Furman Football 2013 Season Preview
By John Hooper
The 2001 Furman Defense; Mike Killian, LeBryan Sperling and Rodney Johnson Pictured Above
“A Revival “
GREENVILLE, S.C.–Sports talk shows around the state have been busy over the past few weeks discussing how it is nice to walk in the local bookstore and thumb through a number of preview magazines and see both state FBS schools regarded as being among the best in college football.
It is no doubt an unprecedented era for football in the Palmetto State, and with the excitement of Clemson and South Carolina fanbases heading into the season, the football-crazed state is even more giddy than usual with big expectations for the upcoming season.
Then there’s Coastal Carolina, The Citadel and Wofford, which have in recent seasons, seemingly grabbed most of the attention for FCS schools in the state, with Wofford having won Southern Conference titles in two of the past three seasons, and have made three-straight FCS playoff appearances.
The Citadel produced just its second seven-win season since 1992 last fall, and produced wins over a pair of top 10 foes, claiming wins over No. 3 Georgia Southern (23-21) and No. 8 Appalachian State (52-28) in the same season for only the second time in program history.
Coastal Carolina has posted a 22-13 record over the past three campaigns, winning a Big South title in 2010, and earned playoff invitations in two of the past three seasons. Last year, Coastal Carolina, which has only been a program since 2003, won its first playoff game last season over Bethune Cookman. The there’s also the extra-curricular reasons the program has been in the news, which includes hiring a former large stakeholder in a Fortune 500 Company, in Joe Moglia.
Then, there’s the program in need of a revival–Furman. A program that has not qualified for the FCS postseason since 2006, which represents the longest playoff drought for the program since the re-classification of Division I in 1982. The Paladins have a proud tradition, which includes 12 Southern Conference titles, a national title, three national title appearances and have made 14 FCS playoff appearances. It’s no doubt a proud tradition, which last saw the Paladins reach the penultimate game of the FCS season back in 2001, dropping a 13-6 decision to Montana.
Furman Football 1996; RB Ernest Crosby Celebrates After Furman Claims 42-31 Opening Round FCS Playoff Win At Walkup Skydome Against Northern Arizona.
It will be Furman’s third season under the direction of Bruce Fowler, and many wonder if the Paladins can get back to the level of the elite in FCS and Southern Conference football.
Despite a 3-8 season in 2012, including a 2-6 record in Southern Conference play, the Paladins were a young football team last year and did show signs of a bright future.
Though only the second three-win season since 1972, the Paladins lost four games by a TD or less last season, with three of those losses to teams that made the FCS playoffs, and two teams that claimed a share of the Southern Conference title, in Wofford (20-17) and Appalachian State (33-28), which were both road games.
The problems for the Paladins last season was the second half of ballgames, which saw Furman outscored 284-83 in the second half of games last season, which was evident of a young offense and quarterback with a limited playbook as a result of such youth under center. That shouldn’t be a problem this fall.
Furman won’t have to worry about Appalachian State and Georgia Southern after this season, and neither will factor in the Southern Conference title race this season, as both will be making the move to the Sun Belt Conference next season. That means the SoCon race will include seven candidates for the postseason this fall, including the Paladins, and will have nine football-playing members next fall with addition of Mercer and VMI and will have 10 league members in 2014, with the re-joining of East Tennessee State.
Fowler, who is 9-13 in his first two seasons since returning to the program, admits the 2012 season was the most frustrating season that he has encountered as a head coach. His first season in Greenville saw the defensive genius Fowler lead the Paladins to memorable wins over a pair of top five foes, as the Paladins posted wins at home against No. 4 Wofford (26-21) and No. 3 Appalachian State (20-10) in 2010. Those will two of the five opponents that visit Paladin Stadium this season, with Furman also playing seven road games.
Model Of The Pearce-Horton Football Complex
The road slate is pivotal, and six of those games will ultimately tell us a lot about the postseason and league title chances for the Paladins in 2012.
The Paladins will start the season with its first two games on the road, facing Gardner-Webb and Coastal Carolina on the road before facing PC at home, which will coincide with a newly renovated Paladin Football Stadium and will include the state-of-the-art Pearce-Horton Football Complex.
The complex includes a new press box, weight room and luxury boxes for alumni and distinguished Paladin Club members and guests.
It wall also see a newly fashioned Paladin Hall-of-Fame room, which chronicles Furman’s outstanding championship football tradition. The final new perk will be field turf, which will replace the regular turf in Paladin Stadium for the first time in school history. These enhancements should see a vast improvement in recruiting, which has already seen a resurgence in the past couple of seasons under Fowler and staff.
Getting back to prominence in the FCS ranks is important to Fowler, as it also is to its hearty group of fans that remember what it was like when the Paladins were a regular SoCon and national title contender at the turn of the millennium, as well as in the late 1980’s and early ’90’s. That’s why 2013 is a crucial campaign for Furman football.
The Paladins will also play road games against Georgia Southern (Oct.), Chattanooga (Oct. 12), Western Carolina (Nov. 16), The Citadel (Sept. 28) and in non-conference play, SEC West power LSU (Oct. 26). Joining Wofford and Appalachian State by making trips to the immaculate Paladin Stadium this fall will be Elon (Oct. 5), PC (Sept. 15) and Samford (Nov. 9). The Paladins were just 1-4 at home last season, which marked the worst home record the Paladins have posted since the facility opened in 1981.
Success won’t be measured this season by whether the Paladins snap their seven-year playoff drought, but it will be measured by is improvement and progression towards 2014, which could be a season in which Furman not only breaks its playoff drought, but claims its first Southern Conference regular-season title since 2004.
The Paladins will look continue a revival of tradition this fall, with the return of 15 starters (9-offense, 6-defense) under third-year head coach Bruce Fowler. Fowler began to revive the tradition-rich program in his first season at the helm, taking Furman to the brink of the FCS postseason only to drop a heartbreaking home decision to Elon (41-34) late in the 2011 campaign to squelch what surely would have been a postseason invite for a program that registered wins over a pair of top five foes in the regular-season.
That revival was put on hold a bit last season, with the 3-8 season and an extremely young football team, especially on offense, but the optimism around the program abounds when discussing the 2013 season and getting back to being a factor into the SoCon title race, as well as the FCS playoff conversations.
With a new renewed optimism fueled by hard work during the off-season, coupled with one of the best recruiting classes in Furman football history, and a renaissance of Paladin Stadium could very well lead to a Pax Romana of Furman football. It’s a revival in each facet of the program that will once again resurrect a dormant tradition and awaken an FCS sleeping giant in the next few seasons.
