GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Winners of six straight, including a 16-8 victory over East Tennessee State, FCS No. 3 and SoCon front runner Furman (7-1, 5-0 SoCon) hits the road to take on FCS No. 15 Chattanooga (7-2, 6-1 SoCon) this Saturday, with league championship and the conference's automatic bid to the playoffs on the line for both teams.  Kickoff at Finley Stadium is set for 1:30 p.m.

Paladin Pointers heading into the week:

With a victory over Chattanooga on Saturday, Furman can clinch at least a share of the 2023 Southern Conference title and the SoCon's automatic bid to the NCAA FCS playoffs, even with two league games remaining: vs. VMI (Nov. 11) and Wofford (Nov. 18).

A Furman victory over Chattanooga, coupled with a Paladin win over VMI (Nov. 11) or Wofford (Nov. 18), would give Furman the outright SoCon championship.

A Chattanooga win over Furman would clinch at least a share of the SoCon title and league's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs for the Mocs.  Chattanooga's shared title could become outright with a Furman loss to either VMI (Nov. 11) or Wofford (18), or remain shared with Paladin victories over the Keydets and Terriers.

Furman's 16-8 win over East Tennessee State extended the Paladins' Southern Conference winning streak to 11 games, trailing only the program record 13 consecutive league victories recorded over a three-season span (1988-90).

Furman has won seven straight SoCon road games (2021-present), tying a program record established over a three-season span (1988-90), and is 9-1 in its last 10 league road contests.

Furman's current 5-0 SoCon record is the program's best five-game mark since 2001, when the Paladins started 5-0 in league play (lost game six, 20-10, vs. Georgia Southern) en route to a 7-1 SoCon finish and league championship.

The last time Furman won its first six SoCon games in a season was 1989, when the Paladins went 7-0 in their last undefeated league season.

Furman's last outright SoCon championship was in 1990 (6-1 league record).

Furman is 14-1 in its last 15 Southern Conference games.

The last time Furman went 7-1 in its first eight games was 2005, when the Paladins fashioned a 7-1 record out of the gate (lost game nine, 27-24, vs. Georgia Southern) en route to an 11-3 campaign.

The last time Furman opened a season 8-1 was 1989, when the Paladins went 12-1 in their first 13 games in a 12-2 campaign..

Furman is 19-4 in its last 23 games, with two of those losses coming to FBS then fifth-ranked Clemson (35-12) in 2022 and South Carolina (47-21) in 2023.

Furman owns series winning records against every current SoCon foe and versus three of the league's four most recent departures:  Elon (13-8), Appalachian State (23-18-3), and Marshall (15-8).  Only former SoCon foe Georgia Southern holds a series lead (16-9) on Furman among the 11 current and most recent league members, but the Paladins won the last clash with the Eagles, sending them packing from the conference with a 16-14 win in Statesboro in 2013.

The 16 points Furman scored in its 16-8 win over East Tennessee State tied for the lowest points output in victory by a Clay Hendrix-coached team (16-10 win over Chattanooga, 2018).

In defeating then FCS No. 8 Western Carolina, 27-21, two weeks ago Furman knocked off its highest ranked road foe since the 2001 season, when the Paladins beat then No. 2 Georgia Southern, 24-17, in Statesboro in FCS semifinal playoff action, halting the Eagles' 39-game home winning streak.

Prior to the win over then FCS No. 8 Western Carolina, the last time the Paladins beat a higher ranked regular season opponent on the road was 1988, when Furman knocked off No. 3 Appalachian State in Boone, N.C., on the way to a 13-2 campaign and national championship.

Furman's win over FCS No. 8 Western Carolina represented the Paladins' second triumph over a ranked opponent this season (38-14 win over then No. 17 Mercer on Sept. 23) and improved the Paladins to 8-2 versus FCS ranked foes over the last two-plus seasons (2021-present). 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.

Furman registered two sacks in the win over East Tennessee State, giving the Paladins 14 takedowns in the last three games and 17 sacks over the last five contests.  Prior to Furman notching three sacks against Western Carolina, the Catamounts hadn't surrendered a sack since their season opener versus Arkansas.

Furman's nine sacks recorded in the 27-21 win over Samford on Oct. 14 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.

Furman has choked off scoring by four of its last five opponents, evidenced by output versus their averages entering the contest:  Mercer (14 vs. 24.0 ppg), The Citadel (14 vs. 5.6 ppg), Samford (21 vs. 31.0 ppg.), Western Carolina (17 vs. 41.3 ppg), and East Tennessee State (8 vs. 17.1 ppg).

