SPARTANBURG, S.C. – With two weeks remaining before the season opener, the Wofford College football team held its first scrimmage on Saturday morning at Gibbs Stadium. The team was on the field for over two hours, running over 80 plays.
"You know, we've had a good camp that has been really competitive," said head coach
Shawn Watson. "Today was about a lot of our veteran players and handling a lot of different situations. Defensively, we did a good job getting pressure on the quarterback in the back end. I think everybody knows we can be a really good football team, and they know we still have a lot of work to do to get there. There are so many new faces, but there is talent in those new faces. That's what's really awesome."
The practice began with a walk-through and a short individual position group period. The first series of plays had
Jayden Whitaker at quarterback and
Kyle Parsons had four carries for 20 yards, while
Jaden Fowler had a five-yard reception. The drive ended with a sack by Marion Smokes. The second series was led by
J.T. Fayard and
Gerald Modest had four carries for 18 yards.
Jack Purdy,
Colby Alexander and
Gavin Batt had first down receptions, with
Ryan Peacock and
Jack Ewell adding catches.
Connor Deviney ended the drive with a 43-yard field goal.
The next drive had
Ethan Drumm at quarterback and
Ihson Jackson-Anderson had four carries for 24 yards and two first downs.
Ivory Aikens and
Grant Tucker added receptions. Ace Coleman had a pass break-up and the drive ended with a 50-yard field goal by
Sam Spence.
Tanner Staton was at quarterback for the next drive, with
Kaden Brown having five carries for 13 yards.
Harry Newton caught a 20-yard pass which set-up a field goal attempt that was wide right.
In the next series of plays,
Ethan Drumm had a pair of completions before a sack ended the drive. With
Jayden Whitaker back under center,
Jon Schaffer came up with an interception for the defense.
Tanner Staton put together a ten-play drive, which included three carries by
Troy Timko. After a pass break-up by Ace Coleman, Conner Deviney made a 43-yard field goal.
The next series of plays were designed for the younger players, as
George Rouse and
Chalmers Ballard took reps at quarterback.
Connor Brown and
Cooper Stark had first down receptions.
Jacob Domengeaux had a tackle for loss and Logan McClound had a pass break-up.
In the red zone, a drive by
Jayden Whitaker ended with a 40-yard field goal by
Sam Spence.
Ethan Drumm's drive saw
Caleb Oliver come up with a sack and a 42-yard field goal by
Sam Spence capped the drive. On the third drive, Darius Malcolm had a five-yard run and
Gerald Modest picked up three yards and then scored a 20-yard touchdown. In the two-minute drill to end the practice,
J.T. Fayard had two completions to
Kyle Parsons. A sack and an interception by Darius Malcolm closed out the day.
After an off day on Sunday, the Terriers will continue preparations for the season opener with a 9:00 a.m. practice on Monday. On Saturday, August 23, the team will have a mock game.
NOTABLES: The Southern Conference officials called only three penalties during the scrimmage, one each for holding, offsides and false start … There are five fifth-year seniors on the roster this season, along with 43 true freshmen … More players are from South Carolina (41) than any other state … The 2025 season begins at South Carolina State on Saturday, August 30 … Season tickets for Wofford are available by calling 864-597-4090, with the home opener on September 6 against Richmond.
