Furman tries to get on track against Wofford

Furman's Joshua Tarver (6) returns an interception
against Richmond. Photo courtesy of Furman

While Furman won't be facing a ranked team like it did every Saturday in September, its top-heavy schedule continues as Wofford visits Paladin Stadium Saturday for a 2 p.m. kickoff. It will be the 100th edition of the Deep South's oldest rivalry, which began in 1889. That's a fact that Georgia-Auburn is just going to have to deal with.

It will be nothing but Southern Conference play from here on out for the Paladins (2-3, 1-0). When it comes to league foes, nobody has had the Paladins' number lately more than the Terriers. After drilling Wofford 63-28 in 2022, Furman has been held to exactly 13 points in each of the last three meetings. That's helped the Terriers win three consecutive games in the series, which Furman leads 56-36-7.

"I get to coach in the 100th meeting after coaching in the 100th anniversary in 1989. ... I know it's going to be a hard fought game," Furman coach Clay Hendrix said. "I really think a lot of Coach (Shawn) Watson after getting to know him the last few years. ... We certainly want to win badly. We haven't played very well against them the past couple of years. We're trying to focus on ourselves, but it will be a huge game for us. It will be a huge one for them too.

"Turnovers have been a big part of this game, particularly the last few years. They probably will be again and it will be a big challenge for us."

The stunning loss at Wofford three years ago spoiled the Paladins' bid for an undefeated run through the SoCon and possible home field advantage throughout the FCS playoffs. Losses to the Terriers each of the last two years helped ensure non-winning seasons for Furman.

No history, recent or ancient, will mean much by 2:01 p.m. Saturday. Furman's goals should be clear - continue making big plays defensively, while shoring up things between the 20s a little, and finding some kind of spark offensively. Among FCS teams that have played five games this season, only VMI (five) and Long Island (five) have scored fewer offensive touchdowns than the Paladins (six). The offensive struggles led to quarterbacks coach Drew Dudzik replacing Justin Roper as offensive coordinator this week. 

"I just kind of feel like we've become the master of nothing. ... Our guys fight to the end and they've got some talent. Those things give you hope," Hendrix said. "Right now, they're needing a wrench and we're handing them a screwdriver. We've got to give them the tools they need to be successful.

"I know our coaches will have our guys ready to go. We're kind of ready to turn the page (on the non-conference). Let's go see what we can do in these last seven games."

When it comes to Wofford, it might be the most box of chocolates team in the SoCon this season. You never know what you're going to get with the Terriers, who already have three SoCon games under their belt. They opened the season by stomping The Citadel. Two weeks ago, Wofford allowed 310 yards rushing in a blowout loss at Chattanooga. Last Saturday, the Terriers led 10th-ranked Tennessee Tech for most of the day before getting outscored 21-3 in the fourth quarter of a four-point loss. They allowed 427 yards passing.

"When you look at Wofford, they're really talented at wide receiver. They've got speed and athleticism out there. I'd be shocked on the first play of the game if they don't throw it deep. That's just what they do," Hendrix said. "A couple of their kids made unbelievable catches last week." 

Remembering Ray Lamb

A gut-wrenching road loss Saturday and the need for a staff change only added to what had to be an emotional weekend for Hendrix. Last Thursday, Georgia high school coaching legend Ray Lamb died at the age of 90. Before Hendrix and life-long friend Bobby Lamb attended Furman, they went out on top at Commerce (Ga.) High. As seniors in 1981, they won a state championship under the head coaching guidance of Bobby's father, Ray.

Last Sunday, a memorial service was held at Commerce High's Ray Lamb Stadium. After the long bus ride from Richmond got back to campus well past midnight, Hendrix was able to attend the service.

"I wasn't going to miss that. ... He had a huge impact on me. I think anybody that's ever played for me had a little bit of him in them as well," Hendrix said. "Him and a guy by the name of Steve Savage probably had as much to do with me becoming a coach as anybody. He lived an incredible life and I can't imagine the number of people he's influenced."

After 32 years of head coaching high school football in Georgia, Lamb went on to serve as Director of High School Relations for the University of Georgia football program for 19 years. While he never had any official capacity at Furman, he had to be an influential part of the Paladins program as well.

In addition to being a mentor and coach to Furman's current head coach and father of another Paladin legend, it seems plausible that Ray Lamb helped open recruiting pipelines. Think of all the talented players from the Peach State that have played at Furman over the years. Guys like John Keith, Louis Ivory and William Middleton.

"He was a tough-minded tough dude. I used to tell him, 'Coach, you know if I did what you did to us, I'd get locked up,' " Hendrix said with a smile. "Sunday was a sad day, but a good day as the service was more of a celebration really. ... I saw Bruce Fowler and George Quarles there, and Kirby Smart too. ... I saw some guys I'd not seen since that state championship season 45 years ago."

Tarver's play recognized

Joshua Tarver set a tone for Furman's defense last Saturday when he picked off the first of three interceptions by the Paladins. His 26-yard return to the Spiders' 48-yard line set up a field goal. Despite only making two starts this season, the grad transfer from Yale has earned national attention.

Pro Football Network, which studies analytics and data, has graded Tarver's play this season at 95.7. That's the highest grade among all FCS safeties. For the season, Tarver has 20 tackles, two interceptions and is averaging 16.5 yards per punt return on six returns.

After loss at Richmond, Paladins make big change

Furman linebacker Ryan Earl returns a fumble in the Paladins'
13-9 loss at Richmond Saturday. Photo courtesy of Furman 

RICHMOND, Va. - Furman's longest road trip of the season Saturday must have felt even longer coming home as trends continued for the team. While the defense remained adept at coming up with big plays to give the Paladins a chance to win, the offense remained inept as it failed to take advantage of those opportunities.

The 400-mile plus road trip turned out to not include any visits to either end zone at Robins Stadium. Instead, Furman was held to a trio of first-half field goals in a 13-9 loss to former Southern Conference rival Richmond. It's the first time the Paladins were held without a touchdown by an FCS opponent since a 13-3 loss at Chattanooga on Oct. 30, 2021.

