2026.
Previewing The Wofford Defense
Wofford’s defense over the past three seasons under Shawn Watson has been outstanding. That’s thanks in large part to Mitch Doolittle who has quickly become one of the best defensive coordinators in all of FCS Football.
With Luke Moise transferring out to New Mexico State, look for the left guard spot to potentially be occupied by Nathaniel Cole, as the senior will look to lock down the job and his first playing time with the Terriers after having not seen action at all over the course of the previous three seasons.
Moritz Schmoranzer could also be a candidate to fill the vacated role by Moise, as he came aboard in the spring from Appalachian State, where he did not see game action in his only season with the Mountaineers. Left tackle also has a vacancy with the graduation of Quincy Hughes, but it seems likely that junior Landon Harris will step in as the starter this fall. He saw action in six games as a reserve at left tackle last season.
Overall Offensive Synopsis
The jury is still very much out on Wofford’s offense, but having JT Fayard back under center is huge in terms of how the offense looked prior to his first game as the starting quarterback and how it was once he entrenched himself as a starter in the middle of the season. The Terriers have playmakers all over the place at the skill positions, but the biggest concern might be overall offensive line depth. In the end, that is the biggest concern right now for the Terrier offense and overall as a team entering 2026.
Previewing The Wofford Defense
Wofford’s defense over the past three seasons under Shawn Watson has been outstanding. That’s thanks in large part to Mitch Doolittle who has quickly become one of the best defensive coordinators in all of FCS Football.
The Terriers are coming off a 2025 season in which they top the SoCon and ranked in the Top 50 defense and was 15 places higher than they were ranked in 2024, as the Terriers finished the season 59th nationally in total defense and 54th in scoring defense, which is still in the top half of FCS Football.
In fact, the Terriers have ranked in the top half of FCS football in every season under Watson. It was 2022 the last time the Terriers ranked in the lower half of the FCS in total defense, which was the season in which Watson took over as the head coach. Wofford finished that season just inside the top 100, ranking 99th (433.1 YPG) in total defense and finished 86th in scoring defense (31.3 PPG).
In fact, the Terriers have ranked in the top half of FCS football in every season under Watson. It was 2022 the last time the Terriers ranked in the lower half of the FCS in total defense, which was the season in which Watson took over as the head coach. Wofford finished that season just inside the top 100, ranking 99th (433.1 YPG) in total defense and finished 86th in scoring defense (31.3 PPG).
Over the past three seasons, the Terriers have been in the top half nationally in total defense, which is quite a feat considering how bad some of the offenses have been over the past three years, meaning the Terrier defense was on the field an excruciatingly long time.
With only four starters returning in 2026, however, there are perhaps more question marks than there have been since Watson first took over the head coach in 2022. Gone are playmakers at all three levels, as Wofford loses arguably its best player at all three levels of the defense, losing defensive end Brandon Maina, linebacker and leading tackler Jalen Rambert, and All-American safety Maximus Pulley, who led the SoCon with five INTs a year ago. Wofford’s biggest asset defensively last season was the ability to create turnovers and most often turn those into points.
The Terriers finished the season leading the SoCon in turnover margin (+1.0), while also leading the league in interceptions (15) and total turnovers forced (22).
With only four starters returning in 2026, however, there are perhaps more question marks than there have been since Watson first took over the head coach in 2022. Gone are playmakers at all three levels, as Wofford loses arguably its best player at all three levels of the defense, losing defensive end Brandon Maina, linebacker and leading tackler Jalen Rambert, and All-American safety Maximus Pulley, who led the SoCon with five INTs a year ago. Wofford’s biggest asset defensively last season was the ability to create turnovers and most often turn those into points.
The Terriers finished the season leading the SoCon in turnover margin (+1.0), while also leading the league in interceptions (15) and total turnovers forced (22).
Along with the quarterback piece of the puzzle, the Terriers were able to figure out how to consistently turn people over last season, which led to Wofford being one of the hottest teams in the SoCon and in the FCS by the time the 2025 regular-season ended.
