Southern Conference Football 2014: Furman Set To Host Western Carolina On Family Weekend
By John Hooper
Photo Taken From Fuman’s One-point Win Over Western Carolina At Paladin Stadium In 2002. Travis Jones Sacks Western’s Pat Cilento
Game Overview: The battle of purple is set to commence Saturday in Greenville in a game, which finds both teams heading in opposite directions coming into the matchup, with the Paladins having lost a pair of games to PC (10-7) and SC State (17-7) the past two weeks, as the offense continues to struggle for the Paladins since losing starter Reese Hannon for the season to a broken ankle in the season-opening win over Gardner-Webb.
The matchup between the two is one rich in history, with the Catamounts and Paladins having engaged in some real classics over the years. However, over the past couple of decades, the Paladins have had their way with the Catamounts, having won 18 of the past 21 meetings between the two programs, dating back to 1994. Western Carolina’s last win in Greenville came way back in 1994, as the Catamounts were 35-24 victory over the Paladins.
No fan on either side will soon forget the 1983 meeting between the Paladins and Catamounts, which was the biggest matchup in the history of the series, as Western Carolina was able to claim a 14-7 win in Greenville in a defensive struggle, and the goalposts would come down at Paladin Stadium, as the Catamounts would erupt in wild celebration.
It was a game that allowed Western to make its only national title appearance. Earlier that season, the Catamounts and Paladins, who both tied for the Southern Conference crown, tied in another defensive battle, 17-17.
Furman has won six-straight Southern Conference games coming into the clash, dating back to a 31-9 loss to Chattanooga on Oct. 12, 2013. Meanwhile, the Catamounts have a streak of 22-straight road losses.
Furman has struggled mightily on the offensive side of the football since Hannon went down with his injury, having posted just five offensive scores this season. The Paladins have surrendered 12 sacks through the first four games. Elon handed Furman a 28-25 setback in its SoCon home opener last season. It also marks the Paladins’ last loss in front of the home folks.
COACHES: Western Carolina head coach Mark Speir is in his third season as the head coach at Western Carolina, where he has compiled a record of 5-21 in now his third season, and the Catamounts have already recorded a pair of wins this season, posting victories over Division II members Catawba (35-17) and Brevard (42-21) so far this season, while dropping a heartbreaker to South Florida (35-31) in the season opener.
Speir is now at his third Southern Conference program, having also spent time at former members Appalachian State (2003-11) and Elon (2000-2002) in assistant roles, but he is in his second stint as a member of the Catamount coaching staff having spent time on former Catamount head coach Steve Hodgin’s staff from 1991-96. He served in roles as the lineabackers coach, running backs coach and recruiting coordinator under the direction of Hodgin.
Speir has ties to the Upstate of South Carolina, beginning his career as a student assistant under Danny Ford at Clemson from 1986-89. Speir helped the Tigers to three ACC titles in four seasons.
Speir was an easy pick to replace Dennis Wagner, who ran into some hard luck due to injuries in each of his four seasons, and Wagner had no real recruiting connections to the Southeast, coming to Cullowhee from Nebraska.
Speir’s strength during his time as an assistant were his relationships developed during his time at Western, Appalachian and Elon as a recruiter and is now widely regarded as the SoCon’s best recruiter.
Having said that, Speir also is a great X’s and O’s head coach, and has assembled an excellent coaching staff, highlighted plenty of former Mountaineer coaches and players. One of the newest additions to the staff is defensive coordinator Shawn Quinn, who came to Western from Charleston Southern prior to the 2013, and the Catamounts have made significant strides since Quinn’s arrival in the valley.
Speir has helped Western to a 2-1 start, and a win on Saturday against the Paladins would see the Catamounts off to their best start since 2005, which was the last time the Catamounts defeated the Paladins.
Furman is under the direction of Bruce Fowler, who is one of two head coaches in the league to call his employer his alma mater, as he is joined by Chattanooga’s Russ Huesman in that category.
In his fourth season, Fowler has recorded a 19-21 record as the head coach of the Paladins, which includes an eight-win season last fall, as the Paladins finished the campaign with a share of their 13th Southern Conference crown, which is more than any Southern Conference program.
The Offenses: Western Carolina enters Saturday afternoon’s contest with one of the most dynamic offenses in the Southern Conference. Leading that Catamount offense is may-be the league’s most versatile, dual-threat quarterback, in Troy Mitchell.
