Game 1 -- September 4, 1997

Furman Paladins (0-0) vs. Samford Bulldogs (0-0)

Birmingham, Alabama

Seibert Stadium (6,700 -- Natural Grass)

7:00 P.M. Kickoff (CST)

Greenville/Spartanburg Intermedia Cable TV (Live)

Attraction

Thursday's Furman-Samford game marks the 1997 season opener for the Paladins and Bulldogs. The last time Furman played a football game on Thursday was in 1969, when it dropped a 31-21 decision to Wofford on Thursday, Nov. 27.

Tickets

Tickets for Thursday's Furman-Samford game are $6 and can be purchased at the Furman University Ticket Office (located on the second floor of the Paladin Stadium Press Box) through Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. Ticket office hours are 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (864) 294-3097.

The Series

In a series that got its start in 1961 with a 21-14 Furman win in Greenville, Samford owns a 5-1 series lead over the Paladins.

In Greenville: Samford leads 3-1; In Birmingham: Samford leads 2-0

The Coaches

Furman: Bobby Johnson (Clemson '73), 18-17-0 (.514), 4th Year at Furman 18-17-0 (.514), 4th Year Overall Johnson vs. Samford (0-0)

Samford: Pete Hurt (Mississippi College '78), 17-15-1 (.530), 4th Year at Samford 17-15-1 (.530), 4th Year Overall Hurt vs. Furman (0-0)

The Offenses

Furman: Multiple I, '96 Points/Game -- 25.8; '96 Yards/Game -- 343.5 (160.6 Rushing 182.9 Passing)

Samford: Pro Set, '96 Points/Game -- 15.9; '96 Yards/Game -- 269.6 (102.9 Rushing 166.7 Passing)

The Defenses

Furman: 43, '96 Points/Game -- 23.2; '96 Yards/Game -- 359.9 (170.7 Rushing, 189.2 Passing)

Samford: 43, '96 Points/Game -- 21.8; '96 Yards/Game -- 354.9 (199.5 Rushing 155.5 Passing)

