Elon at Wofford
Talk about a team having to run through a tough schedule? Look no further than the Phoenix’s last six games. Five of the six had a winning record, four of which made the playoffs. Going 3-3 in that stretch, we’ll give that a thumbs up. There’d be more hope had starting quarterback Davis Cheek not been injured, but replacement Jalen Greene has done an admirable job filling in. The offense has been exceptional in the red zone, scoring 94% of the time. The defense however, is allowing scores 82.4% also. You can’t blame linebacker Wayne Messer for all the defensive issues, as he’s one of the better NFL prospects.
Wofford backed into the Southern Conference automatic this last weekend. While they’d finished their conference schedule and were having fun, beating up Presbyterian, ETSU had to deal with Samford and the wrath of Devlin Hodges. Whatever the case happened to be, the Terriers and their ground-churning yardage machine was making the playoffs anyway. Producing over 330 yards per game, Wofford’s running backs Andre Stoddard and Lennox McAfee are a lethal 1-2 punch. Quarterback Joe Newman is very effective also. The defense has the luxury of watching the offense control the clock, most games. That makes it much easier to pin the ears back and concentrate on the quarterback.
Elon and Wofford seem to be a favorite match-up of the Selection Committee. Given their proximity and the fact that both programs are solid, this has the makings of becoming a major rivalry. For this game, the home team seems the favorite. You really have to wonder what could have been if the Phoenix could have stayed healthy all season, with their first team talent. The back-ups have been good enough, but probably not in this one.
Prediction: Wofford 30, Elon 17