The good news heading into the ’26 season is five players with starting experience return and all are pretty good in their own right, with linebackers Javario Tinch, Tyce Donnelly and Kade Moledor all returning, while Eli Campbell and J’Vion “Skoot” Luster sport solid starting experience in the secondary.
The good news heading into the ’26 season is five players with starting experience return and all are pretty good in their own right, with linebackers Javario Tinch, Tyce Donnelly and Kade Moledor all returning, while Eli Campbell and J’Vion “Skoot” Luster sport solid starting experience in the secondary.
But the main concern is along the defensive front, which was decimated by both graduation and the transfer portal. Maina and Seth Foster were both seniors and out of eligibility, while Marion Smokes transferred to South Carolina State.
There is some solid talent still around, despite the losses of those three talented performers. Three defensive line transfers will also be introduced into the mix this season for Wofford, giving the Terriers the potential to be a formidable unit once again this fall.
There is some solid talent still around, despite the losses of those three talented performers. Three defensive line transfers will also be introduced into the mix this season for Wofford, giving the Terriers the potential to be a formidable unit once again this fall.
Leading the cast of returnees along the defensive front for the 2026 season, led by Ramon McCullough Jr., who posted 20 tackles and 3.5 tackles-for-loss at defensive tackle. McCullough Jr. saw action in all 12 games last season for the Terriers and it was his first action of his Wofford career. McCullough Jr. is a preseason Second-Team All-SoCon selection.
Wofford added Micah Pryor (Delaware), Joseph Polite (West Georgia) and Esom Nnajiofor (Liberty), and all three should be able to make an immediate impact and even potentially start for the Terriers along the defensive front this fall.
The 6-4, 230-lb product of Fruit Cove, FL, saw time in 10 games last season, which included six starts and was an impact player in his rookie campaign for the Terrier defense, finishing off the season with 16 tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and half-a-sack.
Kade Moledor figures in as a projected starter at one of the two inside linebacking spots, finishing the 2025 campaign by seeing action in 10 games, including seven as a starter. His numbers were solid enough to garner him recognition by Phil Steele's College Football Annual, as he was selected Fourth Team All-SoCon at the conclusion of last season. Moledor finished with a solid 54 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss and intercepted a pass.
While Moledor returns to the unit as one with a solid resume' as a starter, one of the two major holes to fill on the defensive of the football resides right beside him, in leading tackler Jalen Rambert, who transferred to Holy Cross at the conclusion of last season. Sophomores Wyatt Ward and Elijah Washington figure to compete for Rambert's vacated role on the defensive interior. Both saw action last season, combining for seven starts as rookies, with both putting up solid totals at the end of the '25 season.
Ward, who started four times and played in 11 games, completed his freshman campaign with 55 tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss, two sacks and forced a pair of fumbles. Washington logged time in nine games, including three starts, and finished the season with 22 tackles.
The other absolutely massive loss on the defensive side of the football for Wofford heading into the 2026 season is in the secondary is safety Maximus Pulley. Like Furman's Taylen Blaylock, Pulley was very much the catalyst on the defensive side of the ball for the Terriers in 2025, finishing with five INTs and a pair of TDs last season to garner All-America honors. He started all 11 games he played in last season for Wofford and started all 34 games he played in during his standout career in the Hub City.
Both Saint Francis transfer Corey Williams and rising junior Jacobi Hatter are in great position to potentially succeed Pulley at strong safety this fall. Williams spent two seasons with the Red Flashes, finishing the '25 season with 50 tackles to rank fourth on the team. Hatter is a veteran, entering his senior season with the Terriers having seen some meaningful time in the lineup, which includes his only start, which came just last season against Western Carolina. Hatter finished the season with 15 tackles and forced a fumble.
The free safety spot will be manned by one of the most veteran players on the defensive side of the football, in rising senior Eli Campbell. Campbell saw action in all 12 games last fall, including making 11 starts and posted his most productive season as a part of the Terrier defensive unit, finishing with 67 tackles, two tackles-for-loss and forced a pair of fumbles.