While the Spiders (4-1) entered Saturday ranked 19th in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll and fifth nationally in team sacks, that defense had also allowed 17 touchdowns and just one field goal attempt. Granted, 10 of those TDs were scored by N.C. State in a 73-0 loss, but the rest were: two by Bucknell (currently No. 103 out of 128 FCS teams in the Massey computer ratings), two by Howard (No. 90) and three by Georgetown (No. 111). Those three TDs by winless Georgetown a week earlier necessitated Richmond needing a 49-yard field goal on the game's final play to win, 24-21.

Saturday's game also came down to the final play as Furman's Hail Mary 29-yard pass to the end zone bounced around in the gaggle of players before hitting the turf incomplete. That final play came on a second down, which did help the Paladins (2-3) avoid another failed third down as they converted just 2-of-13. Furman ranks last in the country in third-down conversions this season at 19.4 percent (14-of-72).

"Offense not being able to get it going has been the story of the year and that's got to change. This is 1,000 percent on me. I'm the one that's got to do a better job," Furman coach Clay Hendrix said following Saturday's game. "We've scored six touchdowns in five games and it's just frustrating. We've got to look at everything we're doing, particularly offensively.

"The running game is getting to the old insanity deal. You keep doing a lot of the same stuff thinking something's going to change. We've really got to look hard at what we're doing. ... I don't know. We might be in the wishbone next week, but something's got to change."

Hendrix meant what he said. At his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Hendrix confirmed that Justin Roper had been relieved of his duties as offensive coordinator. Quarterback coach Drew Dudzik will take over in that role. Roper was not coaching any position this season, so nothing else really changes assignment-wise.

"I think the world of Justin Roper. He's a really smart bright guy, who helped us win a conference championship and go to two playoffs. I just got to the point where it felt like we had to do something different," Hendrix said Tuesday. "Drew and (defensive coordinator) Chad Byers handled Sunday. That's when we told the team and unbeknownst to us, our offensive group had already had a little players-only meeting. That's something about this whole group that I really like about them."

Furman entered Saturday with just three points scored in the first quarter all season and appeared destined to stay with that many. The Paladins went three-and-out on each of their first three possessions, which combined for a total offense of minus-8 yards. Furman's fourth possession began at the Spiders' 48-yard line thanks to a 26-yard interception return by Joshua Tarver.

With momentum on its side, Furman finally got its first first down thanks to a 14-yard run by C.J. Nettles on the next play. Two plays later, Nettles ran six yards to the Richmond 20 for another first down. The Paladins had a near perfectly executed play-action on the next play, but Connor Ackerley's pass to an open Connor Morin in the end zone was barely overthrown. After another incompletion on second down, a decision was made for Ben Croasdale to take a shotgun handoff up the middle on third-and-10 which resulted in no gain. Following an offsides penalty on the Spiders, Nathan Chapman ended the first quarter with a 33-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3.

Richmond answered with the lone touchdown of the game on its ensuing possession. It came after a beautiful open field tackle by Braylon Peebles forced a fourth-and-three at the Furman six. Spiders' tight end Carson Derey went in motion right-to-left. After the snap, Derey came right back down where he'd just left and took an easy pass from Ashten Snelsire into the end zone.

Furman appeared to be a big trouble after fumbling away a converted third-down in which the Spiders recovered at the Furman 44. However on the next play, Peebles came up with an interception and returned it to the Richmond 39. The return was wiped out by a ridiculously awful blindside block flag, which essentially was a 36-yard penalty as Furman took over at its own 25.

The Paladins still managed to drive down and once again had a first down at the Spiders' 20. On second-and-16, Nettles took a shotgun handoff up the middle for nothing. On third-and-16, a five-wide empty shotgun set resulted in a quarterback draw that fooled nobody. After Ackerley gained a yard, Furman settled for a 42-yard field goal by Chapman to cut the lead to four with 3:20 left.

After Richmond missed a 50-yard field goal with 36 seconds left, the Paladins' most productive offense this season - the two-minute drill - came through again. On fourth-and-three at the Richmond 48, Ackerley and Luke Shields connected for a gain of 16 yards with 11 seconds left. That set up Chapman's 49-yard field goal to end the half. Despite being held to 106 yards of total offense and allowing five sacks in the first half, Furman only trailed 10-9.

The Spiders opened the second half with a 12-play drive to the Furman 27. On fourth-and-one, Snelshire's sneak was stopped short of the first down by Ryan Earl and Caleb Easterling. Two plays later, Ackerley and Shields connected again on a 16-yard gain but the ball came free. Richmond's Tayshaun Burney returned the fumble 18 yards to the Furman 27.

A sack by Joshua Stoneking in the red zone helped force the Spiders to settle for a 30-yard field goal to wrap up the game's scoring with 5:34 left in the third quarter.

"I've been doing this a long time and there's been some frustrating times. This is one of them because I think we're actually good enough at some spots," Hendrix said Saturday. "I think we may be asking some guys to do some things that are not in their best interest or our best interest. We've got to look at that."

Furman forced a pair of fourth-quarter turnovers, but couldn't cash in those chances. Richmond had a 12-play, 70-yard drive and looked poised to essentially put the game away considering how it had been going. On first-and-goal from the one, Richmond's Aziz Foster-Powell tried to put the ball across the plane but it was knocked free by Ty Kauserud. It landed into the arms of Earl, who was in a convoy with three other Paladins. Unfortunately for Furman, Earl was the lead truck and was tackled at the Paladins' 16 by Snelshire - the only Spider anywhere near the play.

If Earl had somehow been behind his teammates, Snelshire woud've likely been blocked and Earl would've likely found the end zone. Instead, the Paladins didn't move the ball a yard and went three-and-out as Shields couldn't hang on to a deep ball into Richmond territory on third down. The play woud've been nullified by yet another "blindside" block anyway, as Paladin reserve tight end Cameron James was flagged after hitting a defender in his left arm and chest area.

