A Detailed History of Furman Football Game 2: Furman (1-0, 0-0) at Mercer (1-0, 0-0) Sept. 6, 2014, Macon, GA, Mercer Stadium (10,000), 6 p.m.

The Game: “A Tale of Two Coaches” Saturday night will be a big night for Mercer football, and a night which will be yet another milestone moment which has seemingly been a couple of years filled with such moments worthy of mention and savoring. The Bears will play their first game as a program, and fittingly, that matchup comes against the . When I interviewed former head coach Jerry Moore for a piece I was doing for 247Sports.com, covering Appalachian State, i asked him what is was like the first time he got a taste of the league and the teams in the league. Moore went on to talk about how when he and his staff got to Boone in the spring prior to his first season as the head coach, which would have been the 1989 season, he said he remem- bered inviting the other coaches over to his hotel room, and the staff proceeded to break down Bobby Lamb pictured above embracing his daughter prior to his final game against projector film of Furman, who had won the 1988 national title. Georgia Southern as the head coach of Furman He acknowledged that Furman was the program the Mountaineers wanted to emulate in every way, including little things such as how they warmed up and how practices were designed. was the third trip to the national title game for Furman, and first appearance in the title game Moore would later go on to say that he and former Furman coach Jimmy Satterfield would strike in 13 years, when the Paladins claimed their only title as a program with a 17-12 win over up a good friendship, frequently going on golf outings together during the off-season. Georgia Southern. He went on to say that Satterfield was the first person to contact him and congratulate him on Robbie Caldwell took over as the interim head coach, and Bruce Fowler would take a year off his Hall-of-Fame induction into the Southern Conference Hall-of-Fame. It was also a time when from football, and would begin to patiently wait for the right opportunity. Fowler had been the Furman-Appalachian State rivalry would begin to heat up, and towards the latter part of Johnson’s defensive coordinator at Vanderbilt. Johnson and Fowler had been in town just the Moore’s career, the Mountaineers had caught up with and even surpassed the team they started summer before, as Johnson was being inducted into the Furman football Hall-of-Fame. out wanting to beat more than any other in the SoCon better than two decades prior. When Johnson left for Vanderbilt in 2001, Fowler wanted the Furman job, but he was not in the Moore would later be asked to step down at the end of the 2012 season, which would create mix as one of the final candidates. Though distraught because of his genuine love for his alma an awkward ending to his career in the High Country, although Moore can still be seen from mater, Fowler would join Johnson, who left the door open to join him in Nashville when it was time-to-time at the place where he spent 24 years as a head coach after coming from Texas determined he was on the outside looking in when it came to being considered for the Furman Tech, where he was fired after four seasons. He spent a year as a volunteer coach at Nebraska head position. before matriculating to Boone. For Fowler, the experience of being a defensive coordinator in the SEC was invaluable and For Mercer head coach Bobby Lamb and the , the scenario is in some ways the some of his Vanderbilit defenses would produce some considerable results, such as helping the same, and in some ways opposite rom that of Moore’s. Lamb, who was asked to step down after Commodores to a win over a Top 10 foe for the first time in 33 years, when Vanderbilt knocked 29 years at Furman as a player, assistant coach and head coach, would end up landing in his off No. 6 , i7-6 in 2007. It was the highest ranked opponent Vandy had defeated home state in 2011, as he was selected to help Mercer rebuild its dormant football program since 1937. from the ground up. Fast-forward to 2010, and Lamb had the Paladins back in the national rankings, and were ranked No. 25 heading into the game against South Carolina. One of the memorable moments From that day, Lamb had a vision, and his vision involved getting back to what he knew, which of that game with the Gamecocks, who the Paladins will face Oct. 18, was an INT returned for was life in the Southern Conference as a player, assistant coach and head coach. It was an a TD by Shawn Boone, as he made the first big play of his career. The redshirt senior will be a emotional Friday back in 2010 when Lamb’s life would change forever, and the dominoes began reserve along the defensive line on Saturday night against Mercer and the coach that recruited to fall into place for the Commerce, GA native. him out of Lithia, FL. Fittingly, in his final act as the head coach in Greenville, the Paladins would face Georgia South- ern in a game the Eagles needed to win to make the FCS postseason. It appeared that from the But as the calendar turned from September to October, the season would head into a downward outset the Paladins were going to play the role of spoilers and emerge with a win over one of turn for Lamb and the Paladins, who headed to Wofford for a key Southern Conference show- the Paladins’ most bitter of rivals, as the Paladins would jump out to a 14-0 lead, and got a huge down with between Furman and Wofford on Oct. 2, 2010, at . The 18th-ranked play on the very first play from scrimmage, as Adam Mims hauled in a 71-yard pass for a score Paladins were no match for Ayers’ Terriers, who rode the burly shoulders of Eric Breitenstein for from Cody Worley on the game’s first play, giving the Paladins a 7-0 lead. 230 rushing yards and four scores to suffer the Paladins’ first Southern Conference loss. The Paladins would drop to 2-2 overall and 1-1 in league play, thus beginning the tailspin for In the fourth quarter, Furman even led 28-17, but the Eagles, just like the 1985 title game, in Furman. With a pair of wins over Howard (56-14) and at Samford (27-10) appeared to have which Lamb was the quarterback and led the Paladins to a 28-6 lead before Georgia Southern Furman’s season back on track heading into a huge game with Chattanooga on Oct. 23. The would storm back for the 44-42 win and the program’s first national title game, as 25 years Paladins got out of the gates quick against head coach Russ Huesman’s Mocs, who was in his later, would also steal against the Paladins and a playoff bid, with a 32-28 win. second season coaching his alma mater in the Scenic City. Furman fans left dejected and feeling of having to deal with missing out on yet another postseason. The program was in a clear decline, and it was not clear how the whole The Mocs came to Greenville ranked in the Top 25, and Chattanooga had not beaten the Paladins scenario had actually gone down, but what was known was Lamb on the Friday before the final since the 1994 season, which also occurred in Greenville. It certainly didn’t appear that would game of the regular-season had been asked to step down by Furman Director of Athletics Gary be the case, as the Paladins held a 28-10 lead with 9:19 remaining in the third quarter, however, Clark. the Mocs