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Wofford Battles Richmond to the Wire but Falls Short Again
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — For the second straight week, Wofford pushed an opponent to the brink but came up just short, falling 14–10 to Richmond on Saturday night at Gibbs Stadium after a 90-minute weather delay.
Terriers, Spiders Trade Early Blows as Watson Rolls with True Freshman Drumm
Wofford won the toss and deferred, and its defense set the tone early with a quick stop. But Richmond capitalized on its second possession, as quarterback Kyle Wickersham found Jakob Veney for a 27-yard gain before connecting with Andrew King on a screen pass for an 11-yard touchdown.
Head coach Shawn Watson turned to true freshman Ethan Drumm at quarterback, hoping to ignite an offense that had struggled the week before. Drumm flashed promise with a 28-yard strike to Jayden Flower, though the drive ended in a sack. Richmond held a 72-19 edge in first-quarter yardage, but the Terriers answered late when cornerback C.J. Coombes jumped a route and raced into the end zone for a pick-six, tying the game 7–7 after one.
Defenses Dig In as First Half Ends in Stalemate
Neither offense could find much traction in the second quarter. Drumm was sacked three times in the half, but Wofford’s defense forced four three-and-outs to keep the game even.
Gerald Modest provided steady, if unspectacular, running for the Terriers, while Richmond stalled on a drive to the Wofford 38. The Terriers pushed into scoring range just before halftime, with Drumm hitting C.J. Adams and Ivory Aikens to move the chains, but Devney’s 33-yard field-goal try sailed wide.
At the break, Richmond held a narrow edge in total yards, 127–91. Wickersham was 8-for-14 for 92 yards with one touchdown and one interception, while Drumm finished the half 7-for-12 for 63 yards.
Spence’s Kick Puts Terriers Ahead, but Richmond Responds
Wofford came out strong in the third quarter. Drumm found Adams, Modest powered ahead for eight yards, and Aikens added a 12-yard grab before taking a reverse for 15 more. Penalties backed the Terriers up, but Sam Spence drilled a 46-yard field goal — his first attempt of the season — to give Wofford a 10–7 lead with 11:03 left in the period.
Richmond regrouped behind Wickersham, who scrambled for 12 yards to spark a drive. The Spiders crossed midfield before stalling, then mounted another march late in the quarter, closing at the Wofford 15 as the period expired.
Late Chances Slip Away as Spiders Hold On
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Wickersham kept the ball on a designed run and scored to put Richmond back on top, 14–10.
Wofford relied on Elijah Jackson-Anderson to grind out yards, and the running back delivered with bursts of 10 and 25 yards to push the Terriers downfield. Drumm then hit Terrance Honeywood for 10 yards to set up shop at the Richmond 30 with two minutes to play.
But the drive unraveled when Drumm was hit and lost the ball. Although Wofford recovered, the Terriers faced fourth-and-long with 1:45 left. After a review overturned the fumble, Drumm’s deep shot to Jack Purdy fell incomplete. Richmond took over and ran out the clock to seal the win.
Terriers Searching for Breakthrough
For the second straight week, Wofford found itself within striking distance late but couldn’t quite finish the job. The Terriers matched Richmond punch for punch, leaning on a stingy defense and flashes of offense from Drumm, but costly penalties and missed opportunities left them just short.
Wofford (0–2) will look to turn those close calls into results next week when it travels to face Southern Conference rival Mercer.
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