GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Winners of eight straight 2023 outright Southern Conference football champion Furman gears up for its final regular season game this Saturday when it travels to Spartanburg to face Wofford, its oldest football rival, in a noon contest at Gibbs Stadium.

15TH CHAMPIONSHIP

Furman's 37-3 win over VMI earned the program the outright 2023 Southern Conference Championship — its 15th title (1978, '80, '81, '82, '83, '85, '88, '89, '90, '99, '01, '04, '13, '18, and '23) and the most in league history. It also marked the second crown for Clay Hendrix (2018), now in his seventh season as head coach at his alma mater.  As a player (1982-85), assistant coach (1988-06), and head coach (2017-present), Hendrix has been part of 11 of Furman's 15 SoCon championships.

HENDRIX WINS NO. 50

Furman's win over VMI marked the 50th career victory for head coach Clay Hendrix (50-27, .649).  Combining the 50 wins with the 155 he had a hand in as Paladin assistant coach for 19 years (1988-06) and 39 registered during his playing tenure (1982-85), Hendrix been part of 244 Furman triumphs over 30 years (8.1 wins/year).

ALL OURS

Furman's outright 2023 SoCon championship is its first 1990 (6-1 league record).  The Paladins' conference titles in the interim — 1999, '01, '04, '13, and '18 — were all shared.  Eight of Furman's 15 SoCon championships have been outright crowns (1980, '81, '82, '83, '95, '89, '90, '23).

13 IN A ROW VERSUS THE SOCON TIES STANDARD

Furman's victory over VMI extended its SoCon winning streak to 13 games, tying the program record for consecutive league victories first recorded over a three-season span (1988-90).  Furman is 16-1 in its last 17 SoCon games.

FIRST 8-0 FURMAN SQUAD?

Now 7-0 in SoCon play for the first time since 1989 (Furman's last undefeated league season), the Paladins can achieve a program first — eight SoCon victories in a season — with a win over Wofford.

RECORD ROAD WARRIORS 

Furman has won eight straight SoCon road games (2021-present) — a new program record.

IMPRESSIVE SOCON ROAD WINS

Furman's last four SoCon road wins have come over No. 14 Mercer (23-13, 2022), reigning league champion Samford (27-21, 2023), No. 8 Western Carolina (29-17, 2023), and No. 13 Chattanooga (17-14, 2023).

EIGHT STRAIGHT OVERALL

Winners of eight straight games, the last time Furman posted nine consecutive wins was 1989, when it reeled off a school record 12 straight victories in a 12-2 season.

ON A ROLL AT HOME

Furman currently sports an nine-game home winning streak — its longest since the Paladins reeled off 14 straight victories over three seasons (2005-07).

.840 WINNING PERCENTAGE = STOUT

Furman is 21-4 in its last 25 games, with two of those losses coming to FBS then fifth-ranked Clemson (35-12) in 2022 and South Carolina (47-21) in 2023.

WHEN FURMAN'S 1989 SEASON IS REFERENCED, YOU KNOW IT'S GOOD

The last time Furman went 9-1 in its first 10 games was 1989, when the Paladins posted a 12-1 record in a 12-2 campaign.

ELITE COMPANY 

If Furman defeats Wofford, it will mark the Paladins' first 10-win regular season since 1989 and only the third in the program's now 118-year history: 1989 (10-1), 1985 (10-1), 1927 (10-1).

PEEKING AHEAD

By locking up the SoCon's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs with its 17-14 win over Chattanooga on Nov. 4, Furman will be making its 20th FCS (formerly I-AA) playoff appearance this year — tops among current Southern Conference schools — and fourth under head coach Clay Hendrix (2017, '19, '22, '23).

Furman owns a 20-18 all-time FCS playoff record and has appeared in three national championship games (1985, '88, '01).  The Paladins won the 1988 national championship (13-2) — the first Southern Conference school and first private school to accomplish the feat.

Head coach Clay Hendrix has been part of 35 of Furman's 38 FCS playoff games over the years (1982-85; 1988-06; 2017-present) as a player, assistant coach, or head coach.  The Paladins are 19-16 in playoff matchups with him wearing the purple and white.

