Wofford Terriers 2010 Review

2010 Record: 10-3 (7-1), Teid 1st Southern
2010 Postseason: 2nd Round FCS Playoffs, Lost to  Georgia Southern 23-20
2010 Schedule/Results: @ Ohio, L 33-10, @ Charleston Southern, W 34-23, Union, W 48-10, Furman, W 38-17, @ Georgia Southern, W 33-31, Western Carolina, W 45-14, @ Elon, W 28-21, Citadel, W 35-0, @ Samford, W 10-3, @ Appalachian State, L 43-13, Chattanooga, W 45-14, @ Jacksonville State, W 17-14, Georgia Southern, L 23-20

REVIEW

     One of the best seasons ever at Wofford is in the books. Wofford has always been a solid program and has been a terrific addition to the SoCon over the years, but they made major strides in 2010, making themselves a premier player in one of the best conferences in the FCS. You have to love their old school throw back option offense as well.
     Wofford is not a passing team. They pass only when necessary, and with the rushing attack that they put together in 2010, it was rarely necessary. Mitch Allen started 13 games for the Terriers in 2010, and while he had accuracy issues (53.6% completion rate), he was highly effective when needed. Allen passed for 871 yards and 8 TDs, while only throwing 3 INTs. That's what I would call a succesful option QB season. Allen was also second on the squad in rushing, with 565 yards and 4 TDs.
     The real superstar in the Wofford backfield was a throwback Fullback. Watching Eric Breitenstein was like watching a 60's bruiser in action, back when the wishbone was at the heyday. Breitenstein was an unstoppable forced in action, as he rushed for 1614 yards with 22 TDs on the season. He averaged 6 yards every time that he touched the football as the first option in the triple option offense, and piled up 124.2 yards per game. Halfbacks Mike Rucker and Donovan Johnson were both complimentary parts in the wishbone, and they combined for a line of 146-821-4. The great news about the backfield is that everyone with the exception of Rucker will return, meaning that Breitenstein and his bruising talents will be back for more. In all, Wofford rushed for 297 yards per game in 2010.
     Only one recceiver other than the TE is utilized in the option, and that receiver was Brentin Bersin. Bersin, a junior, caught 32 passes for 703 yards and 9 TDs on the season. He averaged 22 yards every time he caught a pass, making him a very serious threat when teams tried to crwod the line to stop the option. The most dangerous option teams have the ability to pull up and toss the football when they need to, and Wofford has that ability.
     The defense, overall,was incredibly strong in 2010. The Terriers held 9 teams to 23 points or less on the year, and only gave up 153 yards passing and 132 yards rushing per game.
     This was done despite the fact that LB Tommy Irvin led the team with 65 tackles. That is a misleading number when you consider that the triple option offense chewed up clock, keeping the defense from having to spend too much time on the field. Whatever the case is, the D just worked.
     DL Amett Pall, a junior in 2010, was a hurricane in opposing backfields, as he led the SoCon with 26 total TFLs on the year. He was nearly unblockable on several occasions. Eric Eberhardt was a busy guy as well, as when people tried to toss extra blocking in the way of Pall, Eberhardt took advantage by racking up 13 TFLs himself. He was also a junior. Don't gorget about Keaton Thompson, who got in 11 shots of his own. Pall also led the SoCon with a tremendous 13 sacks in 2010. Everyone mentioned in this section will return in 2011, with the exception of Thompson.
     Not only was Tommy Irvin the leading tackler in 2010, he also led the team with 7 passes defended, a fantastic number for a LB in any system. Irvin was joined by DB Blake Wylie, who had 6, as big time playmakers in a very succesful pass D. Irvin also led the team with 4 picks on the season.
     Christian Reed, a sophomore in 2010, was very good at the PK spot, having hit on 13 of 16 FGs. When the triple option wasn't able to punch it in, they were almost guaranteed to put some points on the board.

FINAL NOTES

As much as I love Appalachian State and respect wht they have done, I was hoping just a little bit that the Terriers would have given them a run when they played, but the loss to ASU near the end of the season was a sign of how far apart they still are. The Terriers have solved the rest of the conference, but App. State is still king. That being said, Wofford is in prime position to attack the league again in 2011, and they will try to push ASU one more time. Wofford is so close, but until ASU slips, they will still fall second best. That's still pretty nice in a conference as strong as the Southern Conference is every season.