Saturday's Furman-Wofford game marks the renewal of the state's oldest football rivalry. Meeting for the first time as members of the Southern Conference, Furman and Wofford square off for the 71st time since the two schools first met on the gridiron in 1889.
All tickets for Saturday's Furman-Wofford game are reserved and are $15. Tickets can be purchased at the Furman University Ticket Office (second floor of the Paladin Stadium Press Box) through Friday at 5:00 p.m. Ticket office hours are 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and the telephone number is (864) 294-3097.
In a series that got its start in 1889 with a 5-1 Wofford win in Spartanburg, Furman holds a 41-22-7 series advantage. The Paladins enter Saturday's contest having won two straight over Wofford, including last year's 33-3 win in Greenville. Although this year's contest marks the third straight year the Paladins and Terriers have squared off on the gridiron, Furman and Wofford have only played four times since 1981, with Furman owning a 3-0-1 mark in those four meetings. The Paladins and Terriers tied 14-14 in 1993 in Greenville. Wofford's last win over Furman came in 1979 by a 27-17 verdict in Spartanburg. The last time the Terriers defeated the Paladins in Greenville was in 1970 by a 28-13 score. Furman owns a 25-8-5 record versus Wofford in Greenville. In Spartanburg, the Paladins are 16-14-2 versus the Terriers.
In Greenville: Furman leads 25-8-5
In Spartanburg: Furman leads 16-14-2
Furman: Bobby Johnson (Clemson '73)
Wofford: Mike Ayers (Georgetown, Ky. '74)
Furman: Multiple I
Wofford: Wingbone
Furman: 43
Wofford.: 43
FURMAN (5-4, 3-3 Southern)
WOFFORD (2-6, 2-5 Southern)
FURMAN committed a season high seven turnovers and once again struggled offensively in dropping a 30-13 Southern Conference title-clinching decision to Georgia Southern in front of 18,269 spectators in Statesboro, Ga.
After yielding a 76-yard touchdown run to Georgia Southern quarterback Greg Hill midway through the first quarter, Furman answered with a 9-play, 79-yard drive that ended when quarterback Brent Rickman hit senior split end Jody Wade on an 11-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7 with 11:10 left in the second quarter.
Furman then squandered what was probably its best chance to assume early control of the game. After sacking Georgia Southern quarterback Greg Hill twice and pushing the Eagles back inside their 1-yard line, Furman's Zack Smerdzinski fumbled away a short Georgia Southern punt at the Eagle 28-yard line. Then, after pushing Georgia Southern back four yards and forcing another punt, the Paladins regained control at the Furman 49, only to turn it over on a fumble on the first play of the drive.
In the second half, Georgia Southern took the opening kickoff and mounted its best drive of the day, moving 74 yards in 15 plays to take a 14-7 lead following a 15-yard touchdown run by Roderick Russell.
On Furman's next possession, quarterback Brent Rickman was picked off by Georgia Southern's Hal Carter, who returned the interception 62 yards for what proved to be the game winning score and a 20-7 lead.
Another Paladin fumble late in the third period led to Georgia Southern's next score, which came on a 47-yard field goal by Eric Meng after the Eagles moved only four yards in four plays.
Trailing 23-7, Furman closed to within 10 points after quarterback Justin Hill connected with Jody Wade on a 16-yard touchdown strike with 9:11 left, but the Paladins could get no closer as the Paladins' last two possessions ended with fumbles, one of which led to the Eagles' final tally.
Victimized by the seven turnovers, Furman's offense managed only 229 yards in total offense against Georgia Southern. The Eagles, meanwhile, posted a season low 256 yards total offense against the Paladins, but Georgia Southern committed only one turnover in the game en route to claiming its second league title since joining the Southern Conference in 1993.
WOFFORD came up just short in its upset bid against nationally 18th-ranked East Tennessee State, dropping a 31-28 decision to the Buccaneers in Spartanburg.
After racing to a 14-0 advantage, Wofford watched East Tennessee State rally to take a 20-14 halftime lead.
