The Bucs lost a heartbreaker to the Wofford Terriers 35-31 Saturday night in Memorial Center.
“It’s a tough loss, difficult loss for our team,” said ETSU Head Football Coach Paul Hamilton. “Our team is devastated. They really wanted to win.”
With the loss the Bucs fall to 4-5 overall and 3-4 in the conference.
The Bucs played well offensively amassing 450 total yards of total offense and scoring 31 points, almost 10 points above their season average, but three big plays by Wofford halfback Shaun Fogle were the difference in the Bucs’ Homecoming game.
“Thirty-one points is good for us,” said ETSU wide receiver Cecil Moore. “But three big plays by one person hurt us.”
Fogle exploded for touchdown runs of 62 and 78 as well as a 35- yard touchdown run with 6:20 to go in the fourth quarter that proved to be the game winner.
Hamilton wasn’t surprised with the Terrier offense that accumulated 359 rushing yards.
“There were no plays that were a surprise,” he said. “Their quarterback puts a lot of pressure on you. He opens a lot up for their offense.”
Fogle ran for 193 yards on just five carries and the Terriers had five other players run for 20 or more yards.
The Bucs had some success of their own with the ground game as running back Terrance Sims gained 116 yards on 19 carries. As a team they gained 143 total rushing yards, 11 above their season average.
“We made some changes in our offense to get the ball into Sims’ hands more,” Hamilton said.
The Bucs jumped out 7-0 on their first possession of the game when fullback Corey Carter completed a 16-play, 75-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run.
The Bucs held Wofford scoreless in the first quarter, but it would be the second quarter when the Terriers’ offense came alive.
Wofford set up their first score of the game when the Bucs’ Aaron Bass was not able to get off a punt, giving Wofford the ball deep in Buccaneer territory.
It took just three plays from inside the Bucs’ 10-yard line, and the game was tied at seven.
The Bucs came right back when quarterback Todd Wells found slotback Corey Martin for a 30-yard touchdown pass, putting the Bucs up 14-7 with just over five minutes to go in the half.
Then, Fogle exploded for his first huge run of the game. Just 52 seconds after Moore’s touchdown, Fogle ran 62 yards and knotted the score at 14.
Both teams added touchdowns in the final minute of the half. Wofford ran one in from three yards out and Wells connected with Moore for a 4-yard pass that put the score at 21 all going into the half.
Almost as soon as both teams came out, Fogle struck again. This time he found the end zone on the first play of second half with a 78-yard run that put the Terriers up 28-21 just 22 seconds into the third quarter.
The Bucs once again came right back marching 88 yards on 14 plays to tie the score for the fourth time on a one-yard touchdown run by Carter.
The Bucs jumped back into the lead on a Con Chellis field goal just under six minutes into the fourth quarter giving the Bucs a 31-28 lead.
Wofford came right back, starting from their own 25-yard line and bringing it to the Bucs 35-yard line, where Fogle ran it in from and gave the Terriers a 35-31 lead that would prove to be the final score of the game.
The Bucs had one more chance, as kickoff returner Andrew Nuckolls brought the ball to the Wofford 36-yard line.
However, three plays later the Terrier defense came strongly on Wells’ blind side for a sack, forcing a fumble that would end the Bucs’ chances at getting a Homecoming victory and end Wells’ chance at setting ETSU’s career record for total yards of offense.
“Todd really couldn’t see,” Moore said. “He came from the left, it’s just one of those things that happens with a sack.”
Wells will get another crack at the record and the Bucs will get the opportunity to try to win out the rest of their schedule when they travel to Chattanooga next Saturday.
“As devastated as they are, I know they’ll come back to play hard versus Chattanooga,” Hamilton said.
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