A Detailed History of Furman Football

Previewing The Opponents: Game 8 Samford and Chattanooga square off next weekend in Birmingham in another key Southern Oct. 25 vs. Samford () Conference matchup, which will further defi ne the league’s championship race and playoff chase. Furman’s bid to remain in contention for the playoff and title race Should Samford win that game, Furman would be in line for an unprecedented 13th Southern begins again this weekend when the Paladins Conference crown and potential playoff bid should the Paladins take care of business against host the on homecoming for Western Carolina and Wofford in the fi nal two games of the 2013 season. the second-straight season. Taking the field in all black for the fi rst time in school history, the Paladins would use big plays Furman enters looking to put an end to a five- on off ense and an opportunistic, aggressive defense, which pressured Bulldogs’ senior starter game losing streak, which started back on Sept. and Walter Payton Award candidate Andy Summerlin all afternoon en route to snapping a two- 13, with a 10-7 loss at PC and continued last game skid against the Bulldogs. Saturday with a 41-10 setback to South Carolina this past Saturday in Columbia. The Paladins won the opening coin toss and elected to receive, and much took the initiative Samford comes in with a 3-3 mark, including a 2-2 mark in Southern Conference play. The Bull- from the outset, much like last week’s win at Georgia Southern. Despite taking 14 more plays, dogs have recorded wins over Stillman (52-0), VMI (63-21) and Mercer (21-18) and losses have it would be the same result, as Marcus Anderson’s fi rst-career TD for the Paladins set the tone come against losses have come against Chattanooga (38-24), TCU (48-14) and Wofford (24-0). midway through the opening quarter, as he capped a 15-play, 79-yard drive to put the Paladins a 7-0 lead with 7:41 to play in the opening quarter. The Bulldogs were the Southern Conference tri-champions last season along with Furman and Chattanooga, using dramatic wins over Chattanooga (17-14) and out-going Elon (32-28) The Bulldogs’ no-huddle off ense, which would prove to be as good as advertised at times and to claim a share of the Southern Conference crown last season. It was Samford’s first playoff rolled up 531 yards of total off ense on the day, would also get points on their opening drive of appearance since 1992, and was the program’s first conference title as a Division I member. the day, as the Bulldogs used 13 plays to travel 66 yards, but Furman’s defense clamped down in the red zone, holding the potent Samford off ense to a Warren Handrahan 26-yard fi eld goal to The Bulldogs lost a great deal of talent off the offensive side of the ball from a year ago, includ- make it a 7-3 contest with 4:16 remaining in the opening quarter. ing Fabian Truss, as well as SoCon Offensive Player of the Year Andy Summerlin at quarterback. On the ensuing kickoff , Tanner Skogen would fumble the football producing the game’s fi rst What the Bulldogs do have back is a solid defense, which includes Jaquiski Tartt, who presides turnover, and the Bulldogs took over the football in excellent fi eld position, however, the over a Samford defense that comes in ranking second in the Southern Conference (312.2 YPG), black-clad Paladin defense stood tall once again, forcing the Samford off ense backwards, as the and Tartt is quite possibly the best defensive back in the league. Bulldogs netted -1 yard on fi ve plays. The Bulldogs acquired some high-profile transfers, including Michael Eubanks, who transferred Once again, Handrahan was called upon for a field goal try, and he was true from 41 yards out, into Samford from Arizona State. cutting Furman’s lead to just a point, at 7-6, with 2:59 to play. The Paladins would increase their advantage to eight points midway through the second quarter, as the Paladins were put in good Furman has run the ball well the past two weeks in games against Coastal Carolina and South position by virtue of a defense that forced three turnovers (2 INTs, 1 fumble), with two of those Carolina, amassing a combined total of 487 yards in those games. In the first five games running scores leading to Paladin TDs, while the other turnover halted a Samford scoring drive deep in the football, the Paladins mustered a mere 19 more yards (506 rush yds in first five games. the Furman red zone.