Wofford added Micah Pryor (Delaware), Joseph Polite (West Georgia) and Esom Nnajiofor (Liberty), and all three should be able to make an immediate impact and even potentially start for the Terriers along the defensive front this fall.
Only Polite has seen action in an actual collegiate game, however, as he saw action in a couple of games at West Georgia last season. Both Jeremiah Shelby and Zeb Taylor should figure into the mix this fall, with Taylor a holdover from last season, while Shelby comes to Wofford from Air Force Prep.
Sophomore Nicholas Mathious logged time in nine games as a freshman last season, finishing the campaign with seven tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss and half-a-sack. He’s in line to replace the all-conference Maina at defensive end, and those will some incredibly big shoes to fill.
Linebacker should once again be a position of strength for the Terriers, as three veterans are back, led by Javario Tinch, who was a breakout performer last season for the unit. Tinch is a 6-4, 190-lb senior, who hails from Calhoun Falls, S.C.
Tinch saw action in nine games last season, including four starts, and when he’s on the field for the Wofford defense or special teams, good things always seem to happen. Tinch finished off the 2025 campaign totaling 28 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss and half-a-sack, while adding two forced fumbles and a 66-yard INT return for a touchdown in the 31-13 win over I-85 rival Furman. He also contributed five tackles and half-a-sack in the win over the Paladins.
Joining Tinch at outside linebacker for the Terriers this season could be sophomore Tyce Donnelly, who will play as an edge rusher/outside linebacker on the perimeter once again this fall.
Linebacker should once again be a position of strength for the Terriers, as three veterans are back, led by Javario Tinch, who was a breakout performer last season for the unit. Tinch is a 6-4, 190-lb senior, who hails from Calhoun Falls, S.C.
Tinch saw action in nine games last season, including four starts, and when he’s on the field for the Wofford defense or special teams, good things always seem to happen. Tinch finished off the 2025 campaign totaling 28 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss and half-a-sack, while adding two forced fumbles and a 66-yard INT return for a touchdown in the 31-13 win over I-85 rival Furman. He also contributed five tackles and half-a-sack in the win over the Paladins.
Joining Tinch at outside linebacker for the Terriers this season could be sophomore Tyce Donnelly, who will play as an edge rusher/outside linebacker on the perimeter once again this fall.
The 6-4, 230-lb product of Fruit Cove, FL, saw time in 10 games last season, which included six starts and was an impact player in his rookie campaign for the Terrier defense, finishing off the season with 16 tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and half-a-sack.
Kade Moledor figures in as a projected starter at one of the two inside linebacking spots, finishing the 2025 campaign by seeing action in 10 games, including seven as a starter. His numbers were solid enough to garner him recognition by Phil Steele's College Football Annual, as he was selected Fourth Team All-SoCon at the conclusion of last season. Moledor finished with a solid 54 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss and intercepted a pass.
While Moledor returns to the unit as one with a solid resume' as a starter, one of the two major holes to fill on the defensive of the football resides right beside him, in leading tackler Jalen Rambert, who transferred to Holy Cross at the conclusion of last season. Sophomores Wyatt Ward and Elijah Washington figure to compete for Rambert's vacated role on the defensive interior. Both saw action last season, combining for seven starts as rookies, with both putting up solid totals at the end of the '25 season.
Ward, who started four times and played in 11 games, completed his freshman campaign with 55 tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss, two sacks and forced a pair of fumbles. Washington logged time in nine games, including three starts, and finished the season with 22 tackles.
The other absolutely massive loss on the defensive side of the football for Wofford heading into the 2026 season is in the secondary is safety Maximus Pulley. Like Furman's Taylen Blaylock, Pulley was very much the catalyst on the defensive side of the ball for the Terriers in 2025, finishing with five INTs and a pair of TDs last season to garner All-America honors. He started all 11 games he played in last season for Wofford and started all 34 games he played in during his standout career in the Hub City.