would begin to turn the game from that point. The 2010 season was one which had started so promising Lamb and the Paladins, playing The Mocs would begin their unbelievable fourth quarter comeback with a five-yard TD from J.J. toe-to-toe with No. 13 South Carolina in the second week of the campaign, dropping a 38-19 Jackson, capping what was an 11-play, 45-yard drive following a 19-yard punt by the Paladins. contest. With the score 28-17, the Paladins would fumble the ensuing kickoff, and things would begin to unravel for the Paladins, as the Mocs went on for a 36-28 win, handing the Paladins a 36-28 The previous February, I remember going to Wild Wings in downtown Greenville to the Signing loss. The frustration of that loss would weigh heavily on Lamb and staff, who knew there was no Day party for the Paladins. The coaching staff was as excited about the 2010 class as he had margin for error following the loss to the Mocs, as the Paladins had dropped their third game of been of any he had brought in as the head coach. the season. When the Bears take field on Saturday night against the Paladins, some of those same players UTC had been dominant in every way on that fall afternoon in Greenville, out-gaining the will be in a Purple and White uniform. Players like Hank McCloud, who didn’t play Furman’s Paladins, 568-227, in total yards and adding even more salt to the Paladin wounds was a new season-opening win stadium receiving mark set by Mocs wideout Joel Bradford, who posted 274 receiving yards In the summer of 2010, it was a hot, early July day when some shocking news came across the which accounted for a new Furman opponent record. The previous standard set by a Paladin wire out of Nashville. Vanderbilt head coach retired as the head coach of the opponent had been 247 yards set by Nevada’s Ross Ortega in the 1990 Division I-AA Playoffs. Commodores, leaving the Commodores in a bit of a tough situation less than two months out Unfortunately for Lamb, he would likely have his coaching fate sealed somewhere during the from the season and only a few weeks from the start of drills. final four weeks of the season, and possible as soon as the following week in Boone, as the Johnson of course led Furman for nine seasons before leaving for Nashville, posting a 60-36 Paladins faced the top-ranked Mountaineers in a key Southern Conference clash. For Furman, it record as the Furman head coach, while posting a pair of Southern Conference tites and led the needed its first win in Boone since 1996 to keep its FCS playoff hopes alive, while the Mountain- Paladins to four FCS playoff appearances. In 2001, Johnson would lead the Paladins all the way eers were looking to complete the league slate unbeaten for a third-straight season. to the national title game, where the Paladins would drop a 13-6 decision to Montana in what A Detailed History of Furman Football Lamb would call on Derrick once again, however, the young signal-caller would struggle early on in the contest, and the Paladins fell behind 14-3 before Cody Worley was inserted into the lineup. Derrick had looked good on the opening drive of the football game, however, Elon responded with 14 unanswered points and the offense once again looked shaky. Furman opened with a 13-play, 78-yard drive, settling for a 22-yard field from Ray Early. Elon would eventually take a 17-10 to the break, and would increase its advantage to 24-10 heading into the final quarter. Worley would cap a six-play, 61-yard drive with a 16-yard scoring pass to wideout Ryan Culbreath with a little over 11 minutes to play, making it a 24-17 game. Then, Furman would add a safety when Shawn Boone tackled Elon running back Brandon Newsome in the end zone, making it a 24-19 contest with about 10 minutes left. On the ensuing possession following the safety, Furman would actually take a 25-24 lead on a Tersoo Uhaa short scoring plunge with 8:57 left, while the two point conversion attempt failed. But the Phoenix would put together what proved to be the game-winning drive, as Elon drove A 37-26 loss on Oct. 30, 2010, ended Furman’s playoff hopes and likely spelled the end for 70 yards in eight plays, as A.J. Harris found paydirt around the right side, making it a 30-25 then head coach Bobby Lamb game with 5:21 left, but the two-point conversion failed to leave the Phoenix with just a five- point edge. The Mountaineers came into the contest 7-0 overall and 5-0 in Southern Conference play, and came into the contest with 25-straight Southern Conference victories, which dated back to Oct. The Paladins had one more chance, but Worley’s hail mary fell incomplete and Furman’s playoff of 2007, in a loss to Georgia Southern. For the second-straight week, Furman failed to get any hopes were dashed. Elon would out-gain the Paladins, 430-313, in total offense in the contest. kind of consistency on the offensive side of the football, posting just 266 yards of total offense on the day, which was 71 yards fewer than the 337 yards the Paladins came into the contest The news about Bobby Lamb and his resignation would come down on Nov. 19, 2010, following averaging per game. a meeting with Furman Director of Athletics Gary Clark and former Furman President Rod Smolla. Here is what Lamb had to say in his own words. He finished with a 69-40 record as a The game was tight at the half, with the Paladins trailing just 14-6, however, early in the second head coach in Greenville. half, a Paladin miscue led to the turning point of the game, which allowed the homestanding Mountaineers to gain momentum for good. A botched hand-off between Paladin quarterback “I am resigning my position as head football coach at my school tomorrow (Saturday),” said Lamb. Cody Worley and running back Tersoo Uhaa would be scooped up by ASU defensive end Jabari Fletcher and returned 40 yards for a TD. “Since walking on this campus as a freshman in 1982, it has indeed been an honor beyond measure to play with the finest teammates and for a model head coach; work alongside coaches of impecca- The loss in Boone dropped Furman to 4-4 on the season and 2-3 in Southern Conference play. ble character, integrity, and ability; and recruit and direct the most outstanding players, students, Appalachian State continued to provide Furman and Lamb plenty of nightmares, winning a and young men any coach, at any level of this great sport, could possibly seek. I have been truly sixth-straight contest--the longest streak in the storied rivalry for the Mountaineers--and blessed, and for that I am eternally grateful. Lamb’s record dropped to 1-9 against Appalachian State. “The last few years have been very difficult for me, for my staff, our families, our players, and the In somewhat of an ironic twist, Lamb’s son Taylor, who ended up being a three-star recruit and many loyal fans who love Furman football. We have not won as many games as we had certainly Gatorade Player of the Year in Georgia, ended up signing a National Letter of Intent to play for hoped to win, but it is not for lack of effort, especially those of our coaches and players. I am very the Mountaineers, and just last week saw his first game action in a loss at Michigan, leading the proud of our accomplishments, both on and off the field, and the manner in which we attained Mountaineers on a 96-yard drive in the loss, which included completing 5-of-9 passes during them. the impressive drive. “Furman football has enjoyed many great moments, a number of which I have been fortunate to With the strength of the Southern Conference, however, there was a chance that winning out experience as a player, assistant coach, and head coach over the past 29 years. I’m confident that against Western Carolina, at Elon and vs. Georgia Southern could yield an at-large playoff invite. with new direction, supported by a renewed commitment to competitiveness and excellence from The Paladins would get past Western Carolina, with a 31-17 win over the Catamounts. Lamb had the university, Paladin football will again experience many more bright moments, which this great made a change under center, and it seemed to have worked, as Dakota Derrick accounted for football program so richly deserves.” 