Furman went three-and-out again on its next drive. That resulted in Richmond's ensuing possession beginning at its own 21-yard line. With just 4:11 left, a Spiders offense that averaged 4.9 yards a carry as a team Saturday inexplicably went to the air on its first play. Easterling jumped the route and made a diving grab of Furman's third interception. The Paladins' gift on a silver platter was delivered to the Richmond 27. 

Once again, Furman came up empty. After C.J. Stokes was stopped for no gain on a third-and-two shotgun handoff up the middle, the Paladins passed on a field goal try with just 2:40 left. On fourth-and-two from the 19, Furman came out in a pistol set with Croasdale to the left of Ackerley and Stokes behind him - nine yards behind the line of scrimmage. Stokes took a handoff to the right side and lost one yard.

"We get third-and-two and can't get two yards," Hendrix said.

The Paladins had to take all of their timeouts on Richmond's next drive and the Spiders got one first down before having to punt. Furman's final possession began at its own 15-yard line with 55 seconds left. The Paladins proceeded to pick up four of their 13 first downs for the game on their final drive, but ran out of time at the 29.

Foster-Powell ran 25 times for 125 yards and had a 30-yard reception to lead Richmond's offense, while Daniel Sellers had team-highs in tackles (9), tackles-for-loss (4) and sacks (3).

"We knew they were a good pass-rushing bunch, but we didn't protect well," Hendrix said. "And we just couldn't get to their quarterback ... but we held them to 13 points. What more can you ask?"

Making his first Division I start, Ackerley completed 15-of-30 passes for 137 yards with no interceptions for Furman. He was also the leading rusher for the Paladins with 35 net yards on 14 attempts. He actually ran for 67 yards, but five sacks nearly cut the net total in half. Thanks to 56 yards on the final drive, Furman did manage to eclipse the 200-yard mark for the game with 215. 

Easterling and Earl led the defense with nine tackles apiece, As opportunistic as it was again on Saturday, the unit had just one sack and allowed 188 yards rushing. That helps the Spiders enjoy a 13:54 advantage in time of possession.

Furman will next host rival Wofford at 2 p.m. Saturday.

"We've got a new (SoCon) season starting tomorrow," Hendrix said Saturday. "We're 1-0 in the conference, but if we don't fix the things we've got to fix that's not going to matter. Because it's going to show up again."

Paladins literally drop close one to S.C. State

Furman's AK Burrell (bottom) tackles SC State's Mason Pickett-Hicks
during the Paladins' 20-17 loss Saturday. Photo courtesy of Furman

While the sport of college football continues to grow in often unpleasant ways for many longtime fans, certain on-the-field things haven't changed. While Furman tried mightily to show otherwise last Saturday, it proved that not being able to run or catch the football still makes winning awfully difficult.

South Carolina State's No. 1-ranked rushing defense in the FCS lived up to the hype as the Paladins were held to 53 yards on the ground. While Furman had 264 yards passing, it should've had so much more. The Paladins had seven drops, including crucial ones on each of the final two passes of the night, as they fell to the 18th-ranked Bulldogs 20-17 before a crowd of 9,217 at Paladin Stadium.

"It was certainly a frustrating night, especially in the first half. ... Give South Carolina State a bunch of credit. They were the more disciplined team. I think that was really the difference in the game," Furman coach Clay Hendrix said afterwards. "I credit our guys. We have a group that will fight and battle to the very end. Man, if you don't have that, you don't have a whole lot. We've got talent, but we've just got to find a way to play better and it starts with me.

"I can't even begin to explain the drops. I'm at a loss for words for that. ... It was a big part of the game because yards were hard to come by."

After kickoff was delayed by 30 minutes thanks to a lightning delay, another slow start put the Paladins (2-2) in a hole. Furman trailed 14-0 midway through the first quarter and 17-3 at the half. The Paladins finally got things going in the second half. With 2:57 left, Furman found the end zone for the first time and a successful two-point conversion cut the lead to 20-17.

The Paladins' defense, which was tremendous over the final three-and-a-half quarters, forced a three-and-out that nearly ended in spectacular fashion - if not for a drop. Aaron Davis made a great diving play to break up the Bulldogs' third-down pass, but if he was able to haul in the interception, Furman would've been set up at the SC State 28-yard line. Instead, the Bulldogs' Max'Ceon Cobb - who might've been its MVP of the game - got off a 54-yard punt. Furman's Joshua Tarver actually muffed the punt, but recovered it before stepping out of bounds at the Paladins' 28. The Bulldogs clearly saw the successful way Tarver returned punts at Mercer the week before given how Cobb did a great job intentionally putting long punts just barely out of bounds for most of the game.

Connor Ackerley, who replaced injurted starter Jake Garcia early in the second half, threw a second-down slant pass to Daniel Haughton. The ball bounced off Haughton's chest to the ground as the Dartmouth transfer put his hands on his head in frustration. He likely would've made it to around midfield if not for his fourth drop of the game. Coming off a huge game at Mercer a week earlier, Haughton had one catch for 11 yards on Saturday.

On the next play, veteran pass catcher Ethan Harris dropped a throw that would've given Furman a first down. On fourth down and 10 yards to go, Ackerley's scramble came up two yards short and the Bulldogs were able to kneel out the clock.

"Give Connor a bunch of credit. I thought he gave us a spark coming in there," Hendrix said. "We've been really good in the two-minute offense and we were saying 'let's go down and score a win, not just a field goal.' ... He makes two great throws and they're dropped."

After having no words to describe the drops after the game on Saturday, Hendrix couldn't make much more sense of it as his weekly press conference on Tuesday.

"The real frustrating thing is I think just about every drop we've had has come from someone I'd label as having good hands," Hendrix said. "Most of those have been made by guys who've made big catches before. Very few of them have been contested. You just try to correct it and move on.

"You just try to stay positive because there's no doubt our guys care. ... We've just got to keep working."

