Mistakes cost Furman in classic at Belmont

Mike Bothwell had 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals
in Furman's 95-89 overtime loss at Belmont. Photo courtesy of Furman

November basketball isn't supposed to be this exhilarating and ultimately, this exhausting. It may have been 10 days before Thanksgiving Monday night, but it sure felt like March in Nashville. Furman's trip to Belmont didn't need the qualifier of a "mid-major" showdown. It was quite simply a classic that will be hard to top on any level of college basketball the rest of the season.

On the Furman Radio Network postgame show, Paladins coach Bob Richey said it felt like he'd never been a part of five better games. It was so thrilling, it wasn't really spoiled by 36 combined turnovers. Those had plenty to do with defense and the overall high level of intensity. Ultimately though, mistakes proved costly for the Paladins as Belmont rallied for a 95-89 overtime win.

"Our group is hurting right now. They came in expecting to win," Richey said on the postgame show. "We knew (Belmont) was the No. 2 mid-major team in the country behind Gonzaga and had these five super seniors back. We knew it was going to be a hard challenge, but our group has an expectation to compete. I thought we did that, but we made too many critical mistakes."

Furman (2-1) finished with 20 turnovers, marking just the fourth time in the past five seasons it's committed that many. The Paladins were also whistled for 18 fouls, while Belmont had 11. The Bruins (2-1) made exactly 5-of-6 free throws in the first half, in the second half and in overtime, while Furman made 5-of-6 for the entire game. Four of those free throws for the Paladins took place in the first six minutes of the second half and the last two came late in regulation when the Bruins "had to foul."

"If you turn it over on one end and foul a little too much on the other end, then you're letting a team that good basically get some easy ones," Richey said. "When we sat down in the half court and made them run their offense, I thought we did a pretty good job. They've just got players and shooters everywhere.

"We had 19 assists, which is great, but 20 turnovers is really inexcusable on our part."

Jalen Slawson had 14 points and eight rebounds for Furman, but had a tough night handling the ball with his back to the basket near the top of the key. Belmont's pesky guards tipped the ball out of Slawson's hands from behind a few times. Seemingly every time Slawson's pocked got picked though, he responded by flying down the court and pinning a Belmont layup against the backboard in spectacular fashion. He finished with a career-high five blocked shots.

By overtime, the Bruins had learned that lesson. Slawson's last turnover came on steal by fifth-year senior Grayson Murphy with 1:09 left and Belmont leading 89-86. Rather than a run out to the basket, the Bruins ran clock. Murphy's layup with 46 seconds pushed Belmont's lead to five, essentially sealing the win.

At times, Monday's game was eerily similar to Furman's overtime win at Louisville last Friday. At Louisville, the Paladins jumped out to a 12-point lead in the first half, but trailed by four at the half. At Belmont, Furman led by as many as eight in the first half and was up 32-25 with 6:36 left. The Paladins went 0-for-6 from the floor with five turnovers the rest of the half to trail 36-32 at the break.

After each were held to two points in the first half, Furman's Mike Bothwell and Belmont's Luke Smith took over after halftime. The Paladins trailed 44-39 with 15:30 left with Bothwell and Slawson powered a 12-0 run that was capped by a Conley Garrison three-pointer.

The Bruins came back to tie the game at 62-62 before Furman had a 7-0 run capped by a Bothwell 3-pointer that made it 69-62 with five minutes left. When Alex Hunter drained a 3-pointer with 2:07 left, the Paladins led 76-70 and there was a sense that that might do it. But Belmont got a second-chance 3-pointer and then a second-chance layup to cut the lead to 76-75 with 15 seconds left.

Bothwell was fouled and made both free throws to push the lead to three with 13 seconds left. Smith launched a 3-pointer with 7.6 seconds left that missed, but Bothwell grazed him and was called for a foul. Smith sank all three free throws to tie the game. Bothwell drove to the basket for a layup but was blocked from behind on a fantastic play by Murphy with 1.3 seconds left. Bothwell's contested shot as time expired in regulation nicked the side of the backboard to fall away no good.