2013 Recap: Furman 34, No. 20 Samford 17 On a third-and-eight play, the Paladins brought a heavy rush against Summerlin, and Marcus McMorris, who started at weakside linebacker after playing the entire season as the Paladins’ The Bulldogs and Paladins met on Oct. 25, free safety, sacked the Bulldogs’ signal-caller and the ball came free, which was also recovered 2013 in Greenville, with Furman having by McMorris, giving the Paladins the football at the Samford 11. plenty of momentum coming off a 27-10 win over Appalachian State. Samford Furman needed just two plays to fi nd the end zone, and for the fi fth time in 2013, it came from came to town sporting the nation’s No. 20 the ‘wildcat’ formation, as Richard Hayes III found the end zone for the first time in his career ranking, and the Bulldogs were coming off a from six yards out, giving the Paladins a 14-6 lead with 6:13 remaining in the half following Ray 28-26 loss at a week earlier. Early’s PAT. Furman would return to Greenville off the Samford would quell the Paladins’ momentum gained by Hayes’ fi rst scoring run, as one of the big win over Georgia Southern to face a best kick returners in the history of the Southern Conference, Fabian Truss, returning Early’s Samford team, who had led the Southern ensuing kickoff 76 yards down the sideline, giving the league’s best passing off ense excellent Conference from the start of the season, but field position. the Bulldogs showed a little bit of a chink in the armor the week prior to visiting Paladin The Furman red zone defense would once again force the Bulldogs to settle for a Handrahan Stadium. field goal, as his 36-yard fi eld goal got the Bulldogs within fi ve points with 4:34 to play in the half. Scheduling by the league certainly didn’t do the boys from Dixie any favors, as the It appeared the game was ready to take a turn for the worse for Furman on the ensuing kickoff , trip to Greenville represented the Bulldogs’ third- Samford QB Michael Eubanks Transferred Into as junior running back Hank McCloud brought the ball out of the end zone and got an excellent straight road game in the Palmetto State, having Samford From Arizona State return just across midfi eld, however, the ball was stripped free by the Bulldogs and recovered by taken the opening game of the three-game trip Josh Killett, giving the Bulldogs excellent fi eld position at their own 42. into enemy territory, taking a (34-27) win at Wofford. On the drive’s opening play, however, John Mackey and Ira McCune got good penetration to stonewall Truss for a one-yard loss, and the Paladin defense would force the second Samford However, with a rash of injuried hitting Pat Sullivan’s team at just the wrong time, while the punt of the opening half, coming out of what could have been a momentum-swinging situation Paladins were starting to hit their stride at exactly the right time, putting it all together for an without suff ering any damage. emotionally-charged and enthusiastic Homecoming crowd on-hand on hand to cheer on the Paladins. With the ball back in its possession at its own 14, Hannon gained a yard on a keeper up the middle with a little under two minutes to play in the opening half, which would set the stage Andrej Suttles caught three passes for 115 yards, including an 85-yard TD late in the second for the longest play of the season from scrimmage from Furman. quarter, while Reese Hannon completed 10-of-14 passes for 159 yards and a TD, as Furman knocked off No. 20 Samford in Southern Conference football action on homecoming Saturday at On 2nd-and-nine, Hannon found Suttles on a 10-yard strike, and Suttles did the rest as he Paladin Stadium. proceeded to pivot at the 25, showing an uncanny sense of balance and body control to elude a Samford defender and then used his speed to cut across the fi eld, while getting a fi nal block The Paladins improved to 5-5 overall and 4-2 in Southern Conference play, while Samford from David Dingess on Samford All-America safety Jaquiski Tartt at the Furman 30 to complete suff ered its second-straight setback in league play, falling to 6-4 and 4-2 in the SoCon. the 85-yard scoring play. After Early’s PAT, Furman had a 21-9 lead over Samford with 1:46 With No. 17 Woff ord’s 20-10 loss at No. 24 Chattanooga meant Furman is locked in a three-way remaining in the half, with the homecoming crowd creating a palpable energy. tie for second place in the league standings with both Woff ord and Samford, as all three teams now sport 4-2 league marks It was a strong two-week stretch for Suttles, who had a 75-yard scoring reception on a halfback A Detailed History of Furman Football pass from Skogen last week, and now has caught nine passes for 230 yards and a pair of scores the past two weeks. That would be how the two teams would enter the locker room, and Previewing The Opponents: Game 8 Samford got the ball to open the second half. Furman would produce maybe its biggest play of the game on defense just on the Bulldogs’ opening series. Oct. 25 vs. Samford (Paladin Stadium)

