A Detailed History of Furman Football2014 Furman Football Preview

When Furman takes the field for the first time in 2014 against Gardner-Webb on Aug. 30, they will do so as the 13-time Southern Conference champions, which is something no other program in the Southern Conference has accomplished.

The 2013 season saw the Paladins complete the campaign in grand style, and after starting the final month of the regular-season with just a 3-5 mark, not many could have envisioned the campaign would end with a Southern Conference title and a trip to the postseason for the first time since 2006 as the automatic qualifier from the Southern Conference.

In 2014, the Paladins will have a different challenge ahead of them, as fourth-year head Bruce Fowler must manage the highest expectations a Furman team has had since he took over the post prior to the 2011 season.

Already the Paladins have seen some negatives emerge early in the spring, as two key starters among the 17 returning have been removed from the team by Fowler, as both defensive back Jairus Hollman and center Eric Thoni have both been removed from the team due to violations of school policy. No doubt the two losses are ones that will be felt for a team expected to challenge for a 14th Southern Conference crown this fall.

Hollman is a significant loss for the Paladins heading into the 2014 season, as the loss of a defensive back will be the one felt most. After all, Hollman helped win two games for the Paladins by himself last season, scoring a pair of TDs in the playoff win over South Carolina State, setting a school-record with a 90-yard return for a score against the Bulldogs, while his 34-yard INT return for the score in third quarter helped the Paladins get a little bit of a cushion in what was a tight game.

Hollman also blocked a potential game-winning field goal attempt against Presbyterian last, which ended up winning the game for the Paladins. Without Hollman last year, the Paladins would have likely been minus two victories. Despite the losses of the two players, the Paladins should still be very good in 2014. Most of the excitement for the Paladin coaching staff involves the defense, which should be among the best in FCS this fall, and could be the best defensive unit the Paladins have fielded since 2011, or even perhaps, since 2006.

It will be hard to expect the Paladins to enjoy the same type of success in turning teams over this season like they did in 2014, as the Paladins ranked ninth nationally in turnover margin (), enjoying one of the best seasons in school history in terms of turning teams over.

The Paladin offense weren’t world-beaters last season, but the unit didn’t have to be, as Furman did a nice job of playing to their strength. The Paladins know what they have with starter Reese Hannon under center, which is a signal-caller that doesn’t make many mistakes and one that puts the Paladin offense in good stead almost every time he got his hands on the ball last season.

It was the characteristic of Hannon, coupled with the sure foot of 2013 senior Ray Early that helped the Paladins post a conversion rate of 80% last season.

Early may indeed be the biggest loss for the Paladins--even a bigger loss than Hollman or Wor-thy on the defensive side of the ball, and perhaps, dare I say it, a bigger loss than losing Dakota Dozier to graduation at left tackle.

The senior from Darlington, S.C., was sensational as a senior, with his 249-career kick points ranking third all-time in program history in kick scoring, and his six field goals in a 32-20 win at Western Carolina helped him put his name atop the Paladin single game field goals mark, eclipsing the five connected on by former Paladin great Glen Connally in 1990 in a win at East Tennessee State. The six field goals by Early against the Catamounts also tied a Southern Conference record.

Early’s 20 field goals in the 2013 season were the most in a single season in school history, as he eclipsed the previous standard of 18 field goals in a single-season, surpassing the previous standard set by Mike Wood. He finished 43-for-59 on field goals for his career, including a perfect mark of 4-for-4 from 50-plus yards in his standout career.

Dozier, who might have been the best offensive lineman to ever line up on a fall Saturday after-noon for the Purple and White, was rewarded this past May, as he was a fourth-round selection of the New York Jets, going as the 37th pick in the round. Dozier’s selection helped him become the 31st player in the history of the Furman football program to be drafted into the NFL.

He was the sixth player from the FCS to be chosen in the NFL Draft, as well as being the second from the Southern Conference in the draft this past spring. Dozier was more than significant for the Paladins during his four years as a Paladin, helping pave the way for 1,000-yard rushers in each of his final three seasons as a Paladin. Dozier was a consensus All-American and was the SoCon’s Jacobs Blocking Award member.

The Paladins also must replace All-SoCon safety Greg Worthy, who was one of the fastest playe

to ever suit up on the defensive side of the football for the Paladins, causing many to recall the days of another of those lightning-quick safeties, in John Keith, who hit opposing receivers and running backs like a freight train. The same can obviously be said of Worthy, who was quite simply a playmaker on the defensive side of the ball for the Paladins.

Worthy have all a glimpse of that ability to turn a game and the momentum in the Paladins’ favor when he decked Wofford running back Lorenzo Ferguson, forcing the ball free and it would be Worthy who made the fumble recovery for the Paladins. The turnover had been perfect timing for the Paladin defense, which had seen Wofford have success running the football up the middle for most of the afternoon.

The hit, which was so foreful that the ball immediately fly free and into Ira McCune’s waiting arms, and the play turned out to be the turning point in a game Furman had to win to have shot at a 13th Southern Conference title, as the Paladins had trailed 14-0 prior to that point and had just seen a promising drive thwarted by a Wofford INT.

The 6-1, 215-pound redshirt senior proved to be one of the greatest athletes to ever put on a Purple jersey in Greenville, and though there were some down years for Furman football, Worthy was especially instrumental in getting the Paladins back to the level of eliciting fear to opponsing wide receivers when they thought about crossing the middle against the Paladin defensive backs, and in particular, their contingent of safeties.

In 2013, Worthy would be helped out in his defensive backfield post by both Nickel safety Jairus Hollman and free safety Marcus McMorris, although McMorris would be moved to outside linebacker towards the end of the season, maximizing his potential in the Paladin defense to an even greater degree.

The losses at the skill positions were few, but the Paladin coaching staff will have the burden of replacing a reliable, physical receiver in Ryan Culbreath, who could not only make the clutch catch when called upon to do so, but also get out there and make the key block for teammates down field.

