GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman and Wofford are set to renew the oldest football rivalry in South Carolina and in Deep South history this Saturday when the two Upstate foes lace it up for a noon game at Paladin Stadium, sponsored by Bon Secours.

Initiated in 1889, four years before Georgia and Auburn commenced their own gridiron disagreement (1893), the Furman-Wofford fracas will be contested for the 96th time in a series the Paladins lead 55-33-7.

Furman's 34-11-5 advantage in games played in Greenville hasn't changed since Millard Fillmore occupied the White House.  Kidding aside, Saturday's game will mark Wofford's first trip to Greenville since 2018 after the Terriers bowed out of the 2020 season clash (scheduled for the spring of 2021) due to the pandemic.  For those who may remember, the Paladins won the 2018 encounter, 34-14, over a FCS sixth-ranked Terrier squad.

This year it is Furman (8-2, 6-1 SoCon) that enters the contest ranked — 12th in the latest Stats Perform FCS Poll and 13th in the AFCA Poll.  The Paladins made their latest climb following an impressive 23-13 handling of Mercer last Saturday in Macon, a contest that marked the fifth consecutive victory — and second straight win over a ranked foe — for head coach Clay Hendrix's squad.  The triumph over the Bears also assured Furman at least a second place finish in the league standings.  The Paladins would need a win over Wofford and Mercer victory at Samford on Saturday to claim a share of the league regular season championship (with Samford).  The Bulldogs have earned the league's automatic qualifier to the FCS by virtue of their 34-27 decision over Furman on Oct. 1.

Wofford (3-7, 3-4 SoCon), coming off 34-16 home triumph over VMI last Saturday and playing its best football of the season, has won three of its last four games under interim head coach Shawn Watson.

Furman's road to its current state has been paved with a maturing offense, solid defense, and exceptional special teams play.

The progression of graduate transfer quarterback Tyler Huff, who joined the Paladin program this summer following his tenure Presbyterian College, has been evident. The Orange Park, Fla., product , who happens to be a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Army Reserves, chewed up both Chattanooga and Mercer, combining for 500 yards passing while rushing for 211 yards — 84 percent of Furman's offense — in the victories over the Mocs and Bears.  While his passing has been effective, Huff's ability to make plays with his feet has been a big difference maker for the Paladins this fall.

While Huff's dual threat abilities have no doubt caused opponents heartburn, he has a wide array of company that combine to accentuate the impact. When the Paladins prefer ground warfare, it does so behind the SoCon's best offensive front that counts a combined 121 starts.  The leaders there are tackles Anderson Tomlin, Pearson Toomey, and guard Jacob Johanning.

A full stable of running backs, headlined by redshirt junior Dominic Roberto, has helped give Furman the league's most effective running game (218.1 ypg, 5.1 ypc).  While keying of Roberto, who has rushed for 873 yards and eight touchdowns, has been a focus for opponents, his presence alone lends effectiveness to the passing game, where Huff has combined with All-America tight end Ryan Miller and fast rising wide receiver Joshua Harris, among others, for notable success.  Miller heads into the Wofford game ranked sixth in program history in receptions (132) and receiving yards (2,005), and is just one touchdown shy of the Furman's current career standard (26).  Harris, meanwhile, fashioned the most impressive outing of his still young tenure against Mercer, catching five passes for a career high 146 yards, including a 56-yard, third quarter touchdown catch that gave the Paladins a 17-7 lead.

Furman's defense has delivered outstanding play in 2022, most recently with what coordinator Daune Vaughn's unit dialed up against Mercer.  The Bears managed just 13 points against the Paladins after entering the game ranked first in the SoCon in scoring (40.3 ppg); ran for only 50 yards (1.7 ypc) despite averaging 203.9 ypg pre-game; converted just 4-of-16 third down plays despite leading the SoCon in the category (51.8 percent); and totaled just 316 yards in offense after entering the contest averaging 463.0 ypg.  To top it off, the Paladins registered five sacks against a Mercer offense that had surrendered just five total takedowns in its nine previous games.

Furman's defensive success this year has started up front with senior nose guard Cameron Coleman (23 tackles, 4.5 TFL), graduate tackle Matt Sochovka (21 tackles, 5 TFL), and junior defensive end Jack Barton (21 tackles, 5 TFL). One factor that has given Furman a boost in 2022 has been the commitment to a heavy defensive rotation, particularly along its front, where sophomores Xavier Stephens (21 tackles, 2 sacks) and Bryce Stanfield (15 tackles, FR) have registered significant action.

The Paladin linebacking corps fashioned perhaps its most dominant effort of the season against Mercer, as senior Braden Gilby, this week's SoCon Defensive Player of the Week, and Bryce McCormick combined for 20 tackles, including 4.5 for-loss, and 2.5 sacks for 22 yards.

Furman's secondary has produced its share of big plays through 10 games, helping the Paladins rack up 14 interceptions (8th in FCS) that have contributed to 21 takeaways (6th in FCS).  Furman also sports the second lowest completion percentage allowed (58.2) in the SoCon.  The leaders have been redshirt junior Hugh Ryan (58 tackles, 4 INTs, 5 PBUs), who has twice earned league defensive player of the week laurels as well as October Defensive Player of the Month, and redshirt senior cornerback Travis Blackshear, who owns nine career interceptions.

A difference maker in several games has been Furman's special teams, specifically the Paladins' penchant for blocking kicks.  Seven times this fall Furman has gotten a hand on kicks (4 FGs, 2 PATs, 1 Punt), including three each by Barton and Sochovka.  The Paladins rank second in the FCS in the category.

The addition of N.C. State transfer kicker Ian Williams has been golden for the Paladins.  The redshirt sophomore has converted his last seven field goal attempts, including three in the win over Mercer, and is 9-of-11 on the season.  In addition, he has given Furman the best kickoff unit in the league, evidenced by his league high 39 touchbacks.

Saturday's game will be live streamed via ESPN+ and aired over flagship The Fan Upstate and its four powerhouse stations: 97.7 FM/1330 AM in Greenville, and 97.1 FM/950 AM in Spartanburg.  The broadcast can also be accessed 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, highlight clips, and notes on twitter @PaladinFootball.

Furman will honor its seniors in pre-game ceremonies.