SPARTANBURG, S.C. – To close out the season, the Wofford College football team scored first and never trailed as they defeated Chattanooga 35-13 on Saturday afternoon at Gibbs Stadium. The Terriers, winners of six of their last seven games, had a 21-13 lead at the half and held the Mocs scoreless in the second half while adding two touchdowns.
 
Wofford finishes at 6-6 overall and 5-3 in the Southern Conference. It marks the first season over .500 since 2019 and the first winning mark in the SoCon since that season as well. Chattanooga is 5-7 overall and 4-4 in the league. J.T. Fayard was 22-of-28 passing for 244 yards and three touchdowns. Gerald Modest Jr. had 10 carries for 76 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Ivory Aikens had six catches for 91 yards and a touchdown. The Mocs were led by Battle Alberson, who was 21-of-32 passing for 215 yards.
 
"It was a really well-played game," said head coach Shawn Watson. "I thought we were really executing schematically. I'm talking offense, defense, and special teams. In the first half we had some costly penalties, which were out of character. I'm really proud of the way the kids played. Our defense was stellar all year long. Finishing off this season, it's been a great run. I can't say enough about the five guys that came back for the fifth year, because a year ago they believed in the coaches and they believed in our vision, and they really believed in the young kids that we brought into the program. There is a lot of good stuff to build on for next season."
 
The Terriers had the ball first, and on second down Ivory Aikens had a 46-yard reception. Colby Alexander had a 22-yard catch in the end zone from J.T. Fayard as the Terriers took a 7-0 lead at 13:15 in the first quarter. The Mocs went three-and-out on their first possession and punted. Starting at the five-yard line, Wofford had a 27-yard reception by Ivory Aikens for a first down, but the Terriers had to punt. With the ball back, Chattanooga had five first downs before a high snap was recovered by Alijah Williams for the Terriers. After one first down, Wofford had to punt. Chattanooga went three-and-out and punted, with the Terriers taking over on the Mocs' 32-yard line. A first down pass to Ivory Aikens moved the ball inside the 10-yard line. Gerald Modest Jr. took a direct snap from center and scored a two-yard touchdown as Wofford had a 14-0 lead with 11:46 left in the second quarter.
 
The Mocs began their next drive at midfield and had one first down. Facing fourth-and-five, Chattanooga had a slant pass that was completed for 30 yards to move the team inside the ten-yard line. A four-yard run by Ryan Ingram made it a 14-7 game with 7:54 on the clock. With the ball back, the Terriers had three first downs and the drive was capped by a 14-yard run by Gerald Modest Jr. for a 21-7 lead with 4:50 remaining in the first half. The Mocs had five first downs on their next drive, including two by penalty. They scored on a 21-yard run, but the extra point was blocked for a 21-13 score with 13 seconds remaining. Wofford ran one play before the end of the half.
 
To open the second half, the Mocs had one first down before Maximus Pulley intercepted a pass and returned it to the 29-yard line. After a first down run by Gerald Modest Jr., J.T. Fayard found Ivory Aikens for a three-yard touchdown reception. The play was challenged, but upheld, and Wofford took a 28-13 lead with 10:02 on the clock in the third quarter. Chattanooga had four first downs, but after back-to-back tackles for loss attempted a 48-yard field goal that was wide left with 3:43 left in the quarter. Wofford had a pair of first down passes to move into the red zone. A four-yard pass to Isaiah Scott ended the drive as Wofford extended the lead to 35-13 on the first play of the fourth quarter.
 
After a three-and-out by the Mocs, Wofford was able to gain one first down before punting. Chattanooga had three first downs, but a sack by Brandon Maina and Caleb Oliver on fourth down turned the ball back to the Terriers with 3:21 left in the game. Wofford went three-and-out, but the punt return was muffed and recovered by Perrin Ketchin with one minute left at the 12-yard line. Wofford ran two plays to end the game.
 
Wofford had 371 total yards on offense, with 244 passing yards. Chattanooga had 300 total yards, with 215 of those passing yards. Wofford had 13 first downs to 23 for the Mocs. Wofford was 8-of-12 on third down. Chattanooga was 5-of-11 on third down and 1-of-2 on fourth down. Wofford had five penalties for 60 yards, while Chattanooga had two penalties for 20 yards. Chattanooga had a 34:06 to 25:54 time of possession advantage.
 
Wofford vs. Chattanooga Post-Game Notes
This was the 32^nd meeting of the two teams. The Mocs had won the last five games, but after the Wofford win, the series is tied at 16-16.   
 
With the 5-3 mark in the Southern Conference, the Terriers finish tied for third – their highest finish since winning the league in 2019.
 
The Wofford defense was led by Kade Moledor with 11 tackles, while Brandon Maina added nine tackles.  
 
Eli Campbell had his fourth interception of the season late in the fourth quarter. It was the 15^th interception this season for the defense.
 
Overall, the defense had three takeaways, giving them a total of 22 on the season to only ten turnovers lost.
 
Brandon Maina had a pair of sacks in the first half and a shared sack in the fourth quarter, giving him 10.5 for the season. The 10.5 is the fifth-most in a single season. He has 19.0 career sacks, tied for fifth in school history.
 
The fumble recovery by Alijah Williams in the first quarter was his second of the season. The fumble recovery by Perrin Ketchin in the fourth quarter was his second of the season.
 
Maximus Pulley had his fifth interception of the season in the third quarter, giving him seven for his career.
 
Game captains were Quincy Hughes, Seth Foster, Brandon Maina, and Maximus Pulley.
 
It was the final home contest for 19 Wofford seniors. The group includes fifth year seniors Seth Foster, Quincy Hughes, Brandon Maina, Maximus Pulley and Benny Radicia. There are also 14 true seniors. They are: Chizara Alegbe, R.J. Brunson, Devery Cagle, Samuel Cornett, Clayton Hixon, Caleb Hodge, Mason Howard, Bridger Jones, Nick Morgan, Kyle Parsons, Jon Schaffer, Blake Shirley, Bra'lyan Smith-Sapp, and Cam Smith. In addition, athletic trainers Paige Kenworthy and Bella Steiner, along with student assistants Andrew Guth and Tommy Miller were recognized before the game.
 
Attendance at Gibbs Stadium was 3,091.