For the second-staight season, the Paladins must replace their starting tight end, as Camerron Mason has graduated, and unlike his predecessor, who was one of the greatest pass-catching tight ends to ever suit up for the Paladins, in Colin Anderson, Mason was seemingly excelled as a pass-blocker.

Anderson was a supreme athlete, and it would show all four years as a reliable pass-catching option for the Paladins. Anderson came to Furman as a quarterback, however, with the position stocked with talent, Anderson was to be better utilized in the Furman offense, and that role turned out to be tight end, where he lit up defenses to the tune of 1,541 receiving yards on 90 catches, which included a school-record 11 scoring catches for TDs.

The Paladins will keep with that theme this season, with Duncan Fletcher converting from quarterback to tight end. Fletcher--a freshman last fall--starting twice, and came off the bench to complete all three passes, including a 44-yarder to Gary Robinson, which set up the game-winning score.

With Fletcher’s athleticism, size and hands, he will be an asset to the Paladin passing attack not too much different than Anderson, and tight ends coach Duane Vaughn, who has been an outstanding asset to the Furman coaching staff in his own respect, is hoping the same proves true for Fletcher this fall. Furman has had a tradition of producing top-notch tight ends, and are an FCS program that is among the elite when consistently producing elite talent at the position.

Despite some significant losses--some expected and some of the recent ones un-foreseen, the Paladins will continue to adhere to the same mantras, which are get up and fight when things don’t go according to play, and the next man up approach, which was never more evident than how the Paladins responded to the multitude of injuries at quarterback last season.

REVIEWING 2013 IN PICTURES:

Gardner-Webb 28Furman 21

For Greg Worthy and the Furman Paladfins, it wasn’t quite the start to the season that a young football team had hoped for, as the Paladins dropped a 28-21 decision to the Gard-ner-Webb Bulldogs, after holding a 21-7 lead early in the third quarter. The Paladins would start the season with a true freshman signal-caller under center for the first time since 1956, with Dillon Woodruff getting the start in start of sophomore Reese Hannon, who was nursing a strained oblique in the final week of preseason camp.

Week 1: Aug. 31, 2013

A Detailed History of Furman Football2014 Furman Football Preview

#23 Co. Carolina 35Furman 28

On the road for the second week in a row to begin the 2013 season, the

Paladins would run into a prolific offense, but the Paladins would

have their leader back under center, and put forth an inspired effort

against the Chanticleers, out-gaining Coastal, 472-433, however, for the second-straight week, the Paladins would come out on the short end of

the scoreboard, with a 35-27 setback. It would be the start of a long

confidence building process for the Paladins, and it would be the third

loss in as many seasons to CCU.

Week 2: Sept. 7, 2013

Furman 21Presbyterian 20

Furman would pick up its first win of the 2013 season in its home

opemer against Presbyterian, but it would take a blocked potential

game-winning 23-yard field goal by Jairus Hollman with just 18 seconds

remaining, as the Paladins would claim their 15th-straight win over Palmetto State rival Presbyterian.

Offensively, the Paladins would not reach the 300-yard plateau on the

day, and would struggle to maintain any sort of rhythm, however, Hank McCloud managed to rush for 102

yards and a pair of scores to lead the FU offense.

Week 3: Sept. 14, 2013

Furman 24 The Citadel 17

Furman would pick up its first road victory of the 2013 season in dramat-

ic fashion, as the Paladins used an opportunistic offense, and had three

different quarterbacks take snaps under center before leaving the Port City with a dramatic 24-17 victory.

The story of the game for the Paladins was backup quarterback Duncan

Fletcher, who finished the game by completring all three of his passes, including a 44-yarder to Gary Rob-inson, which eventually set up the

game-winning score for the Paladins on a 13-yd run by Tanner Skogen.

Week 4: Sept. 28, 2013

Elon 28, Furman 25

In the last meeting between Furman and Elon as Southern Conference

members, the Paladins fell behind 28-10 and would stage a furious

rally in the second half, but despite out-scoring the Phoenix 15-0 in the

second half, could not overcome first-half miscues, which included a Chandler Wrightenberry pick six, leading to a somewhat stunning

halftime scoreline. The Paladins got another outstanding performance

from junior running back Hank McCloud, who finished the day with

116 rushing yards.

Week 5: Oct. 5, 2013

Chattanooga 31Furman 9

Duncan Fletcher would start his sec-ond-straight game in place of regular

starter Reese Hannon, who left the lineup in the win over The Citadel,

and he would be overwhelmed, get-ting sacked six times in what turned out to be Furman’s second-worst loss to an FCS opponent. The Paladin of-fense struggled against the talented

UTC defense, which limited Furman to a season-low 189 yards. The Paladins

got an outstanding performance from place-kicker Ray Early, who garnered

SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week after his three FGs vs. UTC.

Week 6: Oct. 12, 2013

Furman 27Appalachian State 10

It would mark the final meeting between Furman and Appalachian

State as FCS and Southern Conference members, and it would the Paladins

that would get the final say in a series of matchups that has featured some

truly classic games, which has colored the hsitory of both programs’ football

histories. A 98-yard INT return for a score by Gary Wilkins established the

momentum, and it would prove to be not only a momentum-changing play for the game against the Black and Gold, but it would prove to be a momentum changer for the rest of

the season.

Week 7: Oct. 19, 2013

No. 13 LSU 48Furman 16

Taking on one of the most versatile offenses in college football, Furman

certainly acquitted itself well in the opening half, and even had a

chance to take the lead heading into the locker room, but had to settle

for a Ray Early field goal, which left the Paladins trailing by only four

(20-16) as the two teams entered the halftime locker room. The Paladins

got out to the early lead when Reggie Thomas picked off a Zach

Mettenberger pass and returned it 74 yards for a score, giving the Paladins

their only lead of the night.