Both Saint Francis transfer Corey Williams and rising junior Jacobi Hatter are in great position to potentially succeed Pulley at strong safety this fall. Williams spent two seasons with the Red Flashes, finishing the '25 season with 50 tackles to rank fourth on the team. Hatter is a veteran, entering his senior season with the Terriers having seen some meaningful time in the lineup, which includes his only start, which came just last season against Western Carolina. Hatter finished the season with 15 tackles and forced a fumble.
The free safety spot will be manned by one of the most veteran players on the defensive side of the football, in rising senior Eli Campbell. Campbell saw action in all 12 games last fall, including making 11 starts and posted his most productive season as a part of the Terrier defensive unit, finishing with 67 tackles, two tackles-for-loss and forced a pair of fumbles.
His most impressive stat from his line a year ago were his four interceptions, putting him just one behind his league-leading teammate. The Terriers totaled nine INTs from their two safeties a year ago, which is quite impressive. It's little surprise that Campbell enters the '26 season as a First-Team All-SoCon selection.
The lone returning starter at cornerback this fall for the Terriers is J'Vion "Skoot" Luster, who like Campbell, is a certified vet as a member of the Wofford secondary. Luster logged time in 10 games last season, including making nine starts and finished the campaign with 35 tackles, two tackles-for-loss and a fumble recovery.
The lone returning starter at cornerback this fall for the Terriers is J'Vion "Skoot" Luster, who like Campbell, is a certified vet as a member of the Wofford secondary. Luster logged time in 10 games last season, including making nine starts and finished the campaign with 35 tackles, two tackles-for-loss and a fumble recovery.
Both Zayd Rogan and Cole Walker are rising sophomores and will likely compete for the right to replace Darius Malcolm, who transferred to Memphis.
Overall Defensive Synopsis
Mitch Doolittle’s defenses have done a big things under his care and despite only four starters returning to the fold this fall, I expect to see more of the same from this Wofford defense this fall, as I once again expect it to be one of the very best overall in the SoCon.
Predicting the 2026 Schedule
Overall Defensive Synopsis
Mitch Doolittle’s defenses have done a big things under his care and despite only four starters returning to the fold this fall, I expect to see more of the same from this Wofford defense this fall, as I once again expect it to be one of the very best overall in the SoCon.
Predicting the 2026 Schedule
Aug. 29 vs. The Citadel* W, 35-28
Sept. 5 vs. Gardner-Webb W, 31-13
Sept. 12 at Kent State L, 31-17
Sept. 19 at Chattanooga* W, 20-18
Sept. 26 vs. Tennessee Tech* L, 35-31
Oct. 3 at Furman* L, 24-14
Oct. 10 at Elon W, 31-30
Oct. 17 vs. VMI* W, 41-17
Oct. 31 at Samford* W, 27-21
Nov. 7 at Western Carolina* W, 24-20
Nov. 14 vs. East Tennessee State W, 24-14
Nov. 21 at Ole Miss L, 56-7
Final Overall Record: 8-4
Final SoCon Record: 6-2 / T-2nd in SoCon
Game to Watch Non-Conference: at Elon (Oct. 10)-- -An old Southern Conference rivalry will get rekindled once again, as Wofford and Elon will do battle in an early October battle at Rhodes Stadium, as the Terriers close out their FCS portion of the non-conference slate. The Terriers have a challenging non-conference slate, which includes a pair of FBS games, with a contests against both MAC member Kent State (Sept. 12) and SEC member Ole Miss (Nov. 21). That makes the Terriers' games against both Gardner-Webb (Sept. 5) and Elon absolutely paramount.
The good news is for the first time under fourth-year head coach Shawn Watson, it appears the Terriers have a team talented enough to compete for a league crown and that's something we really haven't been able to say since 2019. Wofford returns more collective production on both sides of the football than any of the other nine teams in the SoCon.
