A Detailed History of Furman Football to ever suit up on the defensive side of the football for the Paladins, causing many to recall the days of another of those lightning-quick safeties, in John Keith, who hit opposing receivers and 2014 Furman Football Preview running backs like a freight train. The same can obviously be said of Worthy, who was quite When Furman takes the field for the first time in 2014 against Gardner-Webb on simply a playmaker on the defensive side of the ball for the Paladins. Aug. 30, they will do so as the 13-time Southern Conference champions, which is something no other program in the Southern Conference has accomplished. Worthy have all a glimpse of that ability to turn a game and the momentum in the Paladins’ favor when he decked Wofford running back Lorenzo Ferguson, forcing the ball free and it would The 2013 season saw the Paladins complete the campaign in grand style, and after starting the be Worthy who made the fumble recovery for the Paladins. The turnover had been perfect final month of the regular-season with just a 3-5 mark, not many could have envisioned the timing for the Paladin defense, which had seen Wofford have success running the football up campaign would end with a Southern Conference title and a trip to the postseason for the first the middle for most of the afternoon. time since 2006 as the automatic qualifier from the Southern Conference. The hit, which was so foreful that the ball immediately fly free and into Ira McCune’s waiting In 2014, the Paladins will have a different challenge ahead of them, as fourth-year head Bruce arms, and the play turned out to be the turning point in a game Furman had to win to have shot Fowler must manage the highest expectations a Furman team has had since he took over the at a 13th Southern Conference title, as the Paladins had trailed 14-0 prior to that point and had post prior to the 2011 season. just seen a promising drive thwarted by a Wofford INT. Already the Paladins have seen some negatives emerge early in the spring, as two key starters The 6-1, 215-pound redshirt senior proved to be one of the greatest athletes to ever put on among the 17 returning have been removed from the team by Fowler, as both defensive back a Purple jersey in Greenville, and though there were some down years for Furman football, Jairus Hollman and center Eric Thoni have both been removed from the team due to violations of Worthy was especially instrumental in getting the Paladins back to the level of eliciting fear to school policy. No doubt the two losses are ones that will be felt for a team expected to challenge opponsing wide receivers when they thought about crossing the middle against the Paladin for a 14th Southern Conference crown this fall. defensive backs, and in particular, their contingent of safeties. Hollman is a significant loss for the Paladins heading into the 2014 season, as the loss of a In 2013, Worthy would be helped out in his defensive backfield post by both Nickel safety Jairus defensive back will be the one felt most. After all, Hollman helped win two games for the Hollman and free safety Marcus McMorris, although McMorris would be moved to outside Paladins by himself last season, scoring a pair of TDs in the playoff win over South Carolina State, linebacker towards the end of the season, maximizing his potential in the Paladin defense to an setting a school-record with a 90-yard return for a score against the Bulldogs, while his 34-yard even greater degree. INT return for the score in third quarter helped the Paladins get a little bit of a cushion in what was a tight game. The losses at the skill positions were few, but the Paladin coaching staff will have the burden of replacing a reliable, physical receiver in Ryan Culbreath, who could not only make the clutch Hollman also blocked a potential game-winning field goal attempt against Presbyterian last, catch when called upon to do so, but also get out there and make the key block for teammates which ended up winning the game for the Paladins. Without Hollman last year, the Paladins down field. would have likely been minus two victories. For the second-staight season, the Paladins must replace their starting tight end, as Camerron Despite the losses of the two players, the Paladins should still be very good in 2014. Most of Mason has graduated, and unlike his predecessor, who was one of the greatest pass-catching the excitement for the Paladin coaching staff involves the defense, which should be among the tight ends to ever suit up for the Paladins, in Colin Anderson, Mason was seemingly excelled as best in FCS this fall, and could be the best defensive unit the Paladins have fielded since 2011, or a pass-blocker. even perhaps, since 2006. Anderson was a supreme athlete, and it would show all four years as a reliable pass-catching It will be hard to expect the Paladins to enjoy the same type of success in turning teams over option for the Paladins. Anderson came to Furman as a quarterback, however, with the position this season like they did in 2014, as the Paladins ranked ninth nationally in turnover margin (), stocked with talent, Anderson was to be better utilized in the Furman offense, and that role enjoying one of the best seasons in school history in terms of turning teams over. turned out to be tight end, where he lit up defenses to the tune of 1,541 receiving yards on 90 catches, which included a school-record 11 scoring catches for TDs. The Paladin offense weren’t world-beaters last season, but the unit didn’t have to be, as Furman did a nice job of playing to their strength. The Paladins know what they have with starter Reese The Paladins will keep with that theme this season, with Duncan Fletcher converting from Hannon under center, which is a signal-caller that doesn’t make many mistakes and one that quarterback to tight end. Fletcher--a freshman last fall--starting twice, and came off the puts the Paladin offense in good stead almost every time he got his hands on the ball last bench to complete all three passes, including a 44-yarder to Gary Robinson, which set up the season. game-winning score. It was the characteristic of Hannon, coupled with the sure foot of 2013 senior Ray Early that With Fletcher’s athleticism, size and hands, he will be an asset to the Paladin passing attack helped the Paladins post a conversion rate of 80% last season. not too much different than Anderson, and tight ends coach Duane Vaughn, who has been an outstanding asset to the Furman coaching staff in his own respect, is hoping the same proves Early may indeed be the biggest loss for the Paladins--even a bigger loss than Hollman or Wor- true for Fletcher this fall. Furman has had a tradition of producing top-notch tight ends, and are thy on the defensive side