"There's the argument, do you foul there (up by three) or not. We wanted it to get seven (seconds) or below we would foul," Richey said. "Unfortunately, we were a little late on the (guarding) assignment and made the critical mistake of fouling the shooter.

"Give them credit. They made some big plays. Luke makes all three of those free throws, which is not easy to do. I thought they carried that momentum into OT."

Much like Furman did at Louisville, Belmont quickly took the lead in overtime and never relinquished it. After the Bruins' 6-foot-11, 245-pound fifth-year senior Nick Muszynski controlled the overtime tip, Smith nailed a 3-pointer 11 seconds into the extra five minutes.

Smith, a sixth-year senior, had 14 of his team-high 20 points in the final 1:40 of regulation and overtime. He was one of six Bruins in double figures. Murphy and Muszynski each scored 17 points. Murphy also had seven steals and five assists, while Muszynski also had 12 rebounds - including seven offensive - and three blocks.

Bothwell scored a game-high 23 points and had seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block. Hunter had 16 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Garrison connected on 5-of-11 3-pointers to finish with 15 points, and had five rebounds, four assists and three steals. In a tough matchup with Muszynski, Furman sophomore Garrett Hien scored 10 points but did not register a rebound. Hien was coming off an 18-point, eight-rebound night at Louisville.

"This loss will hurt, but it will develop us. It won't define us," Richey said. "In 10 years when we're all talking about this road trip, we're going to talk about beating Louisville." 

Furman returns to action Friday when it hosts Radford at 7 p.m. Radford will turn around and play Navy on Saturday at Timmons Arena, and then the Paladins will host Navy on Sunday at 3 p.m.

"I know fans are disappointed, but please come out Friday night," Richey said. "This was a high-level environment at Belmont and we can replicate it. We can bring this kind of atmosphere to Timmons Arena."

Defense lifted Paladins over Louisville

Mike Bothwell scored 30 points in Furman's 80-72 overtime
win at Louisville Friday. Photo courtesy of Furman

After the Furman men's basketball team posted school records for 3-pointers (22) and assists (34) in its 2021-22 season opener on Tuesday, some might have thought it would take a similar performance to knock off Louisville Friday night.

It did not. Quite simply, the better team won.

Furman overcame a stretch of more than nine-and-a-half game minutes with just one field goal. The Paladins overcame a significant height advantage for the Cardinals, outrebounding Louisville 43-41. And Furman overcame having four starters with four fouls apiece with more than five minutes left in regulation. The Paladins overcame all of that to gut out an 80-72 overtime win.

The victory was Furman's first over an Atlantic Coast Conference foe since a 79-74 overtime win at Florida State on Dec. 4, 2000. It also marked Louisville's first home loss in November since 1972 - a stretch of 59 games.

The Paladins withstood a second half in which they made 5-of-12 shots from three and only 3-of-12 field goals inside the arc with a defensive effort that saw Louisville (1-1) shoot even worse. After shooting 51.6 percent (16-of-31) in the first half, the Cardinals made just 7-of-28 field goals (25 percent) in the second half and only 2-of-10 (20 percent) in overtime.

Every time Louisville had a big play to get the home crowd into it, Furman had an answer. After the Cardinals' Jae'Lyn Withers slammed home an alley oop from Mason Faulkner with 12:37 left in the first half, Alex Hunter drained a 3-pointer 14 seconds later. That pushed Furman's lead to 16-8 and that lead grew to as large as 12 at 24-12 midway through the first half.

That lead faded down the rest of the first half and the Paladins trailed by as many as six points with 17:04 left to play. Joe Anderson's layup at the 2:28 point of the first half tied the game 35-35. Furman had only one other made field goal until the 12:55 mark of the second half, but that Mike Bothwell 3-pointer gave Furman a 47-42 lead. That's how good the Paladins' defense was during that stretch.