2013 News and Notes:
- Running Downhill–In the first two seasons with Bruce Fowler at the helm of the Furman Paladins’ football program, the Paladins have been able to re-establish a running game that had previously been stagnate in the latter years of the Bobby Lamb era, as the Paladins have produced a 1,000-yard rusher each of the past couple of seasons
- Picked Seventh In Preseason–Furman was selected to finish seventh in the Southern Conference by both the coaches and media at the preseason Southern Conference media days in late July. Furman amassed 25 points in the preseason Southern Conference coaches poll, while the Purple and White amassed 107 points and a first-place vote in the Southern Conference media poll.
- Three Picked Preseason All-SoCon–Furman had two Second-Team and one First-Team All-Southern Conference selections, according to the league’s coaches. Senior left tackle Dakota Dozier was the Paladins’ lone Southern Conference preseason First-Team All-SoCon pick, and enters the season as a preseason Sports Network Second Team All-SoCon performer. Dozier has been largely responsible for helping the Paladins become a more physical offensive front each of the past couple of seasons, which has produced back-to-back 1,000-yard rushers. Defensive end Gary Wilkins was selected to the preseason All-SoCon Second-Team, making the move from weakside linebacker where he paced the Paladin defense with 92 stops last season. Ray Early was a preseason Second Team All-SoCon special teams pick. A year ago he converted 10-of-16 field goal attempts, including a career long 52-yarder versus The Citadel, and averaged a very solid 42.1 yards per punt, which included a career long 82-yard effort, the second longest in program history, against Wofford.
2012 Recap:
The 2012 season for Furman was one of disappointment, but the Paladins can take comfort in the fact that a young football team could compete with anyone in the SoCon last fall, and the Paladins seemingly improved as the season progressed.
Plenty of unknowns surrounded the Furman football program as it headed into Bruce Fowler’s second season at the helm, and the Paladins had more significant questions than answers entering the campaign, with the graduation of its first All-SoCon quarterback since 1996, in Chris Forcier, as well as having to replace the services of All-American cornerback Ryan Steed and All-SoCon linebacker Kadarron Anderson.
Unfortunately, the questions asked at the beginning of the season, offered emphatic answers by season’s end, and the answers were the kind that those associated with the Paladin football program don’t like to hear. Furman posted just its second season with less than four wins since 1972, as the Paladins completed the campaign with a 3-8 overall and a 2-6 mark in Southern Conference play, finding inconsistency on the offensive side of the football, as well as seeing a veteran defense entering the season struggle much more than one would have expected.
Furman’s three wins in 2012, which came against Presbyterian (31-21), Western Carolina (45-24) and Elon (31-17), were against teams that finished the season with a combined 6-27 overall record. Furman finished with its worst home record (1-4) in the 31 seasons that Paladin Stadium has played host to Furman football games.
For Furman fans looking for something to soothe the pain of enduring just the second three-win season since 1972, it might be found in the fact that Fowler’s 9-13 record after two seasons matched the record of former Paladin legendary coach Bobby Johnson, who matched that mark in his first two seasons in Greenville in 1994 and ’95, doing so in reverse order of Fowler’s mark.
After that inauspicious 9-13 start over his first two seasons, Johnson would post a 51-23 record over his final six seasons at the helm, leading the Paladins to a pair of shared SoCon titles in 1999 and ’01, a national title appearance in ’01, and NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) postseason appearances in four out the next six campaigns before taking the head coaching position at Vanderbilt in December of 2001.
The Paladins would see a majority of their struggles in the 2012 season come in the second half of games, getting outscored 196-106 in the second half of games, failing to score in the fourth quarter in nine of 11 games during the 2012 campaign.
In two games during the 2012 season, the Paladins did manage to outscore an opponent in the second half of a game, as the Paladins out-paced both Appalachian State (14-6) and Coastal Carolina (39-37) in the second half of ballgames this season. However, Furman dropped both games.
Despite its worst mark since 1994, the Paladins were competitive with the league’s elite in 2012.
Furman lost to Southern Conference co-champions Wofford and Appalachian State by a combined five points in two games that were on the road, and the Paladins held a 7-3 halftime lead over No. 2 Georgia Southern at halftime, and were tied 10-10 with the Eagles with under five minutes remaining in the third quarter, only to lose by 21 points.
In fact, if you look at Furman’s entire 2012 slate and include Coastal Carolina into the mix, Furman lost to three playoff qualifying teams by a combined eight points.
There were some positives in 2012, and though you have to look to find them, they are the kind of positives that bode well for the 2013 campaign. Namely, the Paladins saw four freshmen garner SoCon All-Freshman honors this past season, including true freshman quarterback Reese Hannon (160-for-260 passing, 1,896 yds, 7 TDs, 8 INTs), who stepped in for an injured Dakota Derrick (22-of-53 passing, 307 yds, 1 TD, 4 INTs/23 rush att, 21 yds) in the second game of the season and never relinquished the position for the remainder of the season.
Hannon, the cousin of former Furman standout quarterback Justin Hill (1996-00), will now be charged with leading what Paladin fans hope will be a return to the winning ways, which began in the late 1970′s and stretched all the way to the mid 2000′s and saw the Paladins claim a league standard 12 league conference titles, which was tied by Appalachian State this season.
Hannon’s success quickly drew him national attention, as he was added to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List, which is awarded to the nation’s top freshman talent. He became the first true freshman to start a game under center for the Paladins since 1997, when Brent Rickman took over the reins of the Paladin offense for an injured Chris Jonas.
The Greer, S.C. product was mature beyond his years from the outset, leading the Paladins into the red zone on their first drive against Top-10 ranked Clemson in his first career start in the third week of the season. Hannon would finish the day connecting on 19-of-29 passes for 235 yards, with a TD and INT in the 41-7 setback. It marked the second of what would be four-straight 200-yard passing performances for the young signal-caller.
All told, Hannon would finish the season with five 200-yard passing performances, proving to be one of the most accurate freshman quarterbacks in Furman football history, as he completed the season connecting on an astounding 61.6% of his passes (127.7 passing eff. rating) in his 10 games during the 2012 season.