1996 Results

* NCAA I-AA Playoffs

Noting The Paladins

  • Furman To Open 92nd Season...The 1997 season opener against Samford will mark the beginning of the 92nd season of football at Furman University. The first school in South Carolina (along with Wofford) to begin playing football, Furman since 1889 has rolled up a 458-368-38 record over the years. A member of the Southern Conference since 1936, Furman has captured nine league championships (1978-80-81-82-83-85-88-89-90) -- the most of any current Southern Conference member school. Furman was also the first conference school to win an NCAA I-AA national championship when the Paladins captured the title in 1988 to complete a school best, 13-2 season.
  • Looking For More Success...After suffering through a 3-8 season in 1994 (the program's first losing season since 1979 and worst record since 1972) under first-year head coach Bobby Johnson, Furman rebounded in 1995 to post a 6-5 mark before going 9-4 and advancing into the second round of the NCAA I-AA playoffs in 1996. Improving on that mark is Furman's goal this fall under Johnson, who in all counts 19 years of experience with the Furman program, including work as defensive backs coach, assistant head coach, defensive coordinator, and head coach. During Johnson's 19 seasons with the Paladins, Furman has registered 16 winning seasons, a 150-70-7 record, eight Southern Conference championships, and one NCAA I-AA national title.
  • Furman Consensus No. 1...In separate polls conducted by Southern Conference head coaches, media, and sports information directors, Furman was the consensus pre-season No. 1 pick to win the Southern Conference. A year ago, Furman finished third in the conference, posting a 9-4 overall record and 5-2 league mark. The Paladins, who finished the year ranked ninth nationally, advanced to the quarterfinals of the 1996 NCAA I-AA Playoffs before losing to eventual national champion and 1996 Southern Conference champion Marshall.
  • Previewing The '97 Paladins..Furman returns 43 lettermen and 15 starters from its 1996 squad. Among the 15 returning regulars, five are on offense, including guard Mike Duckwall (Cincinnati, Ohio), tackle Lee Drake (Jacksonville, Fla.), split end Jody Wade (Waycross, Ga.), fullback Marq Cerqua (Six Mile, S.C.), and tailback Ernest Crosby (Greenville, S.C.). The eight returning defensive starters include rush end Bryan Dailer (Winter Garden, Fla.), defensive tackle Phil Warren (Tarpon Springs, Fla.), nose guard Reggie Williams (Nashville, Tenn.), weak side linebacker Jay Thier (Columbia, S.C.), strong side linebacker Orlando Ruff (Winnsboro, S.C.), outside linebacker Bernard Scott (St. Augustine, Fla.), cornerback Kevin Jackson (Daytona Beach, Fla.), and free safety Jeremy Osborne (Kinsport, Tenn.). Punter Jody Wade (Waycross, Ga.) and placekicker Jason Wells (Lawton, Okla.) return to headline Furman's special teams.
  • First Time Starters...Thursday's game against Samford will showcase first career starts for as many as eight Paladins. On offense, sophomore flanker Desmond Kitchings (Wagener, S.C.), sophomore tackle Ryan Kineard (Blakely, Ga.), junior center Mark Foster (Williamston, S.C.), sophomore tight end Michael Owings (Ninety Six, S.C.), and senior quarterback Chris Jonas (Birmingham, Ala.) appear to be in line to see their first action as regulars. Defensively, the expected newcomers to the starting lineup include senior tackle Leroy Davies-Venn (Atlanta, Ga.), redshirt freshman cornerback Andre Stroman (Plantation, Fla.), and sophomore strong safety John Keith (Newnan, Ga.).
  • Dailer Headlines Defense...It's no secret that Furman's consensus pre-season No. 1 pick in the Southern Conference was due in large measure to the Paladins' defense, which returns eight regulars from a year ago. And, accordingly, it's no real surprise either that the top player on Furman's veteran defensive unit, senior rush end Bryan Dailer (Winter Garden, Fla.), was named by Southern Conference head coaches as the league's pre-season defensive player-of-the-year. Dailer, who is entering 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 a year ago. Ranked third on the school's career sacks ledger with 18 quarterback takedowns, Dailer, a pre-season Sports Network All-American, has started in 35 consecutive games over the past three seasons.
  • Welcome Back Phil...Furman's 1997 season opener against Samford will mark the return of starting senior defensive tackle Phil Warren (Tarpon Springs, Fla.), who missed the Paladins' last four games (and two playoff contests) after sustaining a fractured fibula in early in the Paladins' 21-14 win over Georgia Southern. A pre-season All-Southern Conference selection, Warren racked up 438 plays, 46 tackles, and a pair of sacks in 1996 prior to his season ending injury.
