Saturday's Furman-Samford contest marks the Paladins' only night game of the 1998 season and will highlight Paladin Club Day at Furman University. In addition, a fireworks show sponsored by Pepsi will commence approximately 15 minutes following the game,
In a series that got its start in 1961 with a 21-14 Furman win in Greenville, Samford holds a 5-2 advantage over Furman. Furman defeated Samford, 29-10, last year in Birmingham in the first meeting between the two schools since 1969. The last time the Paladins and Bulldogs met in Greenville was 1968, with Samford taking a 17-12 decision at Sirrine Stadium.
In Greenville: Samford leads 3-1
In Birmingham: Samford leads 2-1
Furman: Bobby Johnson (Clemson '73) 26-22-0 (.542), 5th Year at Furman 26-22-0 (.542), 5th Year Overall
Johnson vs. Samford (1-0)
Samford: Pete Hurt (Mississippi College '78) 25-20-1 (.554), 5th Year at Samford 25-20-1 (.554), 5th Year Overall
Hurt vs. Furman (0-1)
Furman: Multiple I
Samford: Pro Set
Furman: 43
Samford: 43
Furman (1-1, 0-0 Southern)
Samford (1-1)
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. (Sept. 4, 1997) -- Making the first start of his career in his hometown, senior quarterback Chris Jonas threw for 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead Furman to a 29-10 win over Samford in the first meeting between the Paladins and Bulldogs since 1968.
Jonas, who sustained a season ending knee injury the next week against South Carolina State, connected with split end Jody Wade on a 13-yard touchdown pass to open Furman's scoring, and later hit tailback Mark Moore on an 18-yard touchdown strike to give the Paladins a 13-3 lead early in the second quarter.
A Jason Wells 37-yard field goal with just under a minute to go in the second period increased Furman's lead to 16-3.
The Paladins put the game away in the second half with a pair of scoring runs by fullback Marq Cerqua covering 72 and 5 yards before Samford scored its only touchdown of the contest on a 1-yard run by Jerome Russell with 1:31 left in the game.
Furman outgained Samford 351-317 and totaled four sacks. Flanker Desmond Kitchings caught six passes for 60 yards and also gained 19 yards on a reverse. Marq Cerqua led all rushers, gaining 98 yards on nine carries.
Furman
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Riding the productive legs of freshman fullback Louis Ivory, Furman overcame a pair of costly first half turnovers with two second half touchdowns to take a hard fought 27-19 win over South Carolina State in front of 10,094 fans at Paladin Stadium.
Ivory, who rushed 23 times for a game high 161 yards and two touchdowns, helped seal the win with a 25-yard scoring run at the 11:13 juncture of the fourth quarter. The Fort Valley, Ga., product had earlier scored Furman's first points of the season when he bolted off right guard for a 54-yard touchdown run midway through the first period.
Ivory's first touchdown run came one play after South Carolina State's Darryl Robinson scooped up a Furman fumble and returned it 38 yards for a score at the 7:16 mark of the first quarter, giving the Bulldogs a brief 6-0 lead. South Carolina State regained the lead later in the first period when a bad pitch by Furman quarterback Justin Hill was picked up by the Bulldogs' Derrick Dingle, who returned it 47 yards for South Carolina State's second touchdown of the afternoon.
Furman countered with a 6-yard scoring run by fullback Derek Russell early in the second period to take a 14-13 advantage, but a pair of Cedric Oglesby 43-yard field goals gave the Bulldogs a 19-14 halftime advantage.
Furman's defense came up big in the second half, shutting out S.C. State and holding the Bulldogs to only two first downs and 92 total yards. The Paladin offense, meanwhile, took advantage of consistently excellent field position to go ahead for good on a 1-yard touchdown plunge by quarterback Justin Hill midway through the third quarter.
In winning for the 11th time in its last 12 home games, Furman rolled up 311 rushing yards, while holding S.C. State to only 230 yards in total offense. Redshirt freshman cornerback Richie Jackson paced Furman's defensive effort with a pair of interceptions and a key breakup of a Bulldog pass in the end zone late in the game.