of the ball, and perhaps, dare I say it, a bigger loss than losing Dakota an FCS program that is among the elite when consistently producing elite talent at the position. Dozier to graduation at left tackle. Despite some significant losses--some expected and some of the recent ones un-foreseen, the The senior from Darlington, S.C., was sensational as a senior, with his 249-career kick points Paladins will continue to adhere to the same mantras, which are get up and fight when things ranking third all-time in program history in kick scoring, and his six field goals in a 32-20 win don’t go according to play, and the next man up approach, which was never more evident than at Western Carolina helped him put his name atop the Paladin single game field goals mark, how the Paladins responded to the multitude of injuries at quarterback last season. eclipsing the five connected on by former Paladin great Glen Connally in 1990 in a win at East Tennessee State. The six field goals by Early against the Catamounts also tied a Southern Conference record. REVIEWING 2013 IN PICTURES: Early’s 20 field goals in the 2013 season were the most in a single season in school history, as Week 1: Aug. 31, 2013 Gardner-Webb 28 he eclipsed the previous standard of 18 field goals in a single-season, surpassing the previous Furman 21 standard set by Mike Wood. He finished 43-for-59 on field goals for his career, including a For Greg Worthy and the Furman perfect mark of 4-for-4 from 50-plus yards in his standout career. Paladfins, it wasn’t quite the start to the season that a young football Dozier, who might have been the best offensive lineman to ever line up on a fall Saturday after- team had hoped for, as the Paladins noon for the Purple and White, was rewarded this past May, as he was a fourth-round selection dropped a 28-21 decision to the Gard- of the New York Jets, going as the 37th pick in the round. Dozier’s selection helped him become ner-Webb Bulldogs, after holding a the 31st player in the history of the Furman football program to be drafted into the NFL. 21-7 lead early in the third quarter. The Paladins would start the season He was the sixth player from the FCS to be chosen in the NFL Draft, as well as being the second with a true freshman signal-caller from the Southern Conference in the draft this past spring. Dozier was more than significant for under center for the first time since the Paladins during his four years as a Paladin, helping pave the way for 1,000-yard rushers in 1956, with Dillon Woodruff getting each of his final three seasons as a Paladin. Dozier was a consensus All-American and was the the start in start of sophomore SoCon’s Jacobs Blocking Award member. Reese Hannon, who was nursing a strained oblique in the final week of The Paladins also must replace All-SoCon safety Greg Worthy, who was one of the fastest playe preseason camp. A Detailed History of Furman Football Chattanooga 31 2014 Furman Football Preview Furman 9 Week 6: Oct. 12, 2013 Duncan Fletcher would start his sec- #23 Co. Carolina 35 Week 2: Sept. 7, 2013 ond-straight game in place of regular Furman 28 starter Reese Hannon, who left the On the road for the second week in lineup in the win over The Citadel, a row to begin the 2013 season, the and he would be overwhelmed, get- Paladins would run into a prolific ting sacked six times in what turned offense, but the Paladins would out to be Furman’s second-worst loss have their leader back under center, to an FCS opponent. The Paladin of- and put forth an inspired effort fense struggled against the talented against the Chanticleers, out-gaining UTC defense, which limited Furman to Coastal, 472-433, however, for the a season-low 189 yards. The Paladins second-straight week, the Paladins got an outstanding performance from would come out on the short end of place-kicker Ray Early, who garnered the scoreboard, with a 35-27 setback. SoCon Special Teams Player of the It would be the start of a long Week after his three FGs vs. UTC. confidence building process for the Paladins, and it would be the third loss in as many seasons to CCU. Furman 27 Week 7: Oct. 19, 2013 Appalachian State 10 It would mark the final meeting Furman 21 between Furman and Appalachian Week 3: Sept. 14, 2013 Presbyterian 20 State as FCS and Southern Conference Furman would pick up its first win members, and it would the Paladins of the 2013 season in its home that would get the final say in a series opemer against Presbyterian, but of matchups that has featured some it would take a blocked potential truly classic games, which has colored game-winning 23-yard field goal by the hsitory of both programs’ football Jairus Hollman with just 18 seconds histories. A 98-yard INT return for a remaining, as the Paladins would score by Gary Wilkins established the claim their 15th-straight win over momentum, and it would prove to Palmetto State rival Presbyterian. be not only a momentum-changing Offensively, the Paladins would not play for the game against the Black reach the 300-yard plateau on the and Gold, but it would prove to be a day, and would struggle to maintain momentum changer for the rest of any sort of rhythm, however, Hank the season. McCloud managed to rush for 102 yards and a pair of scores to lead the No. 13 LSU 48 FU offense. Furman 16 Week 8: Oct. 26, 2013 Taking on one of the most versatile Furman 24 offenses in college football, Furman The Citadel 17 Week 4: Sept. 28, 2013 certainly acquitted itself well in Furman would pick up its first road the opening half, and even had a victory of the 2013 season in dramat- chance to take the lead heading into ic fashion, as the Paladins used an the locker room, but had to settle opportunistic offense, and had three for a Ray Early field goal, which left different quarterbacks take snaps the Paladins trailing by only four under center before leaving the Port (20-16) as the two teams entered the City with a dramatic 24-17 victory. halftime locker room. The Paladins The story of the game for the Paladins got out to the early lead when was backup quarterback Duncan Reggie Thomas picked off a Zach Fletcher, who finished the game by Mettenberger pass and returned it 74 completring all three of his passes, yards for a score, giving the Paladins including a 44-yarder to Gary Rob- their only lead of the night. inson, which eventually set up the game-winning score for the Paladins on a 13-yd run by Tanner Skogen. Furman 16, Week 9: Nov. 2 , 2013 Georgia Southern 14 Furman made it two-for-two against Elon 28, teams moving from the FCS to FBS Week 5: Oct. 5, 2013 Furman 25 following the 2013 season, as the In the last meeting between Furman Paladins went on the road and posted and Elon as Southern Conference a memorable 16-14 win over bitter members, the Paladins fell