193 yards of total offense and a TD in what was his first collegiate start. Lamb conducted himself with the type of class he always had during his career as a Paladin, player, assistant and head coach. The Paladins would go on to lose the regular-season finale, with a 32-28 loss to Georgia Southern, as the Paladins finished 5-6--the first losing season for the program in 12 seasons. The last couple of seasons under Lamb’s leadership, there was a clear decline in recruiting, especially on the offensive and defensive lines. There were ever-increasing academic standards at Furman, and there wasn’t much of a desire to help the football program under previous leadership. The odd thing is, the leadership changed about the time Lamb was asked to resign. It’s hard to say what went on, or how it all went down, but I would venture to say that the responsibility to win football games falls at the feet of the head coach. Personally, i feel Lamb could have been maybe given more to help the program, however, de- spite all that, it was still the responsibility to maintain Furman’s level of excellence and winning. Missing the playoffs for five-straight seasons and not even sniffing a conference title at a place that had won more than any other school probably spelled his demise more than anything. What’s important to remember in Lamb’s time at Furman was it was not a case of bad coaching, but it was more of a natural progression and change for Lamb, as it was time to find his way as a head coach somewhere else. Change is not always as bad most of us think it is, but I can understand how someone wouldn’t exactly be ready to send Christmas cards and candy to a place that told him they were ready to move on after he had spent nearly three decades as a player, assistant and head coach, helping build Furman into the Southern Conference power that it remains to this day. Meanwhile, Furman needed to make itself an attractive place for a coach to come and want to coach. There was a national search conducted, but one of the old names remained as a leading Paladins Would See Playoff Hopes End With A 30-22 Loss On The Road To The Elon Phoenix candidate, in Bruce Fowler. The former Paladin defensive coordinator had left for Vanderbilt with Bobby Johnson where he coached eight seasons before taking a year off.

The Paladins headed to Elon to take on a Phoenix team, which was projected to do some On Dec. 10, 2010, Bruce Fowler would be hired as the Furman head football coach, and he would big thigs in the SoCon, however, got off to a 1-5 start and never recovered. But Elon still had chosen for the job over former William & Mary defensive coordinator and current defensive quarteback Scott Riddle, who was the SoCon’s all-time leading passer and as a freshman, set a coordinator at Vanderbilt. Southern Conference single-game passing mark against the Paladins, throwing for 542 yards in a loss at Paladin Stadium. Fowler’s first season would be in 2011, as he would return a good amount of talent, and the A Detailed History of Furman Football The Mocs were again without Coleman, and the Furman defense swarmed UTC starter Terrell Robinson all day, and in particular, linebacker Mitch McGrath, as he garnered Sports Network National Defensive Player of the Week honors, after posting nine tackles, four sacks, a fumble caused, a fumble recovery and an INT, in what was one of the more memorable performances by an individual defensive player in the history of Furman football. The six sacks for the Paladins were the most by a Furman team since 2001. Furman returned home to face No. 3 Appalachian State, and a win over the Mountaineers would get the Paladins one step closer to the postseason, but more importantly, halt a series record six-game winning streak by the Apps. The Paladins and Fowler would once again have the right recipe for success, as the Paladins would come up with a 20-10 win over the Mountaineers, and with two wins over top five foes in the regular season for the first time in program history. The Paladins would ascend to No. 17 in the Sports Network poll, heading into the regular-season Southern Conference finale against Elon. Elon had been a thorn in the side of the Paladins since the Paladins last defeated them in 2007, and had knocked the Paladins from the postseason in Lamb’s final season as head coach. The exact same thing would happen in Fowler’s first season at the helm in 2011, as the Phoenix came to Greenville and stunned the Paladins, getting a 42-31 win. The loss, which dropped the Paladins to 5-4 overall and 5-3 in Southern Conference play proved to be a devastating loss for the Paladins, as it meant Furman needed to beat FBS and SEC East Cameron Mason Hauls In 54-yard pass from Chris Forcier In Furman’s 20-10 win over the Third-Ranked Mountaineers in Greenville in 2010. Paladins would surprise many, knocking off No. 5 Wofford (26-21) and No. 3 Appalachian State (20-10), which help Furman rise as high as No. 17 in the FCS polls in Fowler’s first season as the head coach of his alma mater. Furman would be led by a veteran unit on both sides of the football in 2011, with senior speed- ster Chris Forcier under center, as the Paladins continued to run the spread offense in Fowler’s first season in order to play to Forcier’s strengths, which was his tremendous speed. In an early-season clash with Presbyterian, Forcier and the Paladin was on display for all to see, as the Paladins would down the Blue Hose, 65-21, in Greenville, as Forcier tied a Southern Conference mark and set a new Furman record, with seven TD passes in the lopsided win. A home loss to Samford was a disappointing way to begin Southern Conference play, but it would be a day that would see Forcier tied the school’s all-time mark for passing yards, com- pleting the contest with 356 passing yards. After a 50-20 loss to Georgia Southern--the most lopsided loss in the history of the series--the Paladins headed into the final portion of the schedule with plenty of challenges remaining yet on the slate, including games against Top five foes, in Wofford and Appalachian State, as well as a game remaining at Chattanooga, and at SEC East member Florida. The Paladins would return home to face Wofford on Oct. 22, and at a time when confidence should have been low after having lost to a team that ran a similar offense by 30 points a week All-American Tight End Colin Anderson Had A Big Outing