Samford
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. -- Running backs Jerome Russell and Rashad Brewer combined to rush for 232 yards and four touchdowns to lead Samford to an easy 47-7 win over visiting Austin Peay.
Russell led the way with 122 yards and a pair of scoring runs covering 4 and 10 yards, and Brewer added 110 yards and touchdowns covering 3 and 6 yards to key a Samford ground game that netted 312 yards.
The Bulldogs, who led 35-7 at halftime, also added 121 yards passing to finish with 433 yards in total offense. Samford's defense, meanwhile, limited Austin Peay to only 206 total yards en route to win.
KEEPING THE HOME FIRE BURNING....Furman's 27-19 win over South Carolina State on Saturday extended the Paladins' impressive run of success at home, which began in 1996. Since that time, Furman has won 11 of its last 12 home games, including the last three contests in Paladin Stadium. The win over South Carolina State also marked Furman's seventh straight triumph over the Bulldogs. Furman has fashioned an 84-23-1 record (.782) in Paladin Stadium since moving into the facility in 1981.
PALADINS ROUGH ON NON-CONFERENCE FOES AT HOME...Furman has posted a 34-6-1 record (.841) against non-conference opposition in Paladin Stadium over the years. The only non-league foes to claim wins over Furman in Paladin Stadium are South Carolina State (1982, 17-0), Newberry (24-21), Eastern Kentucky (1986, 23-10), Stephen F. Austin (1989, 21-19), Georgia Southern (1992, 21-0), and William & Mary (1994, 28-26). Three of Furman's first four home losses to non-conference opposition were registered in NCAA I-AA playoff action, leaving Newberry (1985), Georgia Southern (1992) and William & Mary (1994) as the only three regular season non-conference foes to ever defeat Furman in Paladin Stadium.
HOME NIGHT GAMES RARE...Since moving into Paladin Stadium in 1981, Furman has played only five night games. Saturday's game against Samford will be the sixth. Furman, which is undefeated in its five previous night games in Paladin Stadium, played its first game under the lights of Paladin Stadium in 1991, when it defeated Liberty 31-7. The Paladins knocked off Liberty, 31-13, again a year later in a Paladin Stadium night game, and in 1994, in head coach Bobby Johnson's first game at Furman, the Paladins edged South Carolina State, 26-21, under the lights. A year later Furman rolled up both Wofford (38-0) and VMI (55-24) in Paladin Stadium night games.
IVORY PUTS UP NOTABLE NUMBERS...In rushing 23 times for 161 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 27-19 win over South Carolina State, freshman fullback Louis Ivory (Fort Valley, Ga.) fashioned the finest rushing performance by a Furman fullback since the 1989 season when Dwight Sterling ran for 166 yards in a 42-7 win over Wofford. Ivory, whose scoring runs against the Bulldogs covered 54 and 25 yards, captured the starting fullback job with a strong pre-season, beating out returning starter, sophomore Derek Russell (Austell, Ga.). He heads into the Samford game as Furman's leading rusher, having gained 202 yards on 28 carries (7.2/carry) in two games (101.0/game). Ivory, who rushed for 3,100 yards and 37 touchdowns at Peach County High School, was a participant in the Georgia-Florida All-Star Game this past summer, a rarity for I-AA bound prep talent.
DEFENDING FURMAN'S "D"...A year ago Furman was officially charged with yielding 223 points (20.3/game) to opponents over the Paladins' 11-game schedule. The only problem with that figure is the fact that Furman's defense actually only surrendered 188 points (17.0/game) in 1997, as the Paladin offense gave up 35 points to opponents with Furman's "D" on the sideline. Unfortunately, this year Furman's defense has already taken a hit it doesn't deserve as Clemson and South Carolina State have converted three turnovers by Furman's offense into 20 points, all while Furman's defense looked on from the sideline. In Saturday's game against South Carolina State, the Bulldogs scooped up two Paladin fumbles and returned them for touchdowns, accounting for 13 points. In the season opener against Clemson, the Tigers pounced on a Paladin fumble in the end zone for a score.