In the second half Wofford took a 28-23 lead with 3:40 to play when Robbie Woelfl scored on a 12-yard run to cap a 17-play, 58-yard drive that consumed 7:11 on the clock. The Terriers, however, surrendered the lead in the game's final minute when East Tennessee State quarterback Todd Wells connected with Lamar Cooper on a 34-yard touchdown pass to give the Buccaneers the 31-28 victory.
GREENVILLE, S.C. (Sept. 21, 1996) Ñ Led by linebacker Bernard Scott's eight tackles, fumble recovery, and interception return for a touchdown, Furman's defense helped convert eight Wofford turnovers into 33 points in leading the Paladins to a 33-3 win over the Terriers in front of 11,002 fans at Paladin Stadium.
After Wofford got on the board with a 24-yard Matt Martin field goal in the first quarter, Furman's Kevin Jackson pounced on a Terrier fumble in the end zone to give the Paladins a 7-3 lead with 12:19 to go in the second period.
Furman's 28-point second quarter outburst continued when tailback Stuart Rentz scored on an 8-yard run at the 9:28 mark and Bernard Scott returned a 21-yard interception for a score with 7:53 left. Stuart Rentz scored his second touchdown of the quarter when he bulled over from five yards out with 0:32 remaining to give the Paladins a 28-3 halftime lead.
The Paladins added a 31-yard Jason Wells field goal and a safety in the third period to make the final score 33-3. Wofford outgained Furman 244-200 and controlled the ball for 36:50 to Furman's 23:10, but the Terriers' eight turnovers proved decisive in giving the Paladins their second consecutive win over Wofford.
SENIOR FAREWELL...Fourteen seniors will be playing the final home game of their collegiate careers Saturday. They include: LB Bernard Scott, QB Chris Jonas, TB Mark Moore, FS Jeremy Osborne, LB Jay Thier, NG Reggie Williams, OG David Gibson, DE Bryan Dailer, DT Phil Warren, OT Lee Drake, SE Jody Wade, DT Brian Cross, NG Mike Davis, and DT Leroy Davies-Venn. Furman's seniors have played a key role in returning Paladin football to prominence, improving from a 3-8 record in 1994, to 6-5 in 1995, to last year's 9-4 mark that featured the program's return to the NCAA I-AA playoffs. In addition, Furman's 1997 senior class has helped re-establish the program's strong home winning tradition as the Paladins have won 12 of their 15 homes games over the past three seasons, including nine of the last 10. All 14 Furman seniors have been spot starters or regulars in the Paladin lineup during their careers, and six have earned post-season recogntion.
MISCUES PROVE DECISIVE...Furman's season high seven turnovers (6 fumbles, 1 interception) proved decisive in the Paladins' 30-13 loss to Georgia Southern last Saturday. The seven miscues, in addition to leading directly to 17 of the Eagles' 30 points, were the most by a Paladin squad since Furman committed seven turnovers in a 51-7 loss to Georgia Tech in the 1995 season opener. The six fumbles lost were only one shy of the school record of seven, which the Paladins have recorded twice: vs. Wofford (1952); and vs. Tenn.-Chattanooga (1979).
TURNOVER TRENDS...Counting Furman's seven turnovers in the 30-13 loss to Georgia Southern on Saturday, the Paladins have now turned the ball over 27 times this year compared to opponents' 21, thereby giving Furman -0.67 turnover ratio Ñ the sixth worst mark in the Southern Conference. In the past three games, Furman has turned the ball over 15 times (8 fumbles, 7 interception), while opponents have committed only four miscues (4 fumbles). A year ago, Furman only turned the ball over 21 times in 13 games while going 9-4 and advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA I-AA playoffs.