Meanwhile, it's foe on Oct. 10 will be a familiar one, as the Terriers face former SoCon rival Elon, which like Wofford, is coming off a .500 season, as the Phoenix finished with a 6-6 record last season, including a 4-4 mark in the Coastal Athletic Association.
The Phoenix will be entering the eighth season under head coach Tony Trisciani this fall, and when his Phoenix take on the Terriers in early October, it will mark the 41st all-time clash between the two and will mark the first clash between the two since a 26-0 win by Elon in Spartanburg back in 2022.
The Phoenix and Terriers have met on three occasions since Elon played its final season as a Southern Conference member back in 2013. The Terriers have won two of those matchups, claiming what was a 24-22 win back in 2021, as well as a 19-7 playoff win, which came back during the 2018 season. The Terriers hold a 28-12 all-time series edge against the Phoenix, and that includes a 9-2 series edge held against the Phoenix in its 11 seasons as Wofford's league rival.
Elon has a history of winning titles at the NCAA Division II level, and though they came close in their decade membership as a SoCon member, could never quite break through against the likes of Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, and Wofford during the decade in which the Phoenix called the SoCon home from 2003-13. Elon's lone FCS Playoff appearance as a Southern Conference member came in 2009, when the Phoenix had arguably their best team, led by then head coach Pete Lembo.
That Elon team would finish out the 2009 season with a 9-3 record, which included a 34-6 trouncing of Wofford in Spartanburg during that particular campaign. Elon were led by a dynamic duo of quarterback Scott Riddle and wideout Terrell Hudgins on the offensive side of the ball, however, in the postseason, the Phoenix would be forced to go on the road to face off against defending national champion Richmond. The Spiders would end up handing the Phoenix the ultimate heartbreak, as 16-13 win over the Phoenix on a late field goal by the Spiders.
Elon's 27-yard field goal to tie the game as time expired as no good, and Richmond was able to survive one more week until meeting up with Appalachian State and Armanti Edwards in the ensuing round of the playoffs, losing the game in a similar fashion to how Elon lost its opening round contest to the Spiders.
The '09 season represented a breakthrough season for Elon's football program, however, as it would be the first of what would become four FCS Playoff appearances since moving up to the FCS level as an official member in 1999.
For Wofford fans, the 2012 meeting between the Phoenix and Terriers will forever be etched in the collective memory banks of Wofford football fans everywhere. On a rainy, late September Saturday afternoon in Elon, N.C., Terrier running back Eric Breitenstein would run into both the Wofford and Southern Conference record books, respectively, as the senior running back would set league and Terrier single-game records with 321 rushing yards and a pair of scores on 27 attempts, as the fifth-ranked Wofford amassed 500 yards on the ground en route to a 49-24 win.
So what is the forecast for Elon in 2026? Much like Wofford, the Phoenix figure to be right in the mix in the Coastal Athletic Association title race, however, since moving to the CAA from the SoCon, Elon's quest to win its first conference title since joining the NCAA Division I FCS ranks some 27 years ago has been especially challenging for a program that won two national titles (1980 and '81) and making six playoff appearances at lower levels before moving up.
The Phoenix are 0-4 all-time in the FCS Playoffs, which includes three losses to SoCon programs in the postseason. The Phoenix lost 15 players to graduation of the portal, but did manage to add six players that could be instant impact players this fall. Among those that should make Elon a viable title contender this fall is Samford transfer quarterback Brady Stober, who threw for 1,200 yards and had nine total touchdowns in a total of 10 games, including five starts.
Stober should be in line to take over at quarterback as the starter this fall after a season which saw the Phoenix average 28.4 PPG.
