Struggling Terriers plagued by injuries, turnovers

From 2002 through the 2008, only Appalachian State won more Southern Conference football games than Wofford.

The Terriers went 38-14 in the league over that span and claimed or shared SoCon titles in 2003 and 2008. This season, Wofford was picked to finish second in the SoCon by league coaches.

All of which makes Wofford's slide to 2-6 overall and 1-5 in the SoCon in coach Mike Ayers' 22nd season one of the more surprising developments in Palmetto State football this season. The Terriers already are assured of their first losing season since 2001, when they went 4-7.

"Injuries and turnovers," Citadel coach Kevin Higgins said when asked the difference between this Wofford team and those of recent vintage.

"They are still well-coached and love to run the football," said Higgins, whose Bulldogs host the Terriers on Saturday. "And they are good at it -- nothing's changed there. Unfortunately for them, they've had some injuries and turnovers this year, and that's the difference."

Injuries have hit particularly hard in the offensive backfield, which may explain a lot about Wofford's turnover margin of minus-7, second-worst in the SoCon.

Of the six players on the preseason depth chart at halfback and fullback, only two -- starting halfback Mike Rucker and fullback Austin Palmer -- are on the two-deep for the Terriers.

Starting fullback Eric Breitenstein was lost to a knee injury early in the season, followed by halfbacks Derek Boyce (knee) and Brad Nocek (foot). Of course, running back Jeremy Marshall never got started this season after hurting his knee against App State a year ago.

The Terriers' triple-option still is good enough to lead FCS in rushing at 258 yards per game. But it has not been as explosive as in past years (Wofford is averaging 21 points per game), and the Terriers have been uncharacteristically mistake-prone, with 13 lost fumbles and seven interceptions.

"We used to be a pretty good team that did a good job of keeping the ball in our hands and letting the other team make mistakes," Ayers said. "But this year we've gotten away from that, for whatever reason."

Other areas hit hard by injuries include the linebacker corps, which has starter Mike Niam (knee) out for the season, replaced by freshman Anthony Carden, and the secondary. There, the loss of Hunter Hobson (knee) forced free safety Tommy Irvin to strong safety and cornerback Mychael Johnson to free safety. They are flanked by freshman corners Stephon Shelton and Blake Wylie.

Wofford is last in the SoCon in red-zone defense, allowing scores on 32 of 36 possessions, including a league-high 26 touchdowns.

The frustration seemed to boil over last week against Elon, when assistant coach Shiel Wood and running back Lavadrick Farrar had to be separated on the sideline. Ayers said he has handled discipline in-house.

"We're struggling," said Ayers, whose team has The Citadel, Samford and Furman left to play. "But we've got three important games left. We've got to come up with a way to execute at a consistent level. If we do, we'll have a chance. If we don't, we won't."

Blue Hose woes

Among the things Presbyterian's Harold Nichols inherited from ex-Blue Hose coach Bobby Bentley was an all-FCS schedule that included four SoCon teams and a full six-game Big South slate.

That helps explains why the 0-8 Blue Hose, in transition from Division II to FCS, might be headed toward its first winless season since 1957.

Next year's slate already includes games against Furman, The Citadel and Clemson (all in September), but Nichols is hoping for more "balance" in future schedules.

"We'll have to play FBS schools like everybody else in our league," he said. "We've bitten off an awful lot here at PC, but I hope we can get more balance as we move forward."

Extra points

--Newberry wide receiver David Brown, a senior from Goose Creek High School, has 38 catches for 315 yards this season, and has gone over the 1,000-yard mark for his career.

--South Carolina State receiver Tre Young, from Burke High School, has broken ex-NFL star Charlie Brown's school record for career receiving yards. Young has 1,734 yards for his career, and caught four passes for 135 yard and two TDs in last week's 52-10 win over Delaware State. He has 39 catches for 573 yards and five TDs this season.

--Brevard coach Paul Hamilton, a former Citadel assistant and member of the Lowcountry's Hamilton coaching family, brings his Tornados to Newberry on Saturday. Brevard is 7-3 overall and 3-3 in the South Atlantic Conference, bouncing back from a 1-9 record a year ago.

Hamilton's coaching staff includes former Garrett Tech coach Michael Bayne, ex- Wofford player Dane Romero and student assistant Brandon Stoots from Northwood Academy.

POWER POLL

Ranking the state's FCS and Division II football teams:

Team (Record) This Week Comment

1. S.C. State (7-1) at Howard Bulldogs still No. 10 in FCS

2. Benedict (7-3) at Clark Atlanta Tigers No. 8 in D-II regional rankings

3. The Citadel (4-4) Wofford If not now, when?

4. Newberry (5-4) Brevard Brevard coached by Lowcountry's Paul Hamilton

5. Furman (4-4) at Auburn Not a good time for payday game

6. Wofford (2-6) at The Citadel Has won 10 straight over The Citadel

7. Charleston So. (3-5) at Presbyterian Bucs won turnover battle vs. VMI

8. C. Carolina (3-5) Gardner-Webb Chants one loss from 2nd losing season

9. Presbyterian (0-8) Charleston So. First winless season since 1957?

10. N. Greenville (2-7) UNC-Pembroke 8-1 Braves No. 19 in D-II poll