behind arch-rival Georgia Southern. It would 28-10 and would stage a furious snap a three-game losing streak to rally in the second half, but despite the Eagles, and marked the Paladins’ out-scoring the Phoenix 15-0 in the first win in Statesboro since 2009. second half, could not overcome The Paladins electrified the small, but first-half miscues, which included vocal contingent that made the trip a Chandler Wrightenberry pick six, from Greenville on the game’s very leading to a somewhat stunning first play, as Andrej Suttles hauled in halftime scoreline. The Paladins got a 75-yard scoring catch from running another outstanding performance back Tanner Skogen on a little from junior running back Hank razzle-dazzle play. McCloud, who finished the day with 116 rushing yards. A Detailed History of Furman Football Furman 34, No. 20 FCS Second Round Week 10: Nov. 9 , 2013 Samford 17 Week 14: Dec. 4, 2013 No. 1 NDSU 38, Furman kept its momentum No. 25 Furman 7 going in the final month of the Furman’s magical ride in 2013 season regular-season, as the Paladins took would come to an end against down Southern Conference leader eventual two-time defending Samford, keeping alive their dream of national champion North Dakota winning a 13th Southern Conference State, as the Paladins dropped a 38-7 title on a Homecoming Saturday in decision at the FargoDome in Fargo, Greenville. The story of the game was North Dakota. The Paladins certainly a Furman defense that kept the heat had chances to take the lead into the on a pass-happy Samford offense, halftime locker room, but a goal line and senior quarterback Andy Sum- stand by a stout Bison defense kept merlin. At the center of that defensive the Paladin offense at bay, as the half performance, who played outside wound down, and the Paladins went linebacker and garnered national to the break trailing just player of the week honors.

The Furman Offense: Furman 32, W. Carolina 20 Week 11: Nov. 16 , 2013 The 2014 season brings about high hopes for the Furman offense, and although The Paladins edged a step closer to the numbers put up by the unit weren’t something that would strike fear into the opponents a Southern Conference title with a faced by the Paladins in 2013, the unit was the model of efficiency led by quarterbackReese 32-21 win over Western Carolina in Hannon (153-of-254 passing, 1,748 yards, 7 TDs, 5 INTs),, who heads into his junior season as the Paladins’ final road game of the the Paladins’ starter under center. 2013 regular-season. The story of the night was Ray Early, who set a Hannon is among eight starters returning for the Paladins on the offensive side of the football school-record and tied a Southern for the 2014 season, with all but one receiver returning to the fold and all three leading rushers Conference record with six field goals coming back in the backfield. Three are back on the offensive line, with starters Dakota Dozier in the hard-fought win. The Pakadubs and Eric Thoni having to be replaced at left tackle and center, respectively. aksi got an important 146 rushing yards from Richard Hayes III, which All told, the Paladins are coming off a 2013 season which saw it average just 22.7 PPG and 318.3 was the second-highest rushing total YPG, but again, those somewhat low averages don’t take into account the efficiency with which by a Furman quarterback in program the offense displayed last fall. It was, in particular, a good season rushing the football for the history. With Samford’s win over UTC, Paladins, which is a must in the Southern Conference. an FU win over Wofford meant it would share the league title. In total offense, the 318.3 YPG would rank Furman seventh in the SoCon and 102nd nationally, while the 22.7 PPG ranked fourth in the SoCon and 81st nationally among FCS teams in scoring offense. The Paladins also ranked fourth in the SoCon and 95th nationally in passing offense, Furman 27, No. 25 averaging 170.4 YPG through the air last fall. Week 12: Nov. 23 , 2013 Wofford 14 Furman would claim its first Southern It’s a conference which almost demands a balanced offense, and last season, the Paladins Conference title since 2001, as the averaged a solid 149.3 YPG on the ground, producing a 1,000-yard rusher for the third-consec- Paladins were 27-14 victors over utive season. Those totals helped the Paladins rank fourth in the SoCon and 79th nationally in Palemtto and Upper State rival total offense. Wofford, but had to come from behind to get the win. Reese Hannon Hannon now enters his junior season with hopes of leading Furman even further he did in his would put up a career-high 326 second season as a starter, as he was the main cog in helping the Paladins lift the program’s yards and tossed a TD in leading the 13th Southern Conference title, as well as win their first playoff game since 2006. Paladins to the win. The win gave the Paladins their 13th Southern The Greer, S.C., product isn’t a quarterback that is going to put up huge numbers under center, Conference title, and would put the and he isn’t going to be the most recognizable figure of the Paladin offense like predecessors program alone in first place for most Ingle Martin or Chris Forcier might have been. He doesn’t have a well-advertised, big arm, or Southern Conference titles won. The track speed, but what he does bring the Paladin offense is accuracy in the passing attack, and win, coupled with Samford’s win extreme, almost error-free efficiency in his understanding of the Furman offense. over Elon, qualified Furman for the FCS playoff for the 16th time. One of the most important things for a quarterback is to play within himself, and Hannon does that perhaps better than any quarterback than any quarterback in the history of the Furman FCS First Round football program. Furman 30, No. 24 SC State 20 Week 13: Nov. 30, 2013 The Paladins were 0-3 against Elon, Chattanooga and Gardner-Webb without the services of In the FCS playoffs for the first time Hannon last season, but were an impressive 8-3 in games he started. Hannon took over the since 2006, the Paladins claimed a starting job for Furman after Dakota Derrick went down with a shoulder injury in the Paladins’ postseason berth, and the Paladins second game of the 2012 season, and since putting on a dazzling, 255-yard, three touchdown headed down to Orangeburg for the performance, he has never looked back in his role as a starter, only relinquishing the job because opening round of the postseason to of injuries since. battle No. 24 South Carolina State. It was the first meeting between The Paladins are 0-5 over the past two seasons in games Hannon did not start, and 0-4 in games the Paladins and Bulldogs since the in which he did not see any action. In his first couple of seasons under center for the Paladins, 