Against Florida, As The Former earlier, head coach Bruce Fowler managed to help resurrect the fight in his Paladin football team Quarterback Threw A TD In The 54-32 Loss To Florida In The Regular-Season Finale in the game against arch-rival Wofford--a team that handed Furman a 34-17 loss a year earlier. But the Paladins would come to life, especially on the defensive side of the football and on member Florida to make the FCS playoff field, and even a win in that game would only give the offense, were powered by a strong ground attack, which saw Jerodis Williams rush for 155 yards Paladins the remotest of chances of making the postseason. in the win. Meanwhile, the Paladins would also get the job done on the defensive side of the The Paladins would finish out Fowler’s first season in charge with a valiant effort in Gainesville, football, holding a Wofford ground game that came into the contest averaging 353 yards to just FL, as the Paladins would jump out to a 22-7 lead before eventually succumbing to the FBS 284 total ground yards in the contest. Gators, 54-32. The win improved the Paladins to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in Southern Conference play, and more The 24th-ranked Paladins weren’t reeling from the loss to Elon, but instead came out hitting on importantly, remained alive in the race for an at-large playoff bid. The loss marked the first in all cylinders, desperately trying to make their first FCS postseason appearance since the 2006 Southern Conference play for the Terriers, who dropped to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the SoCon. season, including trick plays, which saw tight end Colin Anderson toss a 47-yard scoring pass to The next week offered a different test senior wideout Sederrik Cunningham, which proved to be the first of his career. The Paladins for Fowler and the Paladins, who would racked up 446 yards against the Gators’ defense, including 233 yards on the ground. be on the road in the Scenic City, as Fowler faced off against his old friend, Forcier set a new single-season mark for TDs by a Paladin quarterback, as his 31-yard scoring Russ Huesman, who had the Chatta- strike to David Hendrix gave the Paladins an early 15-0 lead, gave him 23 scoring passes for the nooga Mocs a talented force once again season. in the Southern Conference. The Mocs had nearly beaten Georgia Southern More evidence of the return of Fowler and the dedication to the Paladin ground game can be in Statesboro, and that was without found with the numbers put up by Jerodis Williams, who rushed for 1,055 yards on the season, All-America starting quarterback B.J. became the first Paladin to rush for 1,000 yards in a campaign since Hindley Brigham in 2003. Coleman, who went out with a shoul- Williams’ 2011 rushing total was 666 yards more than the 389 yards, which he amassed in der injury early in the contest. Lamb’s final season as the head coach in 2010. The 389 yards rushing in 2010 was the lowest Both teams entered the contest total for a leading Paladin rusher since 1958, when Hicky Horton led the Paladins with 381 fighting for a playoff bid, with the Mocs rushing yards. entertaining slim hopes of keeping The Paladins would finish the season with a 6-5 record and a 5-3 mark in Southern Conference dwindling playoff hopes alive with a play, which was good enough for a fourth-place finish in the league after having been predicted win over Fowler’s Paladins. to finish sixth at the league’s preseaosn media outing. It was an improvement over the 5-6, 3-5 Over the next 60 minutes, the Paladins marks the Paladins posted in 2010. would put together a defensive effort While Fowler had renewed some optimism in Greenville, Lamb had already started putting the reminiscent of some of those good old Former Furman LB Mitch McGrath fashioned Paladin games back in the pieces together to build a football program in Macon, hired on Jan. 20, 2011 as the man to head late 1980s and early ‘90s, as Fowler’s up the Mercer football program. Paladins held the Mocs to just 169 yards total offense, including just three passing yards, as the Paladins won a second-straight game, with a 14-7 win over the Mocs. Lamb, who was born in Augusta, GA, and grew up in Commerce, GA, was offered a unique A Detailed History of Furman Football Jordan Sorrells, who quarterbacked the Paladins from 2006-09 and is now the Furman Director of Football Operations, is the program’s all-time leading passer, having thrown for 6,278 yards and 42 TDs. Sorrells certainly benefitted from the Paladins’ change to the no-huddle, spread offense prior to the 2009 season. The change signaled that Lamb was feeling the heat after a pair of unsuccessful 2007 and ‘08 seasons, which saw the Paladins miss out on the playoffs in both campaigns, which was par- ticularly disheartening for the Paladin faithful in 2008 after Furman started with wins over No. 21 Colgate (42-21) and No. 3 Delaware (23-21). A home loss to Georgia Southern (17-10) and a road loss at Wofford (35-10) to close the ‘08 season kept the Paladins out of the postseason. The switch to the spread saw the Paladins increase their yardage total by 11 yards and point total by five points, which were obviously both positives, however, it the 431.3 YPG and 31.5 PPG on the defensive side of the football that had fans concerned. The 431 yards were the most yards given up by a Furman defense since stats began being kept in 1973, while the 31.5 points surrendered per game were the second-most given up by a Paladin defense, bested only by the 2007 club, which gave up 31.8 PPG. Somewhere along the way, Furman had lost its identity, which Lamb had kept intact early in his career in Greenville. Remember how dominant the 2003 and ‘04 defenses were for the Paladins? Those were two of the best in the history of the program. And what about the running game, which saw the Paladins post a 1,000-yard rusher in ‘03, in Hindley Brigham, and the Paladins had a quartet as good as any in 2004 and ‘05, with Daric Carter, Brandon Mays, Jerome Felton and Cedrick Gipson sharing the rushing load. However, slowly but surely, the Paladins saw a change after Jerome Felton graduated, the Bobby Lamb Is Hired As Mercer Head Football Coach On Jan. 21, 2011. Lamb Is Selected As Paladins shifted away from a physical running game, and after the ‘04 season, the Paladins The Coach To Resurrect A Mercer Football Program Which Had Been Dormant For 72 Years were suspect on the defensive side of the ball in five of Lamb’s final six seasons, with the only exception being the 2006 defense, which largely responsible for the Paladins getting to the opportunity when hired at Mercer, and a chance that few football coaches ever get the oppor- postseason in that particular season, surrendering just 296 yards per game and 21 points per tunity to do, which is build an entire football program from the ground up. Lamb certainly had game. the background, and his success and his familiarity with a program that had a high academic standard, and one at the same time, was serious about remaining competitve on the gridiron. The defensive woes had become frustrating over the years to many who followed the program, Also attractive to the Mercer administration was the fact that Lamb had posted success as a player, assistant and head