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.

 

Defense powers Furman past Anderson

Furman's Caldwell Bussey sacks Anderson's Wilson Edwards during
the Paladins' 20-3 win Thursday. Photo courtesy of Furman

Running the football and stopping the run. That's Football 101 for many coaches and certainly would be chapter one in the textbook of Furman's Clay Hendrix. While the final score may not have lived up to expectations Thursday night, those two basic principles were aced by the Paladins in a 20-3 season-opening victory over Division II Anderson.

Furman rushed for 268 yards as a team, while holding Anderson to six yards on 23 rushing attempts. It's the fewest rushing yards allowed by Furman since NAIA member Point had one yard on 35 attempts on Nov. 23, 2019.

"I'm always happy to get a win and we always celebrate victories. There's certainly a lot that we've got to get better at, but I also thought we did a lot of things really well," Hendrix said. "Defensively, we played really well all night. ... We will certainly be challenged in more ways moving forward, but we kept their quarterback running the whole night.

"Give Anderson a bunch of credit. (Coach) Bobby (Lamb) and his staff had a good plan and his kids played really hard."

One major goal for Furman this season is to have more of a team effort across the board defensively, as opposed to the one-man show that All-American Joshua Stoneking put on last season. You're not going to determine if that goal has been met by one game. Certainly not by one game against a Division II opponent, nor by next Saturday's game when the Paladins face a team from the SEC - the major leagues of professional college football - in Tennessee.

You could say that at least the blueprint was created on Thursday.

While the Trojans obviously double-teamed Stoneking on one end throughout the game, new Furman bandit Eli Lipscomb cleaned up on the other side. The Wingate transfer had six tackles, including three tackles-for-loss, a sack, two quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.

"Coming into tonight, I'd already played Anderson and I knew they were a physical team. I think most people overlook the D2 teams, so I just told our team all week that they're just like us," Lipscomb said. "I came out wanting to play against them like I did last year (seven tackles, two sacks and two hurries in a 30-3 Wingate win). I played as well as I did because Josh Stoneking took the double and the chips. It's a testament to how great he is and it really freed me up on some plays."

Lipscomb wasted no time in making his Paladin debut a night to remember. On the first play of the game, Anderson hit a 15-yard pass play, but new starting cornerback Caleb Easterling forced a fumble that Lipscomb pounced on at the Trojans' 40.

Furman's offense could not take advantage though as new quarterback Jake Garcia and new placekicker Nathan Chapman each had more of an uneven start. Garcia's first pass was an incompletion on third down. That led to a 42-yard field goal attempt that sailed wide right.

Anderson drove from its own 25 to the Furman 30 on its next possession before Lipscomb came up big once again. His sack on second down resulted in a seven-yard loss back to the 37. Lipscomb's quarterback hurry on the next play forced an incompletion that led to a Trojans' punt.

Garcia's first five passes were incomplete. His sixth was a screen pass to Ben Croasdale on 3rd-and-20 that resulted in a four-yard gain early in the second quarter of a scoreless game.

After Lipscomb's third-down tackle forced an Anderson punt on its first possession of the second quarter, Furman's offense finally got a much needed big play. CJ Nettles' 47-yard run led to a 40-yard field goal by Chapman for the first points of the season.

Finally cracking the scoreboard seemed to give the Paladins momentum. Anderson's next possession was a three-and-out thanks to a second-down sack by Caldwell Bussey and a tackle-for-loss by Stoneking on third down.

Three plays later, Garcia threw a deep pass to Dartmouth grad transfer Daniel Haughton for a 49-yard gain to the Anderson four-yard line. Croasdale ran for Furman's first touchdown of the season on the next play to help push the lead to 10-0.

The Trojans got 64 of their 160 yards for the game on their ensuing possession. The only really big play for Anderson all night came on a 37-yard deep ball from Wilson Edwards to Kenneth Brown down the right sideline on a 3rd-and-4 play. That led to a 28-yard field goal by Ross Burnette with 1:16 left.

