STUDENT VOICE —
1) The SoCon is Wofford’s for the taking
The big news of this offseason in the Southern Conference is the departure of Appalachian State, Georgia Southern and Elon from the conference, with the inclusion of Mercer, VMI and ETSU (who begins football in 2015) slated to rejoin the conference as replacements. In the past, Georgia Southern and App State have been the primary obstacles for Wofford when it came to Conference championships and playoff seeding. With their departure, Wofford is the only remaining school in the SoCon with a recent history of consistent success.
2) Wofford is one of the best programs in FCS
The proof is in the numbers when it comes to consistency. Last season may have been a let-down when it came to producing wins, but at the same time it was consistent with a historical trend. Since joining the Southern Conference in 1997, every four years the Terriers have underperformed (1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, and 2013). In 2010, following a disappointing 3-8 2009 campaign, the Terriers went 10-3 and won the SoCon; the same thing could easily happen in 2014. Wofford has made the playoffs five of the last seven years, and won more Conference championships than any current team in the SoCon since 2003 with four. Head Coach Mike Ayers has proven to be one of the best coaches in the country, currently ranked 6th in wins among active coaches in FCS, and 9th in all of Division One.
3) The home schedule is favorable
Since 2010, Wofford is 17-4 at home during the regular season, with three of those losses coming in the 2013 campaign. This season’s projected slate is very winnable, with games against sub-Division I opponents North Greenville and UVA Wise, the Citadel who hasn’t beaten Wofford since the Clinton Administration, VMI who has only beaten six Division I opponents since 2010, and Mercer who is in its second season of its football program after a 70 year hiatus. Though no game is a given, a rebound from last year’s poor home performance is likely.
4) The student section is getting a makeover
Everyone at this point has probably heard of the Boneyard, the student section’s new vanguard of school spirit. The tailgating area for students is no longer tucked away in a lot out of sight, but instead in an accessible area on Evins Street by DuPre Hall. In the same way that the Wofford student section helped the Men’s Basketball Team secure its third SoCon tournament championship victory, so the Boneyard hopes to make Gibbs stadium the 12th man for Wofford Football. With that said, it all starts with student participation. All of the athletes at Wofford appreciate spectator support in the stands, especially from their fellow students. Wofford has a great deal to be proud of on the athletic field, especially the football field, and 2014 is a prime year for students to turn up their excitement and commitment to the Terriers on the field.
— Joe James