3-0 VERSUS RANKED FCS FOES

Furman's 17-14 win over FCS No. 13 Chattanooga represented the Paladins' third triumph over a ranked opponent this season (d. No. 17 Mercer, 38-14; d. No. 8 Western Carolina, 29-17) and improved the Paladins to 9-2 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.

HIGHEST RANKING SINCE 2005

Furman's current consensus No. 2 ranking in the AFCA and Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Polls is the highest for the program since the 2005 season, when the Paladins reached No. 1 on Oct. 31 of that season before falling out the next week following a 27-24 road loss to Georgia Southern on Nov. 5.

HIGHEST RANKED FOE TO FALL SINCE 2001

In defeating then FCS No. 8 Western Carolina, 27-21, on Oct. 21 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 to hand the Eagles their first-ever home playoff game loss and snap the Eagles' 39-game home winning streak.

NOT SINCE 1988

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 nine straight wins, 13-2 campaign, and national championship.

SACK 'EM UP

Furman's pass rush continued its torrid second half season work in the win over VMI, recording eight sacks for a loss of 68 yards to give the Paladins 27 takedowns over the last five games.

Furman Sacks Last 5 Games
Samford - 9 (27-21 win)
Western Carolina - 3 (29-17 win)
East Tennessee State - 2 (16-8 win)
Chattanooga - 5 (17-14 win)
VMI - 8 (37-3 win)

SOCON SACKS LEADER

Furman's 33 sacks through 10 games leads the SoCon and is tied for third in the FCS.

MOST SACKS IN A REGULAR SEASON

Furman's 33 sacks through 10 games this year are the most ever recorded in a program regular season.  In 1989 Furman recorded a school record 39 sacks over 14 games, with the final eight takedowns registered over three playoff contests.  In 2017 Furman finished the season with 34 sacks in 13 contests, with the final three takedowns coming in two playoff games.

Furman Season Team Sacks
1989 - 39 (14g)
2017 - 34 (13g)
2023 - 33 (10g)
1997 - 32 (11g)
1988 - 31 (15g)
2022 - 31 (13g)

TWO OF TOP THREE SACK PERFORMANCES IN THE FCS IN 2023

Furman owns two of the two of the top three sacks performances registered in the FCS in 2023. The Paladins' nine sacks recorded in the 27-21 win over Samford ranks second, and the eight sacks Furman notched in the 37-3 victory over VMI is the third highest tally in the FCS this fall.  They also tied for No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, on Furman's highest game sacks chart.

NOT JUST ONE OR TWO GUYS

Furman's 33 sacks this year have been registered among 14 players, with six Paladins owning at least three takedowns.  The leader is redshirt junior bandit Luke Clark (5.0 sacks).

SOCON SCORING DEFENSE LEADER

Furman leads the SoCon and ranks seventh in the FCS in scoring defense (17.6 ppg).  The 17.6 ppg the Paladins are yielding is the lowest since 2004 (16.6 ppg).

TURNING OFF THE SPIGOT

Furman's has choked off scoring by six of its last seven opponents (7-0), allowing only 91 points (13.0 ppg) over that span as evidenced by points allowed versus averages entering each contest.

Furman Opponent Scoring Last 7 Games (Points Allowed vs. Avg. Entering Game)
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)
East Tennessee State (8 vs. 17.1 ppg)
Chattanooga (14 vs. 33.6 ppg)
VMI (3 vs. 15.2 ppg)

NO EASY TASK

Mirroring its impressive work in limiting scoring by its last seven foes (7-0) is the total offense the Paladins have surrendered in six of the seven contests when compared to averages entering each game.  Furman has allowed only 287.2 total ypg over that span.

Furman Opponent Total Offense Last 7 Games (Yards Allowed vs. Avg. Entering Game)
Mercer (267 vs. 323.7 ypg)
The Citadel (278 vs. 199 ypg)
Samford (337 vs. 436.0 ypg)
Western Carolina (353 vs. 531.0 ypg)
East Tennessee State (230 vs. 262.0 ypg)
Chattanooga (357 vs. 420.7 ypg)
VMI (189 vs. 305.2)

MORE ON VMI'S 189 YARDS IN OFFENSE

VMI may have finished with 189 yards in total offense, but 123 of that total came in fourth quarter against reserves after Furman took a 37-0 lead into the frame. Furman's defense held VMI to minus 2 yards in the first quarter and only two first downs and eight total yards in the first half.