Furman's defense has surrendered only 66 points (13.2 ppg) and just 294.0 ypg over its last five games.  ETSU's eight points on Saturday came off a blocked punt.  The Paladins lead the SoCon in scoring defense (19.9 ppg).

After 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 Samford's season average of 436.0 ypg entering the contest, the Paladins did the same against Western Carolina, limiting the Catamounts to 353 total yards, 178.1 yards below their FCS leading 531.0 ypg average.  The trend continued versus ETSU, as the Paladins surrendered just 230 yards in total offense to the Buccaneers, who came in averaging 262.0 ypg.

Over the last 14 games (12-2), Furman has yielded only 94.3 yards per game rushing, 2.95 yards per rush, and 11 rushing touchdowns to the opposition.  The Paladins lead the SoCon in rushing defense (100.8 ypg).

Furman limited Western Carolina's rushing game to 84 yards on 24 carries (3.5 ypc) after the Catamounts entered the contest averaging 220.0 rushing yards per game.  In Furman's 27-21 win over Samford, the Paladins limited Samford to just 51 rushing yards on 31 carries (1.64 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) entering the game, managed just 15 yards on seven carries (2.1 ypc) versus the Paladins.

In recording three interceptions in the 16-8 win over East Tennessee State, Furman upped its season turnover differential to 17-5 (12 INTs, 5 FRs vs. 1 fumble, 4 INTs), giving the Paladins a FCS best +1.50 turnover margin.  

Furman leads the SoCon and ranks fourth in the FCS with 12 interceptions.

The Paladins now have 46 takeaways (29 INTs, 17 FRs) over the last 21 games, which includes a FCS best 29 takeaways (17 INTs, 12 FRs) last year.

Furman has followed up the 46 takeaways over the last 21 games by scoring 176 points on the ensuing possessions, including five "pick sixes."

Furman's 334-yard rushing performance in its 29-17 win over Western Carolina marked a season high and was its highest tally since rolling up 426 yards in a 47-40 win over the Catamounts last year in Greenville.

Since the return of All-America offensive guard Jacob Johanning following a three-game absence due to injury, Furman has averaged 209.0 yards per game rushing (vs. 123.0 ypg in first three games).

Furman All-SoCon running back Dominic Roberto extended his domination of Western Carolina with a career-high 31 carry, 154-yard performance that included a nine-yard scoring run.  In four games versus WCU (3-1), Roberto has rushed 91 times for 656 yards (7.2 ypc) and eight touchdowns.

Dominic Roberto's 154-yard rushing performance versus Western Carolina represented the ninth 100-yard outing of his career.  He ran for 128 yards and a touchdown in the Paladins' 27-21 road triumph over Samford.

In rushing for 65 yards against East Tennessee State, Dominic Roberto moved up to eighth on Furman's career rushing yards ledger with 2,727 yards, eclipsing Cedrick Gipson (2,666 yards, 2004-07).  Next up in seventh place is former teammate Devin Wynn (2,960 yds., 2017-21).

Dominic Roberto has rushed for 23 touchdowns over the last 24 games, during which time Furman has gone 19-5.  Counting one touchdown reception in the span, it's 24 scores over the last 24 contests for Roberto.

Dominic Roberto's 28 career rushing touchdowns are just one shy of the 10th most (29) in Furman history, currently shared by Mike Glenn (1978-80) and Jerodis Williams (2009-12).

Wayne Anderson, Jr., had eight carries for 85 yards, including a 54-yard run, in the win over Western Carolina.  The 85 yards represented the second highest tally in his career (90 vs. Charleston Southern in his collegiate debut in 2019). Anderson had only three rushes for 23 yards in 2022 after making the move to wide receiver, where he caught 39 passes for 396 yards and two touchdowns a year ago.

Joshua Harris' eight receptions for 78 yards and a 22-yard touchdown in the 16-8 win over East Tennessee State marked a season high and moved him into a tie with Chas Fox (1982-85) for 15th on Furman's career receptions chart with 106 catches.  Next up in 14th place is Josh Cole (110 rec., 1993-96).  Others within reach include Adrick Harrison (13th/111 rec., 1992-95) and Des Kitchings (12th/1996-99).