1998 season, and it marked Furman’s Hannon has connected on 313-of-514 passes for 3,644 yards, with 14 TDs and 13 INTs. In 2013, first trip to Orangeburg since the Hannon connected on 153-of-254 passes for 1,748 yards, with seven TDs and five INTs. Hannon 1997 season. With the playoff game led Furman to the program’s first Southern Conference title since 2004, first playoff appearance against the Bulldogs, it came as a since 2006 and first playoff victory since 2005. little bit of a surprise for Furman, which is slated for the 2014 season. Hannon also became the youngest quarterback, according to class, to lead Furman to a Jairus Hollman set a record in the Southern Conference title as a sophomore signal-caller since Frankie DeBusk led the Paladins to contest, posting a 90-yd punt return league and national titles as a super sophomore back in 1988. Hannon’s signature performance for a score and a 34-yd INT ret for of the season came in a game of paramount importance against Wofford, in which the Paladins a score. needed to win in order to claim the Southern Conference crown. Hannon, the cousin of former A Detailed History of Furman Football Paladin standout quarterback Justin bitter arch-rival, Fletcher would be at the forefront of the win, as he steadied the offense, and Hill did was proceed to throw for a ultimately led the Paladins to their winning score in what was a thrilling 24-17 victory. career-high 326 yards, with a TD and an INT, as he led the Paladins to the Fletcher’s first pass of the game was a 43-yard completion, which set up the game-winning all important 27-14 title-clinching score for the Paladins. In total, Fletcher finished the contest connecting on all three of his passes win over they Terriers. for 61 yards. Hannon’s performance over his first Though the Paladins would lose both games the young, brash quarterback would start, he two seasons has already placed him would show the kind of grit, determination and athleticism that will make him an integral part in the Top 10 of the program’s all- of the offense in the future in his new role at tight end. time leading passers, and with his uncanny ability to manage a game, In Furman’s SoCon home opener against Elon, the Paladins fell behind by a 28-10 at the break, as well as make the big, accurate but the brazen and brash young Paladin quarterback was able to lead the Paladins on a furious throw in clutch situations, the Pala- second-half rally, falling just short in a 28-25 setback. For Fletcher, he was able to connect on dins have an excellent opportunity 25-of-38 passes for 255 yards, with a TD and an INT. to at least match their achievements of a year ago, but have likely set Fletcher would start his third and final game of the season for the Paladins against Chanttanoo- their sights on even more if they can ga, but the young quarterback would end up struggling against one of the top defenses in the accomplish the first goal, which is Southern Conference, finishing that contest connecting on just 8-of-17 passes for 62 yards, with win the SoCon. an INT. Fletcher was sacked six times in the contest. Furman Junior QB Reese Hannon Hannon is extremely vital to this One of the luxuries Furman will have this fall is having enough experience at quarterback to offense, and the success of Furman move Hayes III back to his natural position, while being able to utilize Fletcher at a different in 2014 likely depends on his ability to stay healthy. If he is able to stay injury free the Paladins position on offense due to the one area which was hit hard by graduation, which is tight end. likely don’t have a limit to the success they can achieve this fall. The Paladins also recruited the quarterback position extremely well over the past couple of The best news for Hannon is the support he will have under center this fall, with some excellent seasons, with Woodruff being a real solid find in the 2013 class, and P.J. Blazejowski being an options waiting in the wings should the unfortunate occurence of an injury. especially talented find by the Paladin coaching staff in the 2014 signing class. One of several options returning to provide support behind Hannon under center will be Blazejowski, a product of Jacksonville, FL, comes to Furman from Bartram Trail High School, redshirt freshman Dillon Woodruff (7-of-16 passing, 123 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs), who became the where he put up some impressive numbers during his time as a prep. first freshman quarterback to start for the Paladins under center since 1956, when Woodruff started the opener against Gardner-Webb for Hannon, who had to miss the start with a strained The 6-0, 175-pound dual-threat signal-caller was a 6A All-State performer, passing for 2,468 oblique. yards and 17 TDs as a senior, while rushing for 874 yards and 14 scores, accounting for 31 TD responsibilities. He led Bartram Trail to the semifinals of the state playoffs, after starting Woodruff would get injured in that opening game against Gardner-Webb, as he suffered a 0-5 to begin the season. He led Bartram Trail to eight-straight wins and helped them make a shoulder injury that would sideline him for the remainder of the season. The loss of Woodruff Furman-like run into the postseason. would prove costly later in the season when the Paladins suffered further injuries at the quar- terback position, however, the “next-man-up” mentality would prove to pay off the Paladins in Blazejowski runs in the 4.5-4.6 range in the the end for Furman. forty-yard dash, and throws especially well on the run. He will remind Paladin fans of Injuries can often be a two-edged sabre, however, as a result of last season’s multitude of former Furman quarterbacks Philly Jones injuries under center played out in favor of the Paladins in terms of experience heading into the and Frankie DeBusk, who were both run-pass 2014 season. threats as Paladin signal-callers. Another positive for the Paladins under center includes the return of Terry Robinson (0-of-1 Furman’s offense has been among the passing, 1 INT/23 rush att, 101 yds, 4 TDs, 4.4 YPC) under center, who saw his season cut short most physically imposing when it comes to due to an injury to a knee injury against Elon, returns to the fold to add even more depth to the establishing the run and running the ball position, allowing Richard Hayes III (302 rushing yards, 2 TDs) to move back to the defensive between the tackles under the direction of side of the ball, while Duncan Fletcher (36-of-58, 378 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs) will also move to a Bruce Fowler. different position, which is on the offensive side of the ball, as he moves to tight end. In Fowler’s three seasons as the head Robinson was particularly effective in a win over The Citadel, which started the Paladins on coach, all three have yielded a 1,000-yard their momentuos run through the Southern Conference and on to their 13th Southern Confer- ground-gainer, and the Paladins return one ence crown. The week prior to the season-ending injury, Robinson turned in his best game as of the best in the SoCon to the fold this fall, a Paladin against The Citadel. He finished that contest rushing for 46 yards and a pair of crucial in senior Hank McCloud (215 rush att, 1,092 TDs, helping the Paladins post what was a 24-17 upset road win at The Citadel. yds, 5 TDs, 5.1 YPC). Despite coming to Furman as a defensive back, Hayes-a product of the Gate City of Greensboro, McCloud is a player that will obviously be key N.C.