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| Furman freshman Jackson Pryor hangs on to the game-winning score in the Paladins' 17-16 win at The Citadel. Photo courtesy of Furman |
Ready or not, Furman has arrived at the "make or break" portion of its 2024 football schedule. When the Paladins host No. 23-ranked Chattanooga Saturday at 2 p.m. Saturday, there won't be as much on the line as the previous few meetings, but it will be a major chapter in how this season turns out for both teams.
After Chattanooga, Furman hosts a Western Carolina team still receiving votes in both FCS polls and then has a bye in the final week of October. Victories the next couple of weeks could very well catapult the Paladins back into the rankings heading into the final month of the season.
Polls are something Furman can't control though. What both teams would desperately like to finally control Saturday is the line of scrimmage. In a statement that's probably never been able to be made in the middle of October, Saturday is a matchup of two of the worst rushing offenses in the country. The Moccasins (2-3, 1-1 Southern Conference) rank 114th, averaging 91.2 rushing yards per game, while the Paladins (2-3, 1-0) are 119th at 81.6 per game. Chattanooga averages 2.7 yards per carry and Furman averages 2.5. Every other team in the SoCon averages more than 3.1.
Running game struggles are just the beginning of similarities for these teams. Each opened the season with extremely lopsided losses to semi-pro Southeastern Conference teams. Each one is coming off low-scoring road wins in league play last week. While Furman scored a pair of touchdowns in the final six minutes to pull out a 17-16 win at The Citadel, the Mocs got a big 17-10 victory at East Tennessee State.
"I think the start to their season really affected them. I actually talked to (UTC coach) Rusty (Wright) after week one when they played Tennessee and we played Ole Miss and had similar results," Furman coach Clay Hendrix said at his weekly news conference Monday. "Then they turn around and play Georgia State (a 24-21 loss). Guess what? Georgia State beat Vanderbilt and we all know what Vanderbilt just did (a stunning win over No. 1 Alabama last Saturday). Then they play Mercer (a 10-3 loss) and they could've easily won that game.
"People try to compare scores, but you really can't. Every game is a little different and matchups are always a bit different."
In the history of Paladin Stadium, no visiting team has left with more wins than Chattanooga's eight. Furman has won three in a row in the series and six of the last eight meetings though. Last season in Chattanooga, Carson Jones came on in relief of an injured Tyler Huff and led the Paladins to a 17-14 win that clinched the SoCon championship.
The teams had a rematch at Paladin Stadium in round two of the FCS playoffs, which Furman won 26-7. While Huff returned for the Paladins that day, Mocs' starting quarterback Chase Artopoeus missed the game due to injury.
In the Mocs' last trip to Greenville in the regular season, then No. 24-ranked Furman defeated then No. 7 Chattanooga, 24-20, in 2022. That began a stretch of three out of four losses to end the season for the Mocs.
"They're the same team I thought they were before the season. ... They've got talent. They've got size and length, and do a good job of coaching," Hendrix said. "We will have to absolutely have our best week (of practice). I think they're the most complete team we will have played, outside of the opener.
"You look at those (SoCon) scores from last week. It was a bunch of close games and I think it's going to be like that every week. You've got to find ways to win close games."
After further review
Furman found a way last week in the fourth quarter thanks to a dominant defense and an offense that went up tempo to finally spring to life. Freshman Trey Hedden threw both of those touchdowns in the final six minutes, including a six-yard pass to freshman tight end Jackson Pryor for the game-winner with 1:01 left. Furman finished with 28 yards rushing, marking its lowest rushing output in a victory in the last 50 years.
Prior to that pass, that struggling rush offense actually made it first-and-goal after three consecutive running plays beginning with an eight-yard keeper by Hedden. On the go-ahead score, the Paladins lined up in an I-formation and faked a toss to the left before Hedden rolled to his right. The expectation had to have been that the backup tight end (Pryor) might be wide open in the end zone, but he wasn't. Unfazed by that, the freshman still made the throw and Pryor made a great catch and held on while he was folded up like an accordion.
"Trey made some big plays down the stretch. He's a confident guy and is getting better and better," Hendrix said. "I couldn't really see (the game-winning score) on the sideline. Until seeing the tape, I didn't realize how good of a throw and how good a catch it was. True freshman to true freshman. That was the second game Jackson's ever played in and he just continues to show up."
A welcome distraction
Pryor is a native of Boone, N.C. and his home was actually safe enough to return to two weeks ago when Hurricane Helene's aftermath led to Furman's home game against Samford being called off.
Most of the Paladins were able to make it back home that weekend. One who couldn't though was starting left tackle Eli Brashier, who's from Black Mountain just outside of Asheville. An emotional win Saturday capped off an emotional week for him.
"It's honestly been a gift having football here and being a distraction from what's going on at home," Brashier said Monday. "Being able to have my mind somewhere else has helped so much. Just having a goal and focusing on that has helped."
Fill the Din Bin
Furman, along with Ingles and Harvest Hope, is looking to support those impacted by Hurricane Helene by having the community fill the "Din Bin" prior to Saturday's game. Fans are asked to help fill the Smith Dray Moving Paladin Football equipment truck, which will be located at the Ingles Fan Zone at Paladin Stadium beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday. Donations will be accepted until Saturday's kickoff at 2 p.m.
Needed items included travel size toothpaste, toothbrushes, paper towels, beef jerky, buckets, peanut butter, deodorant, rags, canned vegetables, canned meat, dry beans, fruit pouches, pasta, rice, bar soap, gloves, baby food, tampons/pads, bleach, diapers, flashlights, wipes, coolers, bottled water, socks and batteries.
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