GREENVILLE, S.C. -- 2021 has been challenging year for college football programs, including Furman's, but the Paladins have a chance to put a positive wrap on a 10-month stretch that has featured 18 games when head coach coach Clay Hendrix's squad takes the field this Saturday in Birmingham against Samford in the fall season finale.

Kickoff for the ESPN+ streamed contest is set for 1:00 p.m. ET at Seifert Stadium.

Saturday's game will be aired over Furman flagship ESPN Upstate and its four powerhouse stations: 97.7 FM/1330 AM in Greenville, and 97.1 FM/950 AM in Spartanburg.  The broadcast is also available via Audacy.com, as well as through FurmanPaladins.com.

Fans may also follow the action through StatBroadcast live stats, accessible via FurmanPaladins.com and get timely updates on twitter @PaladinFootball.

The goal for Furman (5-5, 3-4 SoCon) is clear: secure a winning season and finish 2021, which encompassed the unique , pandemic related spring campaign, with a 9-9 overall mark.

Furman put itself in position to contend for a winning season by downing FCS 20th-ranked VMI, 37-31, on Saturday.  That verdict halted a frustrating stretch of three consecutive losses for the Paladins, two of which — East Tennessee State (17-13 loss) and Western Carolina (43-42) — came after Furman held fourth quarter leads.

The Furman-Samford rivalry, though still young when compared to older SoCon disagreements, spans just 23 games but has yielded several barn-burning finishes.  A year ago Samford raced to a 24-7 first half lead only to see Furman roar back to tie the game, 37-37, on a late fourth quarter, 73-yard Ryan Miller catch and run for a touchdown.  The Paladins went on to claim the 44-37 win in overtime after the Bulldogs fumbled the ball away under the shadow of Furman's goal post.

In 2018 Samford overcame a 19-10 third quarter deficit to take down Furman, 38-25, in Paladin Stadium.  Three years earlier, in 2015, Jon Croft Hollingsworth capped a second half Furman comeback from a 17-0 halftime deficit by booting a 19-yard field goal on the final play of the game to beat the Bulldogs, 20-17, in Birmingham.

The 2008 and '09 seasons both saw Furman escape with narrow victories thanks to the hands of Paladin defensive end Kyle McKinney, who blocked a late extra point try to preserve 28-27 advantage in Birmingham, and the following year deflected a 39-yard field goal attempt on the game's final play that allowed Furman to hold on to a 26-24 win.

There have been a couple of blowouts in the series.  Samford did the honors in 2014 with a 45-0 hammer job in Paladin Stadium.  Two years ago in Birmingham, Furman rode the legs of tailback Devin Wynn, who rushed for a career high 217 yards and two touchdowns, and three scoring catches by Thomas Gordon in a 58-14 pasting of the Bulldogs.

As one might surmise, the series is tight, with Furman holding a slim 12-11 advantage.  The Paladins and Bulldogs both own winning records on the other team's field.  Nothing surprises when Furman and Samford meet on the gridiron.

Saturday's contest has the makings of a potential high scoring affair as Samford boasts an electric offense that averages a SoCon leading 38.3 points and 458.6 yards per game.  The gasoline behind those numbers is graduate transfer quarterback Liam Welch, who passes for 309.7 yards per outing thanks, in large measure, to a league leading 66.1 completion percentage (289x437). 

As usual Samford sports a host of quality receivers, led by senior Montrell Washington (54 rec., 770 yds., 8 TDs), but the Bulldogs are more than a one-trick show offensively.  Their ground game, which has produced 25 touchdowns, averages nearly 150 yards per game in production.

Last week Samford put up 52 points against SEC member Florida but gave up 70.

Furman will look to take some pressure off its defense with a ground game that has posted back-to-back soild performances. Two weeks ago versus Western Carolina it was redshirt sophomore Dominic Roberto who delivered the mail, rushing for 196 yards and four touchdowns  The 5-foot-11, 242-pound Fayetteville, N.C., product followed that up with a 17-carry, 100-yard, touchdown outing versus VMI.  Roberto's emergence has come primarily due to injuries that have sidelined senior All-SoCon performer Devin Wynn for virtually the last month.

While Furman will look to make hay primarily via its ground game, the Paladins have a weapon in its passing attack in the form of All-America tight end Ryan Miller, who counts 41 receptions for 684 yards and six touchdowns this fall.

The Paladins have experienced a quarterback carousel this year featuring junior Hamp Sisson, a Birmingham, Ala., native, and true freshman Jace Wilson.  Both have had their moments of solid play, but the pendulum appears to have swung back to Wilson, who earned the start and passed for 269 yards and two touchdowns against VMI.

Furman's defense may be in track meet mode against Samford come Saturday, but purple and white fans have seen enough of their squad to know defensive coordinator Duane Vaughn's troops have proven ability to come up with key stops with games on the line.

The Paladins' leading tacklers are free safety Hugh Ryan (57 stops) and cornerback Travis Blackshear (51), who counts seven takeaways on the season.

Looking to apply some pressure to Welch and the Bulldogs' passing attack will be senior bandit Adrian Hope (25.5 career sacks).