Wofford center Roo Daniels called it “crazy” to think that a 7-1 fooball team ranked in the top 10 in the country hasn’t reached its potential yet.
But that’s where the Terriers are.
The overwhelming preseason Southern Conference favorites have cheated defeat on a number of occasions this season. The total margin of victory in their seven wins is 47 points – and one of those was 31-7 over Presbyterian on Sept. 30.
The Terriers started the season with a 24-23 win over Furman, which failed on a two-point conversion try in the final minute. They trailed by 13 to Mercer before rallying with two touchdowns in the final 6:18 for another one-point win. Gardner-Webb missed a 50-yard field-goal try with 1:05 remaining that would have tied the game in a 27-24 Wofford victory.
Wofford’s win over Western Carolina came in overtime. A touchdown with 1:10 to play beat The Citadel. East Tennessee State was stopped at the Wofford 23-yard line for a seven-point Terriers triumph.
“What this group is all about is resiliency,” Daniels told reporters earlier this week. “We get it beat into our brains that there is nothing that is going to get in our way. We set our goal at the beginning of the season that we came up short last year because we didn’t get the Southern Conference championship, and our playoffs were cut shorter than expected.
“Our guys find a way to win. They give it all they’ve got, week in and week out, no matter who lines up. We’re not quite there yet, but everyone knows it. The potential in that locker room is so much greater than what we’re putting out on the field.”
A group of seniors who came back for a fifth season have been paramount to the Terriers’ success. They enter the final month of the season tied for first in the SoCon in the loss column with Furman but holding the head-to-head tiebreaker.
With conference games remaining against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga – which just defeated a top-10 program last week – and Virginia Military Institute prior to the season finale at South Carolina, Wofford is looking to put it all together before the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
“If you’re going to be a championship team, you’ve got to play championship football,” Wofford coach Mike Ayers said. “Our expectations have got to be high. If you say OK is OK, you’re not going to win a championship.
“Every day, every night, we look at it and wonder, gosh, why are we here? We walk in every Monday and you just keep scratching your head, how did we pull that one out?
“We’re just lucky, and then there was two, three (wins) and on. Now we’re 7-1.”
WCU’s Adams out?
Western Carolina sophomore quarterback Tyrie Adams could miss this week’s game at The Citadel after tweaking his knee in the second quarter of a 28-6 loss to Furman last Saturday.
Adams, who is on the midseason watch list for the College Football Performance Awards FCS national performer of the year trophy, had been the healthiest player in the Catamounts backfield this season. He ranks fourth in the SoCon in rushing yardage and passing average and second in total offense at 256.2 yards per game for the 6-3 Catamounts, who are in a must-win situation against the Bulldogs (5-3, 3-3).
“The doctors didn’t feel like there was any MCL or ACL damage at all,” WCU coach Mark Speir told CatamountSportsWeekly on Monday. “I know Tyrie will want to play – he’s a tough individual, 170 pounds of toughness – but we’re not going to put him out there if he’s not able to go.”
Speir said junior Ray Smith will get the call if Adams can’t play.
Work to do
Projections for the 24-team FCS field are out, and the SoCon has a way to go to match the four teams it qualified last season.
Wofford, Western Carolina and Furman are currently projected in the field, with each at six wins or more. The Paladins are the league’s hottest team, with six straight wins after a 0-3 start.
In addition to The Citadel, Samford is 5-3 and really hurt its chances by losing to UTC. Mercer could be considered a fringe prospect at 4-4 but would need two wins in its remaining three games against Samford, Western Carolina and Alabama even to have a chance.
Offensive honoree
In addition to UTC’s Tae Davis and Victor Ulmo being the SoCon’s defensive and special teams players of the week (previously reported), Furman’s Antonio Wilcox received the offensive award.
Wilcox ran for 202 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries in the win over WCU.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.