CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Ben Croasdale's 40-yard fourth quarter touchdown run helped power Furman to a 24-14 Southern Conference victory over The Citadel on Saturday at Johnson Hagood Stadium.
The win, the sixth straight for Furman (3-7, 2-4 SoCon) over The Citadel (2-8, 0-6 SoCon) in the 106
th meeting in the SoCon's oldest series, halted the Paladins' six-game losing streak and improved head coach
Clay Hendrix's record against the Bulldogs to 8-2.
With Furman leading 17-14 in the fourth quarter, Paladin linebacker
Raleigh Herbert and All-American defensive end
Joshua Stoneking combined to sack Bulldog quarterback Nick Billoups on third down for a seven-yard loss to the The Citadel 8-yard line, forcing a punt.
Furman, which took over at the Bulldogs' 49, faced a 3
rd-and-1 at the 40, where on third down Croasdale sliced off right guard and made a move to daylight on the way to a 40-yard touchdown run for a 24-14 lead with 5:22 to go.
Croasdale rushed 24 times for 109 yards and scored three touchdowns. His first tally came on a 1-yard first quarter plunge that tied the game at 7-7, and his second score, set by a
Caldwell Bussey fumble recovery at the Citadel 9, came on a 3-yard connection from quarterback
Jake Garcia on a fourth-and-goal play that gave Furman a 14-7 lead with 33 seconds remaining in the first period.
Furman went up 17-7 on its first possession of the second half, using 12 plays and three penalties on The Citadel that resulted in first downs, to cover 57 yards for
Nathan Chapman's 20-yard field goal.
Garcia, making his first start since suffering a shoulder injury on Sept. 19 versus S.C. State, completed 15-of-24 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.
The Citadel outgained Furman 361-237.
Herbert led Furman defensively with 16 tackles.
Furman plays Chattanooga next Saturday at Paladin Stadium in a 1:00 p.m. contest.