SOCON RUSHING DEFENSE LEADER

Furman leads the SoCon and ranks sixth in the FCS in rushing defense (90.4 ypg).

SHADES OF 1988

The 90.4 rushing yards per game Furman is currently surrendering is the lowest  season figure ever recorded by the Paladins, according to available records dating from 1973.  The record is 92.4 ypg posted in 1988, the year of the Paladins' national championship.

NO RUNNING ALLOWED

Furman limited VMI's rushing attack to 30 yards on 33 carries (0.9 ypa), helped along by eight sacks for a loss of 68 yards.  VMI marked the fifth of the last six opponents the Paladins have kept under 100 yards rushing.  Over those last six games Furman has allowed only 65.1 rushing ypg over that span (2.19 ypc).

Furman Opponent Rushing Offense Last 6 Games (Yards Allowed vs. Avg. Entering Game)
The Citadel (39 vs. 128.4 ypg) 
Samford (51 vs. 130.2 ypg)
Western Carolina (84 vs. 222.0 ypg)
East Tennessee State (119 vs. 157.3 ypg)  
Chattanooga (68 vs. 148.4 ypg)
VMI (30 vs. 121.2 ypg)

A DRYSPELL WE LIKE

Furman hasn't surrendered a rushing touchdown since the 11:23 mark of the fourth quarter in the Paladins' 27-21 road win over Samford on Oct. 14 — five games ago. That's exactly 04:11:22 of clock time opponents haven't run the football across Furman's goal line. The Paladins have yielded eight rushing touchdowns in 10 games this year.

A DEEPER DIVE INTO THOSE RUSHING DEFENSE NUMBERS

Over the last 16 games (14-2), Furman has yielded only 88.7 yards per game rushing, 2.77 yards per rush, and just 11 rushing touchdowns to the opposition.

THIRD DOWN BLUES (FOR OPPONENTS)

Furman's defense has limited its last three opponents — East Tennessee State, Chattanooga, and VMI — to a combined 8-of-42 on third down conversions (.190).  For the season opponents have been successful on just 46 of 138 third down plays (.333) 

TURNING IT OVER ON DOWNS

Furman leads the SoCon and ranks eighth in the FCS in fourth down percentage defense (8x24, .333).

YOU GIVE, WE TAKE

In recording an interception and fumble recovery in the win over VMI, Furman now sports a season turnover differential of 20-6 (14 INTs, 6 FRs / 1 fumble, 5 INTs), giving the Paladins a +1.40 turnover margin, which leads the SoCon and ranks third in the FCS.

Furman leads the SoCon and is tied for fourth in the FCS with 14 interceptions.

The Paladins now have 49 takeaways (31 INTs, 18 FRs) over the last 23 games, which includes a FCS best 29 takeaways (17 INTs, 12 FRs) last year.

MAKING 'EM PAY

Furman has followed up the 49 takeaways over the last 23 games by scoring 189 points on the ensuing possessions, including five "pick sixes."  In its 10 games this year the Paladins have tallied 72 points off 20 opponent turnovers (7.2 ppg).

IMPRESSIVE STARTING DEBUT

Redshirt freshman quarterback Carson Jones followed up his outstanding play in the Paladins' 17-14 win over Chattanooga with an even more impressive performance in his first collegiate start against VMI, leading Furman to the 37-3 triumph.  Against the Keydets he connected on 18-of-23 passes for 226 yards and four touchdowns — virtually all of it coming in the first half while helping the Paladins to a 34-0 lead.  His touchdown strikes covered 14, 34, 12, and 34 yards.  He didn't play the fourth quarter.

NEW ENTRY FOR THE RECORD BOOK

Carson Jones became the first freshman quarterback in Furman history to throw four touchdown passes in his starting debut (18x23, 226 yds., 4 TDs) in the win over VMI.