Week 8: Oct. 26, 2013

Furman 16,Georgia Southern 14

Furman made it two-for-two against teams moving from the FCS to FBS following the 2013 season, as the

Paladins went on the road and posted a memorable 16-14 win over bitter

arch-rival Georgia Southern. It would snap a three-game losing streak to

the Eagles, and marked the Paladins’ first win in Statesboro since 2009.

The Paladins electrified the small, but vocal contingent that made the trip from Greenville on the game’s very

first play, as Andrej Suttles hauled in a 75-yard scoring catch from running

back Tanner Skogen on a little razzle-dazzle play.

Week 9: Nov. 2 , 2013

A Detailed History of Furman FootballFurman 34, No. 20

Samford 17Furman kept its momentum

going in the final month of the regular-season, as the Paladins took

down Southern Conference leader Samford, keeping alive their dream of winning a 13th Southern Conference title on a Homecoming Saturday in

Greenville. The story of the game was a Furman defense that kept the heat

on a pass-happy Samford offense, and senior quarterback Andy Sum-

merlin. At the center of that defensive performance, who played outside linebacker and garnered national

player of the week honors.

Week 10: Nov. 9 , 2013

Furman 32, W. Carolina 20

The Paladins edged a step closer to a Southern Conference title with a 32-21 win over Western Carolina in the Paladins’ final road game of the 2013 regular-season. The story of the night was Ray Early, who set a school-record and tied a Southern

Conference record with six field goals in the hard-fought win. The Pakadubs

aksi got an important 146 rushing yards from Richard Hayes III, which

was the second-highest rushing total by a Furman quarterback in program history. With Samford’s win over UTC,

an FU win over Wofford meant it would share the league title.

Week 11: Nov. 16 , 2013

Furman 27, No. 25 Wofford 14

Furman would claim its first Southern Conference title since 2001, as the Paladins were 27-14 victors over Palemtto and Upper State rival Wofford, but had to come from

behind to get the win. Reese Hannon would put up a career-high 326

yards and tossed a TD in leading the Paladins to the win. The win gave the Paladins their 13th Southern

Conference title, and would put the program alone in first place for most Southern Conference titles won. The

win, coupled with Samford’s win over Elon, qualified Furman for the

FCS playoff for the 16th time.

Week 12: Nov. 23 , 2013

FCS First RoundFurman 30, No. 24 SC

State 20In the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2006, the Paladins claimed a postseason berth, and the Paladins headed down to Orangeburg for the opening round of the postseason to battle No. 24 South Carolina State. It was the first meeting between

the Paladins and Bulldogs since the 1998 season, and it marked Furman’s

first trip to Orangeburg since the 1997 season. With the playoff game

against the Bulldogs, it came as a little bit of a surprise for Furman,

which is slated for the 2014 season. Jairus Hollman set a record in the

contest, posting a 90-yd punt return for a score and a 34-yd INT ret for

a score.

Week 13: Nov. 30, 2013

FCS Second RoundNo. 1 NDSU 38,

No. 25 Furman 7Furman’s magical ride in 2013 season

would come to an end against eventual two-time defending

national champion North Dakota State, as the Paladins dropped a 38-7 decision at the FargoDome in Fargo, North Dakota. The Paladins certainly had chances to take the lead into the halftime locker room, but a goal line stand by a stout Bison defense kept

the Paladin offense at bay, as the half wound down, and the Paladins went

to the break trailing just

The Furman Offense:

The 2014 season brings about high hopes for the Furman offense, and although the numbers put up by the unit weren’t something that would strike fear into the opponents faced by the Paladins in 2013, the unit was the model of efficiency led by quarterback Reese Hannon (153-of-254 passing, 1,748 yards, 7 TDs, 5 INTs),, who heads into his junior season as the Paladins’ starter under center.

Hannon is among eight starters returning for the Paladins on the offensive side of the football for the 2014 season, with all but one receiver returning to the fold and all three leading rushers coming back in the backfield. Three are back on the offensive line, with starters Dakota Dozier and Eric Thoni having to be replaced at left tackle and center, respectively.

All told, the Paladins are coming off a 2013 season which saw it average just 22.7 PPG and 318.3 YPG, but again, those somewhat low averages don’t take into account the efficiency with which the offense displayed last fall. It was, in particular, a good season rushing the football for the Paladins, which is a must in the Southern Conference.

In total offense, the 318.3 YPG would rank Furman seventh in the SoCon and 102nd nationally, while the 22.7 PPG ranked fourth in the SoCon and 81st nationally among FCS teams in scoring offense. The Paladins also ranked fourth in the SoCon and 95th nationally in passing offense, averaging 170.4 YPG through the air last fall.

It’s a conference which almost demands a balanced offense, and last season, the Paladins averaged a solid 149.3 YPG on the ground, producing a 1,000-yard rusher for the third-consec-utive season. Those totals helped the Paladins rank fourth in the SoCon and 79th nationally in total offense.

Hannon now enters his junior season with hopes of leading Furman even further he did in his second season as a starter, as he was the main cog in helping the Paladins lift the program’s 13th Southern Conference title, as well as win their first playoff game since 2006.

The Greer, S.C., product isn’t a quarterback that is going to put up huge numbers under center, and he isn’t going to be the most recognizable figure of the Paladin offense like predecessors Ingle Martin or Chris Forcier might have been. He doesn’t have a well-advertised, big arm, or track speed, but what he does bring the Paladin offense is accuracy in the passing attack, and extreme, almost error-free efficiency in his understanding of the Furman offense.

One of the most important things for a quarterback is to play within himself, and Hannon does that perhaps better than any quarterback than any quarterback in the history of the Furman football program.

The Paladins were 0-3 against Elon, Chattanooga and Gardner-Webb without the services of Hannon last season, but were an impressive 8-3 in games he started. Hannon took over the starting job for Furman after Dakota Derrick went down with a shoulder injury in the Paladins’ second game of the 2012 season, and since putting on a dazzling, 255-yard, three touchdown performance, he has never looked back in his role as a starter, only relinquishing the job because of injuries since.