Game to Watch in the SoCon: A) at Furman (Oct. 3)—The Terriers and Paladins showdown on Oct. 14 could very well determine whether or not the SoCon manages to get at least two FCS Playoff qualifiers or not in 2026, and the Terriers defense has been stellar in each of the past three matchups between the two I-85 rivals, having limited the Paladins to just 13 points in each of those matchups, including what was a 31-13 win over the Paladins last season in Spartanburg. The Terriers will be going for four-straight wins in the series for the first time since winning four-straight in the series from 2015-17, with one of those campaigns seeing the Paladins and Terriers meet twice, of course, as the Paladins and Terriers did that in 2017, with the Terriers winning the season opener, 24-23 and then posted a 28-10 win over the Paladins in an FCS second-round playoff clash. Furman holds a 56-36-7 record in the all-time series.
B) vs. The Citadel (Aug. 29)—.It’s rare to see such a big game to open the season, but that’s exactly what Wofford will have when it takes on The Citadel to start the season, and it will mark the first time the two have started the season against one another since 2018, which was also played at Gibbs Stadium and Wofford was able to capture what was a 28-21 win over the Bulldogs. I expect this game will be close throughout and will be a good building block for whoever wins this matchup as we move on into the season.
Sept. 5 vs. Gardner-Webb W, 31-13
Sept. 12 at Kent State L, 31-17
Sept. 19 at Chattanooga* W, 20-18
Sept. 26 vs. Tennessee Tech* L, 35-31
Oct. 3 at Furman* L, 24-14
Oct. 10 at Elon W, 31-30
Oct. 17 vs. VMI* W, 41-17
Oct. 31 at Samford* W, 27-21
Nov. 7 at Western Carolina* W, 24-20
Nov. 14 vs. East Tennessee State W, 24-14
Nov. 21 at Ole Miss L, 56-7
Final Overall Record: 8-4
Final SoCon Record: 6-2 / T-2nd in SoCon
Game to Watch Non-Conference: at Elon (Oct. 10)-- -An old Southern Conference rivalry will get rekindled once again, as Wofford and Elon will do battle in an early October battle at Rhodes Stadium, as the Terriers close out their FCS portion of the non-conference slate. The Terriers have a challenging non-conference slate, which includes a pair of FBS games, with a contests against both MAC member Kent State (Sept. 12) and SEC member Ole Miss (Nov. 21). That makes the Terriers' games against both Gardner-Webb (Sept. 5) and Elon absolutely paramount.
The good news is for the first time under fourth-year head coach Shawn Watson, it appears the Terriers have a team talented enough to compete for a league crown and that's something we really haven't been able to say since 2019. Wofford returns more collective production on both sides of the football than any of the other nine teams in the SoCon.
Meanwhile, it's foe on Oct. 10 will be a familiar one, as the Terriers face former SoCon rival Elon, which like Wofford, is coming off a .500 season, as the Phoenix finished with a 6-6 record last season, including a 4-4 mark in the Coastal Athletic Association.
The Phoenix will be entering the eighth season under head coach Tony Trisciani this fall, and when his Phoenix take on the Terriers in early October, it will mark the 41st all-time clash between the two and will mark the first clash between the two since a 26-0 win by Elon in Spartanburg back in 2022.
The Phoenix and Terriers have met on three occasions since Elon played its final season as a Southern Conference member back in 2013. The Terriers have won two of those matchups, claiming what was a 24-22 win back in 2021, as well as a 19-7 playoff win, which came back during the 2018 season. The Terriers hold a 28-12 all-time series edge against the Phoenix, and that includes a 9-2 series edge held against the Phoenix in its 11 seasons as Wofford's league rival.
Elon has a history of winning titles at the NCAA Division II level, and though they came close in their decade membership as a SoCon member, could never quite break through against the likes of Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, and Wofford during the decade in which the Phoenix called the SoCon home from 2003-13. Elon's lone FCS Playoff appearance as a Southern Conference member came in 2009, when the Phoenix had arguably their best team, led by then head coach Pete Lembo.
