Furman vs. William & Mary Game Notes

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman kicks off its 2025 football season on Saturday when it plays host to William & Mary in a 2:00 p.m. ET contest at Paladin Stadium on campus.

The game, which opens the 120th gridiron season for Furman and marks the first of six home contests, is sponsored by Ingles Markets and will be streamed via ESPN+ and aired over 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 will mark the 17th meeting in a series that is tied 8-8. The Paladins and Tribe, former Southern Conference rivals, have met only twice on the gridiron this century, the latest coming a year ago in a game William & Mary won, 34-24, in Williamsburg.  The last time the two schools squared off in Greenville was in 2000, in a contest the Paladins claimed, 34-10, behind a 232-yard, two-touchdown performance by Louis Ivory, who would go on to capture the Walter Payton Award (top FCS player) that season.  Among the 16 clashes between Furman and William & Mary was a 1989 FCS (formerly NCAA I-AA) first round playoff clash in Greenville, which the Paladins won, 24-10.

Furman, which looks to bounce back from a 3-8 campaign a year ago, returns 14 starters (of 24 positions considered) and 40 lettermen. A total of 22 players count career starting experience as Paladins.  The program is composed of 116 players, including 14 graduates, nine seniors, 14 juniors, 29 sophomores, and 50 freshmen.

Five Paladins earned preseason all-conference recognition, including four first team picks — redshirt junior offensive tackle Eli Brasher, sophomore tight end Jackson Pryor, redshirt sophomore linebacker Ryan Earl, and graduate placekicker Ian Williams.  Redshirt senior offensive guard Luke Petit garnered second team recognition.

Williams, arguably the top triple threat specialist in the FCS (placekicker, kickoffs, punts), was named to the Stats Perform Preseason FCS All-America first team as a placekicker, while Petit landed second team honors.

Another key returnee is sophomore quarterback Trey Hedden, who passed for 1,767 yards and 13 touchdowns a year ago, including 264 yards and two scores versus William & Mary.

Hedden was among eight Paladins selected to the 2024 SoCon All-Freshman Team that also featured Pryor (16 rec., 239 yds., 2 TDs), Earl (49 tack., 5.5 TFL, FF, 2 PBU), running back Gavin Hall (64 rushes, 321 yds., TD), defensive tackle Caldwell Bussey (15 tack., 3.5 sacks, FF), safety Billy Lewis (37 tack., 3 3 INT, 8 PBU), and long snapper Riley Smith — all of whom return.

Several graduate transfers figure to play prominent roles, particularly in the secondary, where three are listed as probable starters on Saturday.  The trio includes cornerbacks Keon Jones (Prarie View A&M) and A.J. Seay (North Alabama), and safety Taylen Blaylock (Lindenwood).

Furman is under the direction of head coach Clay Hendrix '86, who is entering his ninth season at the helm and 32nd year of service to his alma mater. He sports a 54-37 overall record and 41-21 SoCon worksheet as the Paladins' mentor.

The Game: William & Mary Tribe (0-0) vs. Furman Paladins (0-0)
Game Sponsor: Ingles
Date: Saturday, August 30, 2025
Site: Greenville, S.C. (Paladin Stadium, on the campus of Furman University)
Kickoff: 2:02 PM ET
TV/Video Stream: 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.