coach during his time in Greenville. Though hired on Jan. 20, 2011, his status as the head coach wouldn’t be official until July 1, 2011. “Bobby Lamb embodies the goals and direction we set for the reinstatement of football at Mer- cer University,” President William D. Underwood said. “His track record in recruiting and coaching young men who are serious student-athletes is well established. He brings the kind of integrity and character that will mold young men into leaders.” Lamb would hit the ground running in Macon, and the original plan for Mercer was to play non-scholarship football, while considering making the jump to scholarship football in the future, but it wouldn’t take much convincing to vote to move to scholarship football quicker than anyone, including maybe Lamb himself, would have foreseen. Perhaps one of the deciding factors was where Lamb had come from--the Southern Conference- and the fluidity of Division I football at the time--because it was a window of opportunity that would have been hard for Mercer to pass up, especially if Georgia Southern and Appalachian State were indeed going to leave the Southern Conference, which had become one of the im- portant talking points in Macon, and there were as many folks as interested in the final decision by each of the two programs in the “478” as there were in Boone or Statesboro. The other good thing about the rumors, which appeared to be strong ones that both of the aforementioned SoCon powerhouses were on the move, is it gave time for Mercer to fully commit to an already impressive facilities upgrade, which already included a state-of-the-art arena--Hawkins Arena--which opened in 2006. Reese Hannon Was A Diamond Waiting In The Wings In 2012, But The Freshman Was Lamb seemed to almost see that the timing was right, and that Mercer felt like the right fit with Called Into Action Against Coastal Carolina After Stater Dakota Derrick Went Down the following statement on that exciting day for he and his family back in 2011. “God has pro- vided this tremendous opportunity for me to assist in the reinstatement of football at Mercer. I which had been used to seeing those physical defenses under Johnson, Satterfield and look forward to leading Mercer football to the top.” Sheridan. Furman seemed to have lost its swagger in a four-year period from 2007-10, which might have something to do with the rise in academic standards during that particular period, Lamb was getting the kind of support and enthusiasm and support he had requested during handcuffing the recruiting efforts of Lamb. his time at Furman. But Lamb also seemed excited to be at Mercer, and the last few years at Furman, it appeared the stress of the job was wearing on him, and though he might not admit Fowler had to re-instill that mentality and personality back to the program. It’s not to say that it, what happened at Furman might have been the best thing for his well-being as a person and Lamb’s particular way of winning football games, with a high-octane offense and a defense for his health. Sometimes we can’t see our own best interests, but the man upstairs always sees that was opportunistic and took chances can’t be successful, it’s just didn’t work out at Furman. what we can’t. However, it might be the right recipe in Macon and it certainly saw the Bears successful in 2013, as the Bears ran an un-conventional offense (the Pistol) with plenty of success. Meanwhile, coming off an exciting 2011 season, which yielded a pair of wins over top five foes, left Furman fans with optimism and an expectation of excellence that they had lost in the latter With the age of switching to the latest offensive craze, Furman has gotten back to principles that years of Lamb’s tenure at Furman. had made it so successful in the late 1970s through the early 1990s, which was the Paladins’ original run of tremendous success, which Lamb and Fowler both played a major role in. When Fowler took over, one of the biggest thing the veteran coach and former Paladin defensive back had to address was the program’s obvious identity crisis. Fowler would begin building the The 2012 season certainly would be a forgettable one for Fowler and staff, and as had been the foundation back on the same tenants which , Jimmy Satterfield and Bobby John- case with Lamb, fans didn’t hesitate to throw their opinions about Fowler and his coaching style son had once worked so hard to instill, which were a power running game and a stout defense. into the mix. Some even calling for him to be removed after the 3-8 season, which included just a 2-6 record in SoCon play. Positives in a 3-8 season are usually missed until refelction a couple No doubt Furman did some amazing things offensively under Lamb, especially when it came to of years down the road and after a successful run. putting up some record-setting campaigns offensively, which included the 2005 Paladins, which set a program record for total offensive average in a single-season (). Consider this. The Paladins brought in Jimmy Lindsey to coach the defensive line, and slowly but surely, he began to mold the Paladin defensive line into one of the most athletic and dominant Lamb had also presided over two of the top five passers in school history, and three if you count in the FCS, which Gardner-Webb found out about last Saturday night. For the first time since the final season with Billy Napier leading the Furman offense. In fact, Lamb had found Ingle the late 1980s and early ‘90s, the Paladins were regularly getting pressure with the front four. Martin, who passed for 5,751 yards and a program career-tying mark of 42 TDs in just two years Furman also found a QB, in a young Reese Hannon in 2012. as the Paladin signal-caller. But the negatives seem to always out-weigh the positives--even at a place like Furman ,where A Detailed History of Furman Football the fan base is not near as large or outspoken as it is at a place like say Clemson, Georgia or even Appalachian State, however, at a place that has experienced success like Furman has, there’s always a microscope and a standard which has been set. In some ways, Lamb was the victim of the program he helped build, and that’s sometimes the sad part about . When a coach spends 29 years at one place and one that wins 12 SoCon titles, in which the coach had a hand in as a player, assistant and head coach, fans, alumni and administration sometimes lose sight of that, especially a group of new fans or a new administration not as familiar with the Paladin football tradition. The same was likely true for Fowler after that 2012 season, with many fans saying that Furman’s brand in the late 1980s and early ‘90s couldn’t work today because of the evolution of the game and its athletes. Some in the media even went as far as to say Furman ran a “1950s offense.” But steady, disciplined and staying the course, and doing what he believed in have always been characteristics to describe Fowler, as well as his mentor, Johnson. Furman’s three wins in 2012, which came against Presbyterian (31-21), Western Carolina (45- 24) and Elon (31-17), were against teams that finished the season with a combined 6-27 overall record. Furman finished with its worst home record (1-4) in the 31 seasons that Paladin Stadium has played host to Furman football games.