JONES DELIVERS VERSUS CHATTANOOGA

Redshirt freshman quarterback Carson Jones delivered one of the most impactful performances of the 2023 season against Chattanooga, coming off the bench in the second quarter for the injured Tyler Huff to complete 14-of-27 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns in the Paladins' 17-14 win over 13th-ranked Mocs.  His connection with Wayne Anderson, Jr., on a nine-yard scoring strike with 1:44 left gave Furman its winning points and capped a nine-play, 50-yard drive that featured a pair of Jones third down conversion passes.  The victory over UTC earned the Paladins the SoCon championship and the league's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.  He was named SoCon Offensive Player of the Week.

IT HAD BEEN AWHILE

Prior to Carson Jones's heroics against Chattanooga, the last Furman freshman quarterback to come off the bench and account for a fourth quarter game winning touchdown (9-yard pass to Wayne Anderson, Jr., in 17-14 triumph over Chattanooga) was Jordan Sorrells, whose 19-yard TD pass to Brantley Kendall vs. Jacksonville State lifted the Paladins to a 17-13 win in 2006.

WHO'S THIS GUY?

Carson Jones' action against Chattanooga was his first since Sept. 23, when he played the final two series (1x2, -3 yards passing) in a 38-14 win over Mercer — a stretch of four games that he had not recorded playing time.

MR. VERSATILE: WAYNE ANDERSON, JR.

Wayne Anderson Jr., blocked a first half punt to set up a field goal and later scored the game winning TD on a nine-yard pass play with 1:44 to go in Furman's 17-14 SoCon title clinching road win over No. 13 Chattanooga.  Named SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week for his work against the Mocs, he followed up his performance against UTC by rushing 14 times for 56 yards in the win over VMI.  His effectiveness was evident in the Paladins' 29-17 road win over No. 8 Western Carolina, when he rushed eight times for 85 yards, including a 54-yard burst to set up a touchdown.  Anderson, who made the switch from wide receiver to running back earlier this year after injuries took out key backups Grant Robinson and Jayquan Smith, caught 39 passes for 396 yards and two touchdowns in 2022 as a wide receiver. His first three seasons he played running back.  He has rushed for 833 yards and eight touchdowns in his career.  He also owns a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Western Carolina (2022).

HE LIKES TO SEE THAT WESTERN CAROLINA PURPLE

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 the Paladins' 29-17 win over the Catamounts.  In four games versus WCU (3-1), Roberto has rushed 91 times for 656 yards (7.2 ypc) and eight touchdowns.

100-YARD GAME

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.

ROBERTO ON THE CHARTS

In rushing for 30 yards against VMI, Dominic Roberto upped his career total to 2,818 yards, good for eighth on Furman's career rushing ledger.  Next up in seventh place is former teammate Devin Wynn (2,960 yds., 2017-21).

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).

PLINE BECOMING A BIG FACTOR

Furman graduate tight end Mason Pline, all 6-foot-7, 260 pounds of him, has become a force for the Paladins over the last half of the season.  He's up to 21 catches for 219 yards and three touchdowns, his latest a 14-yard scoring grab that started the scoring versus VMI.  Two weeks ago his third down snag earned Furman a critical first down on the Paladins' nine-play, 50-yard game winning touchdown drive against FCS No. 13 Chattanooga, and he got Furman's scoring started with a 10-yard touchdown catch in a 29-17 win over No. 8 Western Carolina.  He played three years of basketball at Ferris State (Mich.) before switching to football, where he was a member of two D2 national championship teams.

DEAN BREAKS THROUGH

Graduate wide receiver Kyndel Dean has 65 receptions in two seasons as a Paladin, and he finally recorded his first touchdown catch with a 34-yard reception against VMI that gave Furman a 31-0 first half lead.  Dean scored his first touchdown at Furman on a 6-yard run in the season opening, 45-10 win over Tennessee Tech.

HINTON'S 2023 MIRRORS HARRIS' 2021

True freshman wide receiver Colton Hinton led Furman with four receptions for 61 yards and a 27-yard touchdown in the win over Chattanooga. Hinton's 26 catches for 287 yards and two touchdowns thru 10 games mirrors the true freshman campaign turned in by teammate Joshua Harris in 2021 (26 rec., 295 yds., TD).

HARRIS ON THE CHARTS

Joshua Harris is tied for 14th on Furman's career receptions chart with 110 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/112 rec.,1996-99).

