Furman vs. Wofford Game Notes

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Georgia and Auburn may claim the Deep South's Oldest Football Rivalry (1893), but the Furman-Wofford squabble predates it by four years, having begun in 1889.

Saturday's noon clash between the Paladins and Terriers at Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg will represent the 99th contest between the Upstate foes.  Furman leads the series 56-35-7, but Wofford has won the last two — both by identical 19-13 scores.

In addition to Nexstar Network and ESPN+ streaming options, the contest will be aired over Furman flagship The Fan Upstate and its four powerhouse stations: 97.7 FM/1330 AM in Greenville, and 97.1 FM/950 AM in Spartanburg.  Broadcasts can be secured via Audacy.com, as well as through FurmanPaladins.com.

Fans may also follow the action through Wofford-driven Sidearm live stats, accessible via FurmanPaladins.com, and receive timely updates through the @FurmanPaladins "X" and Furman Football Facebook platforms.

At the halfway point of the season the Paladins (4-2, 2-1 SoCon) and Terriers (1-5, 0-2 SoCon) already have compiled a stocked resumé of close games.  Four of Furman's six results have decided by a total of 16 points, while eight combined points have been the difference in four of Wofford's five losses.  The Paladins' 31-13 win over Samford on Sept. 13, and the Terriers' 31-14 triumph over Norfolk State last week in Spartanburg are the only outliers in terms of double digit-point wins.  Both teams wear one big loss — Wofford's being a 38-6 loss to Virginia Tech and Furman's a 52-7 defeat at the hand of Western Carolina last week in Cullowhee.

Needless to say Furman will look for a major rebound this Saturday, but to do so head coach Clay Hendrix's squad will have to somehow get past a concentrated injury situation that has claimed its top two receivers over the last three games.  Freshman Evan James (32 rec., 379 yds., 2TDs) suffered a shoulder injury against Samford, and last Saturday Ja'Keith Hamilton (26 rec., 324 yds., 4 TDs), fresh from a career high 11-reception, two-touchdown performance against East Tennessee State, exited early in the first quarter with an ankle injury.

The absence of James and Hamilton, along with that of preseason All-SoCon tight end Jackson Pryor, who has been on the shelf for the last three games, will force the Paladins to alternative means of attack with quarterback Trey Hedden at the helm.  Hedden, who has thrown for 1,594 yards and nine scores this year, will likely turn to Kerry King (25 rec., 184 yds.), tight end Joshua Burrell (21 rec., 158 yds., 2 TDs), and Ethan Harris (21 rec., 223 yds.).

Help from the running game, where Gavin Hall (376 yds., 2 TDs) leads, would be welcomed, as will better ball security following last week's five-turnover affair at Western Carolina.

Furman's defense, which delivered solid play in the wins over William & Mary, Campbell, Samford, and ETSU, failed to sustain a first quarter shutout against the Catamounts.  Still, enough quality play has been demonstrated already this fall to know the Paladins are capable on any Saturday, and looking to lead that effort will be redshirt sophomore defensive end Joshua Stoneking, who continues to pace the FCS in both sacks (10.5) and tackles for-loss (14.5).