Furman Head Coach Bruce Fowler Gets First SoCom Title As Furman Head Coach After Unbelievable Finish To 2013 Season

Meanwhile, in Greenville, Furman’ s season didn’t start much better than the 2012 season ended, as Fowler’s third season in the Upstate got off to an inauspicious start, and it seemed far from a campaign that would end with a 13th Southern Conference title, as the Paladins would get off to an 0-2 start. The Paladins had a revolving door at quarterback during the 2013 season, with five as many as five quarterbacks playing for the Paladins during the 2013 season, including starting a true freshman under center for the first time. After starting league play 0-2, the Paladins turned around to win the Southern Conference title--a 13th crown, which was unprecedented and the most in program history. It was one of the more remarkable coaching jobs by Fowler and staff, and it was a testament to the positive nature of the program, and the atmosphere promoted by Fowler and staff. With the adjustments that had to made, coupled with the fact that Furman had 46 freshmen in 2013, Furman came out of nowhere to win the league title. Mercer Goes Through First Spring Practice In Spring of 2013 Wins over Appalachian State and Georgia Southern in the same season happened for only the second time in program history, and for the first time since 1996. Meanwhile, Mercer would sign its first recruiting class in February of 2012, signing players like quarterback John Russ, WR J.T. Palmer, RB Peyton Usher and LB Ty Ward all signed as a part of Fowler’s influence was evident last season, as the Paladins forced 29 turnovers, which included that non-scholarship class back in 2012. six turned directly into scores . The Paladins had a tough, hard-nosed mentality, which helped them finish 8-6--the most wins since 2006, and the Paladins 30-20 win over SC State was the first since 2005, when the Paladins won at Richmond. Lamb would also begin to assemble his coaching staff in the spring of 2012, bringing in Casey Vogt (O-Line Coach/Offensive Coordinator) from Colgate as one of his very first hires, and then In conclusion, the personalities of each coach fit the respective program which they are now Mike Kolakowski (Defensive coordinator) and Justin Brown (Defensive Line Coach 2013/Team currently at the helm of. But both Fowler and Lamb have played a huge role in building what Chaplain 2014). Brown now serves as the team chaplain after serving as the defensive line Furman is today, which a Southern Conference power. coach in 2013. The Paladins have won more league titles than any program (13) past or present, and are the It would be a staff that would serve Lamb well in his first season as the head coach, as the Bears only remaining league member with a national title. Lamb and Fowler had a hand in all three would do something no other start-up program had done, which is win 10 games. title appearances, one national title and were present for 12 of 13 Southern Conference champi- onships, making Saturday’s matchup even more intriguing. Schedule setting was also something that would be put together in the spring and summer of 2012, and the spring would also begin tryouts for walk-on players. The decision to put a plan It’s a touchy subject when talking about the whole situation, however, the one thing that is together to join the Southern Conference was also formulated in the spring of 2012, and the known about both men is they are men of great character, humility and two coaches that run clear aim was the Southern Conference, with the Big South also a target should the SoCon plans their respective programs the right way, and oh yeah, two of the best coaches in the FCS. In the fall through. But the goal and vision all along was the SoCon. end, that’s all that matters, and for potential parents of recruits, I can see for either that their sons would be in great hands for the next four years with either because Fowler and Lamb are A second signing class in Feb of 2013, and a month later commenced the first spring practice, about the person first, making sure those young men get an education, and football comes after and the Bears staff began to evaluate talent and install the offense and defense to ready all that. That I can say that I know about each coach. themselves for their first football season. Saturday evening offers a chance to see two great coaches that emerged from one program, with now one trying to build a program to beat the power he helped create. It makes for an And what a season it would turn out to be for Lamb and the Bears, who claimed a thrilling intriguing rivalry in the years to come. Stay tuned for a complete preview of the matchup on 40-37 in the very first game in school history against Reinhardt on a game-winning field goal SaturdayBlitz.com tomorrow. from senior Josh Shutter. The Bears would out-score Warner and Berry 104-0 over the next two weeks before preparing for their first conference matchup in the Pioneer League against Drake. The Bulldogs would fall victim to an opportunistic Bears club, which forced an astounding seven turnovers, including an Alex Avant TD returned 34 yards for a score, in which he ran about 70 yards total on the play, completing the unbelievable score, making SportsCenter’s Top Play in the process. At 4-0, the Bears headed to perennial Pioneer power San Diego, who illegally played with scholarship players in a non-scholarship league, and defeated the Bears, 45-13. The Bears would four more in a row over Carnegie Mellon (54-21), Campbell (38-31), Davidson (51-26) and Jacksonville (45-42) before the Bears suffered their only other loss of the season, which was a 33-7 loss at Marist, in which was the lowest scoring output of the season for Lamb’s high-octane Bears. The record-setting 10th win for the Bears came in the regular-season finale came against Stetson in Macon, with the Bears dominant in a 41-14 win. The 10th win was the most ever by a A Detailed History of Furman Football

Building The Bear