After Withers threw down another electrifying dunk that gave Louisville a 49-47 lead with 10:56 left, Bothwell drained a 3-pointer 14 seconds later. Bothwell converted a three-point play 21 seconds later to push Furman's lead to four.

That lead also disappeared and the Paladins trailed 67-62 with 2:43 left, but Louisville was shut out for the rest of regulation. Garrett Hien's three-point play with 1:04 left tied the game at 67-67. Hien's layup on the opening possession of overtime put Furman ahead for good. Hien then provided the dagger on a turnaround fadeaway jumper with 1:41 left that extended the lead to 76-69.

Bothwell finished with 30 points including a career-high 13-of-15 performance at the foul line. After attempting only six free throws in the 118-point performance in the season opener, the Paladins were 20-of-26 free throws at Louisville. Hien finished with a career-high 18 points and eight rebounds, while Hunter had 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists. He also surpassed the 1,000-point career scoring mark.

Jalen Slawson made only one shot - a 3-pointer on the opening possession of the game, but was still a key force with nine rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals. Bothwell, Slawson and Hien each had four fouls with plenty of time left in regulation but no one fouled out.

Faulker, a former standout guard and trash-talker for Western Carolina, fell to 0-5 in his career against Furman.

Bothwell earns national, SoCon honors

Bothwell was named the Southern Conference Player of the Week and also the Lou Henson National Player of the Week by CollegeInsider.com. In addition to his 30-point performance at Louisville, Bothwell scored 22 in the opener last Tuesday.

Paladins face another test Monday

There wasn't a lot of time to celebrate a victory over an ACC team for Furman as the road trip continues at Belmont Monday night. The Bruins, who are ranked No. 2 in the College Insider Mid-Major preseason poll, might be an even stiffer test than a Louisville team that was without its suspended head coach.

Belmont (1-1) rebounded from a season-opening 92-80 loss at Ohio by thumping Evansville, 81-43, Saturday. The Bruins have 97 percent of their offensive production and minutes returning from last season's team that went 26-4 and tied Gonzaga for the most regular season wins in the country. Belmont won its 12th regular season conference title over the last 16 seasons, a stretch in which it made nine trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Hodges back to lead Furman women in 2021-22

Furman's Tierra Hodges averaged 16.2 points and 10.4
rebounds per game last season. Photo courtesy of Furman

The Furman women's basketball team tips off the 2021-22 season Friday by hosting Presbyterian at 7 p.m. Last year at this time, the Paladins were still six days away from announcing their non-conference schedule for 2020-21 season.

After schedule uncertainties and Zoom meeting after Zoom meeting after Zoom meeting last year, Furman coach Jackie Carson was excited to have a more normal offseason this year. Carson was even more excited by the news that Tierra Hodges would be returning for her final year of eligibility.

"She was ready to turn pro. We had talked about it. At the end of the season, she said 'Coach, I want to come back and help us win the championship. I know we can do it.' That speaks volumes to the type of person and player she is," Carson said. "You know it's a special player when last year's freshmen class were the ones urging her to come back, including players that play her position. Her leadership has been tremendous."

Hodges made 18 starts as a freshman back in the 2016-17 season before missing all of the following year with a knee injury. She enters Friday's opener with 79 starts in a career in which she's basically done everything for the Paladins.

Last season, Hodges led the SoCon in rebounding (10.4 per game), ranked third in the league in scoring (16.2), third in field goal percentage (46.4), third in free throw percentage (79.8) and sixth in three-point percentage (35.4). She also led the league in minutes played (36.6 per game), had a team-high 32 steals and posted 15 double-doubles in just 25 games.

