SPARTANBURG, S.C. – After five years apart, the Presbyterian College football team and the Wofford Terriers will rekindle a historic South Carolina feud this weekend as the Blue Hose visit Spartanburg for a 6:00 PM kick.
Saturday's feature will be streamed live on ESPN+, as PC closes the door on its three-game pre-PFL trajectory by meeting with Wofford for the 86
th occasion in a series that has lived to see over 100 years.
Running away with a 48-17 victory over Virginia-Lynchburg in the 2023 Bailey Memorial Stadium opener, head coach
Steve Englehart's unit will look to achieve the school's first W against the Terriers since 1994 (a 10-7 grind-it-out triumph in Spartanburg) while also searching to snap a seven-game losing skid in the squads' protracted past.
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
WHAT: Presbyterian (1-1) at Wofford (0-2)
WHERE: Gibbs Stadium (Spartanburg, S.C.)
WHEN: Saturday, September 16 – 6:00 PM
FOLLOW THE ACTION
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: SideArm Live Stats
TWITTER: @BlueHoseFtball
GAME NOTES: Presbyterian Notes |
Wofford Notes |
PFL Notes
Mastery at the Line of Scrimmage
• The Blue Hose were simply sensational at denying the run during Saturday's 31-point runaway against Virginia-Lynchburg, limiting the Dragons to -8 yards on the ground. That gargantuan number lands as a school record.
• After two full weeks of NCAA Football, no team at either the FCS or FBS levels can claim fewer than -8 rushing yards conceded in a single game.
• A huge contributor to that elite pushback, the Blue Hose gathered seven sacks in the win that reversed VUL for a total of 42 yards. Thus far, it's the second-highest number of sacks in a sole game during the '23 slate, and the third-highest in PC's Division I history.
Opponent Profile
• It's currently difficult to obtain a clear stance on Wofford's first two weeks of football this semester, clocking in at 0-2 but faced with two daunting opponents already.
• A 45-7 loss at Pittsburgh in Week 1 sent the Terriers to William & Mary last weekend to face the fourth-ranked team at the FCS level. Ultimately, Wofford took a 23-6 defeat in Williamsburg, their second-straight season starting off 0-2.
• Guided by first-year head coach Shawn Watson, the Terriers will enact their home opener on Saturday after beginning with two straight road meetings for the first time since 2016.
• The Terriers are looking to build on a 3-7 finish in 2022 as Watson was promoted from interim head coach to the full-time conductor. The Palmetto State duel will represent the final
non-conference tune-up for both sides.
Familiar Foes
• Presbyterian's second-lengthiest series in its century-plus history, the rivalry with Wofford dates all the way back to 1914 (with 108 years in between the first meeting and most recent).
• After a five-year absence between them, PC will meet the Terriers for the 86th time. Wofford clings to a slight edge in the overall series (42-40-3), although both of the Blue Hose's past two wins over them occurred in Spartanburg.
• The two schools are located a mere 37 miles from each other, needing just a short drive down I-26 to reach the destination on either side.
• Wofford senior defensive lineman CJ Tillman spent his freshman season at PC, starting six games. Additionally, Blue Hose punter
Ezra King played his first three campaigns with the Terriers. Wofford OLB coach Mitch Doolittle played quarterback and wide receiver for Presbyterian, graduating in 2007.
Around the PFL
• Three big storylines highlight the PFL's Week 3 slate, beginning with the 2023 PFL Opener when Davidson travels to Marist on Saturday. Davidson has only beaten Marist once in 12 tries all-time, with the lone victory coming during the 2010 season in Poughkeepsie. Since then, the Red Foxes have rattled off nine straight wins, though the last two have been by a combined 13 points.
• Next, two PFL teams will face off against FCS Top 5 teams in Week 3. Drake traveling West to face top-ranked and defending FCS Champion South Dakota State. Stetson treks into the mountains for a meeting with No. 3 Montana State.
• Finally, the PFL will once again have teams involved in the Ivy League's opening weekend. Defending PFL Champion St. Thomas heads to Boston to square off against Harvard in the
first-ever meeting between the programs. San Diego stays home for a second consecutive week to host Princeton for the fifth meeting between the two teams.
2023 Schedule
• Joining the Murray State duel in terms of first-time significance, the Blue Hose will begin the PFL journey on September 30 with a visit to Butler in Indianapolis, returning home after a
near-month break on October 7 to meet Stetson at Bailey Memorial.
• Once the league schedule gets underway, Presbyterian will not stay the home or road team for two consecutive weeks, headed back to the road after taking on the Hatters to travel to Dayton on Oct. 14.
• Homecoming is registered for Oct. 21 as PC hosts Marist, leading to the famed Carolina Border Clash with arch-rival Davidson in the final contest of the month.
• Once the schedule shifts to November, the Blue Hose will finish the regular season by welcoming San Diego, visiting Drake in Des Moines, and returning home for Senior Day against Morehead State on the 18th.