THE STICKS HARDLY MOVED...Furman's defense turned in a solid performance against South Carolina State, yielding only eight first downs, 230 total yards and, in truth, only six points to the Bulldogs (see previous note). In the second half, Furman's defense was especially effective, as it gave up only two first downs and 92 total yards. South Carolina State's first five possessions of the second half netted only 15 total yards.
JACKSON MAKES A SPLASH...Redshirt freshman cornerback Richie Jackson (Cincinnati, Ohio), starting in only the second game of his career, turned in a strong performance in the 27-19 win over South Carolina State on Saturday, totaling five tackles, two interceptions, and what could have been a game saving pass deflection in the game's final minutes. Jackson, who got the unanticipated promotion into Furman's starting defensive cast in the pre-season following injuries to senior Rico Perkins (Somerset, Ky.) and sophomore Andre Stroman (Plantation, Fla.), deflected a fourth down pass by South Carolina State quarterback Craig James that was intended for teammate Chris Russ deep in the end zone.
KEITH KEEPS UP THE STRONG PACE...After totaling a career high 19 tackles in the Paladins' season opener against Clemson, junior All-Southern Conference strong safety John Keith (Newnan, Ga.) came back with another strong performance in the Paladins' 27-19 win over South Carolina State on Saturday, racking up nine tackles against the Bulldogs. Keith, whose presence in the Paladin secondary is unmistakable, has been especially effective against the run, as he has consistently beaten blockers at the point of attack to make impressive open field tackles in Furman's first two games.
PALADIN POINTERS...Senior B.J. Pate (Inman, S.C.) started at nose guard against South Carolina State in place of sidelined junior Luke Kosman (Cincinnati, Ohio) and totaled one tackle and five assists. Junior Stuart Rentz (Pickens, S.C.) started at tailback in place of senior Ernest Crosby (Greenville, S.C.), who was slowed last week after sustaining a mild concussion in practice. Junior Tyron Berrian (Tallahassee, Fla.) gained his first career start when he took over for Kevin Stewart (Tucker, Ga,) at split end against South Carolina State.
GROUND HOGS...Furman's game plan against South Carolina State proved to be rather simple: keep it on the ground. And keep it on the ground Furman did on the way to 311 rushing yards and the 27-19 win. In running the ball 62 times, the Paladins registered their most rushes in a game since the 1991 season, when the Paladins ran 64 times (for 343 yards) in a 24-21 win over Chattanooga. Furman's rushing success against South Carolina State led to the Paladins' to attempt only six passes and complete only one, the lowest single game completion and yardage total by a Furman team since the 1988 season, when the Paladins completed just 1-of-7 pass attempts (in a driving rainstorm) for 10 yards in a 21-0 win over Presbyterian.
BOBBY JOHNSON: YEAR FIVE...The 1998 season marks Furman head coach Bobby Johnson's fifth year at the helm of a Paladin program and 21st season of service to the university. After suffering through a 3-8 season in 1994 (the program's first losing season since 1979 and worst record since 1972), Furman rebounded in 1995 to finish 6-5. A year later Johnson directed the Paladins to a 9-4 record and into the NCAA I-AA playoffs Ñ the program's first playoff appearance since 1990. Furman went 7-4 last year and finished third in the Southern Conference for the third consecutive year. Johnson's four-year head coaching record is 26-22 (.542), and his last three teams have combined to post a 23-14 slate (.621). Johnson's 21-year tenure at Furman includes work as defensive backs coach, assistant head coach, defensive coordinator, and head coach. The Paladins' record during that span (1976-80; 82-92; 94-present) is 158-75-7 (.673) and includes 17 winning seasons, eight Southern Conference championships and one NCAA I-AA title.
SOUTHERN CONFERENCE PRE-SEASON POLLS...Furman was a consensus fourth place pick in a pair of Southern Conference pre-season polls conducted by league head coaches and media.