All this production led to Hodges earning first team All-SoCon accolades for the second consecutive season. She's also made the SoCon's Academic Honor Roll each of the past three seasons. Perhaps her most noteworthy accomplishment last season was her outside shooting ability. Hodges connected on 28-of-79 threes last season. The stunning part of that is the first one she attempted last year was the first attempt of her collegiate career.

"She's transformed her game. That COVID summer where everything kind of shut down actually served her perfectly," Carson said. "All she did was shoot threes, expand her game and work on her form in her driveway at home. She has a weight room at home too and put in work there. I think that gave her a tremendous advantage last year.

"Now people know what she's capable of and we have some weapons around her. People can't key in on just her, so it's going to be a fun year for her."

Hodges enters this season ranked 21st in school history in scoring (1,122 points) and fifth in rebounding (914).

Among those surrounding weapons are sophomores Sydney James and Tate Walters, who each made the SoCon All-Freshman team last season. James earned SoCon Freshman of the Year honors after averaging 9.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game coming off the bench last season. Walters averaged 9.3 points per game and had a team-high 90 assists as she tied for the SoCon lead at 4.3 per game.

In addition to Hodges and Walters, senior Greyson Boone is another returning starter. The former Wade Hampton High standout made 33.7 percent of her 3-pointers last season. Also returning is sophomore Paraskevi Koilia, who was likely well on her way to also making the All-Freshman team before a leg injury ended her season 11 games into it. Koilia was the starting point guard for each of those games and still finished second on the team with 52 assists.

After the pandemic protocols of last season, Carson said this is kind of like Freshman 2.0 for the eight freshmen that were on last season's squad.

"We have eight sophomores and five freshman. It's really like 13 kids that have no idea what it's like to go from eight hours (of basketball) a week to 20 a week, to going to class in person and being around their classmates at the university," Carson said. "They didn't even eat in the dining hall last year. They were almost secluded. All of that plays an important part in the mental health of being a college student-athlete.

"That sophomore group has adjusted well to being great leaders on the court and understanding what we're doing. They're bringing those five freshmen along great."

The Paladins are coming off a year in which they went 11-14, but were 9-1 at Timmons Arena. After a 6-8 mark and fifth-place finish in the Southern Conference last season, Furman is predicted to finish fourth (coaches) and fifth (media) in the SoCon this season.

Paladins roll to record-breaking rout in opener

Alex Hunter had 22 points, four assists and no turnovers in Furman's 118-66
 win over North Greenville Tuesday night. Photo courtesy of Furman

For the first time in two college basketball seasons, Timmons Arena felt like Timmons Arena again Tuesday night. After playing in front of limited crowds in the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 limitations, Furman opened the 2021-22 season in front of 1,611 fans Tuesday.

The Paladins rewarded their returning fans on the game's opening possession. The newest Paladin, Conley Garrison, threw an alley oop to Jalen Slawson for a dunk that sent the crowd into a frenzy. The atmosphere stayed that way for much of the night as Furman rolled to a record-breaking 118-66 win over North Greenville.

"We wanted to get the crowd involved and we executed that play very well. It was kind of like a 'we're back' statement," said Furman guard Mike Bothwell. "We're better when our home crowd is here and we had a lot of students that showed up for us. It was great to see for a Tuesday night." 

With 1:22 left in the game, the Paladins broke two school single-game records on the same play. Walk-on Rett Lister, son of North Greenville head coach and Furman alum Chad Lister, found Jaylon Pugh, who knocked down a 3-pointer. That was the Paladins' record 22nd 3-pointer on their record 34th assist. Furman had 21 made threes in a game three times, most recently on Dec. 21, 2020 in a 118-52 win over S.C. State on Dec. 21, 2020. That same game had the previous record of 33 assists.

The Paladins shot 56.1 percent (46-of-82) from the floor, including 50 percent (22-of-44) on threes. The 46 made field goals were Furman's most in a game since making 49-of-70 shots in a 126-33 win over Virginia Intermont on Dec. 29, 2004.

