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Gerry Melendez/gmelendez@thestate.com/The State
USC defensive tackle Ladi Ajiboye (91) misses a tackle on Wofford quarterback Ben Widmyer No. 6 during the third quarter.
GoGamecocks.com
Deja vu for Wofford coach Ayers
Written by CHRIS DEARING
Special to The State
Posted on 09.21.08
For the second time in three years, Wofford coach Mike Ayers left Williams-Brice Stadium thinking the same thing.
The Southern Conference power gave South Carolina all it could handle, but a couple of missteps at crucial times doomed the 11th-ranked Terriers again, this time by a 23-13 margin.
“How many times do you think I’ve thought about the ’06 game? Every night,” Ayers said. “We came down here and played our brains out, and we came up short.”
Two years ago against USC, Wofford had a chance to score a tying touchdown in the final minutes but lost a fumble instead. The Gamecocks won 27-20.
This year, Wofford was down by three when the Gamecocks converted a key fourth down in their territory. South Carolina went on to score on a 17-yard pass to Dion LeCorn with less than two minutes remaining that sealed the victory.
Ayers was disappointed and a little frustrated by the loss but came way thinking his team can do nothing but learn from the experience.
“Hopefully this will take us to another level with a young football team. I hope this proves to our young kids that play that, hey, you can play,” Ayers said. “I think we’re a better football team coming out of the game than we were when we came in. That’s was part of our goal. Our players know they went toe to toe with some very good players and didn’t blink.”
Quarterback Ben Widmyer, who scored Wofford’s touchdown on a 50-yard run in the second quarter, said having settle for field-goal attempts from the red zone wasn’t the way to pull off the upset. Wofford made two of three field goals from inside USC’s 20-yard line.
“Field goals aren’t always a bad thing, but when you leave that many points on the board, it’s frustrating,” Widmyer said. “We stick two of those in the end zone instead of field goals, and who knows how this game would’ve turned out.”
Linebacker Seth Goldwire tied for the team lead with 10 tackles, and he said his mind drifted to the 2006 game. He also said the Terriers know where they stand with the Southern Conference opener against Georgia Southern up next.
“We don’t come just to show up. We came to play. We came to win,” Goldwire said. “This lets us know how good we really can be. We’re going to treat this as a learning experience, and I think this will help us down the road.”
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