So far this season, Mitchell has connected on 76-of-109 passes for 738 yards, with four scoring strikes without an INT. As a rushing threat, Mitchell has amassed 122 yards and a pair of scores. Mitchell has done well since becoming the lone quarterback in this offense, after having shared the position with Eddie Sullivan last season.
Mitchell has plenty of offensive weapons at his disposal coming into Saturday’s contest at Paladin Stadium, with Darius Ramsey being a key threat in the backfield. Ramsey comes into contest having rushed for 202 yards and a pair of scores this season. Ramsey recorded a 116-yard rushing effort against the Paladins last season, which was a season-high.
The 180-lb native of Waco, N.C., has improved with each season, and he enters Saturday’s matchup having rushed for 1,270 yards.
Without question, Western Carolina comes in with the best corps of wide receivers the Paladins have faced to date this season, and one of the best they will see the entire campaign. The Catamounts returned the top wideout in the Southern Conference coming into the season, in Karnorris Benson, who was forced to miss the first two games of the 2014 season as a result of an academic issue with the NCAA.
Benson has yet to make a grab this season, but the Paladins know all-too-well about the problems that can be caused by Benson, who had two catches for 64 yards, including a 55-yard scoring reception against the Paladins last season.
Benson led the SoCon in TD receptions last season, with 12, while ranking second in receiving yards, with 834 yards on 51 catches. For his career, Benson has hauled in 70 passes for 1,183 yards and 13 TDs.
Another receiver that has made plays in the passing game for the Catamounts this season is Palmetto State product Spearman Robinson.
In Benson’s absence, Robinson, who sat out last year due to suspension, has already made his mark in 2014 for the Catamounts, as the former Greenwood High School standout has hauled in 13 passes for 145 yards and a pair of scores this season, averaging 11.2 YPR.
As a freshman wideout for the Purple and Gold a couple of years ago, Robinson caught 36 passes for 376 yards and a score, garnering SoCon All-Freshman accolades. At 6-4, 215-lbs, Robinson will present a physical presence at receiver, which is one factor the Paladins haven’t faced regularly since the opener against Gardner-Webb, in Kenny Cook. Robinson’s two scoring catches leads the team.
The leading target in the passing game for Mitchell in 2014 has been sophomore Terryon Robinson. The 5-11, 185-lb speedy receiver from Decatur, GA, comes into the league clash with the Paladins leading the SoCon in receptions (21) and ranks third in receiving yards (211). Robinson has hauled in one TD this season in the opener against South Florida, hauling in a 14-yard pass from Mitchell with nine seconds to play in the 36-31 loss.
Last season, Robinson burst onto the scene as one of the SoCon’s top young wideouts, hauling in 41 passes for 562 yards and a pair of scores. Willie Police also returns as a top target, and one of the best young receivers in the SoCon. Last season, Police was effective, as the Marietta, GA, product posted 40 catched for 367 yards. This season, Police has gotten out of the gates fast this season, having hauled in 20 passes for 180 yards and a TD, averaging 9.0 yards-per-reception.
Tight end was one of the few positions on the offensive side of the football, which was a bit
of a concern coming into the campaign for the Catamounts, but three tight ends returned to the fold which saw action in that role last season.
The leading candidate to start on Saturday afternoon against the Paladins is Michael Helms, Jr., who was a SoCon All-Freshman selection last season and comes into Saturday’s contest against the Paladins having hauled in three passes for 16 yards so far this season. The Catamounts could also enlist the services of sophomore Tyler Sexton, who gives the Catamount offense more of a blocking presence in the lineup. Sexton saw action in eight games last season with a pair of starts.
Over the last eight seasons, one of the aspects of the Catamount offense that has seen its share of struggles has been the offensive line, however, that struggle was due in large part to an uncanny amount of injuries along the offensive front in recent seasons and is not necessarily due to a lack of talent, but more of a lack of depth.
However, the culture has begun to change for the better under the direction of offensive line coach John Holt, who enjoyed a standout career as a player at Appalachian State from 2004-07. This season, the Catamounts rank 36th nationally and third in the SoCon in total offense, averaging 414.7 YPG.