"It was a fun, fun way to start the year. ... We had 22 triples, but even more impressive were the 34 assists. It just shows the commitment to playing for one another and making sure we've got good ball movement," Furman coach Bob Richey said. "The tempo tonight, you could see we're trying to play a little bit faster this year. ... We've been really working in the offseason just to get the ball out and go."

After that electric start to the game, the Paladins raced to a 25-8 lead less than five-and-a-half minutes in. When 6-foot-9 center Garrett Hien drilled a 3-pointer with 11:39 left in the first half, Furman led 31-10 and all five starters had made a three. When Alex Hunter hit a three off a pass from Hien two minutes and four seconds later, Furman led 36-15 and eight different Paladins had combined for 10 assists.

All five starters and two reserves made at least two 3-pointers, led by Hunter who hit 6-of-9. Every starter also had at least three assists, while a total of six different Paladins had at least four. Leading the way there was Garrison with six.

"The game right now is dribble, pass and shoot. Get as much out there as you can, open up the floor and play in space," Richey said. "It's how we always like to play. The biggest challenge in getting the group to buy into it.

"There's nothing harder to guard than great ball movement and great cutting. When you get five guys to really buy into that and play for one another, usually you're going to get some pretty good looks. I thought for the most part, we got great looks tonight."

Hunter and Bothwell led Furman with 22 points apiece and each also had four assists. Bothwell made three steals and Hunter had no turnovers. Slawson flourished in his first game since moving from the No. 5 to No. 4 spot on the floor. He had 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Garrison, a grad transfer from Drury University, had 14 points, six assists and five rebounds in his Paladin debut. True freshman JP Pegues was Furman's other double figure scorer with 10 points, and he also had five assists and four rebounds in 19:18 off the bench. Reserve Marcus Foster had seven points, seven rebounds and two steals. He also drew three fouls in his 18:43 of court time.

The night could not have been scripted more perfectly for Hunter, who was a senior last season but decided to return this year with the extra year of eligibility because of the pandemic.

"I've been happy with that decision since I got back here in the summer," Hunter said. "This team is special. The chemistry we got early on - by July, felt like we'd already been through a lot. ... It's just a blessing to be back. Tonight was just a sample size of what it means to be at Furman."

Former Powdersville High standout Dray Burton led North Greenville with 19 points.

The competition level will step up quite a bit on Friday as Furman heads to Louisville for a 7 p.m. tip-off.

Paladins look to jump in SoCon title race

Furman coaching legend Dick Sheridan greets co-captain Devin Wynn prior to the
pregame coin toss of the Paladins' 24-14 win over Citadel. Photo courtesy of Furman

In the world of college football, nearly all coaches will remind you that a team's biggest game is its next one. For Furman, that wouldn't be a case of "coach speak" the next two weeks. Before traveling to face preseason Southern Conference favorite Chattanooga next Saturday, the Paladins host No. 14-ranked ETSU this Saturday on Homecoming at Paladin Stadium.

The next two weeks could prove to be the biggest determining factor in Furman's hopes of winning the SoCon championship. After Chattanooga handed ETSU (6-1) its first loss of the season last Saturday, there are no undefeated teams in league play. There are five teams with one league loss. ETSU, Mercer and VMI are 3-1 in league play, while Chattanooga and Furman (4-2) are 2-1.

The Paladins will look to get their offense going against a Bucs' defense that has been stingy in the last two gritty matchups in the series. Two years ago in Greenville, Devin Wynn's fourth quarter touchdown lifted Furman to a 17-10 win. This past spring at ETSU, Wynn had a pair of third quarter touchdowns as the Paladins rallied from a 10-0 halftime deficit for a 17-13 win.

Having Wynn back this week would obviously be a boost to Furman. After rushing for 203 yards in a 42-20 win at Wofford two weeks ago, Wynn missed last week's 24-14 win over Citadel with a groin injury he first suffered in August. Earlier this week, Furman coach Clay Hendrix said Wynn was progressing but still questionable to play Saturday.