That Elon team would finish out the 2009 season with a 9-3 record, which included a 34-6 trouncing of Wofford in Spartanburg during that particular campaign. Elon were led by a dynamic duo of quarterback Scott Riddle and wideout Terrell Hudgins on the offensive side of the ball, however, in the postseason, the Phoenix would be forced to go on the road to face off against defending national champion Richmond. The Spiders would end up handing the Phoenix the ultimate heartbreak, as 16-13 win over the Phoenix on a late field goal by the Spiders.
Elon's 27-yard field goal to tie the game as time expired as no good, and Richmond was able to survive one more week until meeting up with Appalachian State and Armanti Edwards in the ensuing round of the playoffs, losing the game in a similar fashion to how Elon lost its opening round contest to the Spiders.
The '09 season represented a breakthrough season for Elon's football program, however, as it would be the first of what would become four FCS Playoff appearances since moving up to the FCS level as an official member in 1999.
For Wofford fans, the 2012 meeting between the Phoenix and Terriers will forever be etched in the collective memory banks of Wofford football fans everywhere. On a rainy, late September Saturday afternoon in Elon, N.C., Terrier running back Eric Breitenstein would run into both the Wofford and Southern Conference record books, respectively, as the senior running back would set league and Terrier single-game records with 321 rushing yards and a pair of scores on 27 attempts, as the fifth-ranked Wofford amassed 500 yards on the ground en route to a 49-24 win.
So what is the forecast for Elon in 2026? Much like Wofford, the Phoenix figure to be right in the mix in the Coastal Athletic Association title race, however, since moving to the CAA from the SoCon, Elon's quest to win its first conference title since joining the NCAA Division I FCS ranks some 27 years ago has been especially challenging for a program that won two national titles (1980 and '81) and making six playoff appearances at lower levels before moving up.
The Phoenix are 0-4 all-time in the FCS Playoffs, which includes three losses to SoCon programs in the postseason. The Phoenix lost 15 players to graduation of the portal, but did manage to add six players that could be instant impact players this fall. Among those that should make Elon a viable title contender this fall is Samford transfer quarterback Brady Stober, who threw for 1,200 yards and had nine total touchdowns in a total of 10 games, including five starts.
Stober should be in line to take over at quarterback as the starter this fall after a season which saw the Phoenix average 28.4 PPG.
Game to Watch in the SoCon: A) at Furman (Oct. 3)—The Terriers and Paladins showdown on Oct. 14 could very well determine whether or not the SoCon manages to get at least two FCS Playoff qualifiers or not in 2026, and the Terriers defense has been stellar in each of the past three matchups between the two I-85 rivals, having limited the Paladins to just 13 points in each of those matchups, including what was a 31-13 win over the Paladins last season in Spartanburg. The Terriers will be going for four-straight wins in the series for the first time since winning four-straight in the series from 2015-17, with one of those campaigns seeing the Paladins and Terriers meet twice, of course, as the Paladins and Terriers did that in 2017, with the Terriers winning the season opener, 24-23 and then posted a 28-10 win over the Paladins in an FCS second-round playoff clash. Furman holds a 56-36-7 record in the all-time series.
B) vs. The Citadel (Aug. 29)—.It’s rare to see such a big game to open the season, but that’s exactly what Wofford will have when it takes on The Citadel to start the season, and it will mark the first time the two have started the season against one another since 2018, which was also played at Gibbs Stadium and Wofford was able to capture what was a 28-21 win over the Bulldogs. I expect this game will be close throughout and will be a good building block for whoever wins this matchup as we move on into the season.
FINAL THOUGHT ON THE TERRIERS
I honestly really don't understand why Wofford was picked so low in the preseason by the league's head coaches and in some other nationally-recognized websites and publications that cover the FCS, as I think the Terriers are one of a handful of teams that could win it along with favorite Tennessee Tech and others like Furman and ETSU. Wofford's offense can be as explosive as any in the league, and the Terriers have a litany of offensive weaponry at the skill positions. If the Terriers can find a way to get past a tough The Citadel team in the SoCon and season opener, it could be a harbinger of a big season in Spartanburg and dare I say a return to the FCS Playoffs for the first time since 2019.
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