Samford faced a 4th-and-1 at the Samford 47, however, D’Morrise Bledsoe was stopped for a Overview of the Rivalry loss of a yard, handing the ball to the Paladin off ense in great fi eld position just inside Samford territory to start the ensuing drive. Furman and Samford face off in what amounts to a huge Southern Conference clash Much like the opening play in the 16-14 win at Georgia Southern last week, the Paladins went Saturday at Paladin Stadium. for the jugular on the fi rst play, as Skogen took the hand-off from Hannon, and proceeded to throw his second scoring pass in as many weeks, fi nding sophomore wideout Jordan Snellings With Samford already behind the eight-ball with on a beautiful spiraled pass down the right sideline. a pair of Southern Conference losses, the game amounts to a “must-win” for the Bulldogs Satur- Skogen has completed both of his passes for 121 yards and a pair of scores each of the past two day afternoon when they visit Paladin Stadium. weeks. The one variation in the halfback pass against Samford as opposed to the one against Georgia Southern was that last week’s 75-yarder came on a toss sweep to the right, while the Samford and Furman have had some close one against Samford came on a straight on an battles since the Bulldogs joined the Southern off -tackle hand-off to the right side, with both Conference back in 2008. producing the same result. The pass gave the Paladins a 28-9 lead with 12:57 to play in the The first four meetings between the Paladins and third quarter. Bulldogs were decided by about a touchdown average, with three of the four clashes being The story the rest of the way would remain the Samford-Furman Rivalry Is One Of The Hottest Rivalries in The SoCon Right Now decided by a combined eight points, including just Furman defense, with Truss fi nally reaching the three points in two of those matchups. end zone on a 23-yard run late in the third pe- riod to account for the Bulldogs’ lone TD of the The Bulldogs are a team that in the past has been dangerous offensively, due in large part to day, and after a two-point conversion, would some excellent play-callers over the years, including the likes of Rhett Lashlee, who is now the get as close as 11 points (28-17), however, offensive coordinator at Auburn. though the Bulldogs would threaten, would get no closer. Samford obviously came into the 2014 season as one of the favorites to claim a Southern Conference crown, and the Bulldogs have a great tradition. With Samford driving with under two minutes left, the Furman defense got pressure on The Bulldogs come into the contest with one of the younger offenses in the Southern Con- Summerlin once again, and he threw it right to ference, but have gotten good production out of some of those younger players, particularly Furman WR vs. Samford Last Season McMorris, who picked it off and proceeded to players like Denzel Williams, who has been one of the better young running backs in the SoCon return it 89 yards for a score. It was Furman’s to this point in the 2014 season. 10th INT of the season, which leads the league. Pat Sullivan, a former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback at Auburn back in 1971, is in his The Bulldogs held substantial advantages in yardage (531-336) and plays (102-51), but the eighth season at the helm in Birmingham, compiling a 43-42 record as the head coach of Paladins showed why they continue to rank among the nation’s top teams in red zone defense, Bulldogs. yielding just three fi eld goals, while intercepting a pass and returning for a score late in the game with Samford driving deep in the Paladin red zone.

The 17 points were a season low for Samford. In its past three FCS games—all of which the Samford Tradition: Paladins have won—the Paladins have allowed a combined 41 points. Samford has a great tradition of football among several schools in the football-rich state of Aside from Suttles and Hannon, running back Hank McCloud rushed 15 times for 70 yards, , and one of the coaching legends increasing his season total to 855 yards. Snellings caught two passes for 53 yards, including that got his start at Samford, which was formerly 46-yard strike from Skogen, which was his fi rst scoring catch of the season for the 2012 SoCon known as Howard College prior to the 1950s. All-Freshman team honoree. The first season of football at Howard Col- Samford’s Fabian Truss rushed reached the century mark rushing the football against the lege was in 1902, and the Bulldogs with one Paladins for a second-straight season, with 117 yards and a TD on 18 attempts. The Bulldogs of their best early seasons in 1906, complet- got a pair of 100-yard receiving eff orts, as Chris Cephus caught fi ve passes for 108 yards, while ing the campaign with a 6-2-1 record, with freshman sensation Karel Hamilton had seven grabs for 101 yards. the only losses coming to current SEC West members Alabama and Mississippi State. Defensively, Furman had three sacks and eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage, with strong safety Greg Worthy matching his career high for tackles established earlier this season The early years saw the Bulldogs’ biggest ri- against PC, while nickel Jairus Hollman posted 13 stops, 1.5 TFL and a PBU. McMorris posted 11 val on the gridiron be Birmingham Southern tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 INT and a TD. Justin Cooper led Samford with 11 tackles. College, with the annual game being held on Thanksgiving Day. One of the more memorable moments in the pre-war years came in 1935, when the Bulldogs forged a 7-7 tie with defending Rose Bowl Champion Alabama.

