Georgia Southern will play Southern Conference rival Wofford on the Terriers’ home field at Gibbs Stadium today in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
But it remains to be seen if Wofford (10-2) will have a home-field advantage.
Georgia Southern (9-4), whose fan base travels about as well as any in the FCS, sold out its 2,500 ticket allotment in no time. And by the time the game kicks off at 2 p.m., there could be as much GSU blue in the stands as there is Wofford gold.
“I think it’s very important – in fact, I think it’s critical – that we have a good home turnout,” Wofford athletic director Richard Johnson told the Spartanburg (S.C.) Herald Journal this week. “I know Georgia Southern will bring a lot of fans. It’s critical that we bring our people out to support the Terriers and have a great showing.”
The largest crowd ever to see a game at Gibbs Stadium was 12,124 in 2007 against GSU.
Georgia Southern, whose average home attendance (19,110) this season in Statesboro was more than 10,000 larger than Wofford’s, likely would be hosting the game if not for what GSU athletic director Sam Baker called a “misinterpretation” of the NCAA’s bidding procedures.
Earlier this season, Wofford beat the Eagles 33-31 in Statesboro.
“They’ve gotten better and so have we, so it should be a great game,” Wofford quarterback Mitch Allen said.
Regardless of where the game is played or who’s watching, it will include two teams that are close to mirror images of one another.
Both teams run the triple-option and Wofford leads the FCS in rushing, while Georgia Southern is third. Each team is ranked in the top 10 in total defense, and each is in the top 12 in scoring defense.
Neither team averages 10 passes per game.
“I think both of us are going to have to slug it out,” Wofford coach Mike Ayers said, “because both teams are going to want it and both teams are going to get after it and play hard.”
The one big difference between the two offenses is how they run the ball. Wofford is led by fullback Eric Breitenstein, who is fifth in the FCS with an average of 128.1 yards per game. Georgia Southern’s attack is done more by committee.
Breitenstein suffered a sprained shoulder in last week’s win at Jacksonville State but is expected to play.
The third SoCon team in action today, top seed Appalachian State (10-2), hosts defending national champion Villanova (8-4). Between them, the programs have won four of the last five national titles.
Contact John Frierson at jfrierson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6268. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/mocsbeatCTFP.