After a promising victory in the previous week, the Paladins faltered on Saturday, Sept. 21, losing on the road to the #13 William & Mary Tribe, 34-24. Despite the loss, Furman proved competitive against a highly-ranked opponent as they prepare for Southern Conference play this Saturday, Sept. 28 at home against arch-rival Samford.
With many games left, Furman still has a chance to succeed in the SoCon realm they have dominated in the last two seasons. However, if they want to hoist the championship trophy in November, they must limit turnovers and make crucial open-field tackles. The Paladins have sacrificed eight turnovers in their first four games and struggled to tackle the Tribe’s elusive quarterback-running back duo.
The Paladins shocked the Tribe early with redshirt senior bandit Luke Clark’s interception on the first play. The interception led to a one-handed touchdown catch by sophomore tight end Brock Chappell to open the scoring. Later in the quarter, an 84-yard touchdown pass from freshman QB Trey Hedden to sophomore wide receiver Colton Hinton put the Dins back on top. However, William & Mary shut down Furman in the second quarter, which became crucial later in the game.
The Tribe began a nuanced rushing attack, leaving the Paladin defense guessing whether Tribe QB Darrius Wilson would keep it himself or hand it off to running back Bronson Yoder. The Paladins also struggled to tackle these two elusive players, leading them to combining for 321 rushing yards throughout the game. Although the Paladins trimmed the Tribe’s lead to 27-24 late in the game, it was not enough as the Tribe marched 75 yards in eleven plays to stamp the win with a final score of 34-24.
The loss dropped Furman to a 1-3 overall record as they begin SoCon play this week against the Samford Bulldogs. The Paladins and Bulldogs have exchanged victories over the past two seasons — Furman lost at home in 2022 but triumphed on the road at Samford in 2023. If history is an indicator, fans should expect this game to be very close.
If the Dins are going to win this game, they must first stop the Bulldogs’ heavily relied-on running back, Damonta Witherspoon. Aside from Witherspoon, Samford runs a heavy run-pass-option scheme called the “Air Raid.” Samford’s version includes many pre-snap motions and short “check-down” passes, relying on after-catch production from their wide receivers. The Air Raid offense will force the Paladin defense to make quick decisions and pre-snap adjustments.
On offense, the Dins must do an “Air Raid” of their own: pass the ball and dominate time of possession. If they can wear out the Bulldog secondary through the air, it will open up the playbook for offensive coordinator Justin Roper to dial up running plays for redshirt senior running back Myion Hicks, redshirt senior Grant Robinson, or freshman Gavin Hall. Fans can head to Paladin Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 2 p.m. to see Furman take on Samford.
