CHARLESTON, S.C. – On Wednesday, Hurricane Irma forced The Citadel to move its football game this Saturday with Presbyterian to Clinton, S.C. but the change in time and location has not kept the Bulldogs from focusing on the football task at hand as SoCon play rapidly approaches.
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 9/Noon
Location: Clinton, S.C./Bailey Memorial Stadium
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Kickoff with PC is now set for noon at Bailey Memorial Stadium in the first FCS matchup of the season for both teams. The Citadel will try to make it 13 consecutive wins over the Blue Hose in their first appearance in Clinton since at least (records vary) 1950. This is the second consecutive season a home game has become a road contest or the Bulldogs. Last season, Hurricane Matthew forced a game with North Greenville to the Upstate.
The Bulldogs leave early Friday from a closing campus, uncertain when they'll return or to what they'll return, but for the second consecutive year, the Bulldogs have been forced to take a midweek game change in stride.
"We're excited to be able to play the game and are grateful to PC for their effort to make this happen," Citadel head coach
Brent Thompson said Thursday. "Obviously, there are much larger concerns than getting a football game played. Getting away from the storm as a team and playing this weekend allows us to at least keep our season going."
The Citadel opened its season with a 31-14 win over D-II Newberry last weekend. The Bulldogs were sparked by a 74-yard run by
Cam Jackson in the third quarter to break open a 14-7 game. The Citadel outgained the Wolves 242-46 in the opening half and forced three turnovers in the second half.
The Newberry win marked the debut of five freshmen offensive starters for
Brent Thompson's team. Three offensive linemen, a running back and wide out were part of an offense that rushed for 374 yards and held the ball for over 35 minutes. Wide out
Raleigh Webb was the team's leading receiver with two catches for 39 yards in the opener and
Prince Howard-Whitaker, J.B. Lewis, and
Jonathan Cole all started on the offensive line.
"They played well at times and at times played like freshmen," Thompson said. "I think we went in not knowing exactly what we were going to get from them, but they held up well facing an opponent that was
It was The Citadel defense that seemed to control the game. Newberry's lone scoring "drive" came in the fourth quarter. The Wolves took advantage of a short field off an interception in the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7 at the time. Sophomore
Ja'Lon Williams had four tackles for loss and a sack in the win. Junior
Aron Spann III and freshman
Wally Wilmore both had their first career interceptions. Senior safety and SoCon Defensive player of the Year in '16,
Kailik Williams' forced fumble turned back Newberry in the third, when the Wolves were driving in a 14-7 game.
Presbyterian is under second stint, but first-year head coach Tommy Spangler, who coached at Presbyterian from 2001-2006. The Blue Hose dropped their season opener at Wake Forest last week, 51-7. Freshman running back
Torrance Marable rushed for 162 yards in the loss. Wake jumped to a 37-0 lead at the half.
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs travel back up I-26 to Johnson City, Tenn. to face ETSU in their SoCon opener. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. in ETSU's new Greene Stadium, which the Buccaneers debuted in a 31-10 over Limestone last weekend. ETSU faces No. 1 James Madison this weekend in Harrisonburg, Va.
-CitadelSports-
