Greenville, S.C. – Furman's defense recorded seven tackles-for-loss and held Anderson to just six rushing yards and 160 yards of total offense as the Paladins downed the Trojans, 20-3, in the season opener for both teams Thursday night at Paladin Stadium.
The Paladin offense grinded out 268 yards on the ground and outgained the Trojans 451-160 to claim the first meeting between the schools.
CJ Nettles led the Furman rushing attack with 99 yards on 10 carries, including a 47-yard burst in the first half, while quarterback
Jake Garcia added 183 passing yards and 51 yards on the ground.
After
Nathan Chapman connected on a 40-yard field goal to give Furman a 3-0 lead with 7:10 left in the first half,
Ben Croasdale reached the endzone on a four-yard rush to extend the Paladin lead to 10-0 with 3:02 on the clock. Anderson answered with a 28-yard Ross Burnette field goal, but Croasdale plunged into the end zone on the final play of the first half to cap a nine-play, 73-yard drive as Furman carried a 17-3 lead into the locker room.
Furman limited the Trojans to only 30 yards of offense in the second half and Chapman converted on a 30-yard kick with 9:05 remaining for the final 20-3 margin.
Eli Lipscomb compiled six tackles, including three tackles-for-loss, a sack, and two quarterback hurries for the Paladins while
Raleigh Herbert added six tackles. Freshman
Braylon Peebles broke up two passes in the Furman secondary.
The Paladins (1-0) are back in action on Saturday, September 5, when they travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to face the Tennessee Volunteers. Kickoff at Neyland Stadium is slated for 3:30 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
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