Week 6 Southern Conference Game Breakdowns
It has been impressive so far, but now comes the real test for the No. 9 Wofford Terriers. They host rival Furman on Saturday, then have back-to-back road games against Georgia Southern and Appalachian State. After that, it’s a contest against The Citadel, but Wofford doesn’t want to get ahead of itself. “Furman is a dangerous team,” Wofford running back Eric Breitenstein told GoUpstate.com. “They started a little bit down this season, but that's not who they are. It's a team that will beat some good teams. We can't let one of those be us.”
Wofford’s 49-25 triumph over Elon on Saturday was the closest game of the season for the Terriers, who have won by an average score of 54-13. Wofford ranks first in FCS rushing offense and second in scoring offense nationwide. But those gaudy numbers came against an early season schedule that included Gardner-Webb, Lincoln (Pa.), Western Carolina and Elon.
FURMAN at #9 WOFFORD (1:30 p.m. Saturday at Gibbs Stadium, Spartanburg, SC)
If Furman wants to upset Wofford on Saturday, it will have to stop Eric Breitenstein. And that’s easier said than done. Breitenstein ran for a Southern Conference single-game record of 321 yards and two touchdowns Saturday to lead Wofford to a 49-24 victory against Elon. But Furman handed Wofford its first loss in the Southern Conference last season, 26-21 at Paladin Stadium. The Terriers had only seven points until the fourth quarter. Furman leads the series, 10-5 and has won nine of the last 12. Breitenstein’s efforts on Saturday marked the first 300-yard rushing game in conference history as Wofford (4-0, 2-0) piled up 516 yards of offense. Furman (2-3, 1-1) had a strong offensive showing as well as the Paladins topped visiting Western Carolina 45-24. After starting 0-3, Furman has won two straight contests. Jerodis Williams, who was College Sports Madness Offensive Player of the Week in the Southern Conference, and Hank McCloud combined for 362 yards rushing and three touchdowns for the Paladins. Williams returned a kickoff 100 yards and added touchdowns of 89 and 2 yards. He finished with 239 yards rushing and became the first Paladin since 2000 to rush for more than 200 yards in a game. The Paladins are improving, but Wofford is on a roll.
Projected score: Wofford 31, Furman 17
#18 CITADEL at SAMFORD (3 p.m. Saturday at Seibert Stadium, Birmingham, AL)
The Citadel’s brutal early season schedule appears to have caught up with the team in Charleston on Saturday. Having knocked off Appalachian State and Georgia Southern, the Bulldogs (3-2, 2-1), who played North Carolina State last week, fell to a solid Chattanooga (2-3, 1-1) 28-10. After The Citadel led 3-0 early, the Mocs scored 21 consecutive points to take control. In addition, the Bulldogs were held to 1 of 9 on third-down conversions and had two turnovers. Darien Robinson rushed for 132 yards for The Citadel. Meanwhile, Samford fell to Georgia Southern in Statesboro on Saturday 35-16. After the Bulldogs had closed to within 21-16 in the third quarter, Georgia Southern (3-1, 2-1) held Samford without a first down for more than 24 minutes to take control.
Projected score: The Citadel 24, Samford 20
ELON at #11 APPALACHIAN STATE (3:30 p.m. Saturday at Kidd-Brewer Stadium, Boone, NC)
Appalachian State (3-2, 1-1) meant business when it took the field on Saturday at home against Coastal Carolina in a 55-14 victory. The Mountaineers totaled 286 yards in the first quarter en route to a 21-0 lead and had 405 yards by halftime. They finished with 684 yards total offense, their highest total since gaining 712 in a 52-16 win over Georgia Southern in 2009. Quarterback Jamal Jackson threw for three touchdowns and ran for another, and Steven Miller rushed for a career-high 202 yards and two scores. Elon (2-3, 0-2) meanwhile, struggled in a losing effort 49-24 to Wofford. Elon quarterback Thomas Wilson did complete 31-of-47 passes for 322 yards and two TDs. His favorite target, Aaron Mellette, caught 13 balls for 177 yards and two TDs. The 100 yard receiving game was the 17th of Mellette’s career, moving him into a tie for second in conference history. He has caught 33 career scoring passes, moving him into third place in the conference record book.
Projected score: Appalachian State 34, Elon 19
#10 GEORGIA SOUTHERN at WESTERN CAROLINA (3:30 p.m. Saturday at E.J. Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC)
It appears Georgia Southern has righted the ship after that early season loss to The Citadel. Quarterback Jerick McKinnon gave the Eagles (3-1, 2-1) a spark Saturday night when he replaced starter Ezayi Youyoute in the second quarter in a tight 10-7 contest. He broke free on a 14 yard run on his first carry and scored on a 41yarder just three plays later. Lavelle Westbrooks’ 72 yard interception return put Georgia Southern ahead 21-10 at halftime as the Eagles won their 13th straight at home. Samford got within 21-16 in the third quarter before Georgia Southern added two more scores. Dominique Swope had 133 yards on 21 carries. Meanwhile, Eddie Sullivan led Western Carolina (1-4, 0-3) with 220 yards passing and 104 rushing in its 45-24 loss to Furman.
Projected score: Georgia Southern 42, Western Carolina 20
See All FCS Games of the Week Breakdowns
