Furman vs. ETSU Game Notes & Stats

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Winners of its first two road games of the season, Furman returns home to Paladin Stadium this Saturday to take on East Tennessee State in a 2:00 p.m. Southern Conference showdown that will highlight Family Weekend at the university.

The contest, sponsored by BMW and live streamed via ESPN+, will also be televised over WHNS (Fox Carolina) 21.2, Spectrum 703, and many other cable systems serving the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia as part of Furman's new partnership with Palmetto Sports & Entertainment, announced earlier today.

The game is a designated "White Out" contest, and fans are asked to wear all white attire and pick up a white rally towel, courtesy of Century BMW, upon entry into Paladin Stadium.

Set to open at 11:00 a.m., the Furman Fan Zone, offering an energetic, fun pre-game atmosphere featuring food trucks, inflatables, tailgate games, tailgate opportunities, and beer & wine sales, will be located adjacent to the Paladin Statue in front of the stadium and also include live music on the Ingles Concert Stage beginning at noon.

In addition, the Wicked Weed Endzone Experience, slated to open at 12:30 p.m. and accessible from both the west and east stands, will feature food sales, as well as the outdoor brewery experience, while offering fans an up-close view of on-field action.

Furman (3-1, 1-0 SoCon), fresh off a 31-13 win over Samford in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, will look to notch its fourth consecutive victory over ETSU (2-3, 0-1 SoCon), its most recent coming a year ago, 24-21, against the 21st-ranked Buccaneers in Johnson City.  The Paladins lead the all-time series, 30-9, and are 17-3 versus ETSU in Greenville, including 14-2 in Paladin Stadium.

Trivia buffs will note Furman and East Tennessee State squared off in the first game in Paladin Stadium history — a 21-0 Furman victory on Sept. 19, 1981.  On Saturday fans of the purple and white will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Furman's 1985 Southern Conference championship and NCAA I-AA (FCS) runner-up team that went 12-2 and won 11 consecutive games, including a 42-20 triumph over N.C. State.

Furman's pursuit of another championship faces a huge challenge against a talented ETSU squad that could easily be 4-1 if not for disappointing late game turns in losses to West Georgia (35-31) and Mercer (38-34).  First-year head coach Will Healy will be out to reverse that trend with the help of a pair of assistant coaches with Furman ties — Patrick Covington, the Buccaneers' offensive line coach and 2005 Paladin All-American whose position coach was Paladin head coach Clay Hendrix, and Chad Staggs, ETSU's defensive coordinator who served in the same capacity for two years (2017-18) under Hendrix.

A quarter of the way through the regular season some things are clear about this edition of the Paladins. Among the notables is Furman's defensive line has displayed strength and depth, led by redshirt sophomore defensive end Joshua Stoneking, a two-time SoCon Defensive Player of the Week selection who leads the FCS in both tackles for-loss (10.0) and sacks (6.5).  The Paladins put Samford quarterbacks on the turf seven times and now have 14 sacks on the season after totaling 20 in 11 games a year ago.

Senior linebacker Luke McLaughlin has stepped up after taking over for the injured Ryan Earl.  In two starts (both wins), he's assumed the team lead in tackles (25) and been joined by redshirt sophomore Raleigh Herbert (20 tackles) in delivering effective play.  Herbert keyed the win over Samford with a 47-yard "pick-six" just before halftime — Furman's second interception return for a score this season.

A big key for Furman is what it can generate offensively against ETSU.  Sophomore quarterback Trey Hedden has demonstrated effectiveness through the air, completing 71.7 percent of his passes for 1,028 yards  and six touchdowns through four games, his latest effort being a 28-for-41 display for 272 yards and two scores against Samford.  He registered one of his best performances of the season (23x28, 210 yds., 2 TDs) in last year's win at ETSU.

Hedden's targets have been plentiful in the early going, led by freshman Evan James (32 rec., 379 yds., 2 TDs), graduate Kerry King (21 rec., 180 yds.), redshirt junior Ja'Keith Hamilton (14 rec., 164 yds., 2 TDs), and graduate tight end Joshua Burrell (13 rec., 75 yds., TD).

In a league blessed with excellent specialists, Furman may very well have the best in Ian Williams, who has converted 7-of-9 field goals, averaged 44.5 yards per punt, and deposited 19 of 24 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks this season.  Williams has enjoyed particular success in his career versus ETSU, having earned a pair of SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week scrolls (2022 & '23) on the strength of 6-of-6 field goal work.

In addition to television and streaming options, Saturday's game 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 can also follow the action through Furman-powered StatBroadcast live stats, accessible via FurmanPaladins.com, and receive timely updates through the @FurmanPaladins "X" platform.

The Game: East Tennessee State Buccaneers (2-3, 0-1 SoCon) vs. Furman Paladins (3-1, 1-0 SoCon)
Game Sponsor: BMW
Date: Saturday, October 4, 2025
Site: Greenville, S.C. (Paladin Stadium, on the campus of Furman University)
Kickoff: 2:02 PM ET
TV/Video Stream: WHNS (Fox Carolina) 21.2, 703 Spectrum/ESPN+ (Brock Bowling, pbp), Cole Neely (analyst)
Radio: Van Wagner/Furman Sports Network (The Fan Upstate: 97.7 FM/1330 AM, Greenville; 97.1 FM/950 AM, Spartanburg); Audacy.com; FurmanPaladins.com: Dan Scott (pbp), David Cobb (analyst); Tom Van Hoy (spotter/pre-game & halftime host)
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased online 24/7 at www.furmanpaladins.com, the Paladin Stadium Box Office, located at the Defenders Gate, and at the East Stands Box Office of Paladin Stadium beginning at Noon.  All tickets are mobile and fans should have their cell number ready when purchasing at the stadium. Tickets will be texted to walk-up buyers. Most major credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay are accepted. All ticket sales are final. No exchanges. No refunds.