Wofford football has good moments, just not enough, against ACC member North Carolina

Wofford’s season came to an end on Saturday with a 34-14 loss at the University of North Carolina.

A 1-10 record wasn’t what the Terriers wanted when the season began, but Coach Josh Conklin was proud of how his team fought to the finish. Playing against a Power 5 school, the Terriers were within 10-7 with 6:22 remaining in the second quarter before the Tar Heels pulled away by scoring the next 24 points.

“We wanted our guys to fight hard and be competitive for as long as we could,” Conklin said. “There is a lot to build off in that game. The biggest thing we can build off is the tenacity, especially the young guys. It was fun to watch.”

Here are five takeaways from the game:

Wofford quarterback Peyton Derrick did damage with his feet

Coming off a strong passing game last week against the Citadel, the senior quarterback was the team’s leading rusher on Saturday with 69 yards.

“With a new position coach, a little bit of a different offense, not having a spring to go through, you really kind of learn on the fly as you go through it,” Conklin said. “These last two games were two of his better games. He was seeing things and throwing the ball well. He will have a good taste in his mouth leaving the game that way.”

Kyle Pinnix made an impactful entrance

The only play that Derrick wasn’t under center was when he briefly left the field following a leg injury at North Carolina’s 3-yard line.

Freshman Kyle Pinnix was brought into the game, and made the most of the opportunity with a touchdown run.

“For him to come off the bench, run that play and read it like he did, those are the things he can do,” Conklin said. “Some of the runs Peyton made today are things we will try to utilize with Kyle moving forward.”

The offensive line was up to the challenge

Wofford finished the contest with 302 total yards. The story that number doesn’t tell, however, is how many big plays happened on first down.

Throughout the second half, especially, the Terriers had several first down plays of at least five yards. The majority of those were runs built off holes made by the offensive line.

“I thought our offensive staff did a really good job this week of setting some things up,” Conklin said. “We gave ourselves a chance to move the football. It was good to see our O-line execute. For that group to unify and continue to develop was special to see.”

The defense finished with a memorable goal- line stand

Late in the fourth quarter, North Carolina had the ball first and goal from the 5-yard line. The Terriers stopped them from the 1-yard line three straight times. After a defensive holding penalty on fourth down gave the Tar Heels another chance, Wofford stopped them again.

“That felt really good for all of those guys on defense,” Conklin said. “I thought it was offensive holding and not defensive holding and started celebrating. But they stepped up and bowed up. What a way to end it for our defense.”

Jim Welsh wasn’t going to let the ball go

The final play of the game was a 25-yard pass from Derrick to Jim Welsh. Five minutes after the game, the senior and North Carolina native still hadn’t let go of the ball.

“Some our older guys felt like they let team down with us not having the season we wanted to,” Conklin said. “Him making that play is something he will never forget, and that’s what it’s all about for those guys.

“He’s been a great leader for us. The way he started the season is exactly the way he finished the season. We had a team meeting on Friday. One of our guys was speaking, and Jim took notes. That’s what he did to start the fall. It was really cool to see him, the way he has developed and the man he is going to be.”

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Wofford football misses the mark against North Carolina