In 1959, would start his Bobby Bowden Got His Start at Samford legendary coaching career at Samford, re-introducing scholarship football for the first time 18 years. Bowden had the midas touch from the outset, posting a 9-1 record in his first season as the head coach, and in his four seasons as the head coach of the Bulldogs, he has the best winning percentage of any coach in Samford football history, having won 83.8% of his games, posting a 31-6 overall mark. would also cut his teeth as the head coach of the Samford Bulldogs, spending six seasons in Birmingham and leading Samford to a pair of Division I-AA playoff berths. A Detailed History of Furman Football

Previewing The Opponents: Game 8 Oct. 25 vs. Samford (Paladin Stadium)

Samford Defensive Buck Buchanan Award Candidate Jaquiski Tartt Samford Running Back Denzel Williams

The Bulldogs come in putting up some solid totals on the defensive side of the football so far Previewing The Matchup: this season, with a large majority of the experience on the team’s roster residing on the defen- sive side of the ball. The Bulldogs come into Saturday afternoon’s homecoming clash at Furman, While Samford has had seen a young offense go through its share of growing ranking 15th nationally in total defense (312.2 YPG), 55th in scoring defense (24.8 PPG), 63rd in pains this season, with perhaps more inconsistencies in any one season since 2010, the Samford rushing defense (174.5 YPG), and sixth in passing defense (137.7 YPG). defense has been a veteran unit that has buoyed head coach Pat Sullivans squad early on this season, which is not too much unlike Bruce Fowler’s Paladins, with the exception of Furman’s When Samford and Furman renew their rivalry on Saturday afternoon, it will mark the 17th offensive struggles stemming from an injury to starting signal-caller Reese Hannon. meeting between the two, with Furman holding a 9-7 all-time series edge, with the Paladins having eight of the past 10 meetings between the two, with the first meeting between the two It’s been a rivalry that has gotten the reputation as one of the top budding rivalries in the South- rivals occurring in 1961. Furman holds a 5-4 all-time series edge in Greenville. ern Conference, with four out of the six meetings since the Bulldogs joined the Southern Confer- ence in 2009 having been decided by five points or less. The average score in average score in six The Paladins are 25-8 all-time in homecoming games played at their current home of Paladin meetings between the two as SoCon members has been 25-21 in favor of the Paladins. Stadium. Four of the five losses for the Paladins have come to teams from the Palmetto State this season. From 2008-11, the recent trend in a rivalry, which saw its first of 16 meetings in 19, was likely during this four-year span, with three of the four matchups coming right down to the wire. The Bulldogs are an even 26-26 against Southern Conference foes since joining the league back in 2008. Samford is 25-22-1 all-time against teams from the Palmetto State. In 2008 and ‘09, Furman defensive lineman Kyle McKinney would forever etch his name in the rivalry between the two private institutions by recording a blocked PAT in ‘08 to preserve a A Look At The Samford Offense: 28-27 win in Birmingham. Samford came into the 2014 season with plenty of new blood on the offensive side of the ball, In an eerily similar fashion a year later in Greenville, McKinney blocked what would have been a losing six starters, including a quarterback who passed for 3,640 yards and a player who gar- potential game-winning 39-yard field goal by All-SoCon place-kicker Cameron Yaw to preserve a nered SoCon Media Association Player of the Year Andy Summerlin, the school’s all-time leading 26-24 win, after the Paladins nearly squandered a 16-point (26-10) fourth quarter lead. receiver (Kelsey Pope; 250 rec, 2,345 yds and 13 TDs), and the SoCon’s career third all-time leader in all-purpose yards (Fabian Truss, 6,640 yds). After Furman won a 27-10 contest in 2010, the Bulldogs would breakthrough and claim their first win against the Paladins since 1969 in 2011, with the Dustin Taliaferro leading the Bulldogs The good news entering the 2014 season for the Bulldogs was the newcomers would be to a 26-21 win in Paladin Stadium. fashioned around an offensive line that returned four regulars, which played an integral role in helping the Bulldogs to their first Southern Conference title in 2013. The Bulldogs also In the 2011 loss, it would turn out to be a record-setting day for senior quarterback Chris Forcier, welcomed the return of one of the top receivers in the league from a year ago. who would tie the school record for