MACON, GA.--The unceremonious exit at Furman following the 2010 football season set in do on the hardwood, as the Wildcats were motion a chain of events, which would eventually lead Lamb back to the Southern Conference. invited by the Atlantic 10 to join last fall, It was somewhat ironic that Lamb would find himself coaching at a school and at a program and will begin play in that league in No- that held many of the same principles as important to it as his former employer, Furman. vember. The news came down after Elon, The goal was always to eventually getting back into the Southern Conference, but when Georgia Georgia Southern, Appalachian State Southern and Appalachian State left for the in March of 2013, it would set and College of Charleston had already in motion the chain of events that would eventually lead to the Bears making a bid to become jumped ship. members of the tradition-rich league. Prior to all that, Hoffman’s Bears would begin to have some success, and with the A beautiful on-campus facility was already being constructed for the Bears’ first football game, Atlantic Sun basketball tournament tak- which would be as members of the Pioneer League in the 2013 season, and a plan was formu- ing place in the immaculate surroundings lated and a vision was put into motion in 2012, as the athletic administration, Lamb, Director of of the University Center (now Hawkins Athletics Jim Cole and president Bill Underwood would put together what would be an enticing Arena), if the Bears could experience any combination of facilities, academics and success that would make the middle Georgia school kind of success during the regular season, more than just an attractive option for the league. they would have a chance to make just In fact, it was also an uncanny confluence of events that would also play a big role in allowing their second appearance in the NCAA Mercer to be able to join the Southern Conference, as other programs began to have success Tournament in school history and first just as the athletic staff was beginning to put the package together to showcase Mercer as a appearance since the mid 1980s and just potential Southern Conference candidate for membership. the program’s third overall. The Bears would finish the regular-season Prior to joining the Southern Conference, as the runner-up to former A-Sun power Mercer had been proud, charter members Belmont in the league’s final standings, of the Atlantic Sun Conference, which and would head into the tournament as was formerly known as the Trans-Ameri- the No. 2 seed. After suffering a loss in the Mercer guard Langston Hall ca Athletic Conference, or the TAAC. semifinals to No. 6 Florida Gulf-Coast, the In 2011-12, the Mercer basketaball Bears would fail to garner a bid to the NCAA or NIT tournaments, however, the CollegeInsider. program, which hadn’t been all that com Tournament did come calling, and the Bears would gladly accept the invite. successful over about a three-decade span outside the 2002-03 season, which The Bears had a good mix of youth, size and athleticism, which would make the Bears a force in saw the Bears win the regular-season the A-Sun in its final few years. Players like 6’11 Daniel Coursey, who set the single-season and A-Sun title, would start to turn things career blocked shots records during his time in the Orange and Black, two-time A-Sun Player of around, and it turned out to be a case of the Year Langston Hall, who was a lock-down defender, combo guard/forward Jakob Gollon, perfect timing for ’s Bears who was the guy who could do a number of things, including getting the loose ball or the key basketball team, with so much else going rebound-to-knocking down the key perimeter shots, and Colorado’s Mr. Basketball Bud Thomas, on to try and get the Bears ready to make who was most known for his prowess as a perimeter threat. a solid resume’ together for inclusion in However, if there was one thing the former Oklahoma University and Kelvin Sampson assistant the SoCon. Hoffman knew, it was defense, and not many teams have defended as well in the nation over As many already know who follow the past three years as the Bears have. In the CIT, Bears would play exceptionally well, taking intercollegiate athletics, basketball in the down Tennessee State (), Georgia State (), Old Dominion (), Fairfield () and Utah State () to claim SoCon, like football, is a serious thing. It’s the A-Sun’s and school’s first postseason tournament title. The Bears, who finished with a 27-15 a conference with both a rich history on record, posted their most wins and most games in a single season in school history. the college basketball hardwood, and it’s In 2012-13, the imrprovement continued on the hardwood, as the Bears dominated in the regu- known as the league that implement- lar-season to capture the A-Sun title, as the Bears would do so by posting a 14-4 regular-season ed the first conference basketball mark to edge out Florida Gulf-Coast and USC Upstate in the league’s final standings. The Bears tournament, as well as ushering the era went into the conference tournament as the top overall seed, however, in the title game against of the three-point shot, with Ronnie Mercer Basketball Won 2012 CIT Tourney Carr’s long-range effort against Middle Florida Gulf-Coast, the Bears dropped an 88-75 decision to a team that would advance all the Tennessee State on Nov. 29, 1980, as way to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Touurnament before bowing out. Western Carolina won a 77-70 contest over the Blue Raiders. However, as a result of the regular-season A-Sun title, Hoffman’s Bears were automatic qualfiers to the National Invitational Tournament, or NIT. The Bears’ first-round opponent would be Cuonzo Just a few years earlier, VMI, which re-joined the SoCon just this year, became one of the Cin- Martin’s Tennessee Volunteers, and by this time, the Bears had become known as giant killers, derella stories in the more pre-modern era of the college basketball tournament, as the Keydets having already slain Florida State (61-56) and Alabama (66-59) during the regular-season. Led made it to the Elite Eight of the 1976 Tournament, dropping a 91-75 decision to Rutgers in a by Travis Smith’s 25 points, the Volunteers would become another notch on Mercer’s belt, as the tournament that, at the time,featured just 32 teams. Bears would stun the Thompson-Boling Arena crowd with a 75-67 win over the Vols. Then there was Davidson’s recent run back in 2007-08, which saw Bob McKillop’s Wildcats take the nation by storm, led by a star shooter named Stephen Curry, which put the Southern The NIT appearance for the Bears, however, would end in the next round, as the Bears made a Conference on cloud nine. Wins over Gonzaga (), Georgetown () and Wisconsin () as the No. second trip to Utah in a year’s time, traveling to Provo to meet Brigham Young out of the Moun- 14 seed captured the imagination of the entire nation. The Wildcats eventually would lose in tain West Conference. The Cougars would post a 90-71 win over Hoffman’s Bears, who finished heartbreaking fashion, with a 56-54 loss to Bill Self’s eventual national title-winning Kansas the season with another impressive ledger, going 24-12. Jayhawks. Like Appalachian State and Georgia Southern did on the gridion, Davidson would A Detailed History of Furman Football