BIG RUSH -- TEST III...This Saturday Furman will face its third straight opponent who does business -- and has enjoyed great success in recent years -- via the ground game. Wofford, which lately has ranked among one of the best rushing teams in the country, and who is currently second in the Southern Conference in rushing (271.3 ypg), will surely test Furman's strong defense, which ranks third in the league in rushing defense, giving up 150.2 yards per game (3.4 yards per rush). Last Saturday the Paladins faced Georgia Southern's potent ground attack and fared well, giving up 248 yards on the ground to Eagles, including 76 on one play. The Eagles came into the game averaging 277.7 yards per game. Two weeks ago in a 38-20 win over Elon, which runs the wishbone, Furman gave up 177 yards on the ground, including 80 on one play. The Fightin' Christians entered the game averaging 316 yards on the ground.
| Opponent | Rushing Yards | Season Average | Differential |
| Elon | 177 | 316 | -139 |
| Georgia Southern | 248 | 277 | -29 |
| Wofford | 271 | ? | ? |
GIVE THE "D' A BREAK...Just how well Furman's defense has played this year has been obscured by a Paladin offensive unit that has struggled to hold on to the football and move it on a consistent basis. The latest frustration experienced by Furman's defense came last Saturday in the 30-13 loss to Georgia Southern when the Eagles converted three of the Paladins' seven turnovers into 17 points. One touchdown came on a 62-yard interception return, and the other touchdown (with 0:19 remaining in the game) followed a Paladin fumble at the Furman 25. The Eagles' other three points came on a 47-yard field goal following a Furman fumble at the Paladin 34. Georgia Southern's interception return for a touchdown marked the fourth such return for a score by opponents this year. Through nine games, opponents have initiated a total of 27 drives in Furman territory, including 20 following Paladin turnovers.
| Possessions | Furman | Opponents |
| Initiated Inside Opponent 50 | 32 | 27 |
| Inititated Following Turnovers | 13 | 20 |
HOME SUCCESS...Furman's 38-20 win over Elon on Nov. 1 marked the Paladins' ninth win in their last 10 home games dating back to the 1995 season. Furman, which had its eight game home winning streak snapped when East Tennessee State swamped the Paladins 58-28 on Oct. 25, now sports an 82-23-1 overall record (.778) in Paladin Stadium. The Paladins are 2-0-1 versus Wofford in Paladin Stadium, having recorded wins in 1995 (38-0) and 1996 (33-3). The tie (14-14) came in 1993.
FINDING A FULLBACK...True freshman Derek Russell (Austell, Ga.) solidified his position as Furman's starting fullback with a solid performance in the Paladins' 30-13 loss to Georgia Southern on Saturday. Russell, who gained his first career start two weeks ago in a 38-20 win over Elon, rushed 10 times for 79 yards against the Eagles.
MUSICAL QUARTERBACKS...After redshirt freshman Justin Hill (Greer, S.C.) gained his first career start last week in a 38-20 win over Elon, Furman turned to true freshman Brent Rickman (Rome, Ga.) on Saturday in the 30-13 loss to Georgia Southern. Rickman, who had started the five games prior to Furman's matchup with Elon, completed only 5-of-16 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown against Georgia Southern prior to exiting the game following an interception. Hill, who came on in the third quarter for Rickman, completed 4-of-5 passes for 33 yards and a score, while also running for 15 yards. In all, Furman has now employed three quarterbacks this year, including senior Chris Jonas (Birmingham, Ala.), who started the first two games before being sidelined on the second offensive series of the Paladins' 17-6 loss to South Carolina State on Sept. 13.
NO TIES HERE...Since beginning football in 1889, Furman has played 873 games and has been involved in 38 ties, including an opponent series high seven deadlocks (in 70 games) with Wofford, this Saturday's opponent. But there won't be any ties this Saturday with the Terriers, thanks to college football's universal tiebreaker format. For the record, Furman has been involved in two tiebreakers over the years: vs. Nevada-Reno, 1990 (L, 35-42); and vs. Appalachian State, 1991 (L, 23-26).
NOT BREAKING EVEN...After being outgained in the four previous games, Furman finally put up more offense than the opposition by outgaining Elon 432-192 in the Paladins' 38-20 win over the Fightin' Christians on Nov. 1. Last Saturday, however, the Paladins lost the total offense battle as Georgia Southern posted 256 yards in total offense to Furman's 229. The Paladins have now been outgained in six of their nine games this year and head into Saturday's game averaging 300.0 yards per game Ñ the program's lowest total since the 1972 season when the Bob King-coached Paladins averaged only 248.7 yards per contest in a year that yielded a 2-9 record.