Another of those freshman players that impressed from the first time he stepped foot on the Furman campus is wide receiver Jordan Snellings (19 rec, 210 yds, 3 TDs, 11.9 YPR). In fact, the argument could be made that the Paladin coaching staff at times forgot about the big-play wideout, whose first two catches as a Paladin receiver were TDs. The Atlanta, GA., product has a chance to be that “big-play” wide receiver Furman so desperately lacked as a downfield threat during the 2012 season.
The area that must be addressed during the off-season is the lack of a big-play threat at wide receiver for the Paladins at wideout, and in pretty much any successful season that has seen the Paladins have some success on the offensive side of the ball, you can easily spot the deep threat at wide receiver.
In the late 1980′s, it was Donald Lipscomb, in the mid-late ’90′s it was Des Kitchings, and in the early portion of the 2000′s, it was Brian Bratton and Isaac West. Snellings has a chance to be a lot like West was in terms of speed and overall ability to make a defense pay for a missed assignment. The last true downfield threat Furman has had was Adam Mims in 2010, and even last season, Sederrik Cunningham offered the kind of speed that kept defenses honest–just ask Appalachian State.
Certainly the future prospects of a Hannon-to-Snellings quarterback-receiver tandem could prove to be one that Paladin fans come to tell tales about years after the two have moved on.
It was Snellings that hauled in a 21-yard pass with just under two minutes to play, that helped the Paladins get within four points of the Chanticleers (22-18) and had a 37-yard scoring catch in the Paladins’ 41-7 loss at Clemson.
The Paladins got some somewhat surprisingly strong play from its offensive line this past season, coming into the campaign with what many perceived as a “patchwork” offensive line.
Supremely key elements along that offensive front this past season were veteran left tackle Dakota Dozier and true freshman offensive guard Joe Turner.
The Roswell, GA., product logged action on starts in eight of 11 games for the Paladins during the 2012 campaign, showing his versatility and offensive line, as he saw action at both offensive guard positions and offensive tackle along the Furman offensive front. Turner saw action on 550 plays for the Furman offense in 2012.
Despite missing a couple of games as a result of a knee injury late in the 2012 season, Dozier managed to garner SoCon All-League honors for the second-straight campaign. The West Columbia, S.C., product garnered First-Team All-SoCon honors this past season after earning Second-Team laurels as a sophomore in 2011.
Turner and Dozier were part of an offensive player that aided the Paladin offense in yielding a 1,000-yard rusher for a second-straight season and helped the Paladins average 5.8 yards-per-play this past season, including 4.6 yards rushing per game.
The 2012 season sees the end of two career Paladin careers that will go down of two of the greatest to play their respective positions in any four-year period on the offensive side of the foothball, in running back Jerodis Williams (199 rush att, 1,170 yds, 11 TDs, 5.9 YPC/26 rec, 171 yds, 6.6 YPR) and tight end Colin Anderson (27 rec, 455 yds, 16.9 YPR), with both garnering First-Team All-SoCon praise in 2012.
Williams, a native of Prattville, AL, finished his career with 3,097 career yards, which is good enough for fifth-place on the school’s all-time rushing ledger. Williams was not only one of the SoCon’s most-feared running backs in his swan song campaign as a Paladin, but the agile, athletic running back was also one of the nation’s most potent return threats, posting a pair of 100-yard returns for scores against Appalachian State and Western Carolina.
Williams became the first Paladin to return two kickoffs for scores since 2001, when Paladin Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Brian Bratton had a pair of returns for scores against Appalachian State and Wofford.
For Williams’ efforts, which saw him average an FCS-best 35.9 yards-per-return in 2012, he will likely find himself a Sports Network All-America selection at season’s end and was a First-Team All-SoCon selection as a kick return specialist.
Williams’ season was highlighted by his performance in Furman’s lone home triumph of the season–a 45-24 win over Western Carolina–as he posted the second-m0st all-purpose yards in league history, posting 370 yards (239 rush yards, 131 kick-return yards) in the 21-point victory.
As a rushing threat in the substantial win over the Catamounts, Williams carried 18 times for 239 yards and a couple of scores, accounting for the fourth-best rushing day for a Paladin running back in school history.
Williams’ 89-yard rushing score early in the second-quarter was the longest offensive play from scrimmage during the 2012 season, while the run also marked the second-longest run from scrimmage in school history, bested only by Ross Sutton’s 93-yard scoring jaunt in 1951.
Jerodis Williams Rushed For 1,000 Yards In His Final Two Seasons As A Paladin, While Also Leading The Nation And Earning First Team All-American Honors As A Return Specialist In 2012. Williams Is Currently In Camp With The Minnesota Vikings.
The 201 yards rushing in a half against the Catamounts tied former Paladin Hall-of-Fame running back Louis Ivory’s (1998-2001) 201-yard output in the second half of Furman’s 45-10 win over Georgia Southern in 2000. It was part of an afternoon that would see Ivory set the school’s all-time single-game rushing mark, which still stands today, at 301 rushing yards.
The rushing performance by Williams helped link him to Ivory in yet another respect, as his 200-yard rushing performance was the first since the 2000 Walter Payton Award winner’s junior season, who rushed better than 200 yards in the regular-season finale against Chattanooga.
Williams had his first of two 100-yard kick returns against the Catamounts, accounting for most of his 131 kick-return yards on the record-setting afternoon for the senior running back/return specialist. His 370 all-purpose yards in a single game marks a new school standard.
After rushing for just 872 yards in his first couple of seasons, head coach Bruce Fowler and offensive coordinator Jimmy Kiser’s influence on getting Furman back to a dominant ground game were revealed in the 2,225 rushing yards for Williams in his junior and senior campaigns, becoming the first Paladin running back to record back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons since Ivory’s back-to-back 1.000-yard campaigns in 2000 and ’01.
Williams became just the seventh Paladin running back to record a 1,000-yard rushing campaign, and just the fourth to accomplish the feat two or more times in a career, joining Ivory (1999, 2000 and ’01), Carl Tremble (1990 and ’92) and Stanford Jennings (1981, ’82 and ’83) to accomplish the milestone more than once in a four-year window. In total, it marked the 14th time a Paladin running back has rushed for 1,000 yards in a campaign since 1949. The 1,170 rushing yards in a single-season amassed by Williams in 2012 marked the seventh-best single-season rushing total by a Furman running back in the history of the program.
Anderson, who came to Furman as a walk-on and was a quarterback during his days as a prep player, would go on to finish his career as one of the best tight ends in the history of the program. Anderson finished his well-decorated Paladin career as the all-time leader in career receiving TDs for a tight end, with 11 and that comes despite not catching one this past season.
