SPARTANBURG, S.C.---It was a day for big plays as No. 9 Wofford (4-1/2-0) scored five of their seven touchdowns from 20 yards or more to claim a 56-7 win over Chattanooga (1-6/0-3). The loss spoiled Mocs QB and South Carolina native Jare Gault's homecoming.
The Terriers struck quickly with a 75-yard touchdown run on the option keeper by senior QB Ben Widmyer at 11:41 in the first quarter. It was just a two-play drive for Wofford that went 81 yards in 56 seconds.
After both defenses controlled play for a few drives, the Mocs answered the opening score with a strong 10-play, 76-yard touchdown drive culminating in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Jare Gault to Chris Pitchford to knot the score at seven. Gault was 5-5 for 41 yards passing and had 15 yards rushing on the drive.
Wofford immediately answered marching 71 yards on five plays on a 35-yard touchdown run by Widmyer. It is the first multi-TD game of his career. After a fumbled snap on a punt, Widmyer hit Fenn Allen for a 28-yard touchdown pass on the very next play to make it 21-7. The Terriers scored again on an Eric Breitenstein five-yard run with 1:33 left to go into the half up 28-7.
The second half was more of the same as the ninth-ranked Terriers pulled away with big plays. After the Mocs scored to even the game at seven apiece, Wofford scored 49 unanswered points.
Junior Erroll Wynn was an offensive bright spot for the Mocs with a season-high 90 yards on 22 carries. Gault finished up 17 of 22 passing for 105 yards with the Mocs lone touchdown and no interceptions. Clint Woods and Blue Cooper combined for nine catches on the day. Jarvis Newson led the way defensively with nine tackles.
Widmyer had the big day for the Terriers with 268 yards of total offense rushing for two scores and throwing for two more. Wofford amassed 417 yards rushing and 564 yards of total offense.
The Mocs return home next Saturday to host Elon at 2 p.m., for Military Appreciation Day. All military personnel with a military ID get in free and there is a special halftime planned with a military theme.
NOTES
>Gault completed his first 12 passes.
>Blue Cooper returned to the lineup after missing the Georgia Southern game due to a concussion on a helmet-to-helmet hit at Furman.
>After not catching a pass in the first five games, TE Joseph Pittman has caught passes in two straight with season-high 23-yard catch.
>The second quarter touchdown reception by Pitchford was the first of his career.
>Second quarter punt by Jeff Lloyd of 63 yards is a career long.