| Total Offense |
Furman/Opponent |
Total Offense |
| 351 |
Furman/Samford |
317 |
| 139 |
Furman/S.C. State |
161 |
| 505 |
Furman/VMI |
274 |
| 287 |
Furman/Western Carolina |
333 |
| 287 |
Furman/Appalachian State |
354 |
| 227 |
Furman/The Citadel |
281 |
| 243 |
Furman/East Tennessee State |
473 |
| 432 |
Furman/Elon |
192 |
| 229 |
Furman/Georgia Southern |
256 |
THIER LEADS SOCON TACKLERS...Furman senior linebacker Jay Thier (Columbia, S.C.), a pre-season All-Southern Conference selection, continues to lead the conference in tackles with 140 stops (15.5 tackles per game) through nine games, and is coming off a Georgia Southern game in which he totaled 20 tackles. Thier's strong work against Georgia Southern continued his recent string of outstanding performances that have included a career high 24-tackle performance in a 21-7 win over The Citadel and a 15-tackle outing in a 24-22 win over Appalachian State that also featured a tackle-for-loss, an interception, and a blocked extra point that proved decisive. His work in the win over Appalachian State earned him Southern Conference Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors.
SCOTT, THIER MOVING ON UP...In recording 20 tackles apiece in the Paladins' 30-13 loss to Georgia Southern on Saturday, Furman linebackers Bernard Scott (St. Augustine, Fla.) and Jay Thier (Columbia, S.C.) continued their climb up the school's career tackle chart. Heading into Saturday's game against Wofford, Scott ranks fourth on Furman's career tackles ledger with 424 stops, and Thier is sixth with 416 career tackles.
FURMAN CAREER TACKLES LEADERS
| Rank | Player | Years | Tackles |
| 1) | Jeff Blankenship | 1985-88 | 580 |
| 2) | Kevin Kendrick | 1987-90 | 574 |
| 3) | Kota Suttle | 1989-92 | 556 |
| 4) | Milan Sterling | 1990-93 | 445 |
| 5) | Bernard Scott | 1993- | 424 |
| 6) | Jay Thier | 1994- | 416 |
| 7) | Steve O'Neill | 1978-81 | 389 |
| 8) | Bruce Gheesling | 1978-81 | 387 |
| 9) | Frank Moses | 1974-77 | 360 |
| Darryl Gardner | 1984-87 | 360 | |
| 10) | Orlando Ruff | 1995- | 355 |
ORLANDO RUFF...Junior All-Southern Conference linebacker Orlando Ruff (Winnsboro, S.C.) continued his impressive season of work on Saturday, recording 11 tackles and two tackles-for-loss in the 30-13 loss to Georgia Southern. For Ruff, the strong play against Georgia Southern followed several recent strong performances, including a 17-tackle outing in Furman's 24-22 win over Appalachian State that also included two tackles-for-loss, an interception, and a pass deflection. Ruff's interception (and subsequent 51-yard return) against the Mountaineers in the game's waning seconds literally saved the game for Furman, which had seen Appalachian State score 12 unanswered points to close to within two points before moving into Furman territory for what looked like an almost certain game winning score. Ruff, however, stepped in front of Mountaineer quarterback Bake Baker's pass to preserve the critical victory for the Paladins. The game saving interception against Appalachian State followed a pair of pickoffs by the Paladin junior the week before in a 17-16 loss at Western Carolina. Furman's leading tackler a year ago with 164 stops, Ruff is the Paladins' leader in the weight room, where in the spring he combined to lift 1,420 pounds in three exercises: bench press (435), squat (625), and power clean (360). Through nine games, he has totaled 104 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss (including one sack), three interceptions (and 77 yards in returns), two caused fumbles, and three pass deflections on the league's second best defense. Ruff now has 355 career tackles and is now ranked 10th on Furman's all-time list heading into Saturday's game against Wofford.