Additionally, Anderson also ranked second all-time among Furman tight ends in career receptions (90) and receiving yards (1,541). He entered the 2012 season as a preseason First-Team All-American, according to the Sports Network. Over the past couple of seasons, Anderson was able to be one of Furman’s top downfield receiving threats. Anderson garnered First-Team All-SoCon honors according to the Southern Conference Coaches.
The Paladins will bid farewell to five starters on the defensive starters, with Josh Lynn (36 tackles, 7.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 1 PD, 1 FF) having been the only one of those five seniors to garner postseason All-SoCon honors.
Lynn was part of a defensive line that was without question the strength of the Paladin defense this past fall, teaming with junior defensive end Shawn Boone (26 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks) to form one of the league’s top pass-rush defensive end tandems this season.
Lynn logged was a solid career at his bookend post for the Paladins, garnering All-SoCon honors each of his final two campaigns in Greenville.For his career, Lynn produced plenty of great moments and highlights for Paladin football fans. Lynn is a player that became one of the league’s most-feared pass-rushers by the time he was a senior.
The Paladins must also find replacements for a pair of solid linebackers, in Matt Solomon (87 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks) at middle linebacker and Mitch McGrath (86 tackles, 8.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 2 INTs, 8 PBUs, 2 FFs, 1 FR), who established himself as one the best outside linebackers to play for the Paladins in recent seasons. Veteran safety and two-time All-SoCon honoree Nathan Wade (77 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 3 PBUs, 2 INTs) must be replaced at free safety, as well as veteran defensive tackle Colton Keig (45 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks).
Sophomore Quarterback Reese Hannon
Previewing The Offense:
In 2012, the Paladins were young on offense, but showed that with time, this unit under the direction of Jimmy Kiser, is poised to become a unit that ranks as one of the more balanced and explosive among its Southern Conference brethren in seasons to come.
Furman finished the 2012 season ranked sixth in the SoCon in total offense (368.7 YPG), and though the Paladins lose offensive and special teams weapons, with the graduation of running back Jerodis Williams (1,170 rush yards and 11 TDs in 2012), who was an All-American kick returner last season and an All-SoCon selection, and All-SoCon tight end Colin Anderson (30 rec, 498 yds in 2012).
In other offensive statistical categories from last season, Furman finished the season ranking sixth in the SoCon in scoring offense (24.7 PPG), while ranking fourth in the league in passing offense (200.9 YPG) and fifth in rushing offense (167.8 YPG).
Both Anderson and Williams certainly left their respective marks on the Furman football program, with Anderson finishing his career second in all-time receiving yards for tight ends (1,541 yards), while Williams finished his strong career as the program’s fifth all-time best rusher (3,097 yards).
Quarterbacks:
For the second-straight season, Reese Hannon (160-of-260 passing, 1,896 yds, 7 TDs, 8 INTs) will step under center to lead the Furman offense. The sophomore signal-caller put together one of the best freshman seasons in Furman Football history last season, and even garnered national attention from the Sports Network, as he was named to the initial Jerry Rice Award watch list. The Jerry Rice Award is given to the top freshman performer in the FCS.
Hannon had some outstanding performances for the Paladins last season, including his first game under center against Coastal Carolina. Against the Chanticleers, Hannon connected on 22-of-35 passes for 295 yards and four scores, helping the Paladins stay in the game and even have a chance at what would have been a remarkable win.
Hannon is accurate and his arm strength is solid, but he is one of several talented quarterbacks the Paladins have in their arsenal heading into the 2013 season. Joining Hannon as a Andrew Parker returns under center, as do Terry Robinson (51 rush yds in 2012), who will likely see most of his action in ‘wildcat’ situations and could also see some action at wide receiver with his superb athleticism.
Both Robinson and Parker are sophomores, but two very different styles of quarterback. Parker, who will be a redshirt sophomore this fall, is much more of a drop-back passing threat and will likely be Hannon’s understudy this fall on the depth chart.
Running Backs:
Opponents can expect to get a heavy dose of Hank McCloud (103 rush att, 521 yds, 6 TDs, 5.1 YPC) coming out of the backfield this fall, and McCloud has some tough shoes to fill, replacing the talented Jerodis Williams, who finished out his career in style with a second-straight 1,000-yard rushing season last season, which was good enough to help him finish fifth on the program’s all-time rushing ledger.
McCloud is in some ways similar to Williams in the way he runs the football, and he is a bit smaller physically, but maybe more shifty and elusive than his predecessor.
McCloud had his most effective performances against both Western Carolina and Presbyterian last fall in two of the three Paladin victories. In the win against Presbyterian, McCloud posted three first-half TDs and rushed for 95 yards in helping lead the Paladins to a 31-17 win over the Blue Hose. In the 45-24 win over Western Carolina, McCloud went for a career-high 125 rushing yards and one TD. McCloud also rushed for 92 yards and a score in the season finale against The Citadel.
For his career, McCloud enters his junior campaign on the brink of having rushed for 1,000 yards for his career, entering the 2013 campaign with 976 yards on the ground.
McCloud will be joined in the backfield this season by a talented cast of characters, which will include Ernie Cain (19 rush att, 108 yds, 1 TD), who will likely serve in the Paladins’ backfield as a fullback this fall. Cain has good speed and vision, and he broke free for a 50-yard scoring run in the win over Elon. Cain will likely be utilized in short-yardage situations.
Also figuring into the backfield plans for the Paladins this fall will be Tanner Skogen (7 rush att, 11 yds), Mark Rector and Tony Caldwell (2 rush att, 11 yds, 5.5 YPC) all could see action in the Paladins’ backfield this fall. Skogen and Caldwell, like Cain, will likely utilized more in short-yardage situations as options in the Furman backfield. Rector is an impressive freshman running back that sports good speed and hands out of the backfield, and he could get a chance in the Paladin offense this fall.
Offensive Line:
Preseason All-America (Sports Network) Senior Left Tackle Dakota Dozier
One of the things that will make that Furman ground game successful this season is an offensive line that has seemingly seen improvement with each season Bruce Fowler has been in charge at Furman. The Paladins were a solid ground unit last season, averaging 167.8 YPG, which ranked the Paladins sixth in the SoCon in rushing offense and 43rd in the nation.
The best of the bunch is preseason All-America selection Dakota Dozier at left tackle, and he has been called by some as the top offensive lineman in the Southern Conference. Dozier is also a prime NFL prospect and will anchor a Furman offensive front that welcomes back all five starters from the offensive front of a year ago.