--would prove to be a vital asset on the offensive side of the football, particularly in a to the success of the Furman offense in 2014, late-season battle with Western Carolina, as the Paladins needed a road win to keep their and playing to McCloud’s strengths in the postseason and Southern Conference title hopes alive and well. Furman Senior RB Hank McCloud Paladin offense this fall will be paramount to the success of this offense. Hayes III was forced into action at mid-season after Robinson went down with a mid-season in- jury, and all the true freshman-turned-defensive back would do was turn on the after-burners. Coming into his final season as a Paladin ball-carrier, McCloud has amassed 1,854 career rushing yards to go along with 12 TDs. His 1,092 rushing yards last season were the second-most in He produced one of the best rushing performances in the history of Furman football in the reg- the league in 2013, finishing second to only Appachian State’s Marcus Cox, who completed the ular-season road finale against Western Carolina, as Hayes III ran for a career-best 144 yards and campaign with 1,250 yards to set an Appalachian freshman rushing record. a crucial 60-yard scoring run late in the third quarter, extending a two-point Paladin advantage to nine points, at 26-17. With ASU’s move to the Sun Belt Conference this fall, McCloud returns as the SoCon’s top running back, and will have three starters returning along the offensive front in front of him, giving the The 144 rushing yards by Hayes III accounted for the second-highest rushing total in a single Tampa, FL, product an excellent chance to make it 4-for-4 in seasons in which a Paladin running game in Furman football history. Two of Hayes’ carries accounted for 114 of his 144 yards in back has rushed for at least 1,000 yards in the season. the win over the Catamounts for the second-highest rushing total in a single game in Furman football history. McCloud had several big performances toting the pigskin last fall for the Paladins, including a 133-yard, two TD performance in the loss at Coastal Carolina early last season. McCloud also Finally, Fletcher was called up to start two contests in 2013, with the freshman walk-on getting recorded 100-yard rushing performances against PC (102 yds, 2 TDs), Elon (116 yds, 1 TD) and introduced to Southern Conference football against The Citadel, leading the Paladin offense Georgia Southern (102 yds). to a win in that contest after Reese Hannon suffered an ankle injury. In the epic win over a A Detailed History of Furman Football McCloud was also used as a threat in the return game for the Paladins last fall, and he will once During his prep career, Gibson starred as both a fullback and linebacker. He amassed 105 tackles again this fall. As a kick-return threat, McCloud completed the season with 536 return yards on and garnered All-Cobb County honors duruing his senior campaign. 23 returns, averaging 23.3 yards-per-return. He averaged 125.9 all-purpose yards per game last season, ranking fifth in the SoCon. Overall, Furman appears to once again have a solid ground attack, and with McCloud, Cain and Skogen leading the way, the Paladins have one of the best trios of running backs in the Southern McCloud has good hands coming out of the backfield, and is perhaps even slightly a better Conference heading into the 2014 season. It will be important for that trio to stay healthy, pass-catcher coming out of the backfield than his predecessor was, which of course was Jerodis however, as the depth is a bit short on experience behind those three. Williams. McCloud completed the 2013 campaign with 19 catches for 134 yards and a TD, averaging 7.1 YPC. Another strength of the offense this fall will be the receivers at which quarterback Reese Han- non will have at his disposal in 2014. The Paladins did lose a talented receiving option, in Ryan Tanner Skogen (40 rush att, 206 yds, 2 Culbreath, but return a trio of wideouts TDs, 5.2 YPC) returns as a solid compliment that could all find themselves on one of the to McCloud coming out of the backfield for All-SoCon teams at season’s end. the Paladins. The team’s top returning wideout from a Skogen, like McCloud, is an explosive back year ago is Andrej Suttles (50 rec, 697 with good speed, elusiveness and vision. He yds, 3 TDs, 13.9 YPR), who is coming off the might be a little more of a power back than best freshman season ever turned in by a McCloud with his ability to get tough yards, Furman rookie pass-catcher. and he also has excellent hands catching the football for the Paladins. Suttles really came on down the stretch, and he is a receiver that probably most Skogen brings plenty of versatility to the resembles Adam Mims or Des Kitchings backfield for the Paladins, as he flashed his from season’s past in terms of the type big arm in late season wins against Georgia receiver he is. Southern and Samford, tossing a 75-yard TD to Andrej Suttles on the opening play of Like Mims and Kitchings, Suttles’ speed the game against Georgia Southern, while makes him a potential impact player on taking a handoff from Hannon and tossing nearly every play he is on the field. He has a 46-yard bomb to Jordan Snellings a week the ability to make people miss in space, Furman Junior RB Tanner Skogen later in the homecoming win over Samford. and will be up to the offensive coaches to devise ways to get Suttles the ball, as Skogen’s play down the stretch in 2013 was especially impressive, as he rushed for 116 yards on former coaches did so masterfully with the just 13 carries (8.9 YPC), including a 53-yard jaunt early in the third quarter, in Furman’s 30-20 aforementioned two. playoff win over South Carolina State. The 53 yards on the carry were more than he had amassed Furman Junior QB/WR Terry Robinson in the previous 12 games of the season for Furman. Suttles set Furman freshman receiving records for receptions (50) and receiving yards (697), and would become the Paladins primary, Perhaps Skogen’s biggest contribution to the Paladins in 2013 came in the momentum-building, go-to-receiver down the stretch in the 2013 season. 