The Paladins are 0-5 over the past two seasons in games Hannon did not start, and 0-4 in games in which he did not see any action. In his first couple of seasons under center for the Paladins, Hannon has connected on 313-of-514 passes for 3,644 yards, with 14 TDs and 13 INTs. In 2013, Hannon connected on 153-of-254 passes for 1,748 yards, with seven TDs and five INTs. Hannon led Furman to the program’s first Southern Conference title since 2004, first playoff appearance since 2006 and first playoff victory since 2005.

Hannon also became the youngest quarterback, according to class, to lead Furman to a Southern Conference title as a sophomore signal-caller since Frankie DeBusk led the Paladins to league and national titles as a super sophomore back in 1988. Hannon’s signature performance of the season came in a game of paramount importance against Wofford, in which the Paladins needed to win in order to claim the Southern Conference crown. Hannon, the cousin of former

Week 14: Dec. 4, 2013

Furman Junior QB Reese Hannon

Paladin standout quarterback Justin Hill did was proceed to throw for a career-high 326 yards, with a TD and an INT, as he led the Paladins to the all important 27-14 title-clinching win over they Terriers.

Hannon’s performance over his first two seasons has already placed him in the Top 10 of the program’s all-time leading passers, and with his uncanny ability to manage a game, as well as make the big, accurate throw in clutch situations, the Pala-dins have an excellent opportunity to at least match their achievements of a year ago, but have likely set their sights on even more if they can accomplish the first goal, which is win the SoCon.

Hannon is extremely vital to this offense, and the success of Furman in 2014 likely depends on his ability to stay healthy. If he is able to stay injury free the Paladins likely don’t have a limit to the success they can achieve this fall.

The best news for Hannon is the support he will have under center this fall, with some excellent options waiting in the wings should the unfortunate occurence of an injury.

One of several options returning to provide support behind Hannon under center will be redshirt freshman Dillon Woodruff (7-of-16 passing, 123 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs), who became the first freshman quarterback to start for the Paladins under center since 1956, when Woodruff started the opener against Gardner-Webb for Hannon, who had to miss the start with a strained oblique.

Woodruff would get injured in that opening game against Gardner-Webb, as he suffered a shoulder injury that would sideline him for the remainder of the season. The loss of Woodruff would prove costly later in the season when the Paladins suffered further injuries at the quar-terback position, however, the “next-man-up” mentality would prove to pay off the Paladins in the end for Furman.

Injuries can often be a two-edged sabre, however, as a result of last season’s multitude of injuries under center played out in favor of the Paladins in terms of experience heading into the 2014 season.

Another positive for the Paladins under center includes the return of Terry Robinson (0-of-1 passing, 1 INT/23 rush att, 101 yds, 4 TDs, 4.4 YPC) under center, who saw his season cut short due to an injury to a knee injury against Elon, returns to the fold to add even more depth to the position, allowing Richard Hayes III (302 rushing yards, 2 TDs) to move back to the defensive side of the ball, while Duncan Fletcher (36-of-58, 378 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs) will also move to a different position, which is on the offensive side of the ball, as he moves to tight end.

Robinson was particularly effective in a win over The Citadel, which started the Paladins on their momentuos run through the Southern Conference and on to their 13th Southern Confer-ence crown. The week prior to the season-ending injury, Robinson turned in his best game as a Paladin against The Citadel. He finished that contest rushing for 46 yards and a pair of crucial TDs, helping the Paladins post what was a 24-17 upset road win at The Citadel.

Despite coming to Furman as a defensive back, Hayes-a product of the Gate City of Greensboro, N.C.--would prove to be a vital asset on the offensive side of the football, particularly in a late-season battle with Western Carolina, as the Paladins needed a road win to keep their postseason and Southern Conference title hopes alive and well.

Hayes III was forced into action at mid-season after Robinson went down with a mid-season in-jury, and all the true freshman-turned-defensive back would do was turn on the after-burners.

He produced one of the best rushing performances in the history of Furman football in the reg-ular-season road finale against Western Carolina, as Hayes III ran for a career-best 144 yards and a crucial 60-yard scoring run late in the third quarter, extending a two-point Paladin advantage to nine points, at 26-17.

The 144 rushing yards by Hayes III accounted for the second-highest rushing total in a single game in Furman football history. Two of Hayes’ carries accounted for 114 of his 144 yards in the win over the Catamounts for the second-highest rushing total in a single game in Furman football history.

Finally, Fletcher was called up to start two contests in 2013, with the freshman walk-on getting introduced to Southern Conference football against The Citadel, leading the Paladin offense to a win in that contest after Reese Hannon suffered an ankle injury. In the epic win over a

A Detailed History of Furman Footballbitter arch-rival, Fletcher would be at the forefront of the win, as he steadied the offense, and ultimately led the Paladins to their winning score in what was a thrilling 24-17 victory.

Fletcher’s first pass of the game was a 43-yard completion, which set up the game-winning score for the Paladins. In total, Fletcher finished the contest connecting on all three of his passes for 61 yards.

Though the Paladins would lose both games the young, brash quarterback would start, he would show the kind of grit, determination and athleticism that will make him an integral part of the offense in the future in his new role at tight end.

In Furman’s SoCon home opener against Elon, the Paladins fell behind by a 28-10 at the break, but the brazen and brash young Paladin quarterback was able to lead the Paladins on a furious second-half rally, falling just short in a 28-25 setback. For Fletcher, he was able to connect on 25-of-38 passes for 255 yards, with a TD and an INT.

Fletcher would start his third and final game of the season for the Paladins against Chanttanoo-ga, but the young quarterback would end up struggling against one of the top defenses in the Southern Conference, finishing that contest connecting on just 8-of-17 passes for 62 yards, with an INT. Fletcher was sacked six times in the contest.

