A Sept. 10 date at West Virginia and home games versus Georgia Southern and Appalachian State highlight the 2005 Wofford football schedule.
With a 29-8 overall record and 18-5 league mark, the Terriers are the SoCon's winningest team over the last three seasons. Wofford captured the 2003 SoCon championship while advancing to the Division I-AA national semifinals.
All five of Wofford's home dates will occur in the opening seven games. The final four contests will be on the road with the longest trip being just three hours to Charleston (Oct. 29, at The Citadel).
"There's no doubt it's an outstanding schedule," Terrier coach Mike Ayers said. "It was a tough one for us to acquire.
"It took a long time to find that 11th game and we were able to get one of the best teams in the country in Georgetown (Ky.) College. They've competed for the national championship several times and have an outstanding program.
"The schedule is tough from top to bottom. We're a young football team and we lost 25 guys. Out of that 25, there were three All-Americans and several others that were All-Conference.
"We have a tremendous challenge ahead, but we've got a young group of guys that are working hard. Hopefully, we'll get them ready and be able to go out there and compete against the best."
Wofford opens the 2005 campaign with a Sept. 3 home date versus Georgetown, alma mater of Ayers. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
Ayers holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Georgetown. He is also a member of its Athletic Hall of Fame after competing on the football, baseball, gymnastics and wrestling teams. Ayers began his collegiate coaching career at Georgetown in 1974.
Over the last six seasons, the NAIA Division I Tigers have captured two national championships and been national finalists twice. Georgetown was 12-1 in 2004 as it won its seventh straight Mid-South Conference title.
"Anytime you face a school that you played at, there's always going to be something special," Ayers said. "Georgetown (Ky.) is where I was born and went to college.
"Georgetown afforded me an opportunity to do something that I truly love and that's coach. I was able to start coaching there.
"When we open up that first weekend (Sept. 3), there's going to be a great deal of emotion that you have anytime you're in conflict with a place that you love. That particular day, there will be two places that I love - Georgetown College and Wofford."
Following the Georgetown game, the Terriers will head to Morgantown, W.Va., to face West Virginia (Sept. 10). It will be Wofford's ninth game in the last eight seasons against a Division I-A opponent.
The Mountaineers were 8-4 in the 2004 campaign as they earned a trip to the Gator Bowl. It will be the Terriers' first contest against a Big East opponent.
Wofford's ninth SoCon season will begin Sept. 17 with a 7 p.m. home game against Georgia Southern. The Terriers have defeated the Eagles in two of the last three years.
After an open date Sept. 24, Wofford returns to action Oct. 1 at Chattanooga.
The Terriers will then begin a three-game homestand with Gibbs Stadium visits from Elon (Oct. 8), VMI (Oct. 15) and Appalachian State (Oct. 22). All three of those contests will kickoff at 1:30 p.m. The ASU game will be Wofford's final regular-season home appearance. Wofford will be looking for its third victory in the last four years over the Mountaineers.
The Terriers have won 13 of their last 14 home games and are 17-2 in their last 19 Gibbs Stadium dates going back to the start of the 2002 campaign.
The final four contests are road dates at The Citadel (Oct. 29), Western Carolina (Nov. 5), Furman (Nov. 12) and Gardner-Webb (Nov. 19).
At No. 18 in the final 2004 regular-season poll, the Terriers hold the nation’s second-longest current streak for consecutive rankings in the Division I-AA Top 25. Wofford has appeared in 36 consecutive polls since Oct. 21, 2002. Only Montana (93 polls) has been ranked longer than the Terriers.
2005 Wofford football schedule
Sept. 3 - vs. Georgetown (Ky.), 7 p.m.
Sept. 10 - at West Virginia, TBA
Sept. 17 - vs. Georgia Southern, 7 p.m.
Oct. 1 - at Chattanooga, TBA
Oct. 8 - vs. Elon, 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 15 - vs. VMI, 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 22 - vs. Appalachian State, 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 29 - at The Citadel, TBA
Nov. 5 - at Western Carolina, TBA
Nov. 12 - at Furman, TBA
Nov. 19 - at Gardner-Webb, TBA
