GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman's football team finished the 2022 season ranked 10th in a pair of FCS Polls announced today.

The Paladins are ranked 10th in both the final AFCA and Stats Perform FCS Polls, which were released following the conclusion of Sunday's national championship game.

The No. 10 ranking is the highest by Furman since it finished No. 3 in 2005.

Furman posted a 10-3 overall record and 7-1 Southern Conference slate in 2022 under head coach Clay Hendrix.  The Paladins rose from unranked status in the preseason to secure an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs, where they defeated Elon, 31-6, in first round playoff action in Greenville before falling at playoff No. 7 seed Incarnate Word, 41-38,  in second round action.

Furman's 10 wins represented its most since the 2005 season and 7-1 league mark the best since the 2001 national runner-up campaign.

The Paladins reeled off seven consecutive wins and five consecutive road victories to match the program's longest road stretch of success in over 30 years.  Four of Furman's wins came over ranked foes, including No. 18 East Tennessee State (27-14), No. 6 Chattanooga (24-20), No. 11 Mercer (23-13), and No. 12 Elon (31-6).  The six points surrendered to Elon represented the fewest allowed in the program's then 37-game playoff history.

Twelve Paladins earned All-SoCon recognition, including six team selections — Ryan Miller (TE), OT Anderson Tomlin (OT), Pearson Toomey (OT), Jacob Johanning (OG), Cameron Coleman (NG), and Hugh Ryan (FS).

Miller, Tomlin, and Johanning were accorded All-America honors, with Miller collecting consensus laurels on squads selected by the AFCA, Stats Perform, Associated Press, Hero Sports, and FCS ADA.  The Jackson, Tenn., product caught 72 passes for 762 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2022, and finished his Paladin career with 151 receptions for 2,146 yards and a Furman record 28 touchdown catches.

Furman projects to return 18 starters and 37 of the 44 players listed in its final two-deep from the 2022 season.

The Paladins announced the addition of 15 high school recruits during the NCAA signing period in December.

American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches' Top 25 Poll – January 9, 2023

Rank    School (1st votes)    Rec.    Pts.    Prev.    Post-season
1.    South Dakota St. (26)    14-1    650    1    D. No. 4 North Dakota St., 45-21
2.    North Dakota St.    12-3    622    4    Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 45-21
3.     UIW    12-2    565    7    Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 35-32
4.    Sacramento St.    12-1    558    2    Lost to No. 7 UIW, 66-63
5.    Montana St.    12-2    545    3    Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 39-18
6.     Holy Cross    12-1    512    6    Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 42-21
7.    Samford    11-2    472    9    Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 27-9
8.    William & Mary    11-2    445    8    Lost to No. 3 Montana St., 55-7
9.    Weber St.    10-3    432    10    Lost to No. 3 Montana St., 33-25
10.    Furman    10-3    419    11    Lost to No. 7 UIW, 41-38
11.    Jackson St.    12-1    364    5    Lost to No. 21 N.C. Central, 41-34 OT
12.    Richmond     9-4    325    14    Lost to No. 2 Sacramento St., 38-31
13.    Southeast Missouri St.    9-3    294    12    Lost to No. 17 Montana, 34-24
14.    Montana    8-5    284    17    Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 49-26
15.    New Hampshire    9-4    276    16    Lost to No. 6 Holy Cross, 35-19
16.    Fordham    9-3    262    13    Lost to No. 16 New Hampshire, 52-42
17.    North Carolina Central    10-2    247    21    D. No. 5 Jackson St., 41-34 OT
18.    Elon    8-4    210    15    Lost to No. 11 Furman, 31-6
19.    Southeastern Louisiana    9-4    208    23    Lost to No. 9 Samford, 48-42 OT
20.    St. Thomas (Minn.)    10-1    120    19    DNQ Playoffs
21.    Mercer    7-4    105    18    DNQ Playoffs
22.    Idaho    7-5    100    24t    Lost to No. 23 S.E. Louisiana, 45-42
23.    Florida A&M    9-2    84    20    DNQ Playoffs
24t.    Delaware    8-5    69    NR    Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 42-6
24t.    Chattanooga    7-4    69    22    DNQ Playoffs

Dropped Out: North Dakota (24t)

Others Receiving Votes: North Dakota, 66; Gardner-Webb, 46; Yale, 35; UT Martin, 16; Austin Peay, 12; Princeton, 12; UC Davis, 6; Stephen F. Austin, 5; Pennsylvania, 4; St. Francis (Pa.), 4; North Carolina A&T, 3; Eastern Kentucky, 2; Youngstown St., 2.