24-17, win at The Citadel in the Paladins’ second Southern Conference game, which helped the Paladins turn around an inauspicious start after a 28-25 home loss to Elon. In the win over the Suttles’ first huge play for the Paladin offense came against The Citadel, as his 36-yard reception Bulldogs, he produced a 13-yard scoring run, which proved to be the game-winning points as on a long pass from Hannon helped set up a Paladin TD just before the half. Furman escaped the Port City with an important win over its arch-rival. Against Georgia Southern, Suttles would haul in a 75-yard halfback-option pass from running The third running back for the Paladins last season was Ernie Cain (24 rush att, 89 yds, 2 TDs, back Tanner Skogen (40 att., 206 yds., 2 TDs) on the first play from scrimmage, giving the 3.7 YPC), who will be coming off an ACL injury, which he suffered during spring drills, and his Paladins an early 7-0 lead in Statesboro, in a game they would go on to win, 16-14. immediate availability is an unknown. He continues in the long line of great Furman fullbacks and will be critical to the offensive success of the Paladins this fall. Cain also hauled in eight Suttles also exemplified his tremendous speed to the home faithful the following week in must- passes for 65 yards. win game against Samford, taking a short pass from Hannon and took it 85 yards for one of the longest scoring plays in the history of Paladin Stadium. Suttles would also haul in a TD pass in There are newcomers that could contribute in the running game for the Paladins as well this the Paladins’ final home game against Wofford, as he hauled in a 21-yard scoring catch in the season, including Kealand Dirks, Issac Garcia, Ridge Gibson and Charlie Anderson. All 27-13 win over the Terriers last season. four running backs are young, but could factor into the fold for Bruce Fowler’s Paladins this fall. Suttles will be the Paladins’ starter at flanker this fall and will likely enter the campaign as a Dirks and Garcia will be more true running backs, while Gibson and Anderson are fullback preseason First-Team All-SoCon selection. options behind Cain. All run with good power and have excellent size. Dirks is a 6-0, 228-pound redshirt freshman from Clemmons, N.C., where he starred at 4A West Forsyth High School. Two of the Paladins’ most talented wideouts battled injuries last fall, with Gary Robinson (24 During his career, Dirks put up some strong numbers, rushing for 3,462 yards and 31 TDs on 516 rec, 351 yds, 2 TDs, 14.6 YPR) and Jordan Snellings (30 rec, 302 yds, 1 TD, 10.1 YPR), who at attempts during his career. one point last season, were both injured at the same time. With the two expected to be fully healthy with the start of the 2014 season, Furman becomes even more dangerous offensively. Dirks garnered Winston Salem Journal All-Northwest honors as a senior, after rushing for 1,501 yards and 14 TDs on 248 carries in his senior season. Robinson has speed and can help stretch the field with that speed this fall for the Paladins. It started from the outset of the 2013 campaign for Robinson, who opened the campaign with Garcia comes to Furman from the Queen City of Charlotte, N.C., where he amassed a school-re- a 70-yard scoring catch against Gardner-Webb. In the win at The Citadel, Robinson was simply cord 7,000 all-purpose yards during his career at Olympic High School. The 5-10, 195-pound sensational for the Paladins and was a large reason why the Paladins were able to come home true freshman could factor into the special teams duty in the more immediate, as his speed will with a win in their first Southern Conference game last season by a 24-17 margin. make him an immediate playmaker and will give him a chance to see the field quickly in some capacity. In that win over the Paladins’ arch-rival last season, Robinson hauled in eight passes for a career-high 133 receiving yards, including an acrobatic 43-yard reception, as he dove to haul in He garnered first team South Meck 8 All-Conference honors in 2013 after rushing for 1,231 yards a Duncan Fletcher missile to help set up Tanner Skogen’s game-winning scoring run. Robinson, and six touchdowns. however, would go down with a season-ending ankle injury on the first play from scrimmage against Appalachian State. Anderson comes into the 2014 season having played sparingly for the Paladins last season, seeing action as a reserve guard before making the transition to backup fullback and tight in at For his career to this point, Robinson has hauled in 39 passes for 543 yards and a pair of scores mid-season. Anderson will be entering his redshirt junior season for the Paladins and will likely coming into his final campaign as the Paladins. find himself as Cain’s direct understudy this fall. Snellings is another Peach State product that had plenty of injury problems early in the season, Gibson rounds out the quartet of running backs that could contribute in some fashion for but started to be a big contributor for the Paladins as the season progressed. Furman this fall, as the 5-10, 211-pound true freshman from Marietta, GA, is yet another player that had a standout prep career at 6A Walton High School in Marietta. In the crucial 16-14 win at Georgia Southern, Snellings turned in some big catches, and after dropping what would have likely resulted in a long TD catch late in the game, Snellings A Detailed History of Furman Football rebounded to shake off that mishap and make some crucial grabs down the stretch to help defensive backfield. Furman capture a victory in Statesboro between the two teams in the final time the two would meet as FCS members. Jaeger, who comes to Furman from Lakeview High School in Orlando, FL. Jager’s father, Brian Jager, was an All-SoCon performer and played on the 1985 national runner-up Paladin squad, Snellings would finish the outing by hauling in two vital catches for 25 yards in the two-point while also helping lead the Paladins to a 13-2 record, led the club with 835 yards rushing and win, with one of those catches helping set up Early’s game-winning field goal. nine scores. Jager also got it done in the classroom, garnering CoSIDA Academic All-American, NCAA Post-Graduate Scholar twice in his career. A week later against Samford, Snellings would haul in a 46-yard scoring pass from running back Tanner Skogen, who tossed a perfect spiraling pass over the Samford defense to Snellings, The biggest question mark coming into the season for the Paladins has to be tight end, which who was running free behind the Bulldogs defense, and hauled in his first scoring catch of the sees the Paladins needing to replace starter Cameron Mason, who has graduated. The Paladins season, and he