all-time passing yards (356 yds). One of the solid aspects of this Samford offense this season is the fact that it has Travis Trickett-- The 2012 season would see Furman open with a road Southern Conference game for the first son of Florida State offensive line coach Travis Trickett. Trickett is an innovative play-caller much time since 1975, and for the second-straight season, the Paladins would drop a heartbreaker to like his predecessor, Rhett Lashlee. the Bulldogs, with a 24-21 setback at . The Bulldog offense showed they could score points in bunches already once this season, In just his fourth start as the Furman quarterback, Dakota Derrick would struggle, tossing three rudely greeting VMI in its first Southern Conference game since 2002, with a 63-21 win over he picks, but running back Jerodis Williams kept the Paladins in it with a solid 100 yards and a TD, Keydets. The 63 scored by the Bulldogs eclipsed the Division I school-record of 62 scored against and a Western Carolina in the 2013 league opener. Saturday afternoon sees a Samford team invade Paladin Stadium that has gotten more comfort- The Bulldogs rolled up one of the best offensive afternoons in the Division era in total offense able with each passing week, however, last Saturday, the Bulldogs struggled to run the football, as well, as Samford rolled up 525 yards total offense, with 433 yards on the ground. The game gaining a season-low 49 yards on the ground in last Saturday’s loss to Wofford. also two Bulldogs rush for better than 100 yards, in Denzel Williams (178 yds) and Krondis Larry (128 yds). Offensively, the Bulldogs come to Greenville ranking 63rd nationally in total offense (376.7 YPG), 29th in scoring offense (32.0 PPG), 78th in passing offense (225.8 YPG) and 49th in rushing One of the more impressive aspects of the Samford offense this season has been its effective- offense (183.8 YPG). ness in the red zone, tied for third in the Southern Conference in red zone offense this season, including ranking second in league games. The Bulldogs have converted 87% (20-of-23) of their A Detailed History of Furman Football

Philpot has done a solid job at tight end/H-Back this season, and had some pretty significant shoes to fill coming into the campaign, replacing Zeke Walters, who was a reliable receiving option and blocker for the Bulldogs last season. Philpot saw some time in the lineup last season, appearing in seven contests last season and 10 games in his first season with the program in 2012. He had one of his better career performances against Arkansas last season, logging nearly half of his receiving yardage for the season in that one game, recording 21 of his 58 receiving yards for the 2013 season on two grabs. He has served in more a blocking role this season, with just one catch, and had his best season with Samford as a frosh in 2012, with eight grabs for 89 yards. The Samford ground attack somewhat surprisingly ranked last in the Southern Conference in rushing offense last season with Truss--one of the best backs in school history--averaging just 122.8 YPG last season on the ground. The Bulldogs enter Saturday’s contest averaging 61 more yards per game on the ground, averaging 183.8 YPG. The ground attack will be headed up by a pair of talented running backs, in Denzel Williams (97 rush att, 454 yds, 10 TDs, 4.7 YPC) and Jermiaha Gates (22 rush att, 123 yds, 2 TDs, 5.6 YPC). The Bulldogs always seemingly bring a good running back into the matchup with the Paladins, with Truss the past couple of years, and before that, Chris Evans, who finished his career as the all-time leading rusher in the state of Alabama. Samford Wide All-SoCon Wide Receiver Karel Hamilton Williams, a 5-10, 191-lb product of Columbiana, MO, made the move from defensive back to running back during the spring, and the move has paid off to this point, as the redshirt sopho- more comes into Saturday’s contest as the league’s fourth-leading rusher. red zone trips this season. Williams had his most productive contest in the league-opening win over VMI, posting 178 Most folks that follow the school of 4,833 based in Birmingham were anxious to see how the yards and a pair of scores on 16 attempts. Williams is one of the best athletes on the offensive quarterback position was going to pan out in 2014, and like Summerlin, it would be an FBS side of the football for the Bulldogs, and he leads the league in scoring (10 TDs). Williams also transfer positioned as the starter with two years of eligibility remaining. ranks fifth in the league in all-purpose yards, averaging 97.7 YPG. NFL prototype Michael Eubank (106-of-163 passing, 1,071 yds, 5 TDs, 6 INTs) transferred into Similar to Truss and