Furman has gone 17-3 in Tyler Huff's 20 starts at quarterback, 17-1 versus FCS foes (counting FBS transition Kennesaw State as FCS), and 11-0 against SoCon opposition.  He didn't play (injured) versus Samford in 2022 (34-27 loss).

Tyler Huff's 487 rushing yards through seven games ranks fifth among FCS quarterbacks, and he ranks 13th in completion percentage (.670).

During Furman's current six-game winning streak Tyler Huff has rushed 66 times for 430 yards (6.51 ypc) and five touchdowns, while connecting on 116 of 165 passes (.703) for 1145 yards and eighth touchdowns (2 INTs).

Tyler Huff keyed Furman's road win over FCS No. 8-ranked Western Carolina by running six times for 89 yards and a touchdown and connecting on 14-of-23 passes for 180 yards and two scores.  His 53-yard touchdown burst with a minute remaining sealed the win and marked his second longest run as a Paladin (56 vs. North Greenville, 2022).

Tyler Huff was not named SoCon Offensive Player of the Week for his performance versus Western Carolina despite accounting for 269 yards and three touchdown responsibilities in the victory that gave Furman sole possession of first place in the league.

Tyler Huff captured his second SoCon Player of the Week scroll of the season after passing for 205 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 79 yards in the Paladins' 27-21 road win over Samford on Oct. 14.

Tyler Huff's four rushing touchdowns in Furman's 31-28 road win over Kennesaw State on Sept. 16 tied the school single game record for rushing TDs by a Paladin quarterback (Frankie DeBusk vs. ETSU, 1989) and earned him his first SoCon Player of the Week honor of 2023.

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 (20 games): 1,181 rushing yds./13TDs;  3,645 passing yds /24 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 is among the "Elite 11" finalists 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.

Tight end Mason Pline led Furman in receiving in the 29-17 win over Western Carolina, catching four passes for 88 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown grab that gave the Paladins a 7-0 lead.  It was the second scoring grab of the season for Pline, a graduate transfer from Ferris (Mich.) State, where played on two NCAA Division II national championship teams and three years of basketball prior to switching to football.

True freshman wide receiver Colton Hinton collected his first career touchdown with a 16-yard grab in the first quarter of Furman's 29-17 win over Western Carolina.

Inside linebacker Braden Gilby made his 55th game appearance and 40th start of his career at Western Carolina.  The 55 games played is a Furman record.  In registering three tackles in the win over Western Carolina, Gilby reached 300 career tackles — the most among active Paladins.  He had six tackles and a fourth down sack that sealed the win for Furman over East Tennessee State.

Inside linebacker Evan DiMaggio accounted for two of Furman's three sacks in the 29-17 win over Western Carolina, giving him four takedowns over the past two games, including two in the Paladins' 27-21 road triumph over Samford.  DiMaggio was named SoCon Defensive Player of the Week for his performance versus WCU.

Spur Cally Chizik extended his string of outstanding performances with an interception and pass breakup in the win over East Tennessee State.  His full extension breakup on a third down play forced a Buccaneer punt, and his interception at the Furman two-yard line late in the second quarter ended a ETSU scoring threat. It was Chizik's team leading fourth interception of the season and seventh of his career.  He registered a career high 13 tackles in the Paladins' 27-21 road win over Samford.

Cally Chizik is tied for the FCS lead with four interceptions.

All-SoCon cornerback Travis Blackshear didn't play versus East Tennessee State after undergoing minor hand surgery last week. His 47 career starts is a Furman standard.  He's played in 53 games as a Paladin and owns 11 interceptions, including three "pick-sixes."

All-SoCon free safety Hugh Ryan registered his 52nd game appearance and 40th start of his career Saturday against East Tennessee State.  He bagged the ninth interception of his career in the win over Western Carolina and now has 236 tackles in his Paladin tenure.

Jack Barton's blocked field goal versus ETSU was his second blocked kick of the season and sixth of his career — a Furman record.  Barton led the FCS with four blocked kicks in 2022, headlining a squad that registered 10 blocks on season -- another Paladin standard.

Ian Williams fashioned a stellar performance in Furman's 16-8 win over East Tennessee State, converting all three field goal attempts and depositing four of his five kickoffs out of the end zone for touchbacks.  Williams' nine points, which were enough to give Furman the win, came on field goals of 23, 52, and 32 yards, with the 52-yarder (which carried approximately 64 yards) marking a career best while also tying for the fifth longest in school history.

Ian Williams two games versus ETSU (2022 & '23): 5x5 FGs, 9x11 Kickoff Touchbacks