The Cats have also done a decent job of protecting Mitchell this season, allowing him to be sacked just five quarterback takedowns this season. Four of five starters are back along the offensive front from a year ago, which was a unit that continued to improve as the season progressed, and by the time the Catamounts met Furman, the unit was playing exceptionally well.
Leading WCU up front coming into Saturday night will be preseason Second Team All-SoCon pick Josh Wineberg, who is also the most experienced player up front. Wineberg will start at right tackle, while another experienced veteran, Hunter Kirby, will start at left tackle. Kirby has seen action in 22 games over the past couple of campaigns.
Ethan James and Tyler Philpott will assume the left and right guard positions, while Jake Thornton is in his second season as a starter at center after transferring in from Carson-Newman.
The Catamounts will operate out of the spread on Saturday, and it will be an offense that is predicated on establishing the run even though the Catamounts have the most talented receiving corps in the Southern Conference entering the league clash Saturday.
The Paladins, as mentioned earlier in the preview, have struggled offensively this season, and the Paladins come in ranking near the bottom of the Southern Conference in most offensive statistical categories entering the clash of Purple.
The Paladins in averaging just 13.5 PPG, with the most points they have scored this season coming in their Southern Conference opener, as Furman posted 25 points in a 25-20 win over Mercer. The Paladins average just 295 yards of total offense per outing, and a mere 96.5 YPG on the ground, which are totals that could yield the worst offense in school history should the trend continue.
However, the Paladins have the potential to be explosive should they get things together along the offensive front, which has been Furman’s biggest offensive obstacle to overcome this season. But the Paladins are starting to get healthy along the offensive front, as Tank Williams returned last week, but the Paladins struggled more than any other game to date this season, gaining just 272 yards of total offense, including just 68 rushing yards.
The Paladins have yet to threaten the 400-yard mark on the offensive side of the football this season, and each of the past two weeks, the Paladins have posted sub-300-yard performances.
Despite all that, the Paladins still have the weapons to be an offense that could get the season turned around the Paladins, and it starts with quarterback Dillon Woodruff, who has come in for Reese Hannon and has done an excellent job stepping into the lineup under center given the circumstances.
Woodruff will be making his first start under center for the Paladins in front of the home folks Saturday, and will go for his second win against Southern Conference competition on Saturday. This season, the redshirt freshman from Christiana, TN, has completed 47-of-91 passes for 574 yards with a pair of scores and two INTs.
Woodruff also enters the contest as one of Furman’s leading ground threats, ranking third on the team in rushing to this point on the campaign, as he has rushed for 87 yards on 43 rush attempts this season.
Woodruff will have good company in the Paladin backfield, with both preseason All-SoCon running back Hank McCloud and newcomer Antonio Wilcox sharing duties in the Paladin ground attack.
Wilcox leads the Paladins in rushing to this point in 2014, having gained 129 yards on 33 rushes this season, averaging 3.9 YPC. McCloud has 111 yards and a TD on 30 carries this season, averaging 3.7 YPC this season. McCloud has the lone rushing score of the season, which came in the Southern Conference opening win over Mercer.
In the win over the Catamounts last season, the Paladins broke out to rush for 268 yards on the ground. If they were able to achieve that total against the Catamounts on Saturday, iit would be only 119 yards less than the 386 yards that Furman has gained on the ground through the first four games this season.
The Paladins have gotten some good production out of the passing attack this season, with newcomers like Logan McCarter (2 rec, 63 yds, 1 TD, 31.5 YPR) and Chad Scott (9 rec, 130 yds, 14.4 YPR)stepping up to make some big plays when the offense has needed them to through the struggles in the first four games.
Jordan Snellings enters Saturday’s contest as the Paladins’ leading pass-catcher, having hauled in 19 passes for 205 yards and a score, while tight end Duncan Fletcher has added 17 catches for 202 yards (11.9 YPR) to rank as the second-leading wideout for the Paladins this season.
Andrej Suttles (158 receiving yards) has yet to really have that big springboard game this season, and the Paladins could use a big play in the passing game from the redshirt sophomore wideout, which would help most assuredly find his stride that he had down the stretch last season.
To say Furman’s offensive line has struggled to this point in the season would be a huge understatement. However, it’s more due to lack of cohesion than lack of ability. Offensive iline coach Scott Smouse is one of the best OL coaches in the SoCon and in FCS football, and the first four weeks of the season have been as trying for him as much as anyone on the Paladin coaching staff.
