# 2017 Wofford Terriers football team

The 2017 Wofford Terriers football team represented Wofford College in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by 30th-year head coach Mike Ayers and played their home games at Gibbs Stadium. They were a member of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 10–3, 7–1 in SoCon play to win the SoCon championship. They received the SoCon's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs where they defeated Furman in the second round before losing in the quarterfinals to the eventual champion North Dakota State.
On December 13, head coach Mike Ayers announced his retirement. He finished at Wofford with a 30-year record of 207–139–1.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 6:00 p.m. | Furman | No. 11 | Gibbs StadiumSpartanburg, SC (rivalry) | ESPN3 | W 24–23 | 7,237 |
| September 9 | 4:00 p.m. | at Mercer | No. 10 | Moye ComplexMacon, GA | ESPN3 | W 28–27 | 11,727 |
| September 23 | 1:30 p.m. | Gardner–Webb* | No. 9 | Gibbs StadiumSpartanburg, SC | ESPN3 | W 27–24 | 7,211 |
| September 30 | 7:00 p.m. | at Presbyterian* | No. 7 | Bailey Memorial StadiumClinton, SC | BSN | W 31–7 | 2,862 |
| October 7 | 1:30 p.m. | No. 22 Western Carolina | No. 5 | Gibbs StadiumSpartanburg, SC | ESPN3 | W 35–28 $^{OT}$ | 6,982 |
| October 14 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 23 The Citadel | No. 5 | Johnson Hagood StadiumCharleston, SC (rivalry) | ESPN3 | W 20–16 | 8,543 |
| October 21 | 1:30 p.m. | No. 16 Samford | No. 5 | Gibbs StadiumSpartanburg, SC | ESPN3 | L 21–24 | 7,236 |
| October 28 | 1:00 p.m. | at East Tennessee State | No. 8 | William B. Greene Jr. StadiumJohnson City, TN | ESPN3 | W 31–24 | 7,087 |
| November 4 | 1:30 p.m. | Chattanooga | No. 8 | Gibbs StadiumSpartanburg, SC | ESPN3 | W 24–21 $^{2OT}$ | 5,012 |
| November 11 | 1:30 p.m. | at VMI | No. 8 | Alumni Memorial StadiumLexington, VA | ESPN3 | W 45–14 | 4,229 |
| November 18 | 4:00 p.m. | at South Carolina* | No. 7 | Williams-Brice StadiumColumbia, SC | SECN | L 10–31 | 74,742 |
| December 2 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 22 Furman* | No. 8 | Gibbs StadiumSpartanburg, SC (FCS Playoffs Second Round/rivalry) | ESPN3 | W 28–10 | 5,153 |
| December 9 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 4 North Dakota State* | No. 8 | FargodomeFargo, ND (FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals) | ESPN2 | L 10–42 | 17,008 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS FCS Poll released prior to game Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||
* Source: Schedule

## Game summaries
### Furman

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Paladins | 3 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
| No. 11 Terriers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 24 |

### At Mercer

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 10 Terriers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| Bears | 14 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 27 |

### Gardner–Webb

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| No. 9 Terriers | 3 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 27 |

### At Presbyterian

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 7 Terriers | 14 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 31 |
| Blue Hose | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |

### Western Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| No. 22 Catamounts | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| No. 5 Terriers | 3 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 35 |

### At The Citadel

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 5 Terriers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
| No. 23 Bulldogs | 7 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 16 |

### Samford

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 16 Bulldogs | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| No. 5 Terriers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |

### At East Tennessee State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 8 Terriers | 3 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |

### Chattanooga

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | Total |
| Mocs | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| No. 8 Terriers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |

### At VMI

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 8 Terriers | 7 | 14 | 17 | 7 | 45 |
| Keydets | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |

### At South Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 7 Terriers | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Gamecocks | 0 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 31 |

## FCS Playoffs
### Furman–Second Round

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 22 Paladins | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| No. 8 Terriers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |

### At North Dakota State–Quarterfinals

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 8 Terriers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| No. 4 Bison | 14 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 42 |

## Ranking movements

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| STATS FCS | 11 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 |
| Coaches | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 7 |