The 2013-14 basketaball season would not only be the final one for the Bears as members of the Atlantic Sun, but also for four seniors that had helped Mercer gain admission into the SoCon during the previous summer. It was that team’s resume’ that played a huge role in the Bears being chosen for membership, but no one could have predicted such success at the precise time it was needed. Sometimes in athletics, luck is needed and that’s exactly what was the case as far as the timing of it was concerned. It reminded me a lot of Appalachian State’s first of three-straight national titles, with a new Ath- letics Director being introduced into the fold, in Charlie Cobb, and with head coach Jerry Moore on the hotseat, he listened to Moore’s concerns during an off-season meeting, and Moore’s con- cerns were honored and new gameday attractions and ideas of Cobb’s own were implemented, and the Mountaineers went to a sub-par 6-5 record and no playoffs in 2004 to the first of three national titles, a SoCon Title for the first time in six years, and a 12-3 final record. It was much the same with Mercer basketball and their three-year run of success. The Bears, though, despite winning a CIT in 2012 and a regular-season title and an NIT game in 2013, still coveted the grand prize and that was a trip to NCAA Tournament, which would solidify their inclusion to the conference in the minds of SoCon Commissioner John Iamarino and Associate Commissioner and Director of Basketball Operations Geoff Cabe. The Bears went out and saved the best for last, winning a share of the regular-season confer- ence title. In 2013-14, however, the General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Tournament was a campus site tournament, and despite winning a share of the regular-season title, would have to travel Mercer Broke Through And Won The 2010 Atlantic Sun Conference Title to conference co-champion Florida Gulf-Coast because the Eagles held the regular-season tiebreaker, should both teams make it to the final. After Entering Postseason Play As The No. 6 Seed That would be the exact scenario, however, the Eagles, who were playing on their home floor Al- ence champion Elon. The Bears were eventually eliminated by Alabama, dropping a 5-3 game, ico Arena, where they were nearly unbeatable, were no match for the defense-minded Bears, as finishing the season with a 38-24 record. The 2010 title was the first since the Barry Myers era, Mercer would capture its 25th win of the season and third NCAA Tournament berth with a 69-64 which saw the Bears claim the 1983 title. win in Fort Myers, to hand the Eagles their first loss in front of their home fans all season. The 2011 season would yield one more win for the Bears, as Mercer finished 39-20, and the The Bears had done it. They had qualified for the NCAA Tournament, already making the SoCon Bears found themselves back in the tournament title once again, facing Belmont in the title selection committee look like geniuses, but the Bears weren’t done. Despite 25 wins and a first game before losing a tight 9-7 season. trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1985, the No. 14 seeded Bears had one more trick up their sleeves. The 2011 season would also would bring an end for a couple of the all-time greats to ever play for Mercer and in the Atlantic Sun as a hitter, in Jacob Tanis and Billy Burns, who finished as the Facing No. 3 Duke in a second round game in Raleigh, the Bears captured some of that shooting school’s all-time record holders in career batting average (.363) and on-base percentage (.449). mojo that Curry displayed some six years earlier against Gonzaga and Georgetown under the same roof en route to leading the Wildcats to the Sweet 16. Despite some big losses, the Bears would get off to a slow start in 2012, but would rebound to get hot at the right time, as the Bears once again advanced deep in the tournament, as the Or- Though no player put up a gaudy 40-point effort like Curry did against Gonzaga, what Mercer ange and Black were on of the final three teams remaining before once again being eliminated did do was post five players in double figures to go on to a shocking 78-71 win over the by Belmont, with a 10-3 loss. star-studded Blue Devils, which featured the likes of freshman sensation Jabari Parker, who was held to 14 points on just 4-of-14 shooting by that stingy Bears defense. The 2013 season would be one that would see the Bears establish themselves as a dominant force in A-Sun baseball, claiming the regular-season A-Sun title, which was the first reg- Reserve guard Kevin Canevari’s dance showed he was doing more than just studying, and that ular-season A-Sun title in school history, and the 43 wins were the most ever in program history. Mercer was a basketball program that knew it belonged where it was. Though the Bears would lose in third round of the NCAA Tournament to Tennessee (), which was the team the Bears had Led by the likes of Nick Baklund, Chesny Young and Clemson transfer Sasha LaGarde, the Bears defeated a year earlier. went on the make their second NCAA Tournament appearance, and despite being eliminated in the A-Sun Tournament, the Bears were an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament, playing However, basketball wasn’t the only sport that made the Bears an attractive option to the as the No. 3 seed in Starkville Regional. The Bears would post a dominating 20-7 record in Southern Conference, but in recent seasons, the Bears have established themselves as a perenni- conference play, and finished the season with a No. 37 ranking in the RPI. al NCAA Tournament contender on the baseball diamond. Under the leadership of Craig Gibson, the Bears, and it has been one of the more impressive aspects of the Mercer program over the The Bears would win 38 games once again in 2014, and with the expectations high and ranked past several seasons, and one thing that would sway the Southern Conference even more when in the Top 25 towards the early start of conference play, the preseason league favorites would considering Mercer as a potential program for membership. falter down the stretch to miss out on an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Still, since that time in 2010, the Bears have been one of the top mid-majors in college baseball, and will be a The current run of success for Gibson’s club would start in 2010 playing in the Atlantic Sun Con- huge boon to the Southern Conference. As much as any other sport, baseball made the Bears an ference, as the Bears would break through and win the Atlantic Sun Tournament after entering attractive school to the Southern Conference. the conference tournament as the No. 6 seed. Overall, if you look at Mercer as a program, it comes into the league with so many positives, and The Bears broke through and had a nice win in the title game against Jacksonville, posting a will be one of the most complete programs in the SoCon. Keeping coaches like Bob Hoffman, 7-3 win in the title game and went into the tournament playing in the Atlanta regional, along Craig Gibson and even Bobby Lamb won’t be easy if the Orange Black continues to have the run with Georgia Tech, Elon and Alabama. The Bears would be blanked by one of the national title of success, especially in baseball in basetball the past four years. favorites, in Georgia Tech, losing 10-0, but rebounded to get a 13-7 win over Southern Confer-