Evans from years past, Williams is also an excellent receiver coming out of Samford from Arizona State in the early spring, and the 6-6, 246-lb native of Corona, CA. Eubank the backfield for Samford, ranking as Samford’s second-leading receiver entering Saturday’s currently ranks fourth in the SoCon in passing, and has improved with each week. contest, hauling in 16 passes for 132 yards. Eubank has a big arm and enjoyed his best performance of the season against The Terriers last Gates is one of the most veteran players on the offensive side of the ball for the Bulldogs, as the week, as he posted his best career performance, completing 32-of-43 passes for 305 yards and senior running back from Ocala, FL, is excellent in short-yardage situaitons. had a rushing TD in the losing effort. Gates, who has seen action mostly as a reserve in his career, as well as short-yardage situations, The new Bulldogs’ signal-caller has also been effective running the football this season, ranking needing just 64 more yards to cross the 1,000-yard plateau for his career, entering Saturday’s second on the team in rushing yards so far in 2014, having amassed 204 yards and five scores on contest against the Paladins with 936 rushing yards on 223 attempts and four scores, averaging 70 attempts (2.9 YPC). 4.2 YPC for his career. Eubank turned in one of the best performances of the Southern Conference season against VMI, Like Williams, Gates is a good athlete, and the 5-10, 216-lb running back also catches the foot- scoring 24 points on four rushing scores against the Keydets. ball well out of the backfield, having hauled in 54 catches for 428 yards and a score, averaging 7.9 YPC. The four rushing scores by Eubank made quite the impact for the first-year player, tying a school mark set by four previous Bulldogs, with the most recent of the quartet prior to Eubank’s mark Samford has one of the most experienced offensive lines in the SoCon, having returned four coming in 1995. starters from the 2013 title-winning team. Eubank has a good corps of receivers to throw the football to, led by sophomore wideout Karel Anchoring the Bulldogs’ offensive line this season have been a pair of all-conference honorees, Hamilton (26 rec, 362 yds, 3 TDs, 13.9 YPR), who has established himself as one of the top with right tackle Gunnar Bromelow leading the way, and he is one of the top offensive tackles wideouts in the Southern Conference. in school history. Hamilton comes into Saturday’s contest having hauled in 64 passes for 1,019 yards and 10 TDs, The 6-6, 305-lb native of Alpharetta, GA, has started 24 games in his career halfway through averaging 15.9 YPR. his junior season, including all six in 2014. Bromelow was a preseason First-Team All-SoCon selection. Hamilton enjoyed one of his best performances against the Paladins last season, hauling in 10 passes for 101 yards. Hamilton has had some good performances through the first six games C.H. Scruggs, who is a redshirt junior from Jasper, AL, was a preseason Second Team All-SoCon this season, having hauled in four passes for 56 yards. In the 38-24 loss to Chattanooga in the selection and will line up beside Bromelow at right guard on Saturday. Scruggs will be making first Southern Conference game for the Bulldogs this season, hauling in six passes for 129 yards his 20th start along the offensive front for the Bulldogs when they take the field against and two scores, as it was one of the best games of Hamilton’s young career in Birmingham. Furman. Teaming with Hamilton Saturday will be Kelvin Clay (8 rec, 107 yds, 13.4 YPR) and Emanuel Kyle Champion (LG), Wesley Carter (LT) and Jordan Boatright (C) round out the starting five Obajimi (11 rec, 111 yds, 10.1 YPR), while Tony Philpot (1 rec, 14 yds) will handle the tight end along the offensive front. duties. Champion and Boatright are the lone two seniors starting along the offensive front, with Cham- With the graduation of Kelsey Pope and Chris Cephus, Clay is now the most veteran receiver on pion having started his career as a defensive tackle before making the move to the offensive the Samford roster. Clay, a 6-0, 185-lb senior from Chattanooga has 64 career catches for 643 front following the 2011 season. Boatright has molded himself into one of the top centers in yards and five scores, averaging 13.4 YPR. the league, and will be making his 20th start in the last 21 games for Samford over the past two seasons. Like Hamilton, Obamiji is in his second season for the Bulldogs, and is starting to come into his own as a reliable receiving option for the Bulldogs. He has 30 career grabs for 339 yards and a The Bulldogs’ offensive front comes into Saturday’s clash having