SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Wofford College football team started strong, leading 17-13 at halftime, but couldn’t maintain the momentum. The Citadel came back in the second half, scoring 17 unanswered points, resulting in a 30-17 victory at Gibbs Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Terriers struggled with three turnovers in the fourth quarter.
With this loss, Wofford’s record now stands at 5-6 overall and 3-5 in the Southern Conference, while The Citadel also holds a 5-6 overall record with the same league performance. Ryan Ingram was a standout for the Terriers, rushing for 103 yards on 12 carries. Quarterback Amari Odom completed 14 of his 21 passes. The Bulldogs’ offense was led by Cooper Wallace, who rushed for 84 yards and scored a touchdown.
Head coach Shawn Watson emphasized the importance of ball security and execution, stating, “The bottom line is you can’t turn the ball over, you can’t give up big plays, and you have to get off the field on third down. We didn’t do that in the second half. You can’t turn it over when you have drives going and you have to give yourself a chance on offense.”
Wofford kicked off the game with an impressive drive, highlighted by Ingram’s 35-yard run. Odom then connected with J.T. Smith Jr. for a 25-yard touchdown, putting the Terriers ahead 7-0 in the first quarter. They quickly extended that lead to 14-0 after a blocked punt by Isaiah Wadsworth was recovered by Javario Tinch and returned for another touchdown.
The Citadel responded with a field goal and a touchdown, closing in on Wofford, but the Terriers managed to increase their lead to 17-10 just before halftime thanks to a 36-yard field goal from Devery Cagle. However, The Citadel added a field goal as time expired in the first half, making it a tight 17-13 game.
As the second half began, the Bulldogs quickly tied the game with a field goal and then took the lead shortly after with a 54-yard touchdown run from Wallace. Wofford struggled offensively, going three-and-out multiple times. An unfortunate fumble from Ingram set up The Citadel for their final touchdown, stretching their lead to 30-17.
Despite a few promising plays, including a 32-yard completion to Dylan Djete, Wofford could not convert on their final drive and ended up with a turnover, sealing their fate.
In total, Wofford recorded 267 yards, 159 of them passing, compared to The Citadel’s 357 yards, with 191 coming from rushing. Wofford had 15 first downs while The Citadel had 20, and each team faced various penalty calls throughout the game.
This matchup marked the 78th meeting between the two teams, a rivalry dating back to 1916, with Wofford winning two of the last three encounters. Ingram’s solid performance added another 100-yard rushing game to his record this season.
The Terriers, who will face the University of South Carolina next on November 23 to wrap up their season, saw strong defensive efforts from C.J. Coombes and David Powers, each recording ten tackles, along with Marion Smokes, who secured two sacks. The game drew an attendance of 4,341 fans to Gibbs Stadium.