After Furman's offense was reenergized at Wofford in freshman Jace Wilson's first start at quarterback, it took a step back last week. Against Citadel, the Paladins had just 52 offensive snaps and finished with 289 total yards of offense. More than half of that total came on two first quarter touchdowns - a 90-yard run by Dominic Roberto and a 58-yard pass from Wilson to Ryan Miller.

Sheridan honored

Dick Sheridan was honored at halftime of the Citadel game for his upcoming induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. The Furman coaching legend was also joined on the field by former assistants and players for the pregame coin toss.

Prior to all the on-field celebrations, the Furman Football Players Association (FFPA) had a drop-in for Sheridan where he was inducted into Furman's new Ring of Honor. He was presented with a ring emblazoned with the school's iconic purple diamond F logo that he made famous surrounded by diamonds.

While it's been nearly 40 years since Hendrix played for Sheridan, his old coach still has the same effect on him.

"They asked me to make the introduction on the ring ceremony. I was meeting with recruits at 4 p.m. and then went to do that," Hendrix said. "I got up there and told them, 'I'm a lot more nervous about this than I am about the game.' That's just how it is with Coach (Sheridan). He didn't ever try to be intimidating, he just always kind of was.

"We've stayed in touch a good bit over the years. He's always been a great supporter. ... A lot of the things I've tried to do as a coach, especially as a head coach, most of them came from him."

Brinson just misses another punt block

After missing the Wofford game with an injury, Kam Brinson returned last Saturday. He started at strong safety in place of DiMarcus Clay, who was out for the first half after being flagged for targeting in the third quarter at Wofford.

Brinson made four tackles and possibly the most memorable tackle-for-loss in school history. Late in the first quarter, Brinson just missed his second punt block of the season. He only missed it because Brinson tackled the Citadel punter before he could put toe to leather.

"I think I've seen it from time to time, but it's been a long time. ... Kam just has a knack for getting in there. There's not a timid bone in his body," Hendrix said. "It was actually a pretty smart play by their kid because if he punts, it's getting blocked and we only ended up with a field goal.

"Their guy has been one of the better punters in the league, but obviously it affected him the rest of the night because he didn't punt very well."

Greenville News links

Here are links to recent stories I've written for The Greenville News.

On the Furman's defensive depth paying off in the win over Citadel and the challenge of facing ETSU's dynamic duo of running backs: https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/sports/college/furman/2021/10/22/defenses-roster-depth-making-furman-football-socon-contender-the-citadel-east-tennessee-state/6109471001/

On co-captain Elijah McKoy making the most of his first start since 2019 as he made the play of the game against Citadel: https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/sports/college/furman/2021/10/17/four-things-we-learned-furman-paladins-footballs-win-against-the-citadel-bulldogs/6101934001/

Furman hoops set for challenging schedule

Furman coach Bob Richey Photo courtesy of Furman

College basketball season begins in less than three weeks and the Furman men's team will be facing one of its toughest schedules in recent memory. The slate is highlighted by trips to Louisville (Nov. 12), North Carolina (Dec. 14) and Mississippi State (Dec. 17), The non-conference schedule includes traditional mid-major powers Belmont (Nov. 15), Radford (Nov. 19), College of Charleston (Dec. 3) and Winthrop (Dec. 7).

After opening against Division II North Greenville on Nov. 9, the Paladins won't face another non-Division I opponent the rest of the season. It's the fewest amount of non-Division I foes on a Furman schedule in 14 years. Outside of Western Carolina - which has only four non-conference home games - every other Southern Conference team plays at least two.

In addition to North Greenville, Radford and Charleston, Furman's non-conference home schedule includes Navy (Nov. 21), Appalachian State (Dec. 10) and Presbyterian (Dec. 21).

"We're excited about the schedule. Coach (Jeremy) Growe's done an excellent job being the point man on it," Furman coach Bob Richey said. "We've got some really good programs that are really going to challenge us and prepare us for the league schedule."