Garcia followed with his best drive of the night in the two-minute offense. He completed his first four passes of the drive for 40 yards before Croasdale ran for 12 yards to the Anderson 21-yard line with 22 seconds left. Two plays later, Garcia had a terrific scamper where he withstood a hit near the goal line for what was initially ruled a 21-yard touchdown run.

After video review, the ball was placed inside the one. It appeared that Croasdale took a shotgun snap into the end zone on the next play, but he was ruled down short of the goal line and Furman took a timeout with four seconds left. On the next play, Croasdale got in as the clock expired and the Paladins took a 17-3 lead into halftime.

"Our guys can tell you how many two-minute drills we did in camp and I thought we did a great job of executing there before the half," Hendrix said. "Obviously, getting a touchdown there was huge."

Coming out of halftime, Furman appeared to be poised to keep up the momentum. On the opening possession of the third quarter, the Paladins marched to Anderson's 19. On 3rd-and-9, Garcia threw to a wide open Jackson Pryor in the end zone but Anderson's Carter Wit made a fantastic leaping interception at the four.

Furman's next possession went from the Paladins' 10 to the Trojans' 12. It ended when Chapman's 29-yard field goal went straight but unfortunately for the Paladins, the snap came on the right hash mark.

The Paladins had 132 yards on 23 plays in the third quarter and no points to show for it.

The lone points of the second half came on a 30-yard field goal by Chapman with 9:05 remaining.

"Leaving points out there was a little frustrating. We had three really good drives to start the second half and we get three points," Hendrix said. "But it did just feel different offensively tonight. I told our running back group that they played really well, as did the guys up front. ... I think the pieces are there and our group is going to keep working to do things they have to do to get better."  

Furman outgained Anderson 451-160 for the game, including 215-30 in the second half.

Nettles led the Paladins' rushing attack with 99 yards on 10 carries. Croasdale had 67 yards on 11 carries, while Garcia finished with 51 yards on nine attempts. Garcia completed 15-of-28 passes for 183 yards. Haughton led Furman's receivers with 87 yards on five catches, while Ethan Harris had three receptions for 49 yards.

"I think the biggest thing for Jake was the toughness he showed and the ability to go make plays with his feet. I know he'd like a couple of those throws back, but he also made some terrific throws," Hendrix said. "You know, Jake hadn't played football in two years. Until that first run he had, he probably hadn't been tackled in two years because didn't tackle our guys at all (in the preseason). ... We had 25 practices in August and that's all he's been with us.

"Tackling was a concern I had coming into the game because of not doing it in a team setting, but I thought we tackled pretty well defensively."

The last time the Paladins held an NCAA opponent to single digits in rushing was Oct. 7, 2017 when Chattanooga had seven yards on 17 attempts. The most impressive part of Thursday's rushing total allowed was the fact that Furman had just two sacks. More times than not, a rushing total of something like six yards comes as a result of a sack total of seven or so. The overall defensive numbers could've been even better if not for third down penalties that gave the Trojans an automatic first down three different times, one of which was complete buffoonery on the part of officials. 

Lipscomb and captain Raleigh Herbert led the defense with six tackles apiece. After leading the country with 23 tackles-for-loss last season, Stoneking had one Thursday as well as a quarterback hurry. Trevor Short had four tackles and two hurries also for the Paladins. True freshman safety Braylon Peebles helped set a tone with a couple of big plays early on and he had two of Furman's four pass breakups. 

"I think collectively as a group, we were just itching to hit all fall," Lipscomb said. "When we finally got the chance tonight, we took it."

Furman returns to action Saturday at Tennessee. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.

New-look Paladins set to open new season

Ethan Harris (0) is one of many fifth-year seniors at wide
receiver for Furman this season. Photo courtesy of Furman 

Plenty of new Furman football players will ring in the new season when they take the field under the new lights of Paladin Stadium Thursday. Kickoff against Anderson is set for 7 p.m.