One of the luxuries Furman will have this fall is having enough experience at quarterback to move Hayes III back to his natural position, while being able to utilize Fletcher at a different position on offense due to the one area which was hit hard by graduation, which is tight end.

The Paladins also recruited the quarterback position extremely well over the past couple of seasons, with Woodruff being a real solid find in the 2013 class, and P.J. Blazejowski being an especially talented find by the Paladin coaching staff in the 2014 signing class.

Blazejowski, a product of Jacksonville, FL, comes to Furman from Bartram Trail High School, where he put up some impressive numbers during his time as a prep.

The 6-0, 175-pound dual-threat signal-caller was a 6A All-State performer, passing for 2,468 yards and 17 TDs as a senior, while rushing for 874 yards and 14 scores, accounting for 31 TD responsibilities. He led Bartram Trail to the semifinals of the state playoffs, after starting 0-5 to begin the season. He led Bartram Trail to eight-straight wins and helped them make a Furman-like run into the postseason.

Blazejowski runs in the 4.5-4.6 range in the forty-yard dash, and throws especially well on the run. He will remind Paladin fans of former Furman quarterbacks Philly Jones and Frankie DeBusk, who were both run-pass threats as Paladin signal-callers.

Furman’s offense has been among the most physically imposing when it comes to establishing the run and running the ball between the tackles under the direction of Bruce Fowler.

In Fowler’s three seasons as the head coach, all three have yielded a 1,000-yard ground-gainer, and the Paladins return one of the best in the SoCon to the fold this fall, in senior Hank McCloud (215 rush att, 1,092 yds, 5 TDs, 5.1 YPC).

McCloud is a player that will obviously be key to the success of the Furman offense in 2014, and playing to McCloud’s strengths in the Paladin offense this fall will be paramount to the success of this offense.

Coming into his final season as a Paladin ball-carrier, McCloud has amassed 1,854 career rushing yards to go along with 12 TDs. His 1,092 rushing yards last season were the second-most in the league in 2013, finishing second to only Appachian State’s Marcus Cox, who completed the campaign with 1,250 yards to set an Appalachian freshman rushing record.

With ASU’s move to the Sun Belt Conference this fall, McCloud returns as the SoCon’s top running back, and will have three starters returning along the offensive front in front of him, giving the Tampa, FL, product an excellent chance to make it 4-for-4 in seasons in which a Paladin running back has rushed for at least 1,000 yards in the season.

McCloud had several big performances toting the pigskin last fall for the Paladins, including a 133-yard, two TD performance in the loss at Coastal Carolina early last season. McCloud also recorded 100-yard rushing performances against PC (102 yds, 2 TDs), Elon (116 yds, 1 TD) and Georgia Southern (102 yds).

Furman Senior RB Hank McCloud

A Detailed History of Furman FootballMcCloud was also used as a threat in the return game for the Paladins last fall, and he will once again this fall. As a kick-return threat, McCloud completed the season with 536 return yards on 23 returns, averaging 23.3 yards-per-return. He averaged 125.9 all-purpose yards per game last season, ranking fifth in the SoCon.

McCloud has good hands coming out of the backfield, and is perhaps even slightly a better pass-catcher coming out of the backfield than his predecessor was, which of course was Jerodis Williams. McCloud completed the 2013 campaign with 19 catches for 134 yards and a TD, averaging 7.1 YPC.

Tanner Skogen (40 rush att, 206 yds, 2 TDs, 5.2 YPC) returns as a solid compliment to McCloud coming out of the backfield for the Paladins.

Skogen, like McCloud, is an explosive back with good speed, elusiveness and vision. He might be a little more of a power back than McCloud with his ability to get tough yards, and he also has excellent hands catching the football for the Paladins.

Skogen brings plenty of versatility to the backfield for the Paladins, as he flashed his big arm in late season wins against Georgia Southern and Samford, tossing a 75-yard TD to Andrej Suttles on the opening play of the game against Georgia Southern, while taking a handoff from Hannon and tossing a 46-yard bomb to Jordan Snellings a week later in the homecoming win over Samford.

Skogen’s play down the stretch in 2013 was especially impressive, as he rushed for 116 yards on just 13 carries (8.9 YPC), including a 53-yard jaunt early in the third quarter, in Furman’s 30-20 playoff win over South Carolina State. The 53 yards on the carry were more than he had amassed in the previous 12 games of the season for Furman.

Perhaps Skogen’s biggest contribution to the Paladins in 2013 came in the momentum-building, 24-17, win at The Citadel in the Paladins’ second Southern Conference game, which helped the Paladins turn around an inauspicious start after a 28-25 home loss to Elon. In the win over the Bulldogs, he produced a 13-yard scoring run, which proved to be the game-winning points as Furman escaped the Port City with an important win over its arch-rival.

The third running back for the Paladins last season was Ernie Cain (24 rush att, 89 yds, 2 TDs, 3.7 YPC), who will be coming off an ACL injury, which he suffered during spring drills, and his immediate availability is an unknown. He continues in the long line of great Furman fullbacks and will be critical to the offensive success of the Paladins this fall. Cain also hauled in eight passes for 65 yards.

There are newcomers that could contribute in the running game for the Paladins as well this season, including Kealand Dirks, Issac Garcia, Ridge Gibson and Charlie Anderson. All four running backs are young, but could factor into the fold for Bruce Fowler’s Paladins this fall.

Dirks and Garcia will be more true running backs, while Gibson and Anderson are fullback options behind Cain. All run with good power and have excellent size. Dirks is a 6-0, 228-pound redshirt freshman from Clemmons, N.C., where he starred at 4A West Forsyth High School. During his career, Dirks put up some strong numbers, rushing for 3,462 yards and 31 TDs on 516 attempts during his career.