SEVEN PALADINS NAMED PRE-SEASON ALL-SOCON...In balloting by Southern Conference head coaches, seven Paladins were selected to the pre-season all-league team. They include senior center Mark Foster (Williamston, S.C.), junior offensive guard Ben Hall (Royston, Ga.), junior placekicker Jason Wells (Lawton, Okla.), senior linebacker Orlando Ruff (Winnsboro, S.C.), and junior strong safety John Keith (Newnan, Ga.), who were named to the first team. Named to the second team were junior flanker Desmond Kitchings (Wagener, S.C.) and senior defensive tackle B.J. Pate (Inman, S.C.).
RUFF PRE-SEASON DEFENSIVE POY PICK...Senior linebacker Orlando Ruff (Winnsboro, S.C.) was selected by Southern Conference head coaches as the league's defensive player-of-the-year. If he captures the honor, Ruff, a two-time all-conference selection, will become the second straight Paladin and sixth Furman player to earn Southern Conference Defensive Player-of-the-Year honors since the conference initiated the award in 1986 (prior to 1986 only one "player-of-the-year" award was accorded). Furman's five previous Southern Conference Defensive Player-of-the Year honorees include: LB Jeff Blankenship (1988), DE Kelly Fletcher (1989), LB Kevin Kendrick (1990), NG Allen Edwards (1991), DE Bryan Dailer (1997).
RUFF ON THE CHARTS...Furman senior linebacker Orlando Ruff (Winnsboro, S.C.), who entered the 1998 season ranked seventh on the Paladins' career tackles chart with 391 stops, heads into this Saturday's Samford game with 415 career tackles following a 14-tackle performance in the Paladins' 27-19 win over South Carolina State on Saturday.
FOSTER PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICA...Furman senior center Mark Foster (Williamston, S.C.) was selected to the Sports Network Pre-Season All-America team. A second team All-Southern Conference pick a year ago and pre-season all-league pick this year, Foster earned winning grades in 10 of the Paladins' 11 games a year ago and earned the highest blocking percentage (.841) of any Paladin offensive lineman in 1997. Foster has also served as Furman's long snapper the last three years.
CROSBY SETS SIGHTS ON 2,000...Senior tailback Ernest Crosby (Greenville, S.C.) came into the 1998 season bidding to become only the ninth player in Furman history to rush for 2,000 yards in a career. Crosby, a product of Greenville's Christ Church Episcopal School who has totaled 1,715 yards and 12 touchdowns in his career, jumped from 16th to 12th on the school's career rushing ledger following his 9-carry, 59-yard rushing performance against South Carolina State on Saturday.
WELLS MAKING HIS MARK...Junior placekicker Jason Wells (Lawton, Okla.) heads into the Samford game ranked fifth on Furman's all-time kick scoring chart with 127 points. A pre-season first team All-Southern Conference selection, Wells is coming off a strong 1997 campaign that saw him convert 11-of-14 field goals (.785%) and 30-of-32 PATs. Wells has made 18-of-34 field goal attempts and 73-of-77 PATs in two seasons of action.
FAMINIE AND FEAST?...A year ago Furman was dealt a pair of losing hand with injuries to two of its quarterbacks. The flip side is the injuries have given the Paladins two experienced quarterbacks for the 1998 season in sophomores Justin Hill (Greer, S.C.) and Brent Rickman (Rome, Ga.). While Hill is Furman's starting quarterback, Rickman will also see action this year, as was the case Saturday against South Carolina State when Rickman replaced a temporarily shaken up Hill and helped finish off Furman's longest scoring drive of the day (10 plays, 80 yards). Hill, a former Shrine Bowl MVP selection from Greer High School who was sidelined in the early part of the 1997 season with a sore right shoulder, should help ignite Furman's option attack. He started in three of the Paladins' final four games (all wins) and threw for 212 yards and passed for 231 yards. In the season opener against Clemson, he completed 6-of-12 passes for 73 yards. Rickman, meanwhile, passed for 943 yards and seven TDs as a true freshman after being forced into the lineup early in Furman's game against South Carolina State (following a season ending injury to starting QB Chris Jonas).