SPREADING THE WEALTH

Furman's 192 pass completions this year have been distributed among 18 players, and nine Paladins own touchdown catches.  Quarterback Carson Jones' four touchdowns strike against VMi went to four different players.

HUFF CAPTURES ARMED FORCES MERIT AWARD

Furman quarterback Tyler Huff was named the recipient of the 2023 Armed Forces Merit Award, presented by the Football Writers Association of America, on Thursday, Nov. 9.  A 2022 graduate of Presbyterian (S.C.) College, where he was commissioned through ROTC as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves, Huff was selected from among a field of 46 nominees for the prestigious award. He will also  be recognized at the 2023 Lockheed Martin-Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 23. 

TYLER HUFF: WINNER

Furman has gone 18-3 in Tyler Huff's 21 starts at quarterback, 17-1 versus FCS foes (counting FBS transition Kennesaw State as FCS), and 13-0 against SoCon opposition.  He didn't play (injured) versus Samford in 2022 (34-27 loss) and was forced to exit games against Charleston Southern (24-19 win in 2022) and Chattanooga (17-14 win in 2022) due to injuries.  He did not dress versus VMI.

BIG GAME PERFORMANCE

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).

SOCON PLAYER OF THE WEEK

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.

FOUR RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS

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.

INTO THE RECORD BOOKS IN 2022

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.

BLOCKED KICKS IN THREE STRAIGHT GAMES

Caleb Williams' blocked punt against VMI marked Furman's third blocked kick in as many games and fourth of the season (2 FGs, 2 Punts), which is tied for seventh in the FCS.  The four blocked kicks this fall follow the FCS leading 10 blocked kicks (6 FGs, 2 PATs, 2 Punts) the Paladins posted in 2022, which included blocks in six consecutive games.  Jack Barton registered Furman's first blocked kick of 2023 when he deflected a 38-yard field goal attempt in the 38-14 win over Mercer on Sept. 23.  Barton picked up his second block this season when batted down a 43-yard attempt in the Paladins' 16-8 win over East Tennessee State.  He holds both Furman's season (4) and career record records (6) for blocked kicks.

GOING WHERE NO PLAYER HAS GONE BEFORE

Inside linebacker Braden Gilby made the 57th game appearance and 42nd start of his career against VMI.  The 57 games played is a Furman record.  His three-tackle performance in the 29-17 win over Western Carolina gave him 300 tackles in his career, and he has tallied  (now 325) — the most among active Paladins and just four shy of Furman's career Top 20 tackles ledger.  Mike Killian (329, 2001-04)is currently 20th, and William Freeman (331, 2002-05) 19th.

BLACKSHEAR RETURNS IN STYLE

After missing the East Tennessee State game following minor hand surgery, cornerback Travis Blackshear returned to the field in the victory over Chattanooga, recording a pair of tackles, a pass breakup, and an interception he returned out of the end zone for 46 yards to set up a fourth quarter Furman touchdown.  The pickoff was his third of the season and 12th of his career (three "pick-sixes), tying him for eighth on school's career ledger.

HE MAKES PLAYS

Spur Cally Chizik recorded his team leading fourth interception of the season and seventh of his career in the 16-8 win over East Tennessee State.  He registered a career high 13 tackles in the Paladins' 27-21 road win over Samford.

HE'S OUR JACK RYAN

All-SoCon free safety Hugh Ryan registered his 54th game appearance and 42nd start of his career against VMI.  Has had nine interceptions and 240 tackles in his career.

EIGHT STRAIGHT FOR WILLIAMS

Ian Williams continued his late season surge by converting all three field goal attempts and both PATs for 11 points in the win over VMI. He also deposited six of his eight kickoffs in then end zone for touchbacks.  His field goals covered 27, 49, and 36 yards to run his streak of consecutive makes to eight.  Three weeks ago he collected his second career SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week scroll against East Tennessee State after booting three field goals, including a career long 52-yard field goal — the fifth longest in Furman history.  He also has 41 touchbacks on 58 kickoffs this season.

Ian Williams two games versus ETSU (2022 & '23), which saw him named SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week in both 2022 (17-14 win) and 2023 (16-8 win); 5x5 FGs, 9x11 kickoff touchbacks