Dozier has started 34 of 37 games for the Paladins in his career, including starting nine of 11 games last season. Against Coastal Carolina, the senior left tackle posted one of the top performances of his career, posting a grade of 92% in the 47-45 triple overtime setback.
Dozier will team with Joe Turner (LG) on the left side of that Furman offensive line this fall. Turner, a 6-3, 255-pound sophomore from Roswell, GA, was a SoCon All-Freshman selection last season and will once again be a key component of the Paladin offensive front. Turner, like Dozier, is powerful and has good footwork and the the duo helps give the Paladins one of the top offensive lines in the Southern Conference heading into the 2013 season. Turner started eight of 11 games for the Paladins in 2012.
The right side of the offensive line for the Paladins will be anchored by right tackle Charles Emert, while Ryan Storms returns to man the right guard position. Emert will be in his third season as a starter along the Furman offensive front, and a player that was originally recruited as a senior out of Statesboro High School, has developed into one of Furman’s most reliable offensive tackles.
Emert has started 17 of 22 games over the past three seasons, including 10 games last season. He is one of the versatile offensive linemen on the roster, having served at four different positions along the offensive front during his Paladin career.
Storms, a 6-2, 270-pound redshirt senior from Senoia, GA, is another experienced veteran along the Paladins’ offensive front returning for the 2013 season, having posted 21 starts in 25 career games. Storms has improved with each season along the Furman offensive line, and he heads into the season with a chance to garner All-SoCon accolades.
Rounding out the starters along the Furman offensive front heading into the 2013 season is center Eric Thoni, who heads into his second season as the starter at the center position for the Paladins. The 6-0. 269-pound sophomore from Orlando, FL, started 10 out of 11 games in his first season with the Paladins last fall.
Set to provide veteran leadership as reserves along the offensive line for the Paladins this fall are Tank Phillips (LG), Grayson Weber (C), and newcomers Jackson Buonomia return to provide support along the offensive line this fall. Redshirt freshman Harrison Monk and redshirt sophomore Charlie Anderson also figure to log time and provide depth along the offensive front for the Paladins this fall.
The Paladins’ offensive line should be the strength of the offense this fall, and it will be interesting to see how much more this unit improves this fall under the direction of Scott Smouse, who has done wonders with this offensive line in his two seasons heading up the offensive front for the Paladins.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends:
The Paladin offense will be rounded out by what should be a talented wide receiving corps, and it’s a unit that will be looking to take the next step as a unit this fall. Last season, the unit lacked the big-play potential that it possessed in years past, mainly as a result of having a freshman under center and a young offensive line, still adjusting to the rigors of the college game.
Furman Senior Wide Receiver Ryan Culbreath
Though the Paladins lose receiving threats Colin Anderson (30 rec, 498 yds, 16.6 YPR in 2012) and Will King (34 rec, 541 yds, 3 TDs, 15.9 YPR in 2012) from last season, who were two of the team’s top receiving threats in 2012.
The Paladins do return some talented pass-catching weapons, led by receiving threats like slot receiver Jordan Snellings (19 rec, 210 yds, 3 TDs, 11.1 YPR) and split end Ryan Culbreath (34 rec, 415 yds, 2 TDs, 12.2 YPR).
Snellings is a talented weapon in the Paladins’ passing game that has a chance to be one of the school’s all-time greats before his career is finished as a Paladin, and in his first season wearing the Purple and White last fall, Snellings garnered SoCon All-Freshman honors.
The 6-2, 185-pound sophomore had an outstanding performance in the 40-7 loss to Clemson last season, hauling in a 37-yard scoring catch for the lone score of the day for the Furman offense.
Culbreath returns as the Paladins’ leading wideout for the 2013 season, and has excellent hands and size on the perimeter for the Purple and White, heading into his senior season as the starter for the Paladins at the split end position this fall.
Culbreath has hauled in 54 passes for 696 yards and has five career scoring catches. The 6-4, 213-pound wideout not only offers a great pair of hands as a possession wideout for the Paladins, he also presents matchup problems with his size and is a great perimeter blocking presence in the option game.
Another big-play weapon in the Furman receiving corps this season could be Gary Robinson (15 rec, 195 yds, 13.0 YPR), who has tremendous speed and hands. Robinson should be in the mix to start at the ‘X’ receiver for the Paladins for the 2013 season. Robinson will likely once again find himself starting at the flanker position.
With excellent speed and hands, Robinson is a player that will likely head into the campaign. Robinson began to really come on and establish himself down the stretch in the 2012 season, and posted one of his best career performances against Elon in a mid-season, 31-17, win on the road. Robinson led the Paladins with three catches for 80 yards in the win over the Phoenix, including a season-long 46-yard pass in the win.
One of the players that could rise up and be a real factor in the Paladins’ receiving corps this fall is a player that red-shirted last season, in Andrej Suttles. Suttles might turn out to be the most explosive big-play weapon for the Paladins this fall, and he comes to Furman after things didn’t work out at the Air Force Academy, and Suttles transferred mid-semester last year, so he didn’t lose a year of eligibility.
Suttles, a 5-10, 185-pound redshirt Dallas, GA, is one of the fastest players on the offensive side of the football for the Paladins, and could end up factoring in to the plans in the special teams with his speed. He will likely compete for time with Robinson at the flanker position. As a prep, Suttles caught 59 passes for 1,011 yards and school record 20 touchdowns in 2011 en route to garnering all-region, county player of the year, and Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Georgia Sportswriters Association first team all-state selection.
Terry Robinson, who played some wildcat quarterback last season for the Paladins last season, could serve as more of utility player on the offensive side of the football this season. Robinson saw time on the field against PC last season at the same time his brother was on the field, Gary Robinson. Robinson will likely find himself as a backup at slot or flanker receiver this fall.
Senior Tight End Cameron Mason
Corey Miller will also look to get his chance at receiver this fall for the Paladins. Miller, a 6-1, 180-pound native of Charlotte, N.C., was a highly sought recruit out of Mallard Creek High School. One of those schools after Miller’s services was Appalachian State, but he chose to play for the Paladins over the Mountaineers.
Blessed with good speed and some of the best hands in the Furman receiving corps, Miller could serve as a reserve at slot or split end this fall. He is coming off an impressive spring, and he is quickly moving up the depth chart. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Miller in the starting lineup for Furman in the fall.
