2002 FB Press Release
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Game 1 -- September 7, 2002, 7:07 EDT Kickoff Furman Paladins (0-0, 0-0 SoCon) vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (0-1, 0-0 SEC) Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt Stadium (41,221) — Natural Grass Television: Charter TV Channel 10 (Upstate S.C. Market Only) Radio: WCSZ-AM 1070 (Greenville- Flagship), WGOG-FM 96.3 (Walhalla) Internet: http://www.furmanpaladins.com (Live) Furman Football SID: Hunter Reid (864) 294-2061 Vanderbilt Football SID: Larry Leathers (615) 343-6437 Furman Web Site: www.furmanpaladins.com Vanderbilt Web Site: www.vucommodores.com 2002 FURMAN RESULTS/SCHEDULE 2001 FINAL SOCON STANDINGS SoCon Overall Date Opponent Score/Time Result Team W L .Pct W L .Pct Sept. 7 ...... @ Vanderbilt (Charter TV)............................. 7:07 Furman .....................................7 1 .875 12 3 .800 Sept. 14 ...... ELON .................................................................. 7:00 Georgia Southern ..................7 1 .875 12 2 .857 Sept. 21 ...... @ Richmond ..................................................... 6:00 Appalachian State ..................6 2 .750 9 4 .692 Sept. 28 ...... @ VMI ................................................................. 1:00 Western Carolina ................ 5 3 .625 7 4 .636 Oct. 5 ...... WESTERN CAROLINA ................................. 2:00 East Tennessee State ........... 4 4 .500 6 5 .545 Oct. 12 ...... @ Appalachian State (Fox TV)....................... 3:30 Wofford ...................................3 5 .375 4 7 .364 Oct. 19 ...... THE CITADEL (CSS TV)................................. 3:30 The Citadel ............................ 2 6 .250 3 7 .300 Oct. 26 ...... @ East Tennessee State (CSS TV)................. 3:00 Chattanooga ...........................1 7 .125 3 8 .273 Nov. 9 ...... GEORGIA SOUTHERN (Fox TV)................ 3:30 VMI............................................1 7 .125 1 10 .091 Nov. 16 ...... @ Wofford ......................................................... 1:30 Nov. 23 ...... CHATTANOOGA ........................................... 2:00 2002 SOCON STANDINGS SoCon Overall THE GAME Team W L .Pct W L .Pct Appalachian State ..................0 0 .000 0 1 .000 In one of the most anticipated season openers in school football Chattanooga ...........................0 0 .000 0 1 .000 history, the NCAA I-AA fourth-ranked Furman Paladins travel to Nashville, The Citadel ............................ 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 Tenn., to square off against the Vanderbilt Commodores in a 7:07 p.m. EDT East Tennessee State ........... 0 0 .000 0 1 .000 game televised live by Charter in the Upstate South Carolina market only Furman .....................................0 0 .000 0 0 .000 (Channel 10). Georgia Southern ..................0 0 .000 0 1 .000 The game pits first-year Furman head coach Bobby Lamb against his VMI............................................0 0 .000 1 0 .000 former mentor, Bobby Johnson, who last year completed an eight-year Western Carolina ................ 0 0 .000 1 0 .000 tenure as head coach at Furman by directing the Paladins to a 12-3 record and NCAA I-AA national runnerup finish. Johnson, who in all served three Wofford ...................................0 0 .000 1 0 .000 stints (1976-79; 1981-92; 1994-01) and 25 total years at Furman in the roles of defensive backs coach, defensive coordinator, and head coach, compiled August 29, 2002 a 60-36 record as head coach of the Paladins’ program prior to accepting Delaware 22, Georgia Southern 19 the top position at Vanderbilt on Dec. 23, 2001. Eight days later, on Dec. 31, Furman named Lamb as its new mentor following 16 seasons as an August 31, 2002 assistant (1986-01), including the last eight as passing game coordinator and West Virginia 56, Chattanooga 7 coach of the squad’s quarterbacks under Johnson. VMI 27, Charleston Southern 24 A 1986 Furman graduate, Lamb was a two-time All-Southern Confer- Western Carolina 23, Liberty 3 ence quarterback who in 1985 paced the NCAA I-AA in passing efficiency Wofford 48, Newberry 0 while leading the Paladins to 12-2 record and national runnerup finish. Marshall 50, Appalachian State 17 Counting his four seasons as a player (1982-85), the 39-year-old Lamb has North Carolina State 34, East Tennessee State 0 spent the last 20 years at Furman, 19 of which overlapped Johnson’s tenure. During their time together with Paladin football, Furman captured eight September 7, 2002 conference championships (1982, ‘83, ‘85, ‘88, ‘89, ‘90, ‘99, and ‘01), one Davidson @ VMI, 1:00 NCAA I-AA national title (1988), and two NCAA I-AA national runnerup Alabama State @ Chattanooga, 1:30 finishes (1985 & 2001). Western Carolina @ Auburn, 5:00 Highlighted by the Lamb-Johnson-Furman connection, Saturday’s Mars Hill @ East