There were quite a few signs early on Saturday that this might not be Furman's night. The Bulldogs' first possession began at their own 35 thanks to the opening kickoff sailing out of bounds. On the first play of the game, SC State - which entered as the leading rushing team in the FCS - threw a bomb. When Paladin cornerback Jordan Miller fell down, DJ Maultsby was wide open for the throw from Keely Watson for the touchdown.

Furman got a first down on its first play before having to punt three plays later. The SC State punt returner was forced out of bounds around the 16-yard line, but the ball was inexplicably placed at the 20. The official on that sideline was evidently too busy doing a terrible job of spotting the ball to notice a Bulldogs' assistant yelling at a Furman player, who had been engaged in typical special teams warfare with a S.C. State player.

I normally wouldn't mention something so meaningless as this was a hard-hitting, but respectfully played game between two teams who displayed nothing but class throughout. I mention it because of what happened two plays later. Two plays later, Tarver was held on a run to that sideline. He turned around and said something for maybe two seconds to that same official before turning to get back to his defensive position. Whatever was said hurt the official's feelings enough for a flag to fly as soon as Tarver turned his back to him. Tarver should not have said anything, but when is the last time you've seen unsportsmanlike conduct called on a player taking to an official? In a physical game like Saturday's was, safety is the last position you want a player to be one unsportmanslike penalty away from being ejected.

Nevertheless, S.C. State "grown manned" the Paladins for the rest of that drive. After Josh Shaw converted two third downs on runs earlier in the drive, he had three consecutive runs once the Bulldogs entered the red zone. The last resulted in a nine-yard touchdown to push the lead to 14-0 with 6:28 left in the first quarter.

It sure didn't feel like it at the time, but that was SC State's final trip to the end zone for the night. Furman's defense held the top-ranked rushing attack in the FCS to 124 yards and 3.4 yards a carry. The Bulldogs came in Saturday averaging 332.3 yards rushing and 7.9 yards per carry.

"Growing up, you just always dream of playing in big games like this. Especially coming off an injury (last season), I've just been hungry. As I've gotten healthier, I've gotten hungrier," said Furman safety AK Burrell, who had four tackles and an interception. "We just went out there, played fast and aggressive, and did the best we could."

Furman got on the board early in the second quarter, but it wasn't exactly a celebratory score. After converting on fourth-and-two to get a first-and-goal from the Bulldogs' five-yard line, Garcia was sacked on second down and his helmet came off. That resulted in a cold Ackerley having to come in for third down. After his pass sailed incomplete, the Paladins settled for a 27-yard field goal by Nathan Chapman.

After S.C. State got the lead back to 14 thanks to a field goal, Furman looked poised to answer on its final drive of the first half. The Paladins once again converted a fourth down when CJ Stokes had a seven-yard run to the S.C. State 25. Furman had to settle for a field goal on fourth-and-nine, which missed from 41 yards out. An offsides penalty gave the Paladins another shot, but they went for it this time and Garcia's pass was harmlessly knocked away.

"We kicked that one really poorly. If we'd have made the kick, I probably would've kept the points," Hendrix said. "We have about one of those per game where we just don't hit it very well. Four yards should be doable. I just thought if we could make it 17-10, what a difference that would make."

Following an outstanding combined band performance by the Paladin Regiment and SC State's Marching 101 at halftime, the second half began with more bad news for Furman. On the first play, Garcia ran for one yard and was tackled hard with his throwing shoulder driven into the ground. After a handoff resulted in a one-yard loss, Garcia was too injured to continue. The ball had already been placed ready for third down though, so Furman had a waste a timeout 66 seconds into the second half to get Ackerley in. His third-down screen pass on third-and-10 resulted in a one-yard gain and Furman punted.

Chapman hit a 49-yard field goal later in the third quarter and a 44-yarder early in the fourth to cut the lead to 17-9. A 29-yard punt return by Tarver set up Furman's next drive at its own 38. On fourth-and-seven from the Bulldogs' 38, Ackerley was sacked for a seven-yard loss to the Bulldogs' 45.

SC State (4-0) took that momentum and pounded the ball down the field like it had not since the opening quarter. The Bulldogs ended up settling for a 28-yard field goal, but an 11-point lead with 3:03 remaining seemed insurmountable.

Much like the first play of the game, an SC State cornerback fell down on the next play. That allowed Luke Shields to get wide open for a 67-yard touchdown. On a night when he had so much trouble catching open passes, Haughton made a fantastic catch with a defender draped all over him on the two-point conversion.

Shields' touchdown capped a breakout night for the Tennessee Tech transfer. Shields had seven receptions for 133 yards and the touchdown. Ackerley finished with 164 yards on 10-of-18 passing with no interceptions.

Braylon Peebles had 10 tackles to lead Furman's defense, while Ryan Earl had nine. While the Paladins' defensive effort was tremendous, it was only able to come up with three tackles-for-loss and no sacks. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs had three sacks as part of their nine tackles-for-loss.

"We've either got to change some things we're doing, get somebody else in there or both. That's what we will do," Hendrix said. "We'll have another big challenge next week on the road."

Furman next plays at Richmond (3-1) at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Paladins set for Top 25 battle with S.C. State

Furman's Caleb Easterling was named SoCon Defensive Player of the Week thanks
to his efforts in the Paladins win at Mercer. Photo courtesy of Furman

After improving to 11-5 against ranked opponents since 2021 last Saturday, Furman gets a chance to increase that total just a week later. The Paladins (2-1) take on South Carolina State, which is ranked No. 18 in the Stats Perform FCS (media) Top 25 and No. 14 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, Saturday at 7 p.m. at Paladin Stadium.

It will be a ranked matchup - at least in the coaches' top 25 - as Furman entered that poll this week at No. 24. The Paladins were second among others receiving votes in the media rankings. Despite a 20-13 win at then No. 18/14 Mercer last Saturday, Furman remained behind the Bears in both polls. That just shows the silliness of polls in general, especially in September. That's only becoming more true in this era of college football with most teams having rosters overhauled each year.

