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| Ethan Harris' diving attempt to catch a wide pass fails in the end zone during Furman's 13-6 loss to Samford. Photo courtesy of Furman |
Following another loss that resembled nearly all the others this season, Furman coach Clay Hendrix was left searching for answers last Saturday. Over the 48 hours that followed, he found a tough one.
On Monday, Hendrix announced that this season - his 29th at Furman and 11th as head coach - would be his last at his alma mater.
"It's just been an incredible time and an unbelievable run. Yesterday was a hard day, but today's a lot better," Hendrix said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday. "It was just the perfect time, knowing we've got a four-game season (left).
"I think it's the very best thing for Furman, for Furman football, for our team and even for the next team and our staff. It gives us a chance to go play like I think we're capable of playing, particularly offensively, down the stretch. ... It was a tough decision, but the right decision."
The differences in the college football world, even at the FCS level, now and when Hendrix returned to become head coach after the 2016 season are like night and day.
"Our record's not where I want it to be, but it had absolutely nothing to do with (the decision to announce his departure)," Hendrix said. "It helps everybody going forward because December is different than Decembers used to be. Signing days are different. Portal days are different. Furman's always been extremely challenging to take any kind of transfer.
"For me, the thing that you really love doing the most, you get to do the least. That's a little bit of being the head coach too, but it's grown. The things that remain the same are that we've got as good kids as we've ever had. We've got the highest GPA we've ever had in history here. I've taken tons of pride in that. ... When I returned, I just wanted to get back to playing championship football and we've done that."
Recapping Samford
For the second consecutive week, Furman outgained the opposition but had very little to show for it last Saturday. The Paladins were held out of the end zone all day in their 13-6 loss to Samford on Homecoming. Saturday was one day away from the exact date the last time Furman failed to score a touchdown at home 12 years earlier. That game in 2014 was also homecoming, also against Samford.
Somehow that 45-0 loss in 2014 was easier to swallow than Saturday. In 2014, you knew the game was over by the end of the first quarter. On Saturday, you had to feel like you were watching the same script from what's now a five-game losing streak for the Paladins (2-6, 1-3 Southern Conference).
The script goes like this:
Furman's defense plays outstanding overall for the game, but gives up points early. Inevitably on the opponents' first or second possession, the Paladins have a chance to get off the field on third down but something unusual or stupid happens - sometimes beyond their control, sometimes not. Opponents convert and go down and score. Opponents may or may not score again later in the first quarter or early in the second before Furman's defense goes "lights out" mode. That typically lasts until some random score is allowed early or midway in the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, Furman's offense has no response whatsoever in the first half with the occasional exception of a successful two-minute drive late. The Paladins get on the scoreboard in the third quarter to typically make it a one-score game. They then have the ball late with a chance to tie or take the lead, but it doesn't happen.
On Samford's opening possession Saturday, Furman standout defensive end Joshua Stoneking had a third-down sack somehow slip away. That would've taken the Bulldogs out of field goal range. Instead, former Oregon State quarterback Gabarri Johnson spun out of Stoneking's grasp and found former Belton-Honea Path High star Marquise Henderson. Henderson, who originally attended Clemson for a few days before being asked to leave, made a 27-yard reception to the Furman seven-yard line. On third-and-goal from the three, Stoneking's tackle-for-loss forced Samford to settle for a field goal.
Furman's offense responded by going three-and-out on each of its first two possessions despite a pass completion on both third down plays.
A 36-yard punt after that second possession resulted in a Samford fair catch at its own 45. The Bulldogs got 30 yards on that drive and doubled their lead with a 42-yard field goal with 34 seconds left in the first quarter.
Furman's offense came to life on its ensuing possession, which reached the Samford 17. That threat ended on Connor Ackerley's first interception of the season. Late in the first half, Ackerley had another interception and Samford took a 6-0 lead into halftime.
