GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Coming off Saturday's 27-21 Southern Conference road victory over Samford and winners of four straight, Furman begins preparation for Saturday's 2:30 p.m. league clash against Western Carolina in Cullowhee.

Some Paladin Pointers heading into the week:

Furman's 27-21 win over Samford extended the Paladins' Southern Conference winning streak to nine games, the second longest in program history and trailing only the program record 13 consecutive league victories recorded over a three-season span (1988-90).

Furman is 12-1 in its last 13 Southern Conference contests.

Furman is 8-1 in its last nine FCS road games.

Furman is 17-4 in its last 21 games, with two of those losses coming to FBS then fifth-ranked Clemson (35-12) in 2022 and South Carolina (47-21) in 2023.

The 27-21 victory over Samford improved the Paladins to 8-2 in their last 10 games at Samford and represented the 10th time in the last 16 contests (2008-present) in the series the game has been decided by a seven points or less.

Furman is 7-2 versus FCS ranked opponents (2021-present), its most recent decision being a 38-14 triumph over then 17th-ranked Mercer on Sept. 23.  The Paladins' last loss against a ranked foe was a 41-38 road setback against fifth-ranked Incarnate Word in 2022 second round playoff action.

The nine sacks for a loss of 60 yards Furman recorded in the win over Samford tied for the most by a FCS team this season and marked the second highest tally in program history, last achieved in a 34-17 FCS second round playoff victory over Lehigh in 2001.

Seven Paladins combined for Furman's nine sacks in the victory over Samford, led by redshirt junior bandit Luke Clark (2.0 sacks).

Furman's defense limited Samford to 337 yards in total offense — a season low by the Bulldogs vs. six FCS foes — and almost 100 yards below the Bulldogs' season average of 436.0 ypg entering the contest.

Furman limited Samford to just 46 rushing yards on 31 carries (1.48 ypa) after the Bulldogs entered the contest averaging 128.2 rushing yards per game.  Samford running back Jay Stanton, who had rushed for 423 rushing yards (5.6 ypc) through six games, managed just 15 yards on seven carries (2.1 ypc) versus the Paladins.

Over the last 12 games (10-2), Furman has yielded 92.7 yards per game rushing and 2.83 yards per rush to the opposition.  In four of those contests, the Paladins have limited opponents to less than 50 yards rushing, including the last two: The Citadel (39) and Samford (46).

For only the second time in the last 19 games Furman didn't register a turnover in the win over Samford on Saturday. The Paladins still own 41 takeaways (24 INTs, 17 FRs) over the 19-game span, including a FCS leading 29 takeaways (17 INTs, 12 FRs) last year.  Furman has followed up the 41 opponent turnovers by scoring 166 points on the ensuing possessions, including five "pick sixes."

Furman leads the SoCon and currently ranks fifth in the FCS in turnover margin (+1.17): 5 giveaways (1 fumble, 4 INTs) and 12 takeaways (5 FRs, 7 INTs).

Furman rushed for 211 yards in the win over Samford, marking the second time in the last three games the Paladins have run for 200+ yards.  The outlier in the three-game span: 199 yards in a 28-14 win over The Citadel on Oct. 7.

Since the return of All-America offensive guard Jacob Johanning following a three-game absence due to injury, Furman has averaged 210.6 yards per game rushing (vs. 123.0 ypg in first three games).

Furman All-SoCon running back Dominic Roberto rushed 18 times for a season high 128 yards and a touchdown in the triumph over Samford.  The eighth 100-plus yard rushing effort of his career followed a 216-yard performance registered on the same field in 2021 in a 41-34 Paladin victory.

Dominic Roberto's 128-yard rushing performance against Samford moved him into 10th place on Furman's career rushing yards ledger with 2,508 yards, surpassing Hank McCloud (2,395 yards, 2011-14) and Mike Glenn (2,446 yards, 1978-80).  Currently in ninth place is Jerome Felton (2,652 yards, 2004-07).

Dominic Roberto has rushed for 22 touchdowns over the last 22 games, during which time Furman has gone 17-5.  Counting one touchdown reception in the span, it's 23 scores over the last 22 contests for Roberto.

Furman has gone 15-3 in Tyler Huff's 18 starts at quarterback and 14-1 versus FCS foes (counting FBS transition Kennesaw State as FCS).

Tyler Huff's 391 rushing yards through six games ranks sixth among FCS quarterbacks, and he ranks 10th in completion percentage (.694).

Tyler Huff's four rushing touchdowns in Furman's 31-28 road win over Kennesaw State, which earned him SoCon Offensive Player of the Week honors, tied a school single game record for rushing TDs by a Paladin quarterback (Frankie DeBusk vs. ETSU, 1989).

Tyler Huff rushed for a Furman quarterback season record 694 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022, headlined by a career high 132-yard performance in a 24-20 win over then FCS seventh-ranked Chattanooga.

Tyler Huff's Furman career rushing and passing totals (18 games): 1,085 rushing yds./12TDs;  3,256 passing yds /21 TDs.

A 2022 graduate of Presbyterian (S.C.) College, where he was commissioned through ROTC as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves, Tyler Huff has been nominated for the prestigious Armed Forces Merit Award, presented by the Football Writers Association of America.  The winner will be announced on Thursday, Nov. 9, on ESPN SportsCenter.

Inside linebacker Braden Gilby made his 53rd game appearance and the 38th start of his career at Samford.  The 53 games played is a Furman record.  He has 297 career tackles — the most among active Paladins.

All-SoCon cornerback Travis Blackshear's 46 career starts is a Furman standard.  He's played in 52 games as a Paladin and owns 11 interceptions, including three "pick-sixes."

All-SoCon free safety Hugh Ryan registered his 50th game appearance and 38th start of his career on Saturday at Samford.  He has 222 tackles and eight interceptions in his Paladin tenure.

Redshirt junior punter Ryan Leavy currently leads the SoCon and ranks fifth in the FCS in punting (44.5 avg.).  Leavy's season includes a career long 70-yard punt in a 28-14 win over The Citadel on Oct. 7.

Redshirt senior spur Cally Chizik's 13 tackles (TFL) against Samford marked a career high.

Sophomore strong safety Caleb Williams registered the first start of his career at Samford.

Sophomore wide receiver Ben Ferguson's one-handed, 1-yard touchdown catch against Samford was the first scoring grab of his career.

Redshirt junior placekicker Axel Lepvreau's 46-yard, fourth quarter field goal was a career long.