THE BIG THREE...Furman's claim to have one of the best linebacking corps in the Southern Conference is underscored in the numbers the Paladins' three starting linebackers Ñ Jay Thier (Columbia, S.C.), Orlando Ruff (Winnsboro, S.C.), and Bernard Scott (St. Augustine, Fla.) Ñ have produced over the course of their careers. The numbers include: 1195 tackles, 80 tackles-for-loss, 10 interceptions, and nine fumble recoveries. A snap shot of their value to Furman's program came last month in the 24-22 win over Appalachian State when Furman's BIG THREE combined for 40 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, two interceptions, two pass deflections, a blocked extra point attempt, and a fumble recovery.
SUPER SAFETIES...Furman's defense is obviously the strength of this year's team, and, aside for the Paladins' linebackers, one of the strongest areas on Furman's defensive unit is the two safety positions, where two-time All-Southern Conference free safety Jeremy Osborne (Kingsport, Tenn.) and standout sophomore strong safety John Keith (Newnan, Ga.) reside. On Oct 18, in the Paladins' 21-7 win over The Citadel, Osborne racked up seven tackles, a fumble recovery, an interception, and a pass deflection. Keith, meanwhile, recorded nine tackles and an interception ‹ his second in two games. Osborne and Keith's strong play against The Citadel mirrored the performance the duo turned in the previous week in the Paladins' 24-22 victory over Appalachian State, when Osborne tallied a season high 13 tackles and had a critical pass deflection on a Mountaineers' two-point conversion attempt, and Keith had seven tackles, an interception, and a pass deflection. On the year, Keith has 67 tackles and Osborne has 78 stops heading into this Saturday's game against Wofford.
PASS RUSH STRONG...After pacing the Southern Conference with 34 sacks a year ago, Furman again sports one of the best pass rushes in the league with 21 sacks through nine games. Working against Georgia Southern's run-oriented ground attack last Saturday, the Paladins had only a few sack opportunities, but Furman managed to make the most of it by picking up three sacks, including two by Southern Conference sacks leader and league pre-season defensive player-of-the-year Bryan Dailer (Winter Garden, Fla.)
DAILER MOVING UP SACKS CHART...With two sacks in the Paladins' 30-13 loss to Georgia Southern last Saturday, senior pre-season Southern Conference Defensive Player-of-the-Year rush end Bryan Dailer improved his career sack total to 27.5. Dailer, now in his fourth season as a starter, notched 95 tackles and a league leading 24 tackles-for-loss and 14 sacks a year ago en route to earning All-Southern Conference honors. His strong pass rushing skills helped Furman improve from 13 quarterback sacks in 1995 to a league leading 34 sacks in 1996. A pre-season Sports Network and Sports Ticker All-American, Dailer has now started in 44 consecutive games over the past three-plus seasons and heads into this Saturday's game against Wofford with 69 tackles and a team leading 16 tackles-for-loss and 9.5 sacks on the year.
FURMAN CAREER SACKS LEADERS
| Rank | Player | Years | Sacks |
| 1) | Kelly Fletcher | 1986-90 | 35.5 |
| 2) | Bryan Dailer | 1994- | 27.5 |
| 3) | Ryan Livezey | 1990-93 | 19.0 |
| 4) | Brian Pitts | 1986-89 | 17.0 |
| 5) | Dean Williams | 1987-89 | 17.0 |
VERSATILE JODY WADE...Senior split end/punter Jody Wade (Waycross, Ga.), a pre-season All-Southern Conference selection as both a wide receiver and punter, fashioned a career best performance in Furman's 35-14 win over VMI earlier this year, catching a career high seven passes for another career high 141 yards and a touchdown. Furman's leading receiver with 28 catches for 434 yards and six touchdowns through nine games, Wade upped his career touchdowns catch total to 13 with a pair of scores covering 11 and 16 yards last Saturday in the 30-13 loss to Georgia Southern. Currently ranked fourth on Furman's career touchdown receptions chart, Wade has also been Furman's punter the last four seasons, and heads into Saturday's game against Wofford averaging 40.2 yards per punt on the year. Wade ranks third in the Southern Conference in punting with numbers that have been posted in real, oftentimes rainy weather, and not inside under climate controlled, 72 degree, bounce-friendly, Astro-Turf aided conditions.