would finish the season with two catches for 52 yards and a TD. will also have to replace Gipson Klapthor, who is no longer with the program. It leaves the Paladins in a real bind. Despite being injured to start the campaign, he managed to finish the campaign third on the team in receptions (30 catches), trailing only Suttles (50 catches) and Culbreath (39 catches) to For a program known for its tight ends over the years, such as Colin Anderson, Luther Broughton complete the season. and Trent Sansbury, it has been a bit of a transition each of the past couple of years. Snellings would enjoy his top performance of the season against North Dakota State in the Fortunately, the Paladins appear to have a great athlete, in Duncan Fletcher, who appears season-ending, 38-7, loss to the Bison, as he hauled in a career-best eight passes for 76 yards. ready to assume the starting duties at tight end after serving as a backup quarterback last In two seasons as a Furman wideout, Snellings has hauled in 49 passes for 512 yards and four season. Fletcher, much like Colin Anderson, is an exceptional athlete, and like Anderson, also TDs. Snellings, at full health, has the potential to be one of the best receivers in the Southern played under center as a prep. Fletcher brings good size at 6-3, but is a little undersized in terms Conference. Snellings will likely start at the split end position, while Suttles will start at flanker of being a run-blocking tight end, at just 202-lbs. this fall. Kevin Mall and Tim Nutter also remain candidates to compete for playing time, with Mall The Paladins will also feature some excellent depth at wide receiver this fall, and are probably having seen limited action in five games last season. Nutter is a redshirt freshman from Saraso- as talented at the position as they have been in terms of overall depth and abiiity to stretch the ta, FL, will look to see his first action in the Paladin offense this fall. field. Both true freshmen Ajay Williams and Kedar Bryant are a pair of tight ends that can be One of the great things about the 2014 season will be the depth the Paladins will have at wide downfield threats and could see action right away as true freshmen this fall. Both Bryant and receiver heading into the season, including the return of performers like Chad Scott (8 rec, 92 Williams are big targets with both possessing good hands, as well as being solid blockers in the yds, 11.5 YPR) and David Dingess (9 rec, 100 yds, 11.1 YPR), who were all contributors in the run game. Paladin passing attack as reserves last fall. Williams matriculates to the Upstate of South Carolina from Elm City, N.C., where he was a Dingess, who was in his first season seeing action, was especially impressive for the Paladins, standout at 2A Beddingfield High School, where he also played some in the backfield, rushing as he showed to be a valuable asset as a downfield blocking presence and showed great for 566 yards. The 6-4, 241-pound Tarheel State product caught 39 passes 614 yards and seven hands, with several big receptions in third down situations last season. The redshirt junior from TDs, showing a propensity to make plays in the passing game as a prep. Nashville, Tenn, and his biggest catch of the season might have come on a third-and-eight play, which kept a Furman drive alive late in a win over Georgia Southern, ultimately allowing the Bryant, a 6-4, 230-pound native of Jacksonville, FL, played his prep football at Providence High Paladins to run out the clock and emerge with a 16-14 win. School and was productive catching the football while a prep in his senior season and showed his athleticism, as he saw time on both sides of the football. The 6-5, 208-pound receiver also had a key block to help spring Suttles for an 85-yard score against Samford, showing the lanky wideout isn’t scared to mix it up in the passing game as a Overall, one of the most talented and deepest positions on the offensive side of the football blocker. appears to wide receiver, and this group is as talented as some of those during the Ingle Martin era, which is a saying a lot considering that this was the one unit that lacked a consistent play- Scott, a 6-0, 171-pound native of Suwanee, GA, saw solid action as a sophomore receiver for the maker just two years ago. It’s a testament Paladins last fall, and recorded eight catches for 92 yards. Miller was one of the biggest signees to the recruiting efforts and maturing of of the 2012 class, choosing Furman over Appalachian State, and the Charlotte, N.C., native players like Robinson and Snellings, as well should also see his role increase as a reserve wideout this fall. as the addition of Suttles. The unit should only progress even more in 2014. Scott will likely find his role to be a reserve wideout behind Suttles at flanker, while Dingess will likely be the backup behind Snellings at flanker this fall. The one new wrinkle to keep an eye on Tight end is a bit of a question mark, and this fall is reserve quarterback Terry Robinson, who could also see action at wideout this fall, it’s the one position on the offensive side of due to his solid athleticism. the ball that will likely see a young player get the opportunity to play right away this The Paladins also brought in several talented wideouts in the most recent signing class, fall. Still, Fletcher is a great athlete, and he’s including A’lencio Graham, who seemed to be a solid Wofford commit until signing day. he the kind of player like a Colin Anderson that Flowery Branch High School product out of Lawrenceville, GA, has good speed, clocking a 4.52 in can come in and make some big plays in the forty-yard dash, and the 5-10, 161-pound receiver has great hands and route-running skills. the passing game for this Furman offense Graham has a lot of similarities to that of current Furman wide receiver Andre Suttles, and he in 2014, and that’s something the Paladins could see some time as a slot receiver, with his ability to make plays in the open field. lacked--at least in the passing game--last season. Graham isn’t the only key addition to the Paladin passing game, with the signing of Bradford Lemmons out of Dreher High School in Columbia, S.C. The 6-3, 175-pound wideout blocks well The Furman offensive line was supposed and has good size and athleticism. to have four starters returning starters to its offensive front, however, with center The addition of Lemmons adds even more speed to a receiving corps that already possesses Eric Thoni no longer with the team, the plenty of it, with Suttles and Robinson among the speed merchants already donning the Purple Paladins not only lost Dakota Dozier to and White. Lemmons, who won the state title in both the 200m (22.12) and 400m (48.20), graduation and the NFL, but now must