The Bulldogs come rolling into Greenville following three blowout wins to start the season. While S.C. State's strength of schedule currently ranks 115th out of the 128 teams in the FCS, its statistics are still eye-popping. The Bulldogs rank nationally:

• First in total defense (130.7 yards allowed per game - 92 less than second-place Elon)
• Fourth in total offense (528.7 yards per game)
• First in scoring defense (4.3 points per game)
• First in scoring offense (61.3 points per game)
• First in passing yards allowed (87.7 per game)
• First in rushing yards allowed (43.0 per game)
• First in yards per carry allowed (1.37)
• First in rushing yards (332.3 per game)
• First in yards per carry (7.91)
• Fourth in third-down percentage (56.7)
• Fourth in third-down defense (one spot ahead of Furman at 20.9 percent)
• Tied for first in fourth-down defense (opponents are 0-for-4)
• Tied for first in defensive touchdowns (2)
• First in first downs allowed (24)
• Third in first downs gained (78)
• Tied for first in fumble recoveries (6)
• Tied for first in sacks allowed (0)
• Tied for second in tackles-for-loss allowed (2)
• First in pass efficiency defense (61.24)
• Second in tackles-for-loss (9.3 per game)

The Bulldogs' leader offensively is running back Mason Pickett-Hicks. He's third in the country in rushing with 425 yards and first in yards per carry (11.5). Meanwhile, teammate Ricorian Brown has rushed for 138 yards on just 10 carries.

This series has had some memorable games, including the last matchup in 2015. In what might have been the most hurricane-like conditions ever played in at Paladin Stadium, Furman pulled out a 17-3 victory. The Paladins have gone 8-1 all-time against the Bulldogs at Paladin Stadium. That lone S.C. State win came in the teams' first meeting, when the Bulldogs left Greenville with a 17-0 triumph in the then I-AA playoffs.

"We will certainly have another huge challenge this week. ... It's just crazy the numbers they've put up," Furman coach Clay Hendrix said during his Tuesday press conference. "When I came back in '17, we tried to immediately start trying to get them on the schedule. It just makes total sense in all kinds of ways, proximity, economically and we've had great games with them in the past.

"We're excited to have them back on the schedule, but we happened to schedule them at a time when they're pretty darn good. Coach (Chennis) Berry has done a phenomenal job. He hasn't been there very long, but man, they've been good. They won the HBCU national championship a year ago. They were down in that game and just fought and found a way to get it done."

Easterling honored

When Caleb Easterling was assisted off the field due to a leg injury at Tennessee at Sept. 4, it looked like there may be no telling how many weeks he'd be out. Unfortunately for Mercer, that answer was zero. The sophomore cornerback from Richmond Hill, Georgia had seven tackles and two of Furman's five interceptions to help lead the Paladins to victory. His effort earned him Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors.

"That's all glory to God. When I was down on the field at Neyland Stadium, I was pretty worried about my knee but I was blessed with a speedy recovery," Easterling said. "I've got to thank him and all the trainers who worked with me all week. Early in the week, we still weren't sure but by Thursday morning, I got the green light. I was able to come back home and give my family a show."

Easterling's night was best summed up on a defensive series in which he didn't have an interception. Instead, he had his own personal three-and-out with a tackle on first down, another tackle on second down and a pass breakup on third down.

"He's a winner. He's just one of those kids," Hendrix said. "Our whole room's that way though. The character of our guys is incredible. ... That's the kind of kids we want here and you can usually win a bunch of games with them."

Injury update

Hendrix said starting punter and holder Gray Gitter may be able to return this week. He's been out since injuring his elbow in the season opener. The jury is still out on starting inside linebackers Raleigh Herbert and Caleb Ellison, who both missed much of the fourth quarter last Saturday due to injuries. They are both still listed as starters on this week's depth chart.

"Our policy is that whoever plays this week is who practices this week, so we will have to see," Hendrix said. "We're still in pretty good shape overall for being four weeks into it, especially considering the kind of games we've played."

Resilient Paladins knock off No. 18 Mercer

Ben Croasdale's 47-yard touchdown run with 47 seconds left lifted Furman
to a 20-13 win at Mercer Saturday. Photo courtesy of Furman

MACON, Ga. - The Mercer game was going to be the one that revealed more about this year's Furman football team than any other so far this season. While there's no final verdict after the first game against a fellow FCS opponent, there were three obvious takeaways Saturday:

• Furman's offense is still a work in progress, but has big-play ability.
• Opportunistic might be the best word to describe Furman's defense. Opportunities come thanks to big-time playmakers in the trenches, at linebacker and in the secondary.
• Whatever "it" is, this Furman team may have "it." That "it" factor Saturday was the ability to persevere and thrive during hard times.

All three of those facets were on display in the game's final minute at Five Star Stadium. A long Paladin touchdown out of nowhere snapped a tie with 47 seconds left. Furman's defense forced its fifth turnover on the final play of the game. On a sweltering south Georgia night, the Paladins won their Southern Conference opener for the fifth year in a row with a 20-13 victory. That snapped a 12-game SoCon winning streak for the previously 18th-ranked Bears, whose last home loss prior to Saturday came on Oct. 14, 2023.

"I told our team afterwards that it was as good a performance as I've seen. Just a group hanging in there and finding a way for a great win," said Furman coach Clay Hendrix, whose face was still sweating in our interview outside the locker room at 10 p.m. Saturday night. "Things weren't going very good, particularly offensively, but we kept getting stops. ... I told them all week this was going to be a big boy game. It was one of those kinds of games and I'm just really proud of our team.

"That was a heck of a football game."

The game was tied 3-3 after one quarter and remained that way until midway through the third quarter. That's when disaster seemingly struck Furman when its second consecutive possession ended on a Jake Garcia pass being intercepted. This one set up Mercer at the Paladins' 34-yard line.

Just as it did after Furman's other two turnovers - the previous interception and a lost fumble on the game's opening possession - the defense stood tall. The Bears had to settle for a 47-yard field goal by Simon Zeidan to take a 6-3 lead with 8:14 left in the third quarter.