As a prep at Mallard Creek, Miller hauled in 11 TDs in his junior season, proving just how lethal an option he can be at wide receiver.
One of the biggest concerns of the receiving corps heading into the 2013 season is replacing a player of the ilk of Colin Anderson, who was probably the second-most talented pass-receiving tight end to ever play at Furman.
Set to try and replace Anderson at tight end this fall will be Cameron Mason (5 rec, 37 yds, 7.4 YPR).
Mason has shown the ability to make big plays in the passing game in the past for the Paladins, with the most notable catch of his career coming in a 20-10 win over Appalachian State in 2011, as he hauled in a career-long 54-yard catch on a 3rd-and-2 play at the Furman 9-yard line midway through the third quarter with the Paladins leading 20-7.
Competing to win the starting job with Mason this spring will be a pair of redshirt freshmen, in Kevin Mall and Colin Pitts, as well as a talented newcomer expected to make, in Gibson Klapthor.
Mall, a native of Melbourne, FL., was a standout player at Viera High School as a prep, where he the Orlando Sentinel as its No. 24 player in the Mideast Florida Regional Super60. Klapthor is also expected to be an impact player for the Paladins at tight end at some point, and that opportunity might come as soon as this season.
He was a standout during his time at Wilson Hall High School in Sumter, S.C., where he starred as a quarterback and a running back during his prep days, passing for 611 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed for 700 yards and 11 scores.
No question the Paladins should be on the offensive side of the football in 2013, and though the Paladins were young on the offensive side of the ball and took their lumps last season, the Purple and White should see the fruits of that experience gained from 2012, as well as spring practice. If Hannon and the starting five on the offensive line stay healthy, it could be a surprisingly strong season for Furman.
Previewing The Defense:
With only five regulars returning on the defensive side of the ball for Furman in 2013, the Paladins certainly head into the campaign with a number of questions. However, the Paladins have some rising young talent, which have been chomping at the bit to get their chance to see the field in the Purple and White.
There were some signs late last season that this defense might just do some special things sooner than expected, and that was no more evident than in the 33-28 loss at Appalachian State last season. In that game, a young, active Furman linebacking corps was athletic and opportunistic, getting in the end zone twice in that contest.
Two Paladin linebackers were able to account for 14 of the Paladins’ points in the loss in Boone, with Carl Rider picking up a fumble and rumbling 27 yards for a score, while Gary Wilkins recovered a fumble in the end zone, after fellow linebacker Mitch McGrath was able to cause havoc and get through and sack Mountaineer quarterback Jamal Jackson.
The Furman defense will certainly miss guys like McGrath, defensive end Josh Lynn and safety Nathan Wade, who were pivotal performers as a part of the Furman defense that past few seasons. But many figure the best is yet to come for this young defense, which will take the field for the Paladins in 2013. However, just as depth has remained an issue on the offensive line the past couple of seasons, the one area to keep an eye on for the Paladins this fall will be the defensive line, which beyond the starting four, is a bit green.
Furman was able to finish out the 2012 season ranking 79th nationally and seventh in the Southern Conference in total defense (399.9 YPG) last fall, while ranking 73rd nationally in rush defense (171.9 YPG), 81st in pass defense (228.0 YPG) and 90th in scoring defense (30.7 PPG).
Defensive Line:
The one area that has seen the most improvement since Bruce Fowler has taken over the head coaching duties two years ago has been the pass-rush, with the Paladins registering 46 sacks each of the last two seasons. In the two seasons prior to Fowler taking the reins of the program, the Paladins mustered a meager 17 combined quarterback take-downs in 2009 and ’10.
Senior Defensive End Shawn Boone
That means Furman has been getting good production up front over the past two seasons, with 15 of the 25 sacks by the Paladins in 2012 coming from defensive linemen, and 26 of the 46 sacks over the past two campaigns have come from the defensive front.
However, graduation dealt the Paladins quite a blow in terms of that sack total established a year ago by the defensive front, as 10 of the 15 sacks by Paladin defensive linemen a year ago have graduated, including the Paladins’ sack leader, reserve defensive end Ricky Lang, who posted five sacks in his final season for the Paladins.
The strength of the defensive front will once again be defensive end. Returning to take the veteran leadership role along the Furman defensive front this fall will be senior Shawn Boone (26 tackles, 5.0 TFLs, 3.5 sacks), who has been an impact player along the defensive line ever since he stepped foot on the field as a freshman starter in 2010.
His tipped interception of a Stephen Garcia pass and subsequent one-yard dive into the end zone, allowed the Paladins to get back into the game against 13th-ranked South Carolina in the third quarter in 2010. Ever since that athletic display of both concentration and leaping ability, Boone has been a mainstay on the Paladins’ defensive front, and he will shoulder the load as the starting boundary end for the Paladins this fall.
For his career, Boone has 75 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 7.5 sacks, 1 INT and a TD in his career. The 6-2, 233-pound native of Lithia Springs, FL, was a SoCon All-Freshman selection back in 2007.
Teaming with Boone up front for the Paladins will be arguably the most talented player on the defensive side of the football, Gary Wilkins (92 tackles, ). Wilkins might be the most athletic player on the defensive side of the football for the Paladins, and it was evident just how effective he was patrolling the middle of that Furman defense last season from his middle linebacker position, and will step into the role as the ‘rush end’ for the Purple and White this fall, filling the large shoes left by two-time All-SoCon selection Josh Lynn.
Preseason All-SoCon Junior Defensive End/Linebacker Gary Wilkins
Wilkins started all 11 games for the Paladins last fall, and in his first two seasons in the lineup for the Paladins, has started 15 of 22 games in halfway through his Paladin career, having racked up 138 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, blocked a pair of kicks, recovered and forced a fumble, and scored a TD.
There’s no doubting his playmaking ability on the defensive side of the ball, and Paladins’ defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey believes this move will allow the Furman defensive line to maintain its athletic prowess it has established at the rush end position in recent seasons.
Adding Wilkins on the end is very similar to what Appalachian State did with both Marques Murrell and Jason Hunter back in the mid 2000’s, gaining an athletic advantage by moving the two former linebackers to the respective defensive end positions, and it proved to work out extremely well. With Wilkins’ speed and power, the Paladins will once again be a threat coming from the edge with pressure.
Furman’s defensive line could have been more experienced heading into the 2013 season, had there not been an oversight by the previous coaching staff, the Paladins might have the services of Rashaun Phillips, Neal Rogers and Cody Reynolds, who were supposed to have been redshirted, however, the paperwork was never submitted due to a change in the defensive line coaching staff.