The Paladins have three starters back from the offensive line that was in Cullowhee a year ago, which helped Furman escape with a 32-20 win in Cullowhee.
In that game, the Paladins would post 412 yards of total offense, including 268 on the ground.In fact, since gaining 417 yards in the home regular-season finale win over Wofford, which helped the Paladins clinch the SoCon regular-season title, the Paladins have not reached the 400-yard mark in total offense in any game. It’s a streak that spans six games, which has seen the Paladins fail to reach the 400-yard mark.
The Paladins have now gone five-straight games without reaching the 200-yard rushing mark as a team, which dates back to the FCS playoff win over SC State last season, as the Purple and White rolled up 216 yards on the ground in a win over the Bulldogs.
The Western Carolina game last year also marked the game in which Paladin offensive lineman Tank Phillips suffered a season-ending leg injury last season, and on Saturday, he will be making just his second start since that injury, which will come at left guard on Saturday. He will joined up front by two other regulars from a year ago, in veterans Charles Emert at right tackle, and Joe Turner at right guard. Turner, Emert and Phillips have combined to start 78 games foe the Paladins, with Emert, a native of Statesboro, GA, having logged a team-high 33 career starts.
Harrison Monk (LT) and Jackson Buonomia (C) are the two new starters up front this season along the front, with Monk having some absolutely huge shoes to fill, replacing maybe the best left tackle to ever play at Furman, in current New York Jet Dakota Dozier.
Furman Defensive Tackle Jordan Hawkins
The Defenses: Another area of big-time improvement for the Cataounts this season has been the Purple and Gold defense, and though it might not necessarily show it in the numbers, the Catamounts re doing it much the way Furman did last year, which is by turning people over. Coming into Saturday’s clash with the Paladins, Western ranks 60th nationally in total defense, surrendering 383.0 YPG this season.
In the SoCon’s weekly press conference, Western Carolina head coach Mark Speir was quick to point out the importance of the off-week for the Catamounts last week, as they were able to get some key players back on the defensive line for the Furman game.
One of the most improved aspects of the WCU defense this season has been the defensive line, which has been a severe deficiency in recent seasons. Stop the run up front has been priority No. 1 for this Catamount defense.
It starts with the play at the respective defensive end positions for the Catamounts, which is led by a pair of veteran defensive ends, in John McBeth and Caleb Hawkins will be the players to watch along the defensive front as of what is an athletic and active Catamount front.
Hawkins will be making his 15th-consecutive start Saturday, and this season has produced 13 stops, including three behind the line of scrimmage. McBeth comes in having made three stops this season, and will be making his third start of the season Saturday against the Paladins. Defensive tackle Kevin Ume has put up some of the best numbers on the WCU defensive front this season, having registered nine tackles, a tackle-for-loss and a forced fumble.
Western brings one of the more underrated linebacking units in the SoCon into Saturday’s contest, and the player that anchors the talented, athletic unit for the Purple and Gold is junior Sertonuse Harris, who was a preseason First-Team All-SoCon selection. Like Furman’s own Marcus McMorris, Harris has made the successful conversion from being an all-conference safety to being one of the best linebackers in the Southern Conference.
In three starts this season, Harris has made 12 tackles, a tackle-for-loss, intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble. He’s maybe the most athletic and most complete player on the Catamount defense. OLB Christion Gill (27 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1.0 sack) and redshirt freshman MLB Daniel Riddle (24 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 2 FFs) round out the starting trio at linebacker for the Catamounts heading into Saturday.
Gill is one of the veteran leaders of this defense, and he came into the season as the player that most of the younger players on the defensive side of the ball looked up to. He was the team’s leading returning tackler, having made 101 stops last season.
The secondary is one of the most talented in the Southern Conference, led by Ace Clark, who could find himself on an several All-America scrolls at season’s end. Clark currently leads the Catamounts in tackles, having made 32 tackles, a pair of tackles-for-loss and has an INT. Clark needs just six tackles Saturday to eclipse the 300-tackle total for his standout career.
Clark will team with Bryson Jordan (7 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1 FF) at safety on Saturday. Jordan is coming off a season which saw him garner SoCon All-Freshman accolades last season.