It was still 6-3 with 1:18 left in the third when Demetrius Baldwin slightly deflected a Mercer pass that sailed right to Caleb Easterling for his second interception of the game. While Mercer called timeout to try to stem the momentum following the turnover, Furman came back with a vintage shot of Paladin football that would've made Dick Sheridan proud.

After runs for minute gains between the tackles all night, Garcia finally faked a handoff and finally rolled to his right. After barely overthrowing open receivers headed to the end zone twice earlier in the game, rolling out allowed Garcia time to find Daniel Haughton. Haughton made a great leaping grab at the Mercer 11 before spinning around and racing to the end zone for a 46-yard touchdown.

"Our mindset was just to pick up our brothers. We know we're a strong defense, but we're a strong team as a whole," Easterling said. "We know when our brothers on offense are struggling to get their rhythm, we always have their back and they know that too. The love and chemistry we have on this team, we're a very tight-knit group."

While Furman's offense could not take advantage of opportunities created by the defense numerous times prior to that score, the Paladins' defense finally had its only letdown on Mercer's ensuing possession. The Bears drove 74 yards and capitalized on their lone visit to the red zone, which was one more than Furman had. Backup quarterback JP Pickles snuck into the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the one to give Mercer a 13-10 lead with 13:20 left in the game.

Furman drove past midfield on its next possession before a stretch of holding, false start and back-to-back sacks left it with a punt on fourth-and-31.

Once again, the Paladins' defense answered the bell. It forced a three-and-out after Joshua Tarver's open field tackle on a second down screen and Easterling's perfect coverage on the intended receiver on a third-down incompletion. 

Tarver, the grad transfer from Yale who took over punt return duties after Connor Morin was knocked out of the game earlier, delivered a huge 42-yard return to the Mercer 34. After Garcia was stopped for a gain of one on third-and-two, Nathan Chapman drilled a 43-yard field goal to tie the game at 13-13 with 4:53 left.

With Furman's two starting inside linebackers, Raleigh Herbert and Caleb Ellison, on the sidelines nursing injuries, Mercer found some running room on its next possession. The Bears neared midfield but on a third-and-three play, Joshua Stoneking was somehow unblocked and his pressure on Mercer quarterback Jaylen King forced a short, low pass that was caught for a gain of two. After coming out of the two-minute timeout with its offense on the field, the Bears' attempt to get the Paladins to jump offsides failed and they punted after a delay of game penalty.

Tarver made a fair catch at the Furman 15 with 1:54 left. The Paladins' first five play calls were passes, three of which were caught by Haughton for a total of 37 yards. After all those passes, Furman took a shot on the ground. A pretty brilliant call that figured to get you closer to field goal range and shave a few more seconds off the clock, while still leaving you plenty enough to work with. But after all those fruitless runs up the middle by the Paladins all night, Ben Croasdale delivered a juicy, Georgia peach of a carry this time. Croasdale raced untouched up the gut for a 47-yard touchdown with 47 seconds left.

"That's the same play that CJ Nettles popped on them last year for about seventy (yards)," Hendrix said.

An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the touchdown caused Furman to kick off from its own 25. Following a squib kick that Mercer somehow returned five yards in only four seconds, the Bears took over at their own 40 with 43 seconds remaining. Mercer reached midfield before King's Hail Mary pass on the game's final play was picked off by Tarver at the eight-yard line. Tarver got a nice, little 31-yard return before sliding to the turf to set off Furman's celebration.

"I wanted to return it, but once I took a peek to the sidelines and saw everybody telling me to get down it was like, 'hey man, it's time to go down,' " Tarver said with a laugh afterwards.

Croasdale's long run gave Furman a balanced offensive night with 158 yards passing and 158 rushing. Haughton caught eight passes for 103 yards, while Croasdale was the leading rusher with 74 yards on six carries.

In addition to his key 42-yard punt return, Tarver also had a 16-yard punt return, to go with his 31-yard interception return and five tackles on defense. Tarver said he had no idea he was in for such a night, but that you've got to be ready when your number is called.

"I just wanted to do what the coaches told me to do to help my team win," Tarver said. "We're one team. Offense and defense, we're not separate. We're all Paladins. That's what helped us tonight."

Stoneking led the Paladins with nine tackles including two tackles-for-loss and half a sack, two quarterback hurries and a pass breakup. Despite missing much of the fourth quarter, Herbert had eight stops, including one-and-a-half sacks. Easterling and Braylon Peebles had seven tackles apiece, and Trevor Short had two sacks. One of those was a strip sack that Short also recovered the fumble on.

After accounting for six touchdowns - in the first half - of Mercer's 62-3 win over Presbyterian a week earlier, King accounted for five turnovers Saturday. In addition to Short's fumble recovery, Easterling's two interceptions and Tarver's one, Jordan Miller also had a pick for the Paladins (2-1, 1-0 SoCon).

"I just can't say enough about the job our defense did," Hendrix said. "For them to be able to finish it on the field like they did (with the interception) just kind of summed it up."

Travion Solomon caught six passes for 120 yards, while Zahmari Palode-Gary ran 13 times for 84 yards to lead Mercer (2-1, 0-1)

Furman will next host 18th-ranked South Carolina State (3-0) at 7 p.m. Saturday.

After blowout loss, Paladins set for SoCon opener

Isaiah Davis (26) rushed for 113 yards and Furman's lone touchdown in the
Paladins' 56-9 loss at Tennessee Saturday. Photo courtesy of Furman

Furman began this football season by going from one extreme to the other. After opening with a night win over a team with 36 scholarships, the Paladins got roasted on Rocky Top Saturday afternoon by a team with 105 scholarships - and a $31 million NIL valuation.

With those games in the rear view, Furman's schedule gets back to normal this week as it opens FCS and Southern Conference play at Mercer Saturday at 6 p.m. Well, maybe "new normal" is a better description considering the fact that the Bears' roster includes 75 names that weren't on it last season.

Seventy. Five.

"I can't even imagine," Furman coach Clay Hendrix said at his weekly press conference Tuesday. "I was trying to think how we'd even try to get 75 players admitted to school here."