Final Stats Perform FCS Top 25 - January 9, 2003

1. South Dakota State (14-1, 8-0 MVFC), 1,350 points (54 first-place votes) 
Previous Ranking: 1; Postseason Results: 42-6 win over Delaware; 42-21 win over Holy Cross; 39-18 win over Montana State; 45-21 win over North Dakota State
2. North Dakota State (12-3, 7-1 MVFC), 1,288
Previous Ranking: 4; Postseason Results: 49-26 win over Montana; 27-9 win over Samford; 35-32 win over UIW; 45-21 loss to South Dakota State
3. UIW (12-2, 5-1 Southland), 1,218
Previous Ranking: 5; Postseason Results: 41-38 win over Furman; 66-63 win at Sacramento State; 35-32 loss at North Dakota State
4. Montana State (12-2, 8-0 Big Sky), 1,208  
Previous Ranking: 3; Postseason Results: 33-25 win over Weber State; 55-7 win over William & Mary; 39-18 loss at South Dakota State
5. Sacramento State (12-1, 8-0 Big Sky), 1,140
Previous Ranking: 2; Postseason Results: 38-31 win over Richmond; 66-63 loss to UIW
6. Holy Cross (12-1, 6-0 Patriot), 1,035
Previous Ranking: 7; Postseason Results: 35-19 win over New Hampshire; 42-21 loss at South Dakota State 
7. Samford (11-2, 8-0 Southern), 991
Previous Ranking: 8; Postseason Results: 48-42 OT win over Southeastern Louisiana; 27-9 loss at North Dakota State
8. William & Mary (11-2, 7-1 CAA), 982 
Previous Ranking: 6; Postseason Results: 54-14 win over Gardner-Webb; 55-7 loss at Montana State
9. Weber State (10-3, 6-2 Big Sky), 936
Previous Ranking: 9; Postseason Results: 38-31 win over North Dakota; 33-25 loss at Montana State
10. Furman (10-3, 7-1 Southern), 865
Previous Ranking: 11; Postseason Results: 31-6 win over Elon; 41-38 loss at UIW
11. Richmond (9-4, 6-2 CAA), 746
Previous Ranking: 13; Postseason Results: 41-0 win over Davidson; 38-31 loss at Sacramento State 
12. Southeastern Louisiana (9-4, 5-1 Southland), 645
Previous Ranking: 17; Postseason Results: 45-42 win over Idaho; 48-42 OT loss at Samford
13. New Hampshire (9-4, 7-1 CAA), 632
Previous Ranking: 15; Postseason Result: 52-42 win over Fordham; 35-19 loss at Holy Cross
14. Montana (8-5, 4-4 Big Sky), 589
Previous Ranking: 19; Postseason Result: 34-24 win over Southeast Missouri; 49-26 loss at North Dakota State
15. Southeast Missouri (9-3, 5-0 Ohio Valley), 490   
Previous Ranking: 14; Postseason Result: 34-24 loss at Montana
16. Jackson State (12-1, 8-0 SWAC), 485 
Previous Ranking: 10; Postseason Results: 43-24 win over Southern; 41-34 OT loss to North Carolina Central
17. Elon (8-4, 6-2 CAA), 467
Previous Ranking: 12; Postseason Result: 31-6 loss at Furman
18. Idaho (7-5, 6-2 Big Sky), 388 
Previous Ranking: 18; Postseason Result: 45-42 loss at Southeastern Louisiana
19. Delaware (8-5, 4-4 CAA), 343
Previous Ranking: 23; Postseason Results: 56-17 win over Saint Francis; 42-6 loss at South Dakota State 
20. North Dakota (7-5, 5-3 MVFC), 335 
Previous Ranking: 20; Postseason Result: 38-31 loss at Weber State
21. North Carolina Central (10-2, 4-1 MEAC), 333
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked; Postseason Result: 41-34 OT win over Jackson State
22. Fordham (9-3, 5-1 Patriot), 322
Previous Ranking: 16; Postseason Result: 52-42 loss at New Hampshire
23. Chattanooga (7-4, 5-3 Southern), 171
Previous Ranking: 21; Postseason Result: No game
24. Mercer (7-4, 5-3 Southern), 145
Previous Ranking: 22; Postseason Result: No game
25. UC Davis (6-5, 5-3 Big Sky), 115
Previous Ranking: 24; Postseason Result: No game
Dropped Out: UT Martin (25)
Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Gardner-Webb (7-5, 5-0 Big South) 87, UT Martin (7-4, 5-0 Ohio Valley) 65, Eastern Kentucky (7-5, 3-2 ASUN) 46, Rhode Island (7-4, 5-3 CAA) 34, Saint Francis (9-3, 7-0 NEC) 32, St. Thomas (10-1, 8-0 Pioneer) 13, Yale (8-2, 6-1 Ivy) 13, Youngstown State (7-4, 5-3 MVFC) 13, Austin Peay (7-4, 3-2 ASUN-WAC) 12, Florida A&M (9-2, 7-1 SWAC) 9