Saturday's Furman-VMI game marks the 1998 Southern Conference season opener for the Paladins. It will also highlight Homecoming Weekend at VMI.
In a series that got its start in 1946 with a 26-7 win in Greenville, Furman holds an 18-8 advantage over the Keydets and has won 16 straight meetings between the two schools, including seven straight wins in Lexington.
In Greenville: Furman leads 11-3
In Lexington: Furman leads 7-5
Furman: Bobby Johnson (Clemson '73), 27-22-0 (.551), 5th Year at Furman, 27-22-0 (.551), 5th Year Overall
Johnson vs. VMI (4-0)
VMI: Ted Cain (Furman '74), 1-13 (.071), 2nd Year at VMI 1-13 (.071), 2nd Year Overall
Cain vs. Furman (0-1)
Furman: Multiple I
VMI: Pro I
Furman: 43
VMI: 43
Furman (2-1, 0-0 Southern)
VMI (1-2; 0-1 SoCon)
FURMAN, led by redshirt freshman Daniel Roberson's two interceptions, converted six turnovers into 31 points and got 133 yards rushing from junior tailback Stuart Rentz to down the Samford Bulldogs, 34-24, in front of 8,101 fans at Paladin Stadium.
After failing to tally on its first possession, the Paladins' Will Bouton pounced on a Samford fumble at the Bulldogs' 1-yard line, and two plays later quarterback Justin Hill scored on a 1-yard sneak to Furman a 7-0 lead at the 11:11 mark of the first quarter.
A pair of Jason Wells field goals covering 19 and 30 yards lifted the Paladins to a 13-3 halftime advantage, and Furman quickly extended the margin to 27-3 early in the third quarter with a 55-yard touchdown pass from Hill to Tyron Berrian and a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown by redshirt freshman cornerback Daniel Roberson.
Samford rallied, however, scoring on its next two possessions to close Furman's lead to 27-17 following a 4-yard run by Jerome Russell with 5:16 left in the third quarter. The Bulldogs appeared to be on the way to another score on their next possession when quarterback Mike Cain hit Jon Pointer on crossing pattern for 17 yards, but Furman's Richie Jackson stripped the football from Pointer's hands, and the Paladins' John Keith recovered it at the Furman 22 with 14:40 left in the game.
Daniel Roberson's second interception of the game at the 4:44 juncture set up Furman's final tally, which came on a 1-yard plunge by fullback Derek Russell with 1:17 remaining, putting the Paladins ahead 34-17. A Samford touchdown with only two seconds left in the game accounted for the game's final result.
VMI dropped a 44-8 decision to East Tennessee State in Johnson City, as the Buccaneers rushed for 272 yards and five touchdowns to hand VMI a loss in its conference season opener.
GREENVILLE, S.C. (Sept. 27, 1997) -- Furman quarterback Brent Rickman threw for a freshman record 335 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start to lead the Paladins to a 35-14 win and 16th straight decision over the Keydets.
Replacing injured senior quarterback Chris Jonas, Rickman completed 19 of 25 passes and connected with flanker Desmond Kitchings on a pair of touchdowns covering 24 and 60 yards. Rickman, who scored on a two-yard run on the afternoon, also hooked up with split end Jody Wade on a 35-yard touchdown strike against the Keydets.
The Paladins raced to a 28-0 halftime lead and increased their margin to 35-0 before VMI tallied a pair of second half touchdowns to round out the scoring.
Furman totaled a season high 505 yards in total offense and limited VMI to only 249 yards.
The Paladins also picked off VMI freshman quarterback Robbie Chenault four times.
Brent Rickman's performance against VMI earned him Southern Conference Offensive Player-of-the-Week and College Football Insider national freshman player-of-the-week honors.
16 IN A ROW...Furman's current 16-game winning streak over VMI began in 1980 and now represents the longest current winning streak by the Paladins over a league opponent. The Keydets' last win over the Paladins was a 21-20 verdict, registered in Lexington in 1979. For those who are curious, that was three coaches ago for Furman (Dick Sheridan), and five coaches ago for VMI (Bob Thalman). On the strength of its 16-game winning streak over VMI, the Paladins have built a 18-8 lead in the series and have won seven straight contests in Lexington.
WHEN VMI LAST DEFEATED FURMAN...Current Furman offensive coordinator Tim Sorrells and defensive coordinator Bruce Fowler, both in their 12th season on the Paladins' coaching staff, were members of Furman's football team....current VMI head coach Ted Cain (Furman '74) was serving as receivers coach for the Paladins...Paladin starting quarterback Justin Hill was 1 year old...Jimmy Carter was President...Leonoid Brezhnev was premier of the Soviet Union.
