Wofford Terriers football
| Wofford Terriers football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1889 | ||
| Athletic director | Richard Johnson | ||
| Head coach | Josh Conklin 2nd season, 14–7 (.667) | ||
| Stadium | Gibbs Stadium (capacity: 13,000) | ||
| Field surface | Grass | ||
| Location | Spartanburg, South Carolina | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | Southern Conference | ||
| Past conferences | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association | ||
| All-time record | 478–467–35 (.506) | ||
| Bowl record | 0–1 (.000) | ||
| Playoff record | 9–9 | ||
| Conference titles | 7 (2003, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019) | ||
| Rivalries | Furman University and The Citadel | ||
| Colors | Old gold and black[1] | ||
| Mascot | Terriers | ||
| Website | WoffordTerriers.com | ||
- For information on all Wofford College sports, see Wofford Terriers
The Wofford Terriers football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Wofford College located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Southern Conference. Wofford's first football team was fielded in 1889. The team plays its home games at the 13,000 seat Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Josh Conklin is the current head coach for the Terriers.
History
Wofford moved from Division II to join the Division I-AA Southern Conference in the 96-97 season. Since then, Wofford has won 6 Southern Conference Championships, and received bids to the FCS Playoffs 9 times with the most recent bid coming in 2018. Wofford is typically one of the strongest teams in the Southern Conference every year. Wofford's best finish since moving from Division II was a trip to the National Semi-finals at Delaware in 2003, where they fell 24-9. Mike Ayers, Wofford's winningest and most honored coach who served as head coach for thirty years, retired following the 2017 season, when Wofford made it to the national quarterfinals and finished #8 in the national polls. In recent years, Wofford's football and other athletic teams have finished near the top in the country in APR, which measures athletic performance of athletes. Numerous football players have been elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
Classifications
- 1957–1969: NAIA
- 1970–1987: NAIA Division I
- 1988–1994: NCAA Division II
- 1995–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS
Conference memberships
- 1889–1900: Independent
- 1901–1941: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
- 1942–1945: Independent
- 1946–1964: South Carolina Little Three
- 1965–1987: NAIA Independent
- 1988–1994: NCAA Division II Independent
- 1995–1996: NCAA Division I–AA Independent
- 1997–present: Southern Conference
Wofford vs. In-State NCAA Division I schools
| School | Record | Percentage | Streak | First Meeting | Last Meeting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston Southern | 14-0 | 1.000 | Won 14 | 1993 | 2016 |
| Clemson | 3-13 | .200 | Lost 5 | 1896 | 2019 |
| Coastal Carolina | 0-1 | .000 | Lost 1 | 2006 | 2006 |
| Furman | 33-54-7 | .388 | Won 1 | 1889 | 2019 |
| Presbyterian | 41-40-3 | .506 | Won 6 | 1914 | 2017 |
| South Carolina | 4-20 | .167 | Lost 17 | 1895 | 2017 |
| South Carolina State | 6-3 | .667 | Lost 1 | 1974 | 2019 |
| The Citadel | 30-42-1 | .418 | Won 4 | 1916 | 2019 |
| Wofford 124 - In-State NCAA Division I Schools 169 - Draws 11 | |||||
Notable former players
- Brenton Bersin - Former wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers
- Fisher DeBerry - Former Head Coach at Air Force and College Football Hall of Fame member
- Nate Fuqua - Defensive Coordinator at Georgia State
- Katon Bethay - Former fullback and nose guard in the Arena Football League
- Ryan Cowden - Vice President of Player Personnel for Tennessee Titans
- David Marvin - Kicker for the Atlanta Falcons
- Ameet Pall - Former Defensive End in the CFL
- Kasey Redfern - Punter for the Detroit Lions
- Jerry Richardson - wide receiver for the Baltimore Colts, former owner of the Carolina Panthers.[2]
- Shiel Wood - Linebackers Coach at Army
- Andy Strickland - former wide receiver in the NFL
- Nate Woody - Defensive Coordinator at Army
- Greg Gasparato - Safeties Coach at Army
Football Championship Sub-Division Playoffs
Wofford has gone to the FCS Playoffs a total of 10 times (2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019). In 2003, Wofford appeared in the FCS Playoffs for the first time in school history, and won its first two games advancing to the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, they lost to the would-be FCS Champions Delaware, and finished the season ranked #3 in the nation. The Terriers moved on to the quarterfinals in 2007 before losing to Richmond. They lost in the opening round to James Madison in 2008. In 2010, they advanced to the National Quarterfinals to face Southern Conference rival Georgia Southern. They were defeated in that game 20-23. In 2011, they made it to the playoffs, losing to Northern Iowa 21-28 in the second round. In 2012, Wofford dominated visiting New Hampshire, to move on to the Quarterfinals to face would-be champions North Dakota St. Although they had many chances to win, they fell 14-7.
Conference championships
Wofford's Football team has won 6 Southern Conference Championships. The first came in 2003, when Wofford finished 12-2, with a trip to face Delaware in the Division I-AA Playoff Semifinals. The next championship came in 2007, sharing the championship with Appalachian State, who would go on to win the Football Championship Sub-division (I-AA) Championship. Wofford would also win Conference titles in 2010, 2012, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Bowl game appearances
| Season | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Phil Dickens | Cigar Bowl | Florida State | L 6–19 |
Division I-AA/FCS Playoffs results
The Terriers have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs ten times with an overall record of 9–10.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals |
North Carolina A&T WKU Delaware |
W 31–0 W 34–17 L 9–24 |
| 2007 | First Round Quarterfinals |
Montana Richmond |
W 23–22 L 10–21 |
| 2008 | First Round | JMU | L 35–38 |
| 2010 | Second Round Quarterfinals |
Jacksonville State Georgia Southern |
W 17–14 L 20–23 |
| 2011 | Second Round | Northern Iowa | L 21–28 |
| 2012 | Second Round Quarterfinals |
New Hampshire North Dakota State |
W 23–7 L 7–14 |
| 2016 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals |
Charleston Southern The Citadel Youngstown State |
W 15–14 W 17–3 L 23–302OT |
| 2017 | Second Round Quarterfinals |
Furman North Dakota State |
W 28–10 L 10–42 |
| 2018 | First Round Second Round |
Elon Kennesaw State |
W 19–7 L 10–13 |
| 2019 | First Round | Kennesaw State | L 21–28 |
Division II Playoffs results
The Terriers have appeared in the Division II playoffs two times with an overall record of 0–2.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | First Round | Mississippi College | L 19–70 |
| 1991 | First Round | Mississippi College | L 15–28 |
References
- ^ Wofford College Athletics Brand Book 2023. January 1, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ Hoffer, Richard. "The Franchise". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
