Saturday, August 29
Spartanburg, S.C. / Gibbs Stadium
6:00 PM
The Citadel
0-1 , 0-1
14
at
42
Wofford
1-0 , 1-0
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Citadel | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Wofford | 7 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 42 |
Photo by: Aaron Beswick / The Citadel Athletics
The Citadel Stumbles in Season Opener, Drops SoCon Clash at Wofford, 42-14
8/29/2026 8:55:00 PM | Football
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- The Citadel (0-1, 0-1 SoCon) faltered against Southern Conference rival Wofford (1-0, 1-0 SoCon) in the program's 2026 season-opening clash, falling to the Terriers via a 42-14 final decision Saturday evening at Gibbs Stadium.
"We are going to have to trust our process," The Citadel head coach Maurice Drayton said. "We have to execute better in those crucial moments. At the end of the day, it's my fault. I sit at the top of this thing, heavy is the head that wears the crown. I'm gonna wear it. I don't want the young men to wear it. We are going to get back to work tomorrow and find a way to course correct."
Overall, The Citadel outgained the Terriers on the day 351-to-341, but three Bulldog turnovers -- a fumble inside the five-yard line, a muffed punt and a Quentin Hayes interception -- proved costly as Wofford converted those giveaways into a pair of touchdowns while also tallying a blocked punt for an end zone visit as well.
Offensively, the Bulldogs controlled the clock with a 35:05-to-24:55 differential in time-of-possession, primarily utilizing the ground game paced by Hayes (18 carries for 91 yards) and Gavin Garcia (15 carries for 68 yards) and headlined by a pair of touchdowns from Sebastien Boyle.
Through the air, Hayes concluded the game 12-of-20 for 88 yards with one interception, spreading the ball around to nine different receivers with top targets including Damir Abdullah (three receptions for 32 yards) and Ismael Zamor (three receptions for 26 yards). Backup QB Nick Billoups took over for the final series, posting a 3-for-4 showing for 36 yards, including a 25-yard toss up the middle to Braylon Knauth.
Defensively, J'hari Mosley set the tone with a team-best eight tackles, including six solo, while also swiping the first interception of his career on the opening drive of the contest. Zyion Brown added seven tackles of his own while Jalen Wright logged five on the day as well. Temarcus Elam pulled down the second Wofford turnover late in the first half, swiping a goal line interception on a deep heave before making his way up the left sideline for 67-yard return into Terrier territory.
For Wofford, JT Fayard closed out the day 18-for-26 for 176 yards and two touchdowns plus the pair of interceptions via the air attack, primarily targeting Gerald Modest Jr. (four receptions for 39 yards) or Alexander Colby (four receptions for 35 yards and two touchdowns).
On the ground, Modest Jr. shouldered the load with 19 carries for 105 yards and a pair of scores as well. Defensively, Wyatt Ward posted a game-high 13 tackles while Eli Campbell added seven of his own, including 1.0 tackle-for-loss, plus a pass breakup and a blocked kick.
Next up, The Citadel continues the season-opening roadtrip with a visit to Charlotte on Saturday, Sept. 5, kickoff slated for 3:30 p.m. at Jerry Richardson Stadium.
"We are going to have to trust our process," The Citadel head coach Maurice Drayton said. "We have to execute better in those crucial moments. At the end of the day, it's my fault. I sit at the top of this thing, heavy is the head that wears the crown. I'm gonna wear it. I don't want the young men to wear it. We are going to get back to work tomorrow and find a way to course correct."
Overall, The Citadel outgained the Terriers on the day 351-to-341, but three Bulldog turnovers -- a fumble inside the five-yard line, a muffed punt and a Quentin Hayes interception -- proved costly as Wofford converted those giveaways into a pair of touchdowns while also tallying a blocked punt for an end zone visit as well.
Offensively, the Bulldogs controlled the clock with a 35:05-to-24:55 differential in time-of-possession, primarily utilizing the ground game paced by Hayes (18 carries for 91 yards) and Gavin Garcia (15 carries for 68 yards) and headlined by a pair of touchdowns from Sebastien Boyle.
Through the air, Hayes concluded the game 12-of-20 for 88 yards with one interception, spreading the ball around to nine different receivers with top targets including Damir Abdullah (three receptions for 32 yards) and Ismael Zamor (three receptions for 26 yards). Backup QB Nick Billoups took over for the final series, posting a 3-for-4 showing for 36 yards, including a 25-yard toss up the middle to Braylon Knauth.
Defensively, J'hari Mosley set the tone with a team-best eight tackles, including six solo, while also swiping the first interception of his career on the opening drive of the contest. Zyion Brown added seven tackles of his own while Jalen Wright logged five on the day as well. Temarcus Elam pulled down the second Wofford turnover late in the first half, swiping a goal line interception on a deep heave before making his way up the left sideline for 67-yard return into Terrier territory.
For Wofford, JT Fayard closed out the day 18-for-26 for 176 yards and two touchdowns plus the pair of interceptions via the air attack, primarily targeting Gerald Modest Jr. (four receptions for 39 yards) or Alexander Colby (four receptions for 35 yards and two touchdowns).
On the ground, Modest Jr. shouldered the load with 19 carries for 105 yards and a pair of scores as well. Defensively, Wyatt Ward posted a game-high 13 tackles while Eli Campbell added seven of his own, including 1.0 tackle-for-loss, plus a pass breakup and a blocked kick.
Next up, The Citadel continues the season-opening roadtrip with a visit to Charlotte on Saturday, Sept. 5, kickoff slated for 3:30 p.m. at Jerry Richardson Stadium.
-- #FireThoseCannons --
Players Mentioned
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QB
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RB
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LB
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DB
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RB
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QB
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WR
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DB
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LB
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WR
/ FootballTeam Stats
CIT
WOF
Total Yards
351
341
Pass Yards
124
181
Rushing Yards
227
160
Penalty Yards
50
5
1st Downs
21
24
3rd Downs
5
5
4th Downs
2
1
TOP
35:05
24:55
1st Quarter
CIT 0, WOF 7
WOF - Modest Jr.,Gerald 15 yd run (Spence,Sam kick), 8 plays, 79 yards, TOP 03:31
2nd Quarter
CIT 0, WOF 14
WOF - Davis,Penn 33 yd punt return (Spence,Sam kick)
CIT 0, WOF 21
WOF - Modest Jr.,Gerald 5 yd run (Spence,Sam kick), 5 plays, 32 yards, TOP 00:47
3rd Quarter
CIT 7, WOF 21
CIT - Boyle,Sebastien 4 yd run (Kiely,Evan kick), 12 plays, 75 yards, TOP 07:32
CIT 7, WOF 28
WOF - Aikens,Ivory 5 yd pass from Gilstrap,Kaeden (Spence,Sam kick) 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:11
CIT 7, WOF 35
WOF - Alexander,Colby 1 yd pass from Fayard,JT (Spence,Sam kick) 3 plays, 8 yards, TOP 01:19
4th Quarter
CIT 7, WOF 42
WOF - Alexander,Colby 19 yd pass from Fayard,JT (Spence,Sam kick) 9 plays, 66 yards, TOP 04:36
CIT 14, WOF 42
CIT - Boyle,Sebastien 6 yd run (Kiely,Evan kick), 10 plays, 80 yards, TOP 03:38
Game Leaders
CMP
12
TD
0
YDS
88
INT
1
CMP
3
TD
0
YDS
36
INT
0
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