NCAA· Season 2026
Wofford thrashed The Citadel 42-14 at Gibbs Stadium behind Gerald Modest Jr.'s 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns, racing to a 21-0 half-time lead in the SoCon opener.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
The Terriers struck first with 3:28 left in the opening quarter. Modest Jr. capped an 8-play, 79-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown run, and Sam Spence's extra point made it 7-0.
Wofford doubled the lead 17 seconds into the second quarter. Penn Davis fielded a Citadel punt at his own 33-yard line and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown — the first punt-return score of the season for the Terriers.
With 19 seconds left before half-time, Modest Jr. punched in his second rushing score from 5 yards out, capping a 5-play, 32-yard drive to stretch the lead to 21-0 at the break.
The Citadel finally answered 7:28 into the third quarter. Sebastien Boyle ran it in from 4 yards to cap a 12-play, 75-yard drive, cutting the deficit to 21-7.
Wofford responded emphatically. Kaeden Gilstrap — the backup quarterback — connected with Ivory Aikens on a 5-yard touchdown pass to restore the 21-point lead. Three plays later, a Wofford defender picked off a Quentin Hayes pass, setting up a 3-play, 8-yard drive that JT Fayard finished with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Colby Alexander. The Terriers led 35-7 after three quarters.
Fayard and Alexander connected again in the fourth quarter, this time from 19 yards, to make it 42-7. Boyle added a second rushing touchdown for The Citadel with 1:49 to play, but the damage was done.
The turning point
The game effectively ended in a 14-second span late in the third quarter. After The Citadel had trimmed the lead to 21-7 and appeared to have momentum, Wofford scored twice in 1:29 — a 5-yard pass from Gilstrap to Aikens followed by an interception that set up Fayard's 1-yard TD to Alexander. The Bulldogs never recovered.
Key performers
Gerald Modest Jr., RB, Wofford — Player of the match. Carried 19 times for 105 yards (5.5 avg.) and two rushing touchdowns, and added four catches for 39 yards. His 144 all-purpose yards and two scores powered Wofford's balanced attack.
JT Fayard, QB, Wofford — Completed 18 of 26 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions. Spread the ball to eight different receivers.
Colby Alexander, WR, Wofford — Caught four passes for 35 yards and two touchdowns (1 and 19 yards), both in the second half.
Sebastien Boyle, RB, The Citadel — Scored both Citadel touchdowns on runs of 4 and 6 yards. Carried three times for 11 yards.
Quentin Hayes, QB, The Citadel — Led the Bulldogs with 91 rushing yards on 18 carries (5.1 avg.) but completed only 12 of 20 passes for 88 yards with one interception and one sack.
By the numbers — interpreted
Wofford won the scoreboard despite being out-gained 351-341 in total yards and losing the time-of-possession battle 35:05 to 24:55. The difference came in the red zone: Wofford converted all five red-zone trips into touchdowns, while The Citadel managed two scores from three visits. The Terriers also dominated special teams (Penn Davis's 33-yard punt-return TD) and committed only one penalty for 5 yards compared to The Citadel's four for 50. Wofford's 5.3 yards per rush edged The Citadel's 5.0, and Fayard's 6.7 yards per attempt comfortably beat Hayes's 5.2 through the air.
What it means
Wofford (1-0, 1-0 SoCon) opens the season with a convincing conference win and moves to 3-1 in the last four meetings against The Citadel. The Terriers host their next fixture — date and opponent to be confirmed. The Citadel (0-1, 0-1 SoCon) will look to bounce back in Week 2. The Bulldogs have now lost four of their last five against Wofford dating back to 2022.
Verdict
Wofford's defensive front and special teams created a 21-0 half-time lead that the Terriers never surrendered. Modest Jr.'s physical running set the tone, and Fayard managed the game efficiently despite two interceptions. The Citadel's inability to finish drives in the red zone and a costly turnover in the third quarter turned a potentially competitive game into a rout.
Rivalry since 2022
Wofford vs The Citadel Head to Head Results· 4
Wofford and The Citadel have met 4 times — Wofford won 3, The Citadel won 1, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2022. Wofford leads the head-to-head with 3 victories from 4 meetings. A combined 138 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 34.50 per match (75 for the home side, 63 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 4 matches (100%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 4 games (100%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 17–30 in 2024.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 30 Aug 2026