AUDIO: Wofford coach Mike Ayers on Georgia Southern

Georgia Southern did not get its bid in to the NCAA in time so Wofford will get the home game.  The Terriers beat the Eagles 33-31 in Statesboro this season.  Georgia Southern beat S.C. State and number two national seed William and Mary to advance to the third round.

The winner of Saturday’s game will face the winner of the New Hampshire-Delaware game next week in the semi-finals.

Mike Ayers post scrimmage comments

Ayers

“I think our kids are a little leg-weary at this point,” said head coach Mike Ayers. “They came out and did some really good things on both sides of the ball, but just not consistent. We are looking for consistency and understanding what to do and how to do it. We are still struggling in some areas of the kicking game. Wheat we have to do is to continue to work. We have approximately seven more practice opportunities and then we are taking a bus ride. We have to keep working. There are a lot of young kids that a lot has been given to them and there is some confusion. They are very talented, but if you are unsure of what you need to do you can’t be successful. We have some concerns, but at the same time we have made some progress.”

The scrimmage began with the pre-game routine before moving to the first team offense. On the first play from scrimmage, Eric Breitenstein ran up the middle for 35-yards before the play was blown dead. Mitch Allen and Mike Rucker added first down runs before Breitenstein capped the drive with a five-yard run. On the second series, Joseph Inman caught a 25-yard pass down the middle from Allen. Willie Favors and Rucker also had first down runs on the drive. 

With the defense on the field, Arsenio Parks had a solid first down run and Donovan Johnson was able to score on a 25-yard run. In a red-zone series, Qay Bell came up with an interception on a tipped ball. Lavadrick Farrar threw a 15-yard halfback pass to Ryan Petrea for a touchdown. 

The defense continued to make some big plays with James Zotto and C.J. Turner both coming up with interceptions. Back on offense, Bryan Youman made a great catch for a gain of 25-yards which was followed by a 20-yard catch by Michael Harpe, with both passes thrown by Favors. 

Switching back to the defense, Jamar Reaves intercepted a pass and Zotto had a pass break-up. With the offense back on the field, Brad Nocek had a first down run. Josh Holt and Andrew Gehring both were able to pick off passes. In the final series for the defense, Reaves had his second interception of the night and Kendall Bratcher added an interception on a tipped pass. Kenny Barnes caught a first down reception from Favors. 

On special teams, the scrimmage included all phases of the game including punting, kickoff, on-side kicks and field goals. Christian Reed, Landon Bennett and Kasey Redfern were all solid on field goals and PATs, with Reed making the longest of the day at 42 yards. 

The injured players who are considered doubtful for the Ohio game include RB Cody Burris, S Hunter Hobson, LB Mike Niam, TE Jamie Chappell, OL Jon Boyd, and TE Mike Crawford. All other injured players are day-to-day. 

The team will practice once on Friday and Saturday before beginning game preparations on Monday for the road trip on September 4 to face Ohio University.

L-R Kevin Higgins, Dabo Swinney, Bobby Lamb, Fisher DeBerry, Mike Ayers, Art Baker

Former legendary Air Force head football coach Fisher Deberry hosted the South Carolina Coaches for Charity inaugural dinner Thursday night at the Embassy Suites in Columbia.  Deberry is the all-time winningest head football coach for the United States Air Force Academy.  He is originally from South Carolina, and has recently moved back to the state.

Fisher DeBerry

Deberry and his wife Lu Ann lead the Fisher Deberry Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the support and education of single parents and their children.  For this event, they have united with head coaches from around the state to raise money and awareness for each of their respective organizations.

The event was roughly from 6-10 pm, starting with a meet and greet, followed by dinner.  There was also a silent and live auction with various sports memorabilia up for grabs ranging from a George Rogers autographed helmet to a “Broadway Joe” Namath autographed Jets jersey, among others.  All proceeds were donated to the charities involved.  The evening concluded with each coach giving a speech about their respective teams and to raise awareness for their charities.

Dabo Swinney

The coaches involved were

• Dabo Swinney – Clemson -  Dabo’s All-In Team Foundation
• Steve Spurrier – USC – Gamecock FCA
• Mike Ayers – Wofford – FCA of Spartanburg
• Kevin Higgins – The Citadel – Hope for Haiti
• Bobby Lamb – Furman – Greenville FCA
• Buddy Pough – SC State – FCA of Orangeburg
• Pough was unable to appear at the dinner, and SC State was instead represented by Hall-of-Fame member Willie Jeffries.

Steve Spurrier

Various sponsors also participated in the dinner, including Founders Federal Credit Union, State Farm, Rod Walters, IPTAY, The Citadel Football Association, and Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated.  Former  coach Art Baker served as the Master of Ceremonies, and Burt Trembley promoted the event with the help of his team.