FURMAN CAREER TOUCHDOWN RECEPTION LEADERS
| Rank | Player | Years | TDs |
| 1) | Chas Fox | 1982-85 | 28 |
| 2) | Billy Risher | 1979-83 | 19 |
| 3) | Robbie Hahn | 1966-67 | 16 |
| 4) | Jody Wade | 1994- | 13 |
| 5) | Adrick Harrison | 1992-95 | 11 |
| Josh Cole | 1993-96 | 11 | |
| 6) | Paul Siffri | 1988-91 | 10 |
MOORE ON THE CHARTS...Senior tailback Mark Moore (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) has moved into Furman's Top 10 career rushing chart, having rushed for 1,939 yards and 12 touchdowns in almost four seasons of play. Moore, who ran three times for 16 yards in the Paladins' 30-13 loss to Georgia Southern on Saturday, currently stands ninth on the school's career rushing yards ledger. Next up in eighth place is former standout Dwight Sterling (1986-89), who rushed for 1,983 yards in his career.
FURMAN CAREER RUSHING LEADERS
| Rank | Player | Years | Yards |
| 1) | Carl Tremble | 1982-85 | 4,746 |
| 2) | Stanford Jennings | 1980-83 | 4,016 |
| 3) | Robbie Gardner | 1982-86 | 3,213 |
| 4) | Larry Robinson | 1973-76 | 3,038 |
| 5) | Mike Glenn | 1978-80 | 2,446 |
| 6) | John Bagwell | 1984-88 | 2,183 |
| 7) | Dinky Williams | 1981-84 | 2,100 |
| 8) | Dwight Sterling | 1986-89 | 1,983 |
| 9) | Mark Moore | 1994- | 1,939 |
| 10) | Steve Crislip | 1969-71 | 1,938 |
CERQUA DISMISSED...Head coach Bobby Johnson announced last Thursday that sophomore fullback Marq Cerqua (Six Mile, S.C.) had been permanently dismissed from the football program for violation of team rules. Cerqua started in Furman's first six games this year and rushed for 242 yards and four touchdowns prior to his dismissal. He was also Furman's kickoff returns leader, averaging 29.2 yards on 12 returns through eight games.
FOUR PALADINS ENTER HALL...Former Paladin football standouts Frankie DeBusk '91, Steve Duggan '91, Andrew Burr '91, and Carl Tremble '93 highlighted a class of six former Furman athletic greats who were inducted into the school's athletic hall-of-fame in ceremonies on Sept. 26. DeBusk, a three-year starter and 1989 Southern Conference Player-of-the-year, quarterbacked Furman to three straight league championships and, in 1988, became the first quarterback in league history to lead his team to a national championship. The Greeneville, Tenn., native is Furman's all-time passing (5,851 yards) and total offense (6,726 yards) leader. Duggan, a three-time All-Southern Conference selection at center, was a consensus 1990 NCAA I-AA All-America pick and winner of both the state and Southern Conference Jacobs Blocking Award. During the Sumter, S.C., native's tenure, the Paladins won three league championships and posted the best four-year record in school history (41-12). Holder of 18 school records, tailback Carl Tremble of Jacksonville, Fla., ranks as Furman's all-time leading rusher and scorer, having totaled 4,746 yards and 50 touchdowns in his career. A 1992 Associated Press All-America selection, Tremble rushed for 100 yards in 25 games in his career and was part of three NCAA I-AA playoff squads. Atlanta, Ga., product Andrew Burr was a two-sport standout at Furman, having starred in both soccer and football. In soccer, the 1990 Southern Conference Player-of-the-Year scored a school record 50 goals and was a three-time All-South selection. In his only year of football, Burr led the Southern Conference in scoring 1991 after converting 14-of-16 field goals and 45-of-46 PATs, thereby becoming the first athlete in league history to lead the conference in scoring in two different sports in consecutive years. DeBusk, Duggan, Tremble, and Burr were enshrined in Furman's Hall-of-Fame along with former Olympic gold-medal swimmer Angel Myers '90 and late Furman swimming coach Howard Wheeler.
Coaches All-Southern Conference
Southern Conference Coaches Defensive Player-of-the-Year
Sports Network All-America
Sports Ticker All-America
Southern Conference Pre-Season Polls
Back to the Furman Athletics Homepage