Dirks garnered Winston Salem Journal All-Northwest honors as a senior, after rushing for 1,501 yards and 14 TDs on 248 carries in his senior season.

Garcia comes to Furman from the Queen City of Charlotte, N.C., where he amassed a school-re-cord 7,000 all-purpose yards during his career at Olympic High School. The 5-10, 195-pound true freshman could factor into the special teams duty in the more immediate, as his speed will make him an immediate playmaker and will give him a chance to see the field quickly in some capacity.

He garnered first team South Meck 8 All-Conference honors in 2013 after rushing for 1,231 yards and six touchdowns.

Anderson comes into the 2014 season having played sparingly for the Paladins last season, seeing action as a reserve guard before making the transition to backup fullback and tight in at mid-season. Anderson will be entering his redshirt junior season for the Paladins and will likely find himself as Cain’s direct understudy this fall.

Gibson rounds out the quartet of running backs that could contribute in some fashion for Furman this fall, as the 5-10, 211-pound true freshman from Marietta, GA, is yet another player that had a standout prep career at 6A Walton High School in Marietta.

Furman Junior RB Tanner Skogen

During his prep career, Gibson starred as both a fullback and linebacker. He amassed 105 tackles and garnered All-Cobb County honors duruing his senior campaign.

Overall, Furman appears to once again have a solid ground attack, and with McCloud, Cain and Skogen leading the way, the Paladins have one of the best trios of running backs in the Southern Conference heading into the 2014 season. It will be important for that trio to stay healthy, however, as the depth is a bit short on experience behind those three.

Another strength of the offense this fall will be the receivers at which quarterback Reese Han-non will have at his disposal in 2014. The Paladins did lose a talented receiving option, in Ryan Culbreath, but return a trio of wideouts that could all find themselves on one of the All-SoCon teams at season’s end.

The team’s top returning wideout from a year ago is Andrej Suttles (50 rec, 697 yds, 3 TDs, 13.9 YPR), who is coming off the best freshman season ever turned in by a Furman rookie pass-catcher.

Suttles really came on down the stretch, and he is a receiver that probably most resembles Adam Mims or Des Kitchings from season’s past in terms of the type receiver he is.

Like Mims and Kitchings, Suttles’ speed makes him a potential impact player on nearly every play he is on the field. He has the ability to make people miss in space, and will be up to the offensive coaches to devise ways to get Suttles the ball, as former coaches did so masterfully with the aforementioned two.

Suttles set Furman freshman receiving records for receptions (50) and receiving yards (697), and would become the Paladins primary, go-to-receiver down the stretch in the 2013 season.

Suttles’ first huge play for the Paladin offense came against The Citadel, as his 36-yard reception on a long pass from Hannon helped set up a Paladin TD just before the half.

Against Georgia Southern, Suttles would haul in a 75-yard halfback-option pass from running back Tanner Skogen (40 att., 206 yds., 2 TDs) on the first play from scrimmage, giving the Paladins an early 7-0 lead in Statesboro, in a game they would go on to win, 16-14.

Suttles also exemplified his tremendous speed to the home faithful the following week in must-win game against Samford, taking a short pass from Hannon and took it 85 yards for one of the longest scoring plays in the history of Paladin Stadium. Suttles would also haul in a TD pass in the Paladins’ final home game against Wofford, as he hauled in a 21-yard scoring catch in the 27-13 win over the Terriers last season.

Suttles will be the Paladins’ starter at flanker this fall and will likely enter the campaign as a preseason First-Team All-SoCon selection.

Two of the Paladins’ most talented wideouts battled injuries last fall, with Gary Robinson (24 rec, 351 yds, 2 TDs, 14.6 YPR) and Jordan Snellings (30 rec, 302 yds, 1 TD, 10.1 YPR), who at one point last season, were both injured at the same time. With the two expected to be fully healthy with the start of the 2014 season, Furman becomes even more dangerous offensively.

Robinson has speed and can help stretch the field with that speed this fall for the Paladins. It started from the outset of the 2013 campaign for Robinson, who opened the campaign with a 70-yard scoring catch against Gardner-Webb. In the win at The Citadel, Robinson was simply sensational for the Paladins and was a large reason why the Paladins were able to come home with a win in their first Southern Conference game last season by a 24-17 margin.

In that win over the Paladins’ arch-rival last season, Robinson hauled in eight passes for a career-high 133 receiving yards, including an acrobatic 43-yard reception, as he dove to haul in a Duncan Fletcher missile to help set up Tanner Skogen’s game-winning scoring run. Robinson, however, would go down with a season-ending ankle injury on the first play from scrimmage against Appalachian State.

For his career to this point, Robinson has hauled in 39 passes for 543 yards and a pair of scores coming into his final campaign as the Paladins.

Snellings is another Peach State product that had plenty of injury problems early in the season, but started to be a big contributor for the Paladins as the season progressed.

In the crucial 16-14 win at Georgia Southern, Snellings turned in some big catches, and after dropping what would have likely resulted in a long TD catch late in the game, Snellings

Furman Junior QB/WR Terry Robinson

rebounded to shake off that mishap and make some crucial grabs down the stretch to help Furman capture a victory in Statesboro between the two teams in the final time the two would meet as FCS members.

Snellings would finish the outing by hauling in two vital catches for 25 yards in the two-point win, with one of those catches helping set up Early’s game-winning field goal.

A week later against Samford, Snellings would haul in a 46-yard scoring pass from running back Tanner Skogen, who tossed a perfect spiraling pass over the Samford defense to Snellings, who was running free behind the Bulldogs defense, and hauled in his first scoring catch of the season, and he would finish the season with two catches for 52 yards and a TD.

Despite being injured to start the campaign, he managed to finish the campaign third on the team in receptions (30 catches), trailing only Suttles (50 catches) and Culbreath (39 catches) to complete the season.