In this era of the transfer portal gone wild, some mid-major coaches may have trepidation about scheduling teams from power conferences for fear of it turning into an audition for their top players. After scoring 15 points in Furman's 83-80 loss at Alabama last year, Noah Gurley transferred to the Crimson Tide shortly after the season.

Richey said he has no such apprehension.

"I'm just a believer that you control what you can control and let the rest take care of itself. There were 1,800 players in the portal last year. That's a little south of six per school," Richey said. "That's just the world we're in right now. It's something we're all going to have to figure out ways to navigate, but the schedule isn't factored in."

Timmons Arena has proven to provide quite a home court advantage for Furman the last few seasons. After limited crowds due to COVID-19 protocols last season, the Paladins are undoubtedly hopeful that Timmons can get back to those special atmospheres again this season.

Furman is slated for three SoCon games at its home away from home, the Bon Secours Wellness Arena, in downtown Greenville. Richey still hopes to play more there in the future, specifically non-conference games.

"We've tried to pull some high-majors into The Well, but haven't been able to get anybody to do it," Richey said. "It's unfortunate because I think it could be really good for the Upstate, South Carolina and college basketball to use that facility.

"To have four teams playing there on a Friday night during football season would be really fun. ... It's the tough part of scheduling, but we're going to keep trying."

Offices receive upgrade

Construction to renovate and expand spaces for the men's and women's basketball teams is set to wrap up this fall. The $3 million worth of upgrades came about entirely through private donations made by former players and fans of the program.

In the past, players and coaches shared the same meeting space. Now there will be separate rooms for teams and coaches and a separate film room. Locker rooms are also being upgraded. Richey said these improvements are impactful on multiple levels.

"Usually when a recruit comes to campus, the first place they go to is the office. It's your first impression point," Richey said. "It's your area you work in every day as a staff and it's also a space to show what your program's about."

Locker room improvements include an expansion, an improved lounge for players, a fueling station for nutrition and upgraded showers and bathrooms. All of this work is the first phase of a comprehensive plan to improve Timmons Arena.

"It gives our players and staff the best learning and working environment possible. That's a really important piece to me," Richey said. "You can't have bottom third facilities with top third expectations. It just doesn't work like that."

Assistants promoted

Richey announced the promotion of two assistants this offseason - Jeremy Growe and Daniel Fowler. Set to begin his third season on Richey's staff, Growe has been promoted to associate head coach. Fowler, a former standout player who's been the program's recruiting director the past three seasons, has been promoted to assistant to the head coach.

Televised games

Furman is set to appear in two of the five SoCon games that will be carried by ESPN's family of networks this season. The Paladins' game at UNCG on Jan. 5 will air on ESPNNEWS, while their game at ETSU on Feb. 7 will by carried by ESPNU. Other Furman games already announced for national television are Louisville (ACC Network Extra), North Carolina (ESPN2) and Mississippi State (SEC Network).

Furman's second half defense shines

Making his first collegiate start, Micah Robinson helped Furman's
defense in a 42-20 win at Wofford. Photo courtesy of Furman

Not to be lost in the revival of Furman's offense in last Saturday's 42-20 win at Wofford is a Furman defense that overcame a couple of early busts to have another solid day. The Paladins allowed 314 total yards, but 135 of those came on the Terriers' two touchdowns.

Furman's defense has been at its best after halftime. After allowing just a field goal to Mercer in the second half of its Southern Conference opener on Sept. 25, the Paladins allowed just a field goal to Wofford in the second half last Saturday. While N.C. State was in total control and - to a lesser extent - so was Mercer by halftime, the fact remains that Furman has allowed a total of just 13 points in the second half over its last four games. For the season, the Paladins (3-2, 1-1) have outscored opponents 30-8 in the fourth quarter.