Tennessee State, 6:00 Furman @ Vanderbilt, 7:00 The Citadel @ LSU, 7:00 FURMAN RADIO/TELEVISION BROADCAST TEAM Gardner-Webb @ Georgia Southern, 7:00 Furman Radio 2002 PRE-SEASON HONORS WCSZ 1070 AM Dave Cohen, play-by-play; Sports Network NCAA I-AA All-America John Ingles, analyst; RS Brian Bratton (2nd Team) Robbie Ross, sideline All-Southern Conference (Coaches) Furman Television Charter Channel 10 OG Trevor Kruger (1st Team) QB Billy Napier (2nd Team) (Upstate S.C. Market Only) OT Steven Cain (1st Team) WR Bear Rinehart (2nd Team) Chuck Hussion, play-by-play; TE Willis Sudderth (1st Team) DT LeBryan Sperling (2nd Team) John Davis/Ed Patterson, analysts; CB Rodney Johnson (1st Team) PK Danny Marshall (2nd Team) Gordon Higgins, sideline RS Brian Bratton (1st Team) 2002 FURMAN PALADINS FOOTBALL clash between the Paladins and Commodores, the first between the two 85; 1999-01), coaching linebackers and receivers, and serving as passing schools since 1978, will also pit current and several former Paladin assistant game coordinator. His son, Matt, is currently a redshirt freshman coaches and players against each (detailed later in notes). quarterback in the Furman program. THE COACHES ☛ Vanderbilt assistant head coach and offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell ‘76, a Pageland, S.C., native, was a three-year letterman as a Furman: Bobby Lamb (Furman ‘86) center at Furman and 1975 team MVP. He served as the Paladins’ offensive 0-0 (.000), 1st Year at Furman line coach from 1978-85, during which time he helped develop all-state 0-0 (.000), 1st Year Overall guard Clay Hendrix ‘86, Furman’s current assistant head coach and Lamb vs. Vanderbilt (0-0) offensive line coach who spent two seasons on the staff at N.C. State (1986- 87) with Caldwell before returning to Furman in 1988. A former Paladin Vanderbilt: Bobby Johnson (Clemson '73) teammate of current Furman defensive coordinator Steve Wilson ‘77, 0-1 (.000), 1st Year at Vanderbilt Caldwell was among the first offensive line coaches in the country to 60-37 (.619), 9th Year Overall develop a grading system for publicity use, and his system is still employed Johnson vs. Furman (0-0) at Furman. THE SERIES ☛ Vanderbilt defensive coordinator Bruce Fowler ‘80, a product of Cincinnati, Ohio, was a member of Furman’s coaching staff from 1984-01, Furman and Vanderbilt have split the only two meetings between the serving as receivers, defensive backs, and linebackers coach, as well as schools, with Furman claiming a 14-13 decision in 1963 and Vanderbilt a 17- defensive coordinator during his tenure. Fowler lettered twice as a 10 verdict in 1978. defensive back at Furman, where he was a teammate of current Commo- dore quarterbacks coach Jimmy Kiser ‘79 and current Paladin offensive Year Result Score Site Furman Coach coordinator Tim Sorrells ‘81, whose induction into the Furman Athletics 1963 ....... W ........ 14-13 ........Nashville ....................... Bob King Hall-of-Fame in 2000 included an ceremony program essay written by 1978 ........ L ......... 10-17 ........Nashville ....................... Dick Sheridan Fowler. Fowler, Kiser, and Sorrells were members of Furman’s first Southern Conference championship team in 1978. In Greenville: 0-0 In Nashville: 1-1 ☛ Vanderbilt quarterbacks coach Jimmy Kiser ‘79 was a four-year letterman and All-Southern Conference pick as a wide receiver in 1978, THE OFFENSES when he caught 39 passes for 692 yards and a touchdown in helping Furman to an 8-3 record and the program’s first conference title. During his playing Furman: Multiple Vanderbilt: Multiple career, the Rock Hill, S.C., product was a teammate of Commodore '02 Points/Game — 0.0 ‘02 Points/Game — 3.0 assistant head coach and offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell ‘76, '02 Yards/Game — 0.0 ‘02 Yards/Game —225.0 Furman defensive coordinator Steve Wilson ‘77, Vanderbilt defensive Rushing — 0.0 Rushing —109.0 coordinator Bruce Fowler ‘80, and Paladin offensive coordinator and Passing — 0.0 Passing —116.0 quarterbacks coach Tim Sorrells ‘81. THE DEFENSES ✎ MORE CONNECTIONS...Vanderbilt head coach Bobby Johnson was the position coach of current Furman defensive ends coach Julius Furman: Multiple Vanderbilt: Multiple Dixon ‘90, a four-year letterman and two-time Paladin All-Southern '02 Points/Game — 0.0 ‘02 Points/Game — 45.0 Conference cornerback selection. Current Furman defensive backs coach '02 Yards/Game — 0.0 ‘02 Yards/Game —461.0 Jeff Farrington was an assistant coach under current Vanderbilt running Rushing — 0.0 Rushing —279.0 backs coach Charlie Fisher at Lenoir-Rhyne from 1987-90 and later on Passing — 0.0 Passing —182.0 SPORTS NETWORK NCAA I-AA FOOTBALL POLL (September 2, 2002) NOTING THE PALADINS Rnk. Team 2002 Record Points Previous 1) Montana (85) ............................... 1-0 .................. 2,146 .....................1