- 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) as members of the Southern Conference (SoCon). 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.
| Wofford Terriers football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1889 | ||
| Athletic director | Richard Johnson | ||
| Head coach | Shawn Watson 2nd season, 5–12 (.294) | ||
| 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 | 9–10 | ||
| Conference titles | 7 (2003, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019) | ||
| Rivalries | The Citadel (rivalry) Furman (rivalry) | ||
| Colors | Old gold and black[1] | ||
| Mascot | Terriers | ||
| Website | woffordterriers.com | ||
History
Wofford moved from Division II to join the Division I-AA Southern Conference in the 1996–97 season. Since then, Wofford has won 7 Southern Conference Championships, and received bids to the FCS Playoffs 10 times with the most recent bid coming in 2019. 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
Conference championships
Wofford has won seven conference championships, three outright and four shared.
| Season | Conference | Coach | Overall record | Conference record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Southern Conference | Mike Ayers | 12–2 | 8–0 |
| 2007† | 9–4 | 5–2 | ||
| 2010† | 10–3 | 7–1 | ||
| 2012† | 9–4 | 6–2 | ||
| 2017 | 10–3 | 7–1 | ||
| 2018† | Josh Conklin | 9–4 | 6–2 | |
| 2019 | 8–5 | 7–1 |
† denotes co–champions
Bowl game appearances
| Season | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Phil Dickens | Cigar Bowl | Florida State | L 6–19 |
Playoff appearances
NCAA Division I-AA/FCS
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 Western Kentucky 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 | James Madison | 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 23–30 2OT |
| 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 |
NCAA Division II
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 |
NAIA
The Terriers appeared in the NAIA playoffs one time. Their combined record was 1–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Semifinals National Championship Game | New Mexico Highlands Texas A&I | W, 28–23 L, 7–48 |
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 |
| Total: 124–169–11 | |||||
Notable former players
- Brenton Bersin, former wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL)
- Miles Brown, former defensive lineman for the Tennessee Titans
- Fisher DeBerry, former head coach at Air Force and College Football Hall of Famer
- Ameet Pall, former defensive end in the Canadian Football League (CFL)
- Kasey Redfern, former NFL punter
- Jerry Richardson, wide receiver for the Baltimore Colts, former owner of the Carolina Panthers.[2]
- Nate Woody, Defensive coordinator at Army
- Shiel Wood, Defensive coordinator at Houston
- Greg Gasparato, Defensive coordinator at Tulane
Yearly results
| Year[3] | Coach | Win | Loss | Tie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1889 | Edwin Kerrison | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1890 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1893 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1894 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1895 | William Wertenbaker | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1896 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1900 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1901 | J. Norman Walker | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1914 | Curtis McCoy | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| 1915 | Harvey Hester | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| 1916 | Leslie Moser | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| 1917 | Leslie Moser | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 1918 | Bernard Peters | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1919 | J.P. Major | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 1920 | John F. Gorsuch | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| 1921 | John Gilroy | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| 1922 | J.P. Major | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| 1923 | J.P. Major | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 1924 | J.P. Major | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| 1925 | J.P. Major | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| 1926 | J.P. Major | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| 1927 | Tommy Scaffe | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| 1928 | Tommy Scaffe | 7 | 2 | 1 |
| 1929 | Tommy Scaffe | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| 1930 | Tommy Scaffe | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| 1931 | Tommy Scaffe | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| 1932 | Tommy Scaffe | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 1933 | Tommy Scaffe | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| 1934 | Jules Carson | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| 1935 | Jules Carson | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| 1936 | Jules Carson | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| 1937 | Jules Carson | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| 1938 | Jules Carson | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| 1939 | Jules Carson | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| 1940 | Jules Carson | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 1941 | Jules Carson | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 1942 | Ted Petoskey | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 1946 | Ted Petoskey | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| 1947 | Phil Dickens | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| 1948 | Phil Dickens | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| 1949 | Phil Dickens | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 1950 | Phil Dickens | 7 | 2 | 1 |
| 1951 | Phil Dickens | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| 1952 | Phil Dickens | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| 1953 | Conley Snidow | 6 | 4 | 1 |
| 1954 | Conley Snidow | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| 1955 | Conley Snidow | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 1956 | Conley Snidow | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| 1957 | Conley Snidow | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| 1958 | Conley Snidow | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| 1959 | Conley Snidow | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 1960 | Conley Snidow | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| 1961 | Conley Snidow | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| 1962 | Conley Snidow | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| 1963 | Conley Snidow | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 1964 | Conley Snidow | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| 1965 | Conley Snidow | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 1966 | Conley Snidow | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| 1967 | Jim Brakefield | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 1968 | Jim Brakefield | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| 1969 | Jim Brakefield | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| 1970 | Jim Brakefield | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971 | Jack Peterson | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| 1972 | Jack Peterson | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| 1973 | Jack Peterson | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| 1974 | Steve Satterfield | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 1975 | Steve Satterfield | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| 1976 | Steve Satterfield | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| 1977 | Buddy Sasser | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| 1978 | Buddy Sasser | 3 | 8 | 0 |
| 1979 | Buddy Sasser | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 1980 | Buddy Sasser | 7 | 2 | 2 |
| 1981 | Buddy Sasser | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| 1982 | Buddy Sasser | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| 1983 | Bill Parker | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| 1984 | Bill Parker | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| 1985 | Rick Gilstrap | 3 | 8 | 0 |
| 1986 | Rick Gilstrap | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| 1987 | Rick Gilstrap | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| 1988 | Mike Ayers | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 1989 | Mike Ayers | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| 1990 | Mike Ayers | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| 1991 | Mike Ayers | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| 1992 | Mike Ayers | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| 1993 | Mike Ayers | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| 1994 | Mike Ayers | 5 | 6 | 0 |
| 1995 | Mike Ayers | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| 1996 | Mike Ayers | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| 1997 | Mike Ayers | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| 1998 | Mike Ayers | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| 1999 | Mike Ayers | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| 2000 | Mike Ayers | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 2001 | Mike Ayers | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| 2002 | Mike Ayers | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| 2003 | Mike Ayers | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| 2004 | Mike Ayers | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| 2005 | Mike Ayers | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| 2006 | Mike Ayers | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 2007 | Mike Ayers | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| 2008 | Mike Ayers | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| 2009 | Mike Ayers | 3 | 8 | 0 |
| 2010 | Mike Ayers | 10 | 3 | 0 |
| 2011 | Mike Ayers | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| 2012 | Mike Ayers | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| 2013 | Mike Ayers | 5 | 6 | 0 |
| 2014 | Mike Ayers | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| 2015 | Mike Ayers | 5 | 6 | 0 |
| 2016 | Mike Ayers | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| 2017 | Mike Ayers | 10 | 3 | 0 |
| 2018 | Josh Conklin | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| 2019 | Josh Conklin | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| 2020 | Josh Conklin | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 2021 | Josh Conklin | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| 2022 | Josh Conklin | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2022 | Shawn Watson | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 2023 | Shawn Watson | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| Total | 551 | 543 | 36 |
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of July 9, 2024.[4]
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| at Gardner–Webb | at South Carolina State | at South Carolina | South Carolina State | at South Carolina |
| at Richmond | Richmond | at Clemson | ||
| William & Mary | at Virginia Tech | |||
| at South Carolina |