Recapping Rocky Top

Outside of scorching on a sunny afternoon at Neyland Stadium where the temperature was 90 degrees at kickoff, the 100,000 Tennessee fans in attendance had about as perfect a Saturday as could be had.

There were beautiful tributes to world hero and Locust Ridge, Tenn. native Dolly Parton. Heralded freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon was as smooth as Tennessee whiskey. And the Pride of the Southland Band got to play plenty of renditions of Rocky Top thanks to the Volunteers' 56-9 win.

"I knew we had to be perfect to even have a chance, and the chances of being perfect weren't very good," Hendrix said. "It's just gotten so challenging because of the divide (in scholarships between the FBS and FCS) and the money.

"The most disappointing thing for me was the missed opportunities we had. When we get a chance to make a play, we've got to make a play."

On the first play of the game, Furman quarterback Jake Garcia was sacked for an eight-yard loss and that was a sign of things to come. When Garcia was sacked on the first play of the second quarter, that was the Vols' fourth of the day and they finished with six. On the rare occasions that Garcia had enough time to get a throw off, there were six dropped passes. 

On its opening possession, Tennessee marched down the field. Brandon, the youngest starting quarterback in Vols history, capped the drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Davis.

Furman looked to answer on its next possession. On fourth-and-inches at the Paladins' 44, Garcia took a shotgun snap and was dropped for no gain. Furman's defense answered the bell by also forcing a turnover on downs after Brandon's fourth down pass fell incomplete.

It was still just 7-0 Tennessee early in the second quarter when the Vols had first-and-goal at the one. Furman's defense recorded back-to-back tackles-for-loss, first on a combined tackle by Demetrius Baldwin and Eli Lipscomb then a solo stop by Garrison Butler. On third down, Brandon ran the option to perfection keeping the ball for a six-yard touchdown run.

If there was such a thing as a critical play in a game this lopsided, it came on Furman's next possession. A 20-yard run by receiver Jerrod Williams on an end around plus a Tennessee late hit penalty gave the Paladins a first down at the Vols' 39. On fourth-and-three, it appeared that Jake Garcia's slant pass converted the first down. However, when the defender made contact with Ethan Harris, the ball fell to the ground for an incompletion and a turnover on downs.

"It's less than eight minutes to go in the second quarter, still 14-0, and we got the ball down there. We've got a chance to get points," Hendrix said. "Coach (Justin) Roper makes a great call. Jake makes a great throw. We protect it. Ethan Harris ran a great route. Perfect ball, but it's dropped. You figure if you convert there, you get three points, if not a touchdown.

"Not to mention that when they get the ball back, there's probably less than four minutes to go in the half. Instead, they go down and score twice. We didn't respond very well defensively there."

What could've been a 21-7 or 17-3 lead for the Vols at the half, was 28-0 instead. The Paladins' defense played well for most of the first two quarters. But with the heat and being on the field so much, it looked gassed by the end of the half and that tank seemed to remain empty after halftime.

Brandon opened the second half with touchdown passes of 55 and 52 yards, respectively, to help push the lead to 42-0. Half of the Vols' eight touchdowns came over a game stretch of 6:27, from the 3:05 mark of the second quarter to the 11:38 point of the third quarter.

Furman got on the scoreboard midway through the third quarter when Nathan Chapman hit a 50-yard field goal on fourth-and-16.

The Paladins found the end zone early in the fourth quarter following a fumble recovery by Lipscomb at the Tennessee 26. Three plays later, Isaiah Davis ran up the gut for a 23-yard touchdown. Much like so many passes to Furman receivers Saturday, the extra point snap bounced off the fingers of backup holder Nehuel Garcia leaving Furman with its final total of nine points.

Davis, a sophomore from Cleveland, Tenn., finished with 113 yards on eight carries. While some ignorant folks could blow that off as Davis running against Tennessee's backups, Davis was in there with plenty of Furman's backups as well.

"He was going up against guys that are still part of their payroll," Hendrix said. "We're running the football pretty well and I feel like we're only going to get better."

By the numbers

• Despite the six sacks, Furman finished with 178 yards rushing - more than any rushing total from last season.
• The flip side was that the Paladins had just 43 yards passing as a team. That's the lowest total for a Furman team in at least 15 years. The closest challenger to that total was 44 yards in a 27-10 loss to The Citadel on a rainy afternoon at Paladin Stadium in 2019.
• Meanwhile, Tennessee finished with 329 yards rushing and 309 passing. Brandon completed 13-of-17 passes for 226 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He ran 10 times for 68 yards and two scores.
• Davis became the first Paladin to rush for more than 100 yards against an FBS foe since Hank McCloud ran for 106 against South Carolina in 2014.
• Official attendance Saturday was 101,915, the largest crowd Furman has ever played in front of.
• The 90-degree weather was the fourth hottest kickoff in Furman history. The record is 92 degrees, which the Paladins experienced in a pair of games at South Carolina State - first in 1989 and again in 1997.
• Furman collected $500,000 for its visit to a blue blood of the SEC, where it just means more ... money.

Injury update

As a team, Furman is in good health and had just one serious looking injury on Saturday. That occurred when sophomore cornerback/kick returner Caleb Easterling had his right leg rolled up on by a teammate. Easterling popped right up, but could not put any pressure on the leg and he was assisted off the field. An MRI done on Monday revealed good news though and Hendrix said that Easterling is "day-to-day."

Hendrix said that starting punter and holder Gray Gitter might be back this Saturday. Gitter injured his elbow early on in the opener and missed the Tennessee game.

Looking ahead

Mercer (2-0) enters its third home game to start the season ranked No. 18 in the Stats Perform FCS poll. Last season, the Bears and Paladins each suffered upset losses to Presbyterian. Not that many who were part of that loss for Mercer are around Macon anymore, but the Bears avenged that loss in a big way last week. Under new head coach Joel Taylor, the Bears piled up 600 yards of total offense in a 62-3 win over the Blue Hose.