Snellings would enjoy his top performance of the season against North Dakota State in the season-ending, 38-7, loss to the Bison, as he hauled in a career-best eight passes for 76 yards. In two seasons as a Furman wideout, Snellings has hauled in 49 passes for 512 yards and four TDs. Snellings, at full health, has the potential to be one of the best receivers in the Southern Conference. Snellings will likely start at the split end position, while Suttles will start at flanker this fall.

The Paladins will also feature some excellent depth at wide receiver this fall, and are probably as talented at the position as they have been in terms of overall depth and abiiity to stretch the field.

One of the great things about the 2014 season will be the depth the Paladins will have at wide receiver heading into the season, including the return of performers like Chad Scott (8 rec, 92 yds, 11.5 YPR) and David Dingess (9 rec, 100 yds, 11.1 YPR), who were all contributors in the Paladin passing attack as reserves last fall.

Dingess, who was in his first season seeing action, was especially impressive for the Paladins, as he showed to be a valuable asset as a downfield blocking presence and showed great hands, with several big receptions in third down situations last season. The redshirt junior from Nashville, Tenn, and his biggest catch of the season might have come on a third-and-eight play, which kept a Furman drive alive late in a win over Georgia Southern, ultimately allowing the Paladins to run out the clock and emerge with a 16-14 win.

The 6-5, 208-pound receiver also had a key block to help spring Suttles for an 85-yard score against Samford, showing the lanky wideout isn’t scared to mix it up in the passing game as a blocker.

Scott, a 6-0, 171-pound native of Suwanee, GA, saw solid action as a sophomore receiver for the Paladins last fall, and recorded eight catches for 92 yards. Miller was one of the biggest signees of the 2012 class, choosing Furman over Appalachian State, and the Charlotte, N.C., native should also see his role increase as a reserve wideout this fall.

Scott will likely find his role to be a reserve wideout behind Suttles at flanker, while Dingess will likely be the backup behind Snellings at flanker this fall. The one new wrinkle to keep an eye on this fall is reserve quarterback Terry Robinson, who could also see action at wideout this fall, due to his solid athleticism.

The Paladins also brought in several talented wideouts in the most recent signing class, including A’lencio Graham, who seemed to be a solid Wofford commit until signing day. he Flowery Branch High School product out of Lawrenceville, GA, has good speed, clocking a 4.52 in the forty-yard dash, and the 5-10, 161-pound receiver has great hands and route-running skills. Graham has a lot of similarities to that of current Furman wide receiver Andre Suttles, and he could see some time as a slot receiver, with his ability to make plays in the open field.

Graham isn’t the only key addition to the Paladin passing game, with the signing of Bradford Lemmons out of Dreher High School in Columbia, S.C. The 6-3, 175-pound wideout blocks well and has good size and athleticism.

The addition of Lemmons adds even more speed to a receiving corps that already possesses plenty of it, with Suttles and Robinson among the speed merchants already donning the Purple and White. Lemmons, who won the state title in both the 200m (22.12) and 400m (48.20), hauled in 60 passes for 670 yards in his senior season.

Furman also added a late signee to this current class, with the addition of Andy Schumpert, who makes his way to Greenville from Nashville, where he starred for Brentwood High School.

The 6-4, 180-pound freshman brings impressive size, and like Dingess, will be a big target for Hannon to find in the passing game. In his prep career, Schumpert was impressive, hauling in 71 passes for 1,370 yards and 17 scores. He averaged 19.3 yards-per-catch for his career.

Rounding out the young receivers for the Paladins include Hunter Branch, Luke Cuneo, Logan McCarter and J.D. Tuten. Evan Jaeger, who is listed as a an athlete, could also figure into the plans at receiver, while Cuneo could also end up playing a role as a reserve in the

A Detailed History of Furman Footballdefensive backfield.

Jaeger, who comes to Furman from Lakeview High School in Orlando, FL. Jager’s father, Brian Jager, was an All-SoCon performer and played on the 1985 national runner-up Paladin squad, while also helping lead the Paladins to a 13-2 record, led the club with 835 yards rushing and nine scores. Jager also got it done in the classroom, garnering CoSIDA Academic All-American, NCAA Post-Graduate Scholar twice in his career.

The biggest question mark coming into the season for the Paladins has to be tight end, which sees the Paladins needing to replace starter Cameron Mason, who has graduated. The Paladins will also have to replace Gipson Klapthor, who is no longer with the program. It leaves the Paladins in a real bind.

For a program known for its tight ends over the years, such as Colin Anderson, Luther Broughton and Trent Sansbury, it has been a bit of a transition each of the past couple of years.

Fortunately, the Paladins appear to have a great athlete, in Duncan Fletcher, who appears ready to assume the starting duties at tight end after serving as a backup quarterback last season. Fletcher, much like Colin Anderson, is an exceptional athlete, and like Anderson, also played under center as a prep. Fletcher brings good size at 6-3, but is a little undersized in terms of being a run-blocking tight end, at just 202-lbs.

Kevin Mall and Tim Nutter also remain candidates to compete for playing time, with Mall having seen limited action in five games last season. Nutter is a redshirt freshman from Saraso-ta, FL, will look to see his first action in the Paladin offense this fall.

Both true freshmen Ajay Williams and Kedar Bryant are a pair of tight ends that can be downfield threats and could see action right away as true freshmen this fall. Both Bryant and Williams are big targets with both possessing good hands, as well as being solid blockers in the run game.

Williams matriculates to the Upstate of South Carolina from Elm City, N.C., where he was a standout at 2A Beddingfield High School, where he also played some in the backfield, rushing for 566 yards. The 6-4, 241-pound Tarheel State product caught 39 passes 614 yards and seven TDs, showing a propensity to make plays in the passing game as a prep.

Bryant, a 6-4, 230-pound native of Jacksonville, FL, played his prep football at Providence High School and was productive catching the football while a prep in his senior season and showed his athleticism, as he saw time on both sides of the football.