It may very well be the norm from now on, but it's still unusual to see all the new names set to start on offense for the Paladins. Among those who started in Furman's season finale at Clemson last November, senior center Chris Luna is the only offensive player listed as a starter on this week's depth chart. On the two-deep on offense, CJ Nettles is the only Paladin who started that 2025 finale. He's listed as Ben Croasdale's backup at running back.

There will be a lot of new faces to Furman, but not new to college football. There are nine grad transfers with one year of eligibility left on the depth chart, including seven on offense. None will be in the spotlight more than new starting quarterback Jake Garcia, who spent last season at Michigan. Garcia's backup is another new transfer, junior Connor Ackerley from Western New Mexico.

"Jake joined us at the start of the summer. ... He's a really talented guy. He's had kind of an unusual track here, although I'm not sure if it's that unusual nowadays. The thing I enjoyed most about Jake in this whole process has come from having a chance to sit down and have conversations with him," Furman coach Clay Hendrix said during a press conference Monday. "He plays a tough position and he's been in some really good places where one guy plays. During the time I've had Jake here, I've never heard him make one excuse. He came in and just went to work. He had a terrific offseason, both with the workouts we did and offseason study, and then had a solid August.

"We had a great competition with all four of those guys (Garcia, Ackerley, senior Nehuel Garcia and true freshman Trey Smith). Nehuel is a fourth-year guy and this was his best August by far. ... You may see some other guys in there from time to time. We'll see how that goes but we've got a lot of confidence in Jake and his grasp on what we're trying to do. ... He's got all his priorities in order."

Offensive weaponry

Garcia has a lot of experienced targets. Of the six wide receivers on the two-deep, five are fifth-year players. Projected starters at those three receiver spots are grad transfers Luke Shields (Tennessee Tech) and Daniel Haughton (Dartmouth), and Furman veteran Ethan Harris, who played just four games last season due to injury. Backups are grad transfer Dwartney Wortham (UCF), fifth-year senior Gram Smithson and sophomore Connor Morin.

Of all the names on this week's depth chart, Smithson - who has one catch in his career - may be the most intriguing. After redshirting in 2022 and not seeing the field at all in 2023, most of his game action has come on special teams since 2024. He was limited to just three games last year due to injury.

Losing freshman All-American Evan James to Iowa was a tough, though not unexpected blow, but that position seems pretty deep on paper. It was deep enough to not have Devin Hester Jr., who's had nine starts in his career, or freshman Banks Bouton, who coaches have raved about this offseason, not on the two-deep. Hendrix said both will still play.

"I just really like that group. They're fun to watch and there's a lot of guys to throw to," Hendrix said. "Getting (tight end) Jackson Pryor back, who we didn't have a year ago (due to injury), is big. (Freshman) Cameron James is a guy with a similar skill set and I think all of our running backs are good receivers. It's a big part of having more diversity in our offense. Hopefully, it will show up."

Up front for Furman's offense, projected starters to the right of Luna are grad transfers Alofaletauia Maluia (West Georgia) at guard and Parker Peterson (Memphis) at tackle. Another fifth-year senior is slated to start at left tackle in Eli Brashier, who's made 18 starts the last two years but missed the final four games of 2025 due to injury. Sophomore Bryce Rainwater, a former Hillcrest High standout, is projected to make his first collegiate start at left guard.

Complementing the sack king

There's quite a bit more familiarity on the defensive side of the ball. Six defenders who started last year's finale are expected to start on Thursday, headlined by All-American Joshua Stoneking. Stoneking led the country in sacks (14.5) and tackles-for-loss (23) last season. Maybe just as amazingly, Stoneking led the team in tackles with 79 from his defensive end position.

While Stoneking's year was phenomenal, it didn't equate to as much defensive success as one would've thought. After a 4-1 start last season, the Paladins allowed at least 45 points four times over the final seven games. The offense was held to 13 or fewer points three times during that same stretch, all of which added up to a 6-6 season.