  • Are You Experienced?...No, the late guitar wizard Jimmy Hendrix does not star in Furman's linebacking corps, but veteran senior linebackers Jay Thier (Columbia, S.C.) and Bernard Scott (St. Augustine, Fla.), and junior Orlando Ruff (Winnsboro, S.C.) can collectively answer Hendrix's famous question with a resounding "yes." In a group that boasts eight letters, five years of starting experience, and a 1996 campaign that saw the Furman trio combine for 456 tackles, 37 tackles-for-loss, five fumble recoveries, five sacks, and five interceptions, Furman's starting linebacking corps clearly ranks as one of the Southern Conference's best units. Jay Thier, the Paladins' weak side linebacker who is entering his third season as a starter, last year racked up 142 tackles after overcoming an early season injury (strained hamstring). A pre-season second team All-Southern Conference selection, Thier last year had the key fourth quarter fumble recovery that led to the game winning touchdown in the Paladins' 42-31 playoff win over Northern Arizona. Bernard Scott will again man the outside linebacker slot after totaling 150 tackles and a pair of interception returns for touchdowns in 1996. Orlando Ruff, Furman's strong side linebacker and leading tackler a year ago with 164 stops, was named to the pre-season All-Southern Conference first team and Sports Network pre-season All-America third team. At 248 pounds, he ranks as the Paladins' strongest player in the weight room, having gained the title in the spring after combining to lift 1,420 pounds in three exercises: bench press (435) , squat (625), and power clean (360). With solid 1997 campaigns, Thier (276 career tackles), Scott (288), and Ruff (251) should finish the year ranked among Furman's all-time tackle leaders. Former standout Larry Anderson (1974-76) currently ranks 10th on the school's career tackle chart with 347 stops.
  • More Than Meets The Eye...While officially only two starters return in Furman's secondary this fall, the Paladin defensive backfield, and in particular the two safety slots, boasts plenty of game experience when considering projected starting strong safety sophomore John Keith (Newnan, Ga.) last year registered almost as many plays (445) as did graduated 13-game starter Seth Ramaley (566). This fall Keith (47 tackles, 2 interceptions in '96) joins All-Southern Conference free safety Jeremy Osborne (Kingsport, Tenn.) in giving Furman a very talented safety corps, which also includes Rocco Adrian (Deltona, Fla.), who started in three contests at free safety last year for an injured Osborne. At cornerback, senior Kevin Jackson (Daytona Beach, Fla.) is back following a solid junior campaign (64 tackles, 6 PBU). He will be joined at the other corner position by either Andre Stroman (Plantation, Fla.), a redshirt freshman, or junior Rico Perkins (Somerset, Ky.). While Stroman lacks game experience, Perkins, who was slowed in the pre-season with a strained hamstring, owns two letters and three starts in his career.
  • Looking For A Tight End...The graduation of All-America tight end Luther Broughton, Furman's all-time leading receiver (135 rec., 1,659 yds, 6 TDs) and fifth round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, has left a big void in the Paladin offense. Looking to take over for Broughton is sophomore Michael Owings (Ninety Six, S.C.) and junior Kenya Fouch (Hartwell, Ga.). While neither Owings nor Fouch has caught a pass for Furman, Fouch, a highly regarded performer, may be hard to keep out of the lineup even though he only joined the Paladin program last week after spending one year at Middle Georgia Junior College in Cochran, Ga. A year ago Fouch appeared ready to become a Paladin after transferring from Georgia Tech, where he spent two years and played sparingly as a freshman in 1994. After joining Furman's pre-season camp, he was soon declared ineligible and withdrew from school after it was determined he lacked the number of credit hours to maintain eligibility. A year at Middle Georgia College ensued, where he accumulated the necessary hours to regain his eligibility. On Friday, Aug. 29, he was officially cleared to participate in Furman's pre-season practice.
  • Big Play Man...Although he only caught five passes for 136 yards and one touchdown as a true freshman in 1996, sophomore flanker Desmond Kitchings (Wagener, S.C.) may very well prove to be one of Furman's big play performers this fall. The Paladins' fastest player, Kitchings, who clocked a program record 4.30 40-yard dash in shorts in spring testing, will take over the starting flanker job vacated by the graduated Josh Cole (52 rec, 799, 4 TDs in '96). Also set to serve as a kickoff return specialist, Kitchings showed some of his immense talent last fall in the Paladins' 42-31 win over Northern Arizona in NCAA I-AA first round playoff action when he hooked up with quarterback Braniff Bonaventure on a 70-yard touchdown pass that saw Kitchings outrun the entire Lumberjack secondary.
  • Versatility Is His Game...Jody Wade (Waycross, Ga.) is a pretty good receiver who has earned the "clutch" label. And he's a pretty good punter who is consistent. He's also a pretty good baseball player who batted .290 last year and earned Southern Conference All-Tournament honors as the Paladins' starting centerfielder. And, accordingly, he's a very versatile and critical member of Furman's 1997 football team. Furman's leading returning receiver, Wade a pre-season All-Southern Conference pick as both a receiver and punter, last year nabbed 23 passes for 388 yards and a team leading five touchdowns Ñ not bad for a guy playing alongside a pair of all-conference receivers in Luther Broughton and Josh Cole. A known quantity among Furman fans, he raised the eyebrows of others in the first round of the NCAA I-AA playoffs when he caught a pair of touchdown passes, including the game winner, in the final five minutes in Furman's 42-31 win over Northern Arizona. As Furman's punter, he averaged 38.8 yards per punt on 74 tries in 1996, and has now gotten off 159 punts in his career without a block.