hauled in 60 passes for 670 yards in his senior season. Furman Senior C/OT Charles Emert replace what would have likely been an All-SoCon center entering the 2014 season. Furman also added a late signee to this current class, with the addition of Andy Schumpert, who makes his way to Greenville from Nashville, where he starred for Brentwood High School. It’s not anything the Paladins haven’t faced, however, as Furman played half the 2013 season without Thoni, who was suspended for the first portion of the campaign last season. The 6-4, 180-pound freshman brings impressive size, and like Dingess, will be a big target for Hannon to find in the passing game. In his prep career, Schumpert was impressive, hauling in 71 With Thoni no longer a Paladin, it likely means that senior Charles Emert will end up starting passes for 1,370 yards and 17 scores. He averaged 19.3 yards-per-catch for his career. at center this season, much like he did for three games last season. After all, Emert was a standout center as a prep, but has the versatility to play pretty much any position along the Rounding out the young receivers for the Paladins include Hunter Branch, Luke Cuneo, Paladin offensive front. Logan McCarter and J.D. Tuten. Evan Jaeger, who is listed as a an athlete, could also figure into the plans at receiver, while Cuneo could also end up playing a role as a reserve in the Entering the 2014 season, Emert has logged starts at center (3), right tackle (18), left tackle (3), A Detailed History of Furman Football right guard (3) and left guard (2) during his career, and the 6-2, 253-lb senior heads into his final campaign having started 30 of 34 games in his career. Emert has excellent footwork and hands, and probably moves as well as any of the Paladin offensive linemen. He will enter the 2014 season as a likely All-SoCon candidate. With Emert’s experience, however, the possibility also remains that he could move to left tackle, ensuring the protection of Hannon’s blindside. Faced with the unenviable task replacing maybe the greatest offensive lineman to ever line up for the for the Paladins could be the extremely talented redshirt freshman Aaron Black, who is a talented young offensive lineman that probably could have contributed last season. Black was one of the top recruits of the 2013 signing class, and the 6-5, 261-lb native of Dallas, GA was a three-star recruit, according to Rivals.com when he arrived at Furman a couple of years ago. Black served as a member of the scout team last fall, but shined in spring drills and is ready to compete for the job left vacant by Dozier. With Emert’s move to center, it could see Justin Floyd take up the starting role at either right or left tackle, assuming Tank Phillips is 100-percent and ready to return to his left guard position after seeing his season come to an end with a broken leg suffered in the road win at Western Carolina. Floyd, a redshirt junior, really came into his own last season after logging starts at both right and left tackle. He turned in his top performance against Appalachian State, grading out at 85-percent, with eight knockdowns in one of his four starts last season. Three of his starts came at right tackle, while one came at left tackle last fall. His lone start at left tackle last fall came against North Dakota State, which saw Dozier start at left guard. Left guard this season will be occupied by Phillips, who should be fully healed by the time the season rolls around, and the veteran from Montgomery Bell Academy might be the strongest player along the offensive front for the Paladins, and will enter the season with All-SoCon potential. The 6-1, 290-pound native of Nashville, started the first 11 games for the Paladins last season before being lost to injury against Western Carolina. Graded out at 80-percent or better in four games last season, with a season-high 82-percent on 61 plays in the 21-20 win over Presbyteri- an. He enters his senior season with 18-career starts for the Purple and White. Rounding out the starters along the Furman offensive front heading into the season will be right guard Joe Turner, who as a freshman in 2012, was a SoCon All-Freshman selection. Turner has been a stalwart along the offensive front since stepping on campus in 2012, and he has been an integral part of offensive line coach Scott Smouse’s plans from the outset of his recruitment. The 6-3, 260-lb junior, like Emert, is extremely versatile and is athletic enough to play tackle if the situation called for it. Turner started all 14 games at both guard positions, logging 12 nods at right guard, while the other two came at left tackle after Phillips went down with his season-ending injury. Turner was extremely impressive against arguably the top defensive front the Paladins faced last season, in Chattanooga, as he registered a 93-percent grade on 67 plays against the Mocs. In his two seasons as a Paladin, Turner has started 22 starts in 25 games at three different positions in his Paladin career. Furman’s offensive front will be strengthened by solid depth this fall, which will include the likes of Harrison Monk (OT), Harrison Magee (OT) and Jackson Buomania, who are all excellent young, talented compliments along the offensive line, who are expected to be significant contributors this fall. Grayson Weber (OT), Sebastian Rice (OT) and Ryan Marks (OT) will add depth at the re- spective offensive tackle positions. Rice and Buomania make the move back from the defensive line to the offensive line this fall after being moved there last season to shore up depth issues as a result of injuries. Magee could serve as Emert’s understudy at center this fall. The Paladins really made it a point to recruit the offensive line hard in its most recent signing class, and have brought in an excellent conglomeration of talent. Tuscaloosa, AL product Terrell Bush comes to Furman from Tuscaloosa Academy, where he helped his program to a perfect 13-0 season, garnering all-state honors twice and rated a two-star recruit, according to 24/7. Jack Bryant, Matthew Schmidt and Chris Wade round out the remaining three interior offensive linemen picked up by the Paladins in the 2014 class, in what might be the strongest offensive line class in the Bruce Fowler era. Overall, the Paladins have excellent experience and talent returning along the offensive front, but the most important component the Paladins continue to build on the offensive line is depth, which is something the Paladins lacked in Fowler’s first season in Greenville. The offensive line has improved leaps and bounds under the watchful eye of Scott Smouse over the past three seasons, and despite the losses of Dozier and Thoni, appear to again be one of the top offensive fronts in the SoCon heading into the 2014 season.