Overall, one of the most talented and deepest positions on the offensive side of the football appears to wide receiver, and this group is as talented as some of those during the Ingle Martin era, which is a saying a lot considering that this was the one unit that lacked a consistent play-

maker just two years ago. It’s a testament to the recruiting efforts and maturing of players like Robinson and Snellings, as well as the addition of Suttles. The unit should only progress even more in 2014.

Tight end is a bit of a question mark, and it’s the one position on the offensive side of the ball that will likely see a young player get the opportunity to play right away this fall. Still, Fletcher is a great athlete, and he’s the kind of player like a Colin Anderson that can come in and make some big plays in the passing game for this Furman offense in 2014, and that’s something the Paladins lacked--at least in the passing game--last season.

The Furman offensive line was supposed to have four starters returning starters to its offensive front, however, with center Eric Thoni no longer with the team, the Paladins not only lost Dakota Dozier to graduation and the NFL, but now must replace what would have likely been an

All-SoCon center entering the 2014 season.

It’s not anything the Paladins haven’t faced, however, as Furman played half the 2013 season without Thoni, who was suspended for the first portion of the campaign last season.

With Thoni no longer a Paladin, it likely means that senior Charles Emert will end up starting at center this season, much like he did for three games last season. After all, Emert was a standout center as a prep, but has the versatility to play pretty much any position along the Paladin offensive front.

Entering the 2014 season, Emert has logged starts at center (3), right tackle (18), left tackle (3),

Furman Senior C/OT Charles Emert

A Detailed History of Furman Footballright guard (3) and left guard (2) during his career, and the 6-2, 253-lb senior heads into his final campaign having started 30 of 34 games in his career.

Emert has excellent footwork and hands, and probably moves as well as any of the Paladin offensive linemen. He will enter the 2014 season as a likely All-SoCon candidate. With Emert’s experience, however, the possibility also remains that he could move to left tackle, ensuring the protection of Hannon’s blindside.

Faced with the unenviable task replacing maybe the greatest offensive lineman to ever line up for the for the Paladins could be the extremely talented redshirt freshman Aaron Black, who is a talented young offensive lineman that probably could have contributed last season. Black was one of the top recruits of the 2013 signing class, and the 6-5, 261-lb native of Dallas, GA was a three-star recruit, according to Rivals.com when he arrived at Furman a couple of years ago. Black served as a member of the scout team last fall, but shined in spring drills and is ready to compete for the job left vacant by Dozier.

With Emert’s move to center, it could see Justin Floyd take up the starting role at either right or left tackle, assuming Tank Phillips is 100-percent and ready to return to his left guard position after seeing his season come to an end with a broken leg suffered in the road win at Western Carolina.

Floyd, a redshirt junior, really came into his own last season after logging starts at both right and left tackle. He turned in his top performance against Appalachian State, grading out at 85-percent, with eight knockdowns in one of his four starts last season. Three of his starts came at right tackle, while one came at left tackle last fall. His lone start at left tackle last fall came against North Dakota State, which saw Dozier start at left guard.

Left guard this season will be occupied by Phillips, who should be fully healed by the time the season rolls around, and the veteran from Montgomery Bell Academy might be the strongest player along the offensive front for the Paladins, and will enter the season with All-SoCon potential.

The 6-1, 290-pound native of Nashville, started the first 11 games for the Paladins last season before being lost to injury against Western Carolina. Graded out at 80-percent or better in four games last season, with a season-high 82-percent on 61 plays in the 21-20 win over Presbyteri-an. He enters his senior season with 18-career starts for the Purple and White.

Rounding out the starters along the Furman offensive front heading into the season will be right guard Joe Turner, who as a freshman in 2012, was a SoCon All-Freshman selection. Turner has been a stalwart along the offensive front since stepping on campus in 2012, and he has been an integral part of offensive line coach Scott Smouse’s plans from the outset of his recruitment.

The 6-3, 260-lb junior, like Emert, is extremely versatile and is athletic enough to play tackle if the situation called for it. Turner started all 14 games at both guard positions, logging 12 nods at right guard, while the other two came at left tackle after Phillips went down with his season-ending injury.

Turner was extremely impressive against arguably the top defensive front the Paladins faced last season, in Chattanooga, as he registered a 93-percent grade on 67 plays against the Mocs. In his two seasons as a Paladin, Turner has started 22 starts in 25 games at three different positions in his Paladin career.

Furman’s offensive front will be strengthened by solid depth this fall, which will include the likes of Harrison Monk (OT), Harrison Magee (OT) and Jackson Buomania, who are all excellent young, talented compliments along the offensive line, who are expected to be significant contributors this fall.

Grayson Weber (OT), Sebastian Rice (OT) and Ryan Marks (OT) will add depth at the re-spective offensive tackle positions. Rice and Buomania make the move back from the defensive line to the offensive line this fall after being moved there last season to shore up depth issues as a result of injuries. Magee could serve as Emert’s understudy at center this fall.

The Paladins really made it a point to recruit the offensive line hard in its most recent signing class, and have brought in an excellent conglomeration of talent. Tuscaloosa, AL product Terrell Bush comes to Furman from Tuscaloosa Academy, where he helped his program to a perfect 13-0 season, garnering all-state honors twice and rated a two-star recruit, according to 24/7.

Jack Bryant, Matthew Schmidt and Chris Wade round out the remaining three interior offensive linemen picked up by the Paladins in the 2014 class, in what might be the strongest offensive line class in the Bruce Fowler era.

Overall, the Paladins have excellent experience and talent returning along the offensive front, but the most important component the Paladins continue to build on the offensive line is depth, which is something the Paladins lacked in Fowler’s first season in Greenville. The offensive line has improved leaps and bounds under the watchful eye of Scott Smouse over the past three seasons, and despite the losses of Dozier and Thoni, appear to again be one of the top offensive fronts in the SoCon heading into the 2014 season.