Among those 75 new players on Mercer's roster is a name familiar to the SoCon in quarterback Jaylen King. After leading Gardner-Webb to the 2023 FCS playoffs as a freshman, King split time at quarterback at East Tennessee State in 2024. King moved on to Florida State last season, where he appeared in just one game - a 66-10 win over Kent State. Saturday against PC, King threw four touchdowns and ran for two more - all in the first half.

For the season, King has completed 29-of-45 passes for 425 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. He's rushed for 82 yards and two scores. It will be interesting to see how the Paladins respond to seeing a similar style of quarterback as Brandon again this week.

"King can run it and throw it and now we have a little bit of experience with it," said defensive tackle Baldwin, who had Furman's lone pass breakup Saturday. "Having film of going up against bigger SEC guys helps us see what needs to be corrected. It shows what we need to do scheme wise to become better at containing the quarterback, rushing the quarterback and stopping the run."

When Furman and ETSU faced off in 2024, King started at quarterback but was one of three who played in the Buccaneers' 24-21 home loss. He completed 3-of-4 passes for 21 yards and ran six times for 16 yards that day.

"I didn't play much that day, but I remember seeing him use his legs a ton and he made some good throws," Baldwin said. "We know we have to come out (Saturday) and be able to cover and be able to attack. We need to get them on their heels."

Paladins go running to Rocky Top

Furman quarterback Jake Garcia runs during the Paladins'
20-3 win over Anderson. Photo courtesy of Furman

By Hank Keeler and Scott Keeler

It may take a few weeks to truly have a grasp on what kind of football team Furman has this season. That's just the nature of the beast when you open the season against a Division II opponent and then face an opponent from the SEC, the major leagues in this new era of professional college football. 

One thing the Paladins will try to do Saturday at 3:30 p.m., when it plays at 18th-ranked Tennessee on the SEC Network+, is build off one of its best rushing performances it's had in a few years. In last Saturday's 20-3 win over Anderson, Furman ran for 268 yards as a team. That's the most it's collected on the ground since piling up 334 yards in a 29-17 win at Western Carolina in a battle of top 10 teams in 2023.

Perhaps more importantly than the total number of yards was the fact that Furman looked the part of a running team again. That's not something that really could've been said in the last couple of years. No matter who was in the backfield, it seemed like every running back ran hard, ran straight and fell forward on tackles. Throw in a mobile quarterback like Jake Garcia and it was vintage Furman football.

"(Running North-South) has been a point of emphasis, but I also think our coaches try to recruit that. (Running backs coach) Cory Colder's done a great job with those guys," Furman coach Clay Hendrix said in his weekly press conference Tuesday. "All three guys (main running backs) can be home run kind of guys. They're all good receivers too."

C.J. Nettles led the Paladins with 99 yards on 10 carries. That included a much-needed 47-yard carry midway through the second quarter that seemed to spark Furman. While the Paladins had to settle for a 40-yard field goal by Nathan Chapman on that drive, they scored touchdowns on each of their next two drives to take a 17-3 lead into halftime.

Ben Croasdale scores both of those touchdowns and finished with 67 yards on 11 carries. Garcia had nine attempts for 51 yards, while C.J. Stokes, a Charlotte transfer, ran for 37 yards on 11 carries.

"I just think this group that we have this year is very very special, they’re a very talented group. ... I think we all just complement each other really well," Croasdale said after the game. "Whenever one of us needs a break, we got another great back to come in."

Center Chris Luna, a senior captain, said that North-South mentality by the running backs make for a fun time blocking ahead of them. He was also happy to see Garcia make plays with his feet, although he would like to see Garcia's feet sliding down first when he's about to get tackled.

"Jake runs the ball hard, but I'm not sure if he knows how to slide. I texted him after the game and said, 'hey bro, I love that running but you've got to slide and protect yourself a little bit,' " Luna said with a smile. "But I also love that about him. I respect the guy a lot. He's a great dude.

"It kind of first you up as an offensive lineman to know that you've got a guy back there that can get you three or four yards when you need it. They all run hard. It really makes you want to go the extra mile in blocking."

Two linemen earn high grades in opener

A pair of Paladins who paved the way for that team rushing effort and protected Garcia all night were cited this week by the Pro Football Network. Per the PFN's analytics, Bryce Rainwater graded out as the top left guard in all of the FCS on opening weekend, while Parker Peterson had the third-highest grade among right tackles.

Rainwater, a sophomore from Hillcrest High, graded at 91.7 in his first collegiate start. Peterson, a grad transfer from Memphis, graded at 92.2 in his Furman debut.

Another SEC foe, another $1 million QB

The last time Furman faced an SEC opponent, the illustration of what different planets college football programs currently reside on couldn't have been clearer. The Paladins took an eight-hour bus ride to Ole Miss. There they were torched by quarterback Jaxson Dart, whose $1.3 million worth of NIL support included a deal with a flight company that offered he and his family use of private jets.

This season's SEC opponent features another quarterback with a $1 million NIL deal. At 18 years, three months and four days, Faizon Brandon is set to be Tennessee's youngest starting quarterback ever Saturday. His first NIL deal came along well before Knoxville though. After his family successfully sued the North Carolina Department of Education to allow public school students the right to make NIL money - like private school students could, Brandon signed a two-year, $1.2 million deal with Leaf Trading Cards. In addition to that, his deal with the Volunteers will reportedly pay him between $1 million and $1.5 million this season.

Brandon might also have a claim to be the youngest philanthropist - at least in Tennessee and his home state of North Carolina. Through his NIL opportunities, Brandon has raised money for groups such as the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club in his hometown of Greensboro, and the Tennessee Children's Home. Two weeks after signing with the Vols, Brandon held a toy drive and delivered 900 gifts to patients at Dolly Parton Children's Hospital.

Tough September slate

After facing just one ranked team all of last season, Furman might be facing one every week of this month. Following Tennessee this week, the Paladins play at Mercer on Sept. 12, host South Carolina State on Sept. 19 and play at Richmond on Sept. 26. All three of those teams are currently ranked in the AFCA FCS Coaches' Poll.