"Outside of those two plays and the long punt return where we missed tackles, the defense did a great job," Furman coach Clay Hendrix said. "As (defensive coordinator) Coach (Duane) Vaughn told them in a team meeting, 'at the the end of the day, those two plays count.' If there's one negative we've had (defensively), it's that we've allowed too many big plays. We're really close. It's one or two guys not being where they're supposed to be and we've got to fix that."

The defensive effort against Wofford came with two players making their first collegiate starts. Freshman Micah Robinson started at cornerback for Ivan Yates, who is out for the season with a hand injury, while freshman Caden Richards started at spur for the injured Dae'one Wilkins. Robinson had three tackles and two pass break-ups. Richards, a Gaffney native whose father played at Wofford, had four tackles.

Freshman cornerback Dominic Morris didn't start, but did make his first collegiate interception. Morris' pick early in the fourth quarter led to the Paladins' final touchdown to seal the game.

"Micah competes hard and it's really important to him," Hendrix said. "He's like a lot of our young guys. They're a work in progress and they just need to keep playing."

Yes, that was Devin Wynn nearly blocking punts

Devin Wynn nearly doubled his season rushing output with a 204-yard effort against Wofford. His 31 carries were the most in a game by a Paladin since Louis Ivory toted it 31 times against Western Kentucky 20 years ago. He also caught three passes for 43 yards, including a wide open 26-yard touchdown from the slot. All that added up to the third SoCon Offensive Player of the Week honor of his career.

What may have gone unnoticed with Wynn was the fact that it was the same No. 0 who was the closest Paladin to Wofford's punter on a couple of punts. Wynn stepped in on that team in place of Kam Brinson, who was out with an injury.

"Kam's been one of our better special teams players. ... It's all about getting your best out there in a position to help you succeed," Hendrix said. "Devin was on the kickoff team early in his career. I think Devin's a guy that wants to play at the next level. I think in that world now, that's something you need to be able to do."

Brinson is expected to return this week against Citadel and should make the start at strong safety in place of DiMarcus Clay. Clay is out for the first half after being ejected for targeting in the second half against Wofford.

SoCon's oldest rivalry under the lights

A week after resuming the South's actual oldest rivalry, it's the SoCon's oldest rivalry this week as Furman hosts Citadel at 6 p.m. It will be the 101st meeting between the rivals who first played in 1913 and who each joined the SoCon in 1936.

October 16 is the latest date for a Furman home night game ever and it will be the Paladins' first night game at Paladin Stadium since Sept. 17, 2016. There will be a postgame fireworks show.

Sheridan to be honored

Furman coaching legend Dick Sheridan will be honored by the school and the National Football Foundation at Saturday's game. He will be honored for his upcoming induction into the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 2020 class. It comes on the 39th anniversary of one of Sheridan's signature wins - a 28-23 victory at South Carolina on Oct. 16, 1982.

In addition to Saturday's ceremony, Sheridan will be on hand for the pregame coin toss. Former players and assistant coaches will accompany him for the toss. 

Sheridan, whose already in the Furman and South Carolina Athletic Halls of Fame, will be the first Paladin ever in the College Football Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be held at the NFF's 63rd annual awards dinner on Dec. 7 in Las Vegas.

Greenville News' stories

Links to some recent stories I've done for The Greenville News:

On Luke Shiflett's flexibility and sticking with Furman when things haven't gone as planned - https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/sports/college/furman/2021/10/14/again-receiver-ex-qb-luke-shiflett-helps-furman-university-football-passing-game-middle-tennessee/6101913001/

Recapping Furman's first win at Wofford since 2006 - https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/sports/college/furman/2021/10/09/furman-football-jace-wlson-defeat-wofford-college-socon-matchup/6000885001/

On Travis Blackshear's knack for getting to the football on defense - https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/sports/college/furman/2021/09/23/furmans-travis-blackshear-shows-uncanny-knack-causing-turnovers/5800948001/