Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Preseason Previews: Game #7 - Furman Paladins



For the Catamount's seventh game of the season, Western Carolina returns to Cullowhee to face the Furman Paladins for the 2023 football edition of The Battle for Purple Supremacy.

Coming off a 10-3 season in 2022, the Paladins come to the mountains having been selected to finish the season number one in both the SoCon coaches and media polls.  

Game #7  Furman Paladins





When: Saturday, October 21, 2023
Time:  2:30 pm EST
WhereBob Water Field, Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
     -announcers:  Gary Ayers, Daniel Hooker, Jeff Bryson
TV/video: ESPN+ 
Furman Message Board GoPaladins

The Series:  The Cats are 13-35-2 overall against the Paladins in the series that started back in 1972. The Cats had lost 5 in a row to the Paladins, a string that was broken in the 2021 season with a 43-42 win in Whitmire Stadium.  The Cats are 7-11-1 in games played in Cullowhee

Game Notes:   Western Carolina    -     Furman

The last game played vs. Furman:  Oct. 15, 2022  - Valiant Fourth-Quarter Rally Falls Just Short at Furman, 47-40 - Western Carolina's valiant fourth-quarter rally came up just five yards short on Saturday as the Catamounts fought back to a one-score affair, suffering a 47-40 loss to the Furman Paladins in Southern Conference action at Paladin Stadium. Freshman back-up quarterback Cole Gonzales orchestrated three fourth-quarter scoring drives, capping drives with a nine-yard TJ Jones rushing score and tossing touchdown passes of 42 and 69 yards to classmate Censere Lee as the Catamounts clawed back to within a score, 44-40, with 2:18 to play. WCU's defense limited the Paladins to a field goal on the ensuing possession setting up a frantic finish. .

Head CoachClay Hendrix - Introduced as Furman’s new head football coach on December 19, 2016, Clay Hendrix in five seasons has reinvigorated a Paladin football program accustomed to success. Hendrix, a former standout Paladin offensive guard and assistant coach who returned to his alma mater following a decade as an assistant coach at the US Air Force Academy, directed Furman to an 8-5 campaign and Football Championship (FCS) playoff appearance in 2017.

Record At Furman:  41-26 (.612), 6 Years
Overall Record: Same 
Record vs. SoCon: 32-15

Hendrix vs. Western Carolina: 5-1
Bell vs. Furman:  1-1

Last Season's Record (Furman 2022): 10-3 overall, 5-1 home, 5-2 away, 7-1 in the SoCon 

Offensive Formation:  Multiple 
Starters: Returning/Lost: 8 / 11

Defensive Formation:   3-4
Starters: Returning/Lost: 10 / 11

The Paladins were picked to finish #1 in the SoCon preseason polls (tied with Samford in the coaches poll and #1 pick in the media poll), and 15 Paladins picked up preseason all-conference honors (coaches & media), seven first-team and eight-second team. 

Offense - The Paladins return 18 starters from last year’s squad that went two rounds into the playoffs, losing by only three points to Incarnate Word. Furman fielded a very balanced offense last season, putting up 213 rushing yards and 209 yards per game passing. Eight starters are back for the offense, led by Tyler Huff at quarterback. While the passing attack lost tight end Ryan Miller, three very good wide receivers return in Joshua Harris, Kyndel Dean, and Wayne Anderson.  Dominic Roberto, a very physical running back who had 197 carries for 1,120 yards and 11 TDs. Three starters return on the o-line in Wyatt Hughes and Furman also added transfer Fred Norman Jr. in the offseason, a multi-year starter at e ETSU.

Defense - The Furman defense return 10 starters from last season that only allowed 20,2 points per game, ranking them in the top 10 FCS scoring defenses. Furman defended the run well last season, allowing only 116 yards per game, however, the pass defense was not as good, giving up  272 yards per game, ranking them at #115 in the subdivision in the pass defense. 



2022 Furman Statistics  (13 games)
Rushing Offense: 2767 yards
Yards per game: 212.8
Yards per rush: 5.1 yards
Rushing 1st downs: 135
TDs rushing: 29
Passing Offense: 2718 yards or 209 yards per game
Avg. per pass: 10.6 yards
Passing 1st downs: 124
Passing Att-Comp-Int: 382-259-9
TDs Passing: 20
Total Offense: 5485 yards or 422 ypg
3d Down Conversions: 86 of 198  (43.4%)
4th Down Conversions: 7  of  17  (41.2%)
Field Goal-Attempts  18 of 21
On-side kicks: 0 of 0
Red Zone Scores: 48 of 54 
Red Zone Touchdowns: 34 of 54
Avg per punt:  39.6 yards
Fumbles-Lost: 15 - 11



 


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