yielded 13 sacks so far this TD, averaging 11.3 YPR. Obamiji hauled in his only scoring catch last season in the regular-sea- season. The high sacks total has more to do with the Bulldogs being more of a passing team, son finale against Elon, helping the Bulldogs clinch their first-ever Southern Conference title. A Detailed History of Furman Football Paladins at right tackle. Bush outweighs anyone on the Paladin roster, weighing in at 317 lbs, and will be the second true freshman starting Saturday, as the duo has a combined combined two starts not including Saturday--both recorded by Schmidt of course. Samford graduated one of the best linebackers in the country from its defense last season, with the graduation of Justin Shade, who posted a league-leading 16.0 TFL and 9.5 sacks last season to go along with 129 total tackles. Experience returns in the form of a pair of juniors, in Josh Killett (27 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 FF) at strong side linebacker, and Justin Cooper (48 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR) at middle linebacker. Killett has started all six games last season and has eight starts to his credit in his 2.5 seasons for the Bulldogs, while Cooper is in his second season as a starter after transferring in from Texas Tech prior to the 2013 season. The Fort Lauderdale, FL, native is the most talented linebacker coming in as the leading tackler for the Bulldogs. Cooper comes off a 2013 season, which saw him record 81 stops, 4.5 TFL and a sack. The middle linebacker had a career-high 11 stops against the Paladins last season in Greenville before eclipsing that total with 13 stops in Samford’s 14-point road loss at Chattanooga. The starter at weakside starter at linebacker will be Tonne Osaigbovo (14 tackles, 1.0 TFL), who Samford Defensive Tackle Michael Pierce is in his first season as a starter and had some incredible shoes to fill by replacing Shade. The 6-0, 225-lb native of Kennesaw, GA, is a good athlete and has started all six games at weakside ‘backer for Samford. but Furman’s defensive line should have an advantage up front in the trenches on Saturday, and Gary Wilkins and Ira McCune could cause problems for the Bulldogs’ offensive front Saturday. The obvious strength of the Samford defense is its secondary, which leads the SoCon in pass defense and ranks 15th nationally. The Bulldogs have been extremely stingy against FCS in Looking At The Samford Defense: aerial defense, putting up numbers the NORAD would admire in 2014.

The strength of this Samford team has been on the defensive side of the football this season, The Bulldogs have not allowed 200 yards through the air to an FCS foe this season, includ- and the Bulldogs are experienced and led by one of the best defensive coordinators in the ing limiting the league’s passing leader, in VMI to 145 yards, which is 124 yards under their SoCon, in Bill D’Otavio, who is in his eighth year as the defensive coordinator. The Bulldogs have per-game-average of 269.5 YPG through the air heading into Saturday’s game against Wofford. four starters on defense that have transferred in from FBS programs. The Bulldogs have also not been a team that yields the big play through the air on many The Bulldogs have fielded a physical defense in all previous six games with the Paladins since occasions through the first six games, with Mercer receiver Chandler Curtis recording the longest joining the SoCon in 2008. This season will be no different, as the Bulldogs will bring one of the pass reception against Bulldogs this season, which totaled 48 yards. more physical defenses in the SoCon to Greenville on Saturday, including a defensive backfield which is ranked as one of the best in the nation. The reason for the meager numbers surrendered through the air to opponent this season is thanks in large part to having two of the best defensive backs in the SoCon returning for the Against FCS foes this season, the Bulldogs have been stout, as no foe has reached the 400-yard 2014 season, in preseason all-conference selections Jaquiski Tartt (40 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1 INT, 1 mark in total offense this season, with the most yards gained by an FCS foe being 343 yards, PBU) and James Bradberry (14 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 2 PBUs, 1 INT). which was recorded by Chattanooga in the Bulldogs’ second league game. FBS foe TCU rolled up the most yards against Samford’s defense this season, gaining 555 yards in the season-opening Tartt will start at free safety, and not only is the redshirt senior the top safety in the SoCon, he’s 48-14 win. also one of the best in all of Division I, and just like the 