  • Never Enough...As Furman's coaching staff and fans found out last year, a team can never have enough running backs. This fall Furman enters the season with three experienced tailbacks (and the Paladins' top four rushers from '96) in the stable, and that's at least comforting to head coach Bobby Johnson, who a year ago had to go four deep at the tailback slot due to injuries to his top two runners. The return of senior Mark Moore (Tarpon Springs, Fla.), junior Ernest Crosby (Greenville, S.C.), and sophomore Stuart Rentz (Pickens, S.C.) bodes well for the Paladin tailback slot, which last year saw Moore get hurt in the season opener against Clemson. Stepping in in game two, Ernest Crosby rushed for 243 yards and four touchdowns in a 27-13 win over South Carolina State, but the following week he was sidelined with a sprained ankle early in a 33-3 win over Wofford. Enter Stuart Rentz, a walk-on whose prospects for playing time appeared so remote in the pre-season that he wasn't asked to do a video head shot for television games. After coming off the bench to score a pair of touchdowns in the win over Wofford, Rentz gained his first of two starts the next week and responded by rushing for a Furman freshman record 166 yards and a touchdown in a 31-14 win over VMI. The next week, in a 45-30 win over Western Carolina, he keyed the Paladins' victory with 125 yards rushing. Later in the year, Mark Moore returned to spark the Paladins to a decisive 21-14 win over Georgia Southern with 105 yards rushing and a touchdown catch. Just how much does head coach Bobby Johnson appreciate depth in the backfield? Consider that before pre-season practice began in early August, talented reserve tailback sophomore Quinton Burton (Hartwell, Ga.) sustained a fractured foot while moving into his dormitory room. Burton, who last year rushed for 53 yards, is expected to miss at least the first four week of the season due to the injury.
  • Going Home...Senior quarterback Chris Jonas (Birmingham, Ala.) will play in front of the home folks when the Paladins take on Samford in the 1997 season opener on Thursday in Birmingham. A product of now defunct Berry High School, Jonas, the apparent successor to graduated All-Southern Conference quarterback Braniff Bonaventure, has limited experience (2-for-2, 1 yard) in four seasons at Furman. He will apparently need a good game against the Bulldogs to hold off an increasing challenge for playing time by true freshman Brent Rickman (Rome, Ga.) and redshirt freshman Justin Hill (Greer, S.C.).
  • Huguley, Sanders Have State Ties...In addition to quarterback Chris Jonas, two other Paladins with Alabama ties will be making the trip to Birmingham for the Samford game. Redshirt freshman Bryant Huguley (Valley, Ala./Valley H.S.), is penciled in to handle the Paladins' punt returns and provide backup duty at right cornerback. Redshirt freshman, Adam Sanders (West Point, Ga.), meanwhile, should also see action as a backup fullback. Sanders is a 1996 graduate of Springwood High School in Lanett, Alabama.
  • First Trip To 'Bama Since '1969...Furman's trip to Birmingham to play Samford will mark the program's first game in Alabama since 1969, when the Paladins last played Samford in Birmingham (lost 34-14). On Oct. 11, 1958, Furman dropped a 29-6 decision to the University of Alabama, marking the first win for the Crimson Tide under legendary head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant.
  • Four Paladins To Enter Furman Hall-of-Fame...Former Paladin football standouts Frankie DeBusk '91, Steve Duggan '91, Andrew Burr '91, and Carl Tremble '93 highlight a class of six former Furman athletic greats who will be inducted into the school's athletic hall-of-fame in ceremonies 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 will be enshrined in Furman's Hall-of-Fame along with former Olympic gold-medal swimmer Angel Myers '90 and late Furman swimming coach Howard Wheeler.
  • This 'N That...Furman hasn't produced a 1,000-yard rusher since 1992, when Carl Tremble (1,555 yards) last accomplished the feat. Ernest Crosby (Greenville, S.C.) led Furman in rushing a year ago with 850 yards and six touchdowns. Due in large measure to the NCAA I-A six-win, bowl qualifier rule, Furman will not play an NCAA I-A opponent for the first time in its 92-year football history.

    • 1996 Furman Paladins Pre-Season Honors

    Travel Plans

    Furman will depart Greenville for Birmingham via chartered bus on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. The Paladins will headquarter at the Holiday Inn-Homewood (205) 942-2041 and will return immediately following the game Thursday night.

    Injury Report

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    Page maintained by Hunter Reid
    Last Modified August 30,1997