Against Division I competition, Furman has one offensive touchdown in the first half this season. The Paladins converted only two of their first five third downs on Saturday, despite the fact that Ackerley was 5-for-5 passing on those plays.
The Paladins got on the board midway through the third quarter. It was a 12-play, 73-yard drive that reached the Samford seven-yard line, but Furman had to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Nathan Chapman to cut the lead to 6-3.
Early in the fourth quarter, Furman drove to the Samford five-yard line. The Paladins were poised to take the lead on a second-and-goal play from the seven as Ethan Harris got open in the end zone. Ackerley gunned a throw too strong and too wide of Harris, who couldn't come up with the diving catch. Ackerley was sacked for a 12-yard loss on third down and the Paladins settled for a 37-yard field goal by Chapman to tie the game.
Ackerley suffered a shoulder injury on the sack and didn't return. It was the same injury that sidelined Jake Garcia earlier this season. It was unclear if Garcia was healthy enough to play last week but he came on for the Paladins' next possession.
That ended in disaster when Ben Croasdale fumbled and Samford recovered at the Paladins' 11-yard line. The devastating part of the turnover was that it came on a third-and-12 play where all Furman was trying to do was create more room to punt.
On third-and-13, Samford's Cayden Aukerman made an incredible over-the-shoulder catch along the side of the the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown with 6:42 left in the game to give the Bulldogs the lead.
Caleb Easterling returned the ensuing kickoff 40 yards to set up the Paladins at their own 40. On the next play, CJ Nettles ran for a 21-yard gain to the Samford 39. Garcia didn't look completely healthy on a pair of incompletions on second and third down, which forced a punt.
With 2:25 left, a Samford unsportsmanline conduct penalty on a punt gave Furman the ball at the Bulldogs' 41. Freshman Trey Smith got his first real chance to quarterback this season and made a pair of great throws that gave Furman a first down at the Samford 19. His next was to Harris in the end zone but in turning to face the ball, Harris couldn't keep his footing and the ball sailed overhead. On fourth down, Smith's throw to Harris in the end zone was broken up and the Bulldogs kneeled out the clock.
"Just another disappointing Saturday, particularly offensively. I don't know if I've ever felt like I feel right now in all my coaching days, whether I was just coaching the offensive line or since I've been head coach," Hendrix said Saturday. "It's just the frustration with our inability to play good offense. An inability just to play average offense. The number of opportunities that we leave out there is just kind of mind-boggling."
Furman outgained Samford 313-304, but failed to force a turnover while suffering three. The Paladins and Bulldogs were each 3-of-13 on third down conversions.
Ackerley completed 15-of-25 passes for 216 yards. Daniel Haughton was the top target with six catches for 92 yards. The Paladins were held to just 77 yards rushing and 2.5 per carry as a team.
Senior captain Raleigh Herbert had a game-high 16 tackles, including 2.5 tackles-for-loss, to lead Furman defensively.
Moving forward
The "four-week season" Hendrix mentioned begins Saturday when Furman hosts Western Carolina at 2 p.m. Saturday. After stunning Tennessee Tech, 44-20, to start October, the Catamounts (3-5, 1-3) suffered a 17-14 loss at Mercer. Like Furman, Western had a bye on Oct. 10 followed by a homecoming loss last Saturday. The Catamounts fell to Chattanooga 41-18 last week.
Western led that game 10-7 late in the second quarter before a 57-yard field goal by the Mocs tied the game at 10 at the half. That was the start of a 27-point run by Chattanooga.
"I've tried to impress on our players that you've got to go make plays. You're not going to make them all, but we've got to make our share and we just haven't made nearly enough," Hendrix said Tuesday. "I think our guys have been put in a really good position to get it done and we will continue to work at that. We will need to make more plays this week with a really good team coming in here."
"I'm going to enjoy these next four weeks. I told the team that I just want them to really enjoy being together. I've been a part of a lot of teams with a lot better records over my years, who probably weren't nearly the joy to coach that this group has been."
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