Strong defense keeps Wofford dangerous
Due to injuries, the Wofford College football team has gone through a carousel of quarterbacks early this season.
But the defense has been good and intact.
The Terriers (3-1), the first team “receiving votes” in this week’s FCS coaches poll, are 3-1 with a defense that leads the nation in fewest yards allowed per game — 212.8. They also rank second in rushing yards allowed (56.5) and third in points allowed (11.3).
Making Wofford’s defensive stats look even more impressive was a Sept. 10 game at Ole Miss. The Rebels, ranked 16th in the country in FBS, were limited to 242 yards passing, which was 82.5 yards below quarterback Chad Kelly’s average.
The 421 yards of offense Ole Miss had against the Terriers was almost 40 yards below its season average and second only to a 380-yard day against Florida State in the season opener.
“They really played well,” Wofford coach Mike Ayers told reporters after the Terriers’ 31-0 victory over East Tennessee State last Saturday. “And they played well against a good offense. Our coaches have done a great job with them. We’re able to get a lot of pressure with four guys, which is a big thing. They’re really confident with the way they are playing.”
Senior Evan Jacks, the starter at quarterback entering the season, suffered a torn ACL and was expected to be out all season, although Ayers said recently that Jacks has been “progressing well” and the team could “pick him off waivers and get him back in the fold before the end of the season.” His injury at the time left Wofford with two quarterbacks with starting experience in juniors Brad Butler and Brandon Goodson.
Butler suffered a knee injury against ETSU and his status is currently unknown, which leaves Goodson, junior David
Keydets road warriors
Howerton and freshman Joe Newman as the team’s only healthy quarterbacks.
Virginia Military Institute needed triple overtime but was able to defeat Bucknell 23-17 in Lewisburg, Pa. The win gave the Keydets (2-1) two road wins for the first time since 2003, and the first time the program won back-to-back road games since defeating Virginia Tech to end the 1981 season and ETSU in the first away game of 1982.
The Keydets also broke a four-game overtime losing streak that dated back to 2001 and included the only other triple-overtime game in VMI history, a 2005 loss to Gardner-Webb.
During the win, junior quarterback Al Cobb moved into first place on VMI’s career list for passing yards (6,398) and career completions (581).
Linebacker Ryan Francis had 16 tackles and was named the Southern Conference defensive player of the week.
“We have this wristband with the team, ‘TPF’ — for trust, play, finish,” VMI coach Scott Wachenheim said. “The kids trusted each other, they trusted their coaches, they trusted their preparation and played to win, and then they finished. I couldn’t be more proud of the players.”