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SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford College defeated The Citadel 33-28 on Saturday afternoon at Gibbs Stadium in a key Southern Conference match-up. Dane Romero had a big day for the Terriers, scoring three rushing touchdowns with 146 yards on the ground.
The Terriers are 7-2 on the season (5-1 SoCon) and The Citadel is 3-7 overall and 1-6 in the Southern Conference. Dane Romero led the team with 146 yards rushing, while Andy Strickland had 78 yards and a touchdown receiving. Ben Widmyer was 6-of-7 with a touchdown and added 79 yards and a touchdown rushing. Andre Roberts was a highlight reel for The Citadel, catching 14 passes for 190 yards and three touchdowns.
“We knew it was not going to be easy today,” said head coach Mike Ayers. “They are a way better football team than what their record is. The one thing you know about a Citadel football team is they are going to play their tails off all the way through and they are very well coached. We had to come out and fight for our lives. The big thing was when we needed to stand tall, we stood tall. We made the plays when we had to and the interception was huge. We still have some issues. We are not as aggressive defensively as we need to be and I think they might be playing tentative, afraid to make a mistake. We need to start playing like we were earlier in the season. It is a big win, but we have to take a depth breathe and get ready for the next one.”
The Bulldogs picked up three first downs on their opening possession, but were forced to punt. A 26-yard punt return by Andy Strickland set up a six-play drive for the Terriers that was capped by a two-yard run by Dane Romero. The Citadel picked up two first downs, but on fourth and two, the pass from Bart Blanchard was incomplete, turning it over on downs.
Wofford was able to put together a drive that included a 39-yard reception by Justice Joslin to get the ball to the one-yard line. Dane Romero punched it in at 13:20 in the second quarter for a 13-0 lead as the point after was wide right. The Citadel was able to get on the board with 7:40 left in the first half with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Bart Blanchard from Andre Roberts to make it a 13-7 game.
On the next drive for Wofford, the Terriers got to the eight yard line and had fourth-and-three. Dane Romero picked up the first down and one play later scored a two-yard touchdown to take a 20-7 lead with 2:08 left in the half. The Citadel responded with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Andre Roberts with 14 seconds left to make it a 20-14 game at the half.
The Terriers opened the second half with a 57-yard touchdown pass from Ben Widmyer to a wide-open Andy Strickland on the second play from scrimmage. The two-point attempt was incomplete, giving Wofford a 26-14 lead at 14:10 in the third quarter.
After the team’s traded punts, The Citadel was able to put together a seven-play, 42 yard drive that ended with a one-yard run by Terrell Dallas for a 26-21 score at 6:34 in the third quarter. After a Wofford punt, the Bulldogs were unable to get the offense started and punted. The Terriers only needed five plays to go 76 yards, including a 55-yard run by Dane Romeo, as Ben Widmyer scored from 20-yards out. With 10:56 remaining in the fourth quarter, Wofford had a 33-21 lead.
On the next drive by the Bulldogs, Preston Roseboro came up with an interception on the five-yard line to end a drive. Wofford was forced to punt and The Citadel took over the ball with 4:52 left in the fourth quarter. After two quick first downs, Bart Blanchard found Andre Roberts for a 30-yard touchdown reception with 3:48 on the clock and a 33-28 score.
Wofford converted a fourth-and-one on the final drive of the game to keep the ball and run out the clock for the victory.
Wofford had 409 yards of total offense, while The Citadel had 388 total yards. Possession time was almost even, with Wofford having a 30:40 to 29:20 advantage. The Terriers were 5-of-11 on third down and 3-of-3 on fourth down.
Up next, the Terriers will travel to Samford on November 15 in the first meeting between the two teams as members of the Southern Conference. Kickoff is at 3:00 pm ET. The final game of the regular season will be November 22 against Furman at Gibbs Stadium.
Wofford vs. The Citadel
Post-Game Notes
Dane Romero had 3 touchdowns in the game, the fourth time this season he has scored three or more touchdowns. Romero’s 146 yards were a career high and marked his fourth 100+ rushing game this season.
The win marked the 150th career win for Wofford head coach Mike Ayers. His overall record now stands at 150-116-2.
Wofford has now defeated The Citadel ten straight times.
Preston Roseboro intercepted his first career pass in the fourth quarter. He is the eleventh different Terriers with an interception this season.
The offensive line did not allow a sack for the seventh time this season. They have allowed only two so far this year, best in the nation. Both sacks came in losses.
The Citadel receiver Andre Roberts had three touchdowns on 14 catches for 190 yards. The 14 receptions set a school record for a single game.
With the win, Wofford has a 7-2 record. It is the seventh-straight season the Terriers will have a winning overall record. It is the third-straight year with five wins in Southern Conference play.
Attendance was 10,011 at Gibbs Stadium. It was the ninth-largest home crowd in school history.