2013 season, is a candidate for the Buck Buchanan Award. The Bulldogs will utilize a 4-3 defensive scheme Saturday, with an experienced, athletic front four. One of the key additions for the Bulldogs up front this season has been defensive tackle Easily one of the biggest hitters in the Southern Conference, the 6-1, 218-lb senior from Mobile, Michael Pierce (23 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 FF), who transferred in from Tulane last season AL, has 255-career stops, six INTs and 20 career PBUs. Not only does Tartt make plays against and as had an instant impact ever since. He played in all 13 games last season, registering 11 the pass, he also might be the best safety coming up and making plays against the run. Tartt starts. He posted 47 tackles, 5.0 TFL and half-a-sacks in 2013, while also forcing a fumble. had his best season tackles-wise last season, with 98 stops, while he picked off four of his six passes as a sophomore. He made nine tackles in the Bulldogs’ 34-17 setback last season. Pierce is massive, at 6-0, 309 lbs, and one of the key matchups to watch Saturday will be between him and Paladin true freshman center Matthew Schmidt, who will be starting his third Bradberry came into the season as a First-Team All-SoCon cornerback, and along with Paladin game Saturday since having his redshirt removed. corner Reggie Thomas, the SoCon matchup will feature two of the league’s best Saturday. Like Tartt, the 6-1, 205-lb native of Pleasant Grove, AL, transferred into the program after spending a Teaming with Pierce on the defensive interior this season will be Jerry Mathis (4 tackles, 1 FR), redshirt season at Arkansas State in 2011. Bradberry 14 career PBUs and five INTs. who is in his senior season, and is another defensive tackle over 300 lbs, weighing in at 305. Mathis has started 26 of the past 27 games for the Bulldogs over the past two-plus seasons, and Rounding the starting four in the secondary for the Bulldogs will be sophomore strong safety like Pierce, has been solid. Jamerson Blount (29 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 3 PBUs, 1 FR, 1 INT) and junior cornerback Trey Wesley (21 tackles, 3 PBUs, 1 TFL). Blount accounted for one of the two TDs in Samford’s loss to TCU, return- The 2013 season was one that saw Mathis rack up 35 tackles, 8.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks. Of the two ing an INT 55 yards for a score and has having a solid first season as a starter for the Bulldogs. opponents the Paladins have faced this season, Pierce and Mathis offer the greatest challenge at defensive tackle for the Paladin offensive front. Wesley had his best season as a Bulldog as a sophomore last fall, registering 98 stops, 4.0 TFL, 2 PBUs and three fumble recoveries. Wesley had nine stops in the loss to Furman last season. It will be a key matchup to watch, as the Paladins have gained over 200 yards rushing the football the past two weeks on the ground after sturggling to establish the ground game in the Final Prediction: first five games. Mathis and Pierce are both all-conference caliber defensive tackles. After three-week lay-off from Southern Conference play, Furman finally returns to the league The starters at defensive end for the Bulldogs will also offer experience and athleticism, with slate, and despite five-straight losses, the Paladins are battle-tested and a team looking much redshirt seniors Brinson Porter (5 tackles) and Brandon Wilkinson (17 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1 PBU) more like the one picked to compete for the league title in the preseason, playing well in losses rounding out the four down linemen for Samford. at No. 3 Coastal Carolina and at South Carolina. Furman is certainly a different team on offense with P.J. Blazejowski at the controls, and the Paladins are starting to believe, and with good Prior to Saturday’s showdown with the Paladins, Porter and Wilkinson have a combined 27 reason, as this is about the time the Paladins found themselves in the 2013 title run. Samford starts for the Bulldogs. Porter has garnered 16 of the 27 starts for the Bulldogs. Wilkinson has the best defense that the Paladins have faced in SoCon play, and though the Paladins owe transferred to Samford after a redshirt season at South Florida in 2011. the Bulldogs a big thank you for beating Elon and UTC down the stretch to help the Paladins gain a share of the SoCon last season, there will be no love lost between the two Saturday. The Paladins appear to have made the necessary changes to accomodate that size differential on the interior Saturday, with true freshman Terrell Bush slated to make his start Saturday for the Furman 31, Samford 21