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 (Paladin Stadium) 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 Southern Conference 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 Samford Bulldogs 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 The Citadel 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.