Rounding out the WCU defense slated to start in Greenville Saturday are Fred Payne (11 tackles), who will be making his fourth-career start (all this season) against the Paladins, while veteran Trey Morgan (7 tackles, 1 INT) will hold down the other corner spot, as he has started all 15 games he has suited up in as a Catamount.
Furman brings a defense into the matchup that is on pace to be one of the best in school history, and it starts up front for what few would argue to be the top defensive line in the league. The Paladins will utilize a 4-2-5 defensive alignment.
It starts with head-hunting defensive end Gary Wilkins, who seemingly willed the Paladins to wins over Gardner-Webb and Mercer the first two weeks, as the offense struggled. The Paladin defense clearly feeds of the high motor of Wilkins, who makes plays all over the field, and has three career TDs (two INT returns/1 fumble return).
The All-America and Buck Buchanan Award worth candidate leads a defense surrendering just 12.5 PPG and 247.5 YPG this season. Furman also leads the league with 14 sacks through the first four weeks.
As far is Wilkins is concerned, he has posted 22 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks, an INT return for a score, forced two fumbles and has a pass breakup this season. For his career, Wilkins has 26 TFL and 12 sacks in just his second season as a defensive end. He started his career as an outside linebacker for the Paladins.
Teaming with Wilkins at the other defensive end position will be senior Ira McCune who, like Wilkins, has had a great past couple of seasons. He has 10 tackles, 4.5 TFL and a pair of sacks through the first four games this season.
The Paladins might even be deeper at defensive tackle, with junior John Mackey (13 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 FF) and redshirt freshman DeAndre Thornton (11 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks), who will be making his third start at defensive tackle on Saturday.
The linebacker positions for the Paladins will be occupied by All-SoCon candidate Cory Magwood, who will patrol the middle of the Paladin defense, and is an excellent fundamental tackler, excelling at coming up and making plays against the run. Magwood enters Saturday afternoon’s clash as the SoCon’s leading tackler, with 49 tackles and a pair of tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
Magwood will team with Byron Johnson (19 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1.0 sack), who steps into the lineup at linebacker in the middle of the Paladin defense after Cory Rider was lost for the season to a torn labrum.
Set to start at nickel on Saturday afternoon for Furman will be Marcus McMorris. The preseason All-SoCon selection and All-America candidate is yet another veteran leader on the defensive side of the ball for the Paladins, and has four-career TD returns, with three via the interception and one on a fumble return.
Two years ago, McMorris picked off a pass and returned it 52 yards for a score. Through the first four games this season, McMorris has 20 tackles, two TFL and one of the team’s two INTs this season.
He will team with Trey Robinson (20 tackles, 3 PBUs, 1 FR) and Rodney Anderson (17 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1 PBU) at the respective safety positions, with Robinson set to start at the free safety position, while Anderson will start at the strong safety spot. Both Robinson and Anderson bring the noise on defense and should have more chances to make big hits on Saturday, with the Catamounts putting the ball in the air often.
Rounding out the defense will be cornerback, with maybe the league’s top lockdown corner Reggie Thomas (14 tackles, 3 PBUs) slated to start at one of the corner spots, while one of the league’s up-and-coming talents, in Jamarri Milliken (8 tackles, 1 PBU, 1 FR, 1 FF, 1 FR) slated to start at the other spot. Milliken is one of the most active players on the Furman defense, and he is a playmaker.
FINAL PREDICTION:For Western Carolina head coach Mark Speir and the Catamounts, Paladin Stadium becomes a proving ground for the Purple and Gold on Saturday. It’s a venue that has seen few Catamount successes over the years, but the ones it has seen, such as the 1983 win to advance to the national title game, are etched in the memory of its fanbase’s collective memory banks. Saturday gives the Catamounts yet another opportunity to show the fruits of hard work that this team has undertaken under it’s highly-skilled and intelligent coaching staff, while once again proving to themselves they belong to be mentioned among the SoCon’s elite.
For Furman, it’s a chance to right the wrongs of the past two weeks and gain a new perspective on the season with a win, while getting its focus clearly on the SoCon title chase for a second-straight season. But to do that, Furman’s offense at some point has to gain some confidence and must at least perform at an average pace to enable to this ultra talented defense to carry the Paladins to a win. At some point, all things will come together for the Paladins, but I am afraid that won’t be Saturday, as the Catamounts get their first win in Greenville since 1994. Western Carolina 17, Furman 16