There just weren't enough big plays on defense outside of Stoneking's work. No other Paladin had more than two sacks and only two had more than one. The defense also forced just 11 turnovers. For comparison sake, Furman's 2023 team forced 27.

"The ability to rush the passer has to become more of a group effort than a one-man show," Hendrix said.

A newcomer who might make the most immediate impact of taking pressure - and multiple blockers - off Stoneking is sophomore bandit Eli Lipscomb, a transfer from Wingate. Lipscomb had 33 tackles, including 9.5 tackles-for-loss and seven sacks, last season. Hendrix said Lipscomb and junior Trevor Short should rotate "quite a bit" at that other end opposite Stoneking.

Hendrix said having Ryan Earl back and healthy will certainly help. Earl was a preseason All-Southern Conference selection last season before suffering a season-ending injury in week two. Earl is currently projected to backup sophomore Caleb Ellison at one inside linebacker. 

"Caleb was going to play a year ago, but had an injury," Hendrix said. "I don't know if we had a guy who had a better summer than him."

Junior Raleigh Herbert, who along with Luna were elected team captains by their teammates this season, will start at the other inside linebacker spot.

Hendrix believes cornerbacks could hold the key to help getting consistent pressure on the cornerback. Along with returning starter Jordan Miller at one corner, sophomore Caleb Easterling is slated to start at the other. Easterling made a splash on special teams last season, displaying electrifying speed on kickoff returns.

There's a mix of young and old throughout the secondary. Seniors Billy Lewis and AK Burrell return to start at two safety spots, where they're currently set to be backed up by grad transfers Aaron Davis (Bucknell) and Joshua Tarver (Yale). Freshmen Braylon Peebles and Trae Williams are the two-deep at the other safety spot.

"Getting a healthy AK Burrell back is big. He played all (last) year at probably 80 percent," Hendrix said. "It's got to start over there (on defense). Hopefully we can help each other out much more than we did a year ago." 

Chapman claims kicking job

In addition to backing up Pryor at tight end along with senior Preston Ross, Cameron James will handle long and short snapping duties. Gray Gitter returns at holder, but he will also be replacing Ian Williams at punter. Replacing Williams at kicker and on kickoffs will be junior Nathan Chapman.

"I don't know if we had a guy that had a better camp than Nathan, for what his job is," Hendrix said. "Ian had a great career here and a huge leg. I think if you looked at the numbers weekly (in practice) and tracked it, Nathan might've had a better percentage (of making kicks) a year ago."

Old friends face off again

For the fourth time ever and first time since 2019, Furman legendary Hall of Famer Bobby Lamb will be on visitor sideline at Paladin Stadium Thursday. Like he did at Mercer, Lamb has built Anderson's football program from the ground up. After hiring Lamb in 2021, the Trojans are about to begin their third season.

Growing up just across the street from each other in Commerce, Ga., Hendrix and Lamb have been friends since the age of seven. They went on to be teammates in high school and college. From his offensive guard spot, Hendrix helped provide protection for Lamb, who quarterbacked the Paladins to the 1985 I-AA (FCS) national championship game.

Furman went 39-10-1 during Hendrix and Lamb's playing days, which was just a sign of things to come for them as future Furman assistant and head coaches. Out of Furman's 194 wins in Paladin Stadium history, Hendrix or Lamb have been a part of 177.

"We played each other in 2017, 18 and 19 (with Lamb head coaching Mercer), but this one feels a little different now," Hendrix said. "We needed a game and they were looking for a game, so it just kind of worked out. I think it's great for Furman and I'm thrilled to get him back here."

Hendrix seemed to have a bit of a choked up pause and a smile when he mentioned that both of their fathers will be at Thursday's game. Then he returned with some levity.

"Once it gets going, thank goodness neither one of us has to make a play."