The good news is, the defensive tackle position should still be strong despite the mishap. Returning to anchor the defensive interior this fall will be both Ira McCune (26 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1.0 sack) and John Mackey (15 tackles, 2.5 TFL).
Both Mackey and McCune are physical and athletic, with both off-setting the other’s talent nicely.
McCune, a 6-2, 242-pound junior from Marietta, GA, will be getting his first significant action along the defensive line as a starter this fall, although he did see his time on the defensive line increase as the 2012 campaign progressed, registering action in all 11 games, with two starts last fall. McCune started his Paladin career as a defensive end, mainly as a result of his excellent athleticism, and he is a bit undersized for his position on the defensive interior, but the staff is hoping he can overcome that with his speed, quickness and power.
Mackey, like McCune, saw his action increase as the season progressed last fall, and the 6-0, 271-pound nose tackle will be the largest presence along the Furman defensive front this fall, will step into the starting role once occupied by Keig. Mackey, a native of Chattanooga, TN and product of the Baylor School, is a defensive tackle that Lindsey was high on from the outset. His development last season was most evident down the stretch, putting in one of his more solid performances in a late-season loss by the Paladins to Georgia Southern, recording a pair of tackles, including one behind the line-of-scrimmage.
Beyond the four starters along the defensive front this fall, Furman has 13 reserves with no college experience, however, the crop of young players expected to provide time this fall behind the starting quartet is not lacking in talent. One of the true freshmen expected to be an immediate impact player along the defensive front is freshman Jordan Hawkins (Jacksonville, FL/Wolfson HS).
Linebackers:
Linebacker is a position that will also the Paladins find athletically gifted talent this fall, but a position that is very green, and one that will see new starters this fall, with the graduation of both Mitch McGrath and Matt Solomon, while Wilkins has made the move to the defensive line. With that transition, the Paladins will see a couple of new faces step into starting roles this fall, with the additions of Cory Magwood (10 tackles, 1.0 TFL) and Carl Rider (18 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1 FR, 1 TD) into the starting lineup this fall.
Magwood and Rider were a couple of talented freshmen performers that showed some solid promise in some significant action as the season progressed, and Rider made an important play at Appalachian State late in the season, recovering a fumble and returning it 27 yards for a score in the 33-28 loss. Rider, a 6-2, 212-pound sophomore from Suwanee, GA, is the kind of playmaker on the Furman defense that has coaches excited about the future, and it will be Rider contending to step into the starting role at the middle linebacker position this fall.
Magwood is a local product that comes into the season in line to start at the middle linebacker spot. The 6-1, 202-pound Greenville native, played his prep football just up the road at Wade Hampton High School, and he will add excellent athleticism on the edge with his ability to close down the perimeter with his speed.
Sophomore Nickel Back Jairus Hollman
Contending for the one remaining starting spot in the Paladin linebacking corps this fall will be redshirt freshman T.J. Warren and redshirt junior Blake McCoy. Both Warren and McCoy lack experience, but will bring plenty of athleticism and physicality to the linebacking corps this fall.
Warren, a 6-1, 196-pound product of Chattanooga, Tenn, and Ooltewah High School, has a nose for the football and will remind Paladin fans of former standouts Will Bouton and Mitch McGrath with the way he always seems to find himself in a position to make a play.
During his prep career at Ooltewah High School, Warren played wide receiver on offense, while also serving in roles at defensive end and linebacker during his four years at the 5A high school. Warren was named his team’s defensive MVP during his senior season.
McCoy is another player short on experience, but has coming off a strong spring and ready to put himself into mix as a starter at linebacker this fall. McCoy saw action in four games last season, recording a tackle.
One of the newly added positions on the defensive side of the ball this season will be the ‘nickel’ position, which will be occupied by Jairus Hollman (4 punt ret, 15 yds), who will be the starter at the position when the Paladins go with that alignment in lieu of a safety.
The position that Hollman will be playing this fall for the Paladins will be a hybrid position, which will be between a linebacker and defensive back. Hollman is one of the best athletes on the Paladins’ roster, even serving in the role of return specialist last season.
The 6-2, 179-pound native of Atlanta, GA, is a player that coaches are high on coming into the season, and he is a player that will also provide support at the cornerback position in the secondary this fall.
The Secondary:
The strength of the Furman defense this fall will be its secondary, and despite losing Nathan Wade to graduation, the Paladins should field one of the best secondaries in the Southern Conference this fall. Set to lead the way in the Furman secondary this fall will be free safety Greg Worthy (77 tackles, 2.0 TFL) , who headed into the 2012 season as a preseason All-SoCon pick. What Worthy brings to the Furman secondary this fall is 26 starts in his career, returning as one of the most experienced players on the Furman roster coming into the 2013 season.
Senior Safety Greg Worthy
Worthy is a physical hitter in the Furman secondary, who also excels in coming up and making plays against the run. In his career as a Paladin safety, Worthy has amassed 209 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 3 INTs and has forced four fumbles.
The 6-1, 208-pound senior steps into a different role this fall, as Worthy will be assuming the starting role at the free safety position with the graduation of Wade, after playing the strong safety position each of the past couple of seasons.
Stepping into the starting role at the free safety position this fall will be Marcus McMorris (30 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FR, 2 TDs) . McMorris is an opportunistic playmaker on the defensive side of the ball, returning an interception and a fumble for scores in two Paladin wins against Elon and Western Carolina.
McMorris, a 6-0, 198-pound junior from Newberry, S.C., has a game very similar to that of Worthy, and he will allow Furman to once again have among the top safety tandems in the SoCon in 2013. In the win against Western Carolina at Paladin Stadium last season, McMorris picked off an Eddie Sullivan pass and raced 52 yards for a score for his first of two TDs on the campaign.
A few weeks later at Elon, McMorris picked up a fumble with the Phoenix, with Elon driving for a score late in the opening half, McMorris picked up a fumble and returned it 95 yards for a score, changing the momentum of the football game and allowing the Paladins to come away with a 31-17 win, ending a four-game losing streak to the Phoenix. McMorris will start at strong safety this fall for the Paladins.
Sophomore Cornerback Reggie Williams
The Paladins will have youth, but talent at the two starting cornerback positions heading into the 2013 campaign. Leading the way for the Paladins at cornerback this fall will be Reggie Thomas (23 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 2 INTs, 3 PBUs) and Austin Williams (24 tackles, 2 PBU, 1 FF) enter the season as the respective starters at the two cornerback positions.
