LEXINGTON, VA. – For the first time since the 1999 season, Furman has won four consecutive road games by defeating VMI. 41-3, in Southern Conference football action, Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field.
Furman, which has now won three straight SoCon contests, improves to 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the conference. With the loss VMI drops to 1-6 on the season and 0-4 in league play.
Tyler Huff connected on 18 of 25 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown, pacing a Paladin offense that accumulated 456 total yards and 38 points over the final three quarters.
Dominic Roberto, the reigning FCS National Player of the Week, rushed for 94 yards and a score on eight carries, highlighted by a 57-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and tight end
Ryan Miller added five catches for 71 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively,
Travis Blackshear's 41-yard interception return for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter capped a performance that saw the unit limit the Keydets to just 48 yards rushing and record four sacks.
Evan DiMaggio and
Braden Gilby both registered a team high nine tackles.
The Paladins scored the only points of the first quarter on a 41-yard
Ian Williams field goal.
Roberto kick-started a more productive second period for the Paladins when he took a handoff from Huff and rolled around right and to the outside, where he outran the Keydet secondary to the pylon to complete a 57-yard touchdown run. Alex Lepvreau's PAT made it 10-0.
Furman's defense stopped VMI on three plays on the ensuing possession, and the Paladins' Wayne Anderson took advantage by blocking a by punt by the Keydets' Jack Culbreath and returning it to the VMI 2. On the next play
Luke Shiflett took a direct snap and plunged into the end zone to stretch Furman's advantage to 17-0.
Following a VMI field goal, the Paladins closed out their 21-point second quarter with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Huff to tight end
Ryan Miller that made it 24-3 heading into intermission.
VMI's attempted onside kick to open the second half backfired when Furman took over at the Keydet 44 and
Ian Williams converted his second 41-yard field goal of the contest to put the Paladins up, 27-3.
The Paladins posted a 456-340 advantage in total offense.
Furman celebrates Homecoming next Saturday, October 29, hosting league-leading Chattanooga at Paladin Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m.
