Spartanburg, SC – Wofford made a statement against in-state rival The Citadel, dominating the Bulldogs from start to finish in a 42-14 rout. The Terriers took a commanding 21-0 lead into halftime and never looked back, eventually stretching the advantage to 42-7 before The Citadel found the end zone with under two minutes remaining. With the win, Wofford has now taken 24 of the last 29 matchups in the series.

Preseason All-SoCon RB Gerald Modest Jr. led the way offensively, carrying the ball 19 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns while adding four receptions for 39 yards. QB JT Fayard was efficient through the air, completing 18-of-26 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns, while true freshman QB Kaeden Gilstrap added a five-yard touchdown pass of his own. WR Colby Alexander made the most of his opportunities, hauling in four passes for 35 yards and finding the end zone twice.

The Terrier defense was flying around all afternoon, led by a monster performance from LB Wyatt Ward, who finished with 13 tackles, including seven solo stops. Preseason First-Team All-SoCon DB Eli Campbell added seven tackles, a pass breakup and a tackle for loss, while freshman DB Ky’Ree Murphy recorded his first career interception on an incredibly acrobatic play and nearly took it all the way back for six. Senior LB Javario Tinch also came up with a huge turnover, recovering a fumble on the Terrier goal line to keep The Citadel off the scoreboard in the first half.

Wofford’s special teams continued to be a major weapon, something that has become a staple of the Terriers under HC Shawn Watson. LS Joshua Hodge recovered a muffed punt deep in Citadel territory that led to a Terrier score, and Wofford struck again on the first play of the second quarter when the Terriers blocked a punt. Freshman RB Davis Penn scooped it up and took it 33 yards to the house, helping Wofford seize complete control of the game.

For a rivalry that dates back more than a century, this one has become remarkably one-sided in recent years. Saturday’s win marked Wofford’s 24th victory in the last 29 meetings with The Citadel, while the 28-point margin was the largest margin of victory over the Bulldogs in Gibbs Stadium history. It was another emphatic result in a series that has tilted heavily toward the Terriers, with Wofford leaving little doubt about which program had the upper hand in this year’s matchup.

The final score may not even fully capture how lopsided the afternoon was, as Wofford left some opportunities on the field. The Terriers held The Citadel scoreless through the first half, and built a 35-point advantage before the Bulldogs scored in the final two minutes of the game to give us the final score of 42-14. Wofford consistently turned Citadel mistakes into points, came up with stops when the Bulldogs threatened to score, and controlled field position with a special teams unit that directly contributed to the rout. Still, the margin could have been even wider had the Terriers fully capitalized on their opportunities, as two interceptions deep in Citadel territory ended promising Wofford possessions.

In all, it was a complete performance from the Terriers, with Wofford making impact plays on offense, defense and special teams while controlling its rival from the opening whistle.

Wofford (1-0) now turns its attention to Gardner-Webb, which comes to Gibbs Stadium next week for a 1:30 PM kickoff. The game will stream on ESPN+.