Thomas, a 5-10, 165-pound sophomore from Abbeville, S.C., is one of the most athletically gifted players on the defensive side of the football for the Paladins entering the 2013 season.
Known as a big-hitter at corner, Thomas had an outstanding inaugural campaign in the Purple and White last fall, as he was able to garner SoCon All-Freshman honors in 2012.
Williams is the most experienced veteran returning at corner for the Paladins heading into 2013. The 5-10, 175-pound senior has good speed and atheticism, but will have to battle to keep his starting spot in fall camp, as a result of the young talent in the secondary slated to get a chance this fall.
One of those especially young talented performers slated to get a shot for the Paladins at a starting job in fall camp is redshirt freshman Jamarri Milliken.
The 5-11, 186-pound product of High Point, N.C., played his prep football at T.W. Andrews High School, where he was able to garner team MVP, all-conference, and all-state honors as a junior.
Milliken’s speed and overall athleticism is akin to that of Thomas, and he will get a prime opportunity to see major minutes at cornerback for the Paladins this fall.
Rodney Anderson (6 tackles), a redshirt sophomore from Nashville, TN, is slated to battle for time at both the newly added ‘nickel’ position this fall. Anderson was a member of the Paladins’ scout team last fall, and is one of the more versatile athletes on the defensive side of the ball for the Paladins. In his prep career at North Paulding (5A) High School, Anderson saw action at five positions, logging time at running back, wide receiver, defensive back, kicker, and punter. Anderson could also serve as a reserve at safety this season.
Also slated to provide support in the Furman secondary this fall will be Thomas Brown, who comes into the 2013 season as the Paladins’ understudy to Worthy at strong safety. Brown, a 6-1, 190-pound redshirt freshman from Seneca, S.C., had a strong spring. During his prep career at Seneca High School, Brown was an impact player on both sides of the ball, playing wide receiver and defensive back. He helped key the Bobcats to a 9-3 record and the second round of the state playoffs, as he tallied 63 tackles and four interceptions as a senior in 2011.
Maybe the most talented of the true freshmen defensive backs coming into 2013 is Altamonte Springs, FL product Donovan Franks, who is an outstanding cover corner, with good speed and overall athleticism. He is talented enough to push for action right away in the Furman defensive backfield this fall.
The 5-11, 185-pound corner had an impressive senior season at Lake Brantley High School, where he picked off three passes as a senior, helping his program to a 9-2 final record in 2012.
Special Teams:
Senior Placekicker Ray Early
One of the areas Furman will be most comfortable with this fall is the kicking game, although one huge loss most be addressed in the special teams, with the departure of the nation’s leading kick return threat, in All-American Jerodis Williams. Look for players like Hollman, Milliken and Robinson to compete for the right to replace Williams this spring.
The element that went mostly unnoticed by most last season was the improvement of Ray Early (10-for-16 on FGs/32-of-33 on PATs), which unfortunately, is often the life for a place-kicker in college football. Kickers are often only under the spotlight for long periods of time when they are struggling, which was the case for Early in 2011.
To Early’s credit, however, he dedicated himself to overcoming the struggles that plagued him as a sophomore, and quietly reverted to the form he enjoyed as a freshman, which was acquitting himself as one of the best kickers in the Southern Conference.
Early will also likely handle the punting duties this fall, where he turned in another superb season in that department. Early averaged 42.1 yards-per-punt and had seven punts that were 50 yards or more in distance.
The 2013 Schedule:
The Paladins will feature a 12-game slate for the first time since the 2008 season, when the Purple and White posted a 7-5 final mark. Furman will face Gardner-Webb (Aug. 31) Coastal Carolina (Sept. 7) and LSU (Oct. 26) on the road in non-conference play, while hosting Presbyterian (Sept. 21) in the home opener.
Furman’s 2013 schedule is similar to that of the 2011 squad, which faced its first two opponents away from Paladin Stadium–Coastal Carolina and The Citadel–while returning home to play Presbyterian to open the home slate.
The Paladins’ season opener with Gardner-Webb will mark the first meeting between the two programs since the 2005 season, with the Paladins and Bulldogs getting together on the gridiron for the fourth time in the history of the series, with Furman having claimed a 48-31 win the last time the two teams met in 2005. Furman has only played in Boiling Springs one other time, getting a 38-6 win over the Bulldogs.
Furman will be meeting Coastal Carolina for the third-straight season, with the Paladins losing consecutive setbacks to Coastal Carolina in 2011 and ’12. Furman hasn’t beaten the Chanticleers since the 2007 season, when the Paladins posted a 27-17 win over Coastal at Paladin Stadium. Furman is 0-2 all-time at Brooks Stadium. Coastal Carolina came to Greenville and got a 47-45 win over the Paladins in triple-overtime last seaosn.
The Paladins and Blue Hose will be meeting for the 55th time this fall, with the Paladins holding a commanding 42-11-1 all-time series edge, including getting a 31-21 win in Clinton last season. The Paladins have won 14-straight against the Blue Hose, including outscoring PC 96-42 in the last two meetings.
Furman will be facing LSU for the first time in program history, and it will be the Paladins’ fourth SEC opponent in the past five seasons, having faced Auburn (2009), South Carolina (2010) and Florida (2011). The Paladins have not beaten a team from an FBS conference since 1999, with a 28-3 win at North Carolina.
In Southern Conference play, the Paladins will host Elon (Oct. 5), Appalachian State (Oct. 19), Samford (Nov. 9) and Wofford (Nov. 23), while traveling in league games to Georgia Southern (Nov. 2), The Citadel (Sept. 28), Chattanooga (Oct. 12) and Western Carolina (Nov. 16).
Furman will be facing Georgia Southern and Appalachian State for the final time in Southern Conference play, as two of the Paladins’ biggest rivals at the FCS level move on to the FBS in 2014, with both joining the Sun Belt Conference.
Final Analysis:
Predicting how the Paladins will finish this season is virtually impossible, but what is apparent is plenty of youth and athleticism, and not much experience (65 of 87 players are freshmen or sophmores). While it probably won’t be another 3-8 season, the Paladins will struggle to make a run at the SoCon title and playoffs. Still, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibilities, but the most likely scenario to play out is a five or six-win season. However, expect major strides to be taken this season in getting back to Furman football prominence.