STAYING HOT AT HOME...Furman's 34-24 win over Samford on Saturday extended the Paladins' impressive run of success at home, which began in 1996. Since that time, Furman has won 12 of its last 13 home games, including the last four contests in Paladin Stadium. Furman has fashioned an 85-23-1 record (.784) in Paladin Stadium since moving into the facility in 1981. The victory also marked Furman's sixth win in the seven home night games the Paladins have played in Paladin Stadium over the years.
FRESHMEN CORNERS CONTINUE TO SHINE...A week after starting redshirt freshman cornerback Richie Jackson (Cincinnati, Ohio) picked off a pair of passes in a 27-19 win over South Carolina State, Furman's other starting redshirt freshman cornerback, Daniel Roberson (Plant City, Fla.) upped the ante. Making only the second start of his career, Roberson totaled 47 plays, three tackles, and two interceptions (49 yards in returns), including one for 40 yards and a touchdown that gave the Paladins a 27-3 lead in the third quarter (and proved to be the game winner). Later, in the fourth quarter, Roberson picked up his second interception, which he returned nine yards to the Samford 25 to set up the Paladins' final touchdown of the game. Not to be overshadowed, Richie Jackson picked up his third interception of the year in Saturday's win over Samford (to set up Furman's first touchdown of the second half), and he also made perhaps the biggest defensive play of the game when, early in the fourth quarter and with Samford driving (trailing 27-17), he stripped the ball from Bulldog receiver Jon Pointer at the Furman 22 after a 17-yard gain and it was recovered by John Keith. "The turnover on the first drive of the fourth quarter really hurt," said Samford head coach Pete Hurt. I thought if we could have taken that on in the game could have gone down to the wire. But, that fumble took the wind out of us." In three games, Furman's two starting redshirt freshmen cornberacks have accounted for 20 tackles, all five of the Paladins' interceptions, three pass deflections, and one forced fumble. Jackson and Roberson were not even listed as probable starters in Furman's pre-season depth chart, but injuries to projected starters Andre Stroman (Plantation, Fla.) and Bryant Huguley (Valley, Ala.) forced Jackson and Roberson into the starting lineup.
AN UNLIKELY STAT...With redshirt freshmen cornerbacks Richie Jackson (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Daniel Roberson (Plant City, Fla.) in the starting lineup, Furman could hardly be expected to rank among the Southern Conference's best in passing efficiency defense three games into the season, but the Paladins are topping the league in the category with a rating of 103.8. Furman opponents a completing a league best (or low) 48.3% of their passes against Furman, and the Paladins have picked off a league leading five passes while yielding a league low one passing touchdown.
RENTZ TO THE RESCUE...When Stuart Rentz (Pickens, S.C.) joined Furman's football program two years ago as a walk-on, the coaching staff didn't even ask him to have a mug shot taken for TV games, believing he had little, if any, chance to play. A little over two years later, Rentz once again demonstrated that early assumptions are often times wrong. Stepping in ahead of senior tailback Ernest Crosby (Greenville, S.C.) in Saturday's game against Samford, Rentz rushed 22 times for 133 yards in helping the Paladins to the 34-24 win over the Bulldogs. The 100-yard rushing performance was the third of his career, which now covers four starts. One of Furman's finest students, Rentz, a double major in business and Spanish who sports a 3.92 GPA, burst on the scene as a freshman two years ago when, in his first career start, he rushed for a Furman freshman record 166 yards and a touchdown in a 31-14 win over VMI in Lexington. The following week he ran 18 times for a 125 yards in a 45-30 win over Western Carolina. Not blessed with great speed, the 5-foot-8, 185-pound Rentz does, however, run with impressive desire. He is averaging 6.4 yards per rush in his career (92 att., 590 yds., 4 TDs).
CHANGE UP FRONT...Sophomore left guard Mark Batluck (Carlisle, Pa.) is out indefinitely after sustaining a sprained knee early in the Samford game. Batluck, who had registered 12 consecutive starts prior to the injury, was replaced by redshirt freshman Marty Priore (Cincinnati, Ohio), who promptly recorded his first career winning grade by earning a mark of 1.94 (.851%) on 47 plays. At left tackle redshirt freshmen Donnie Littlejohn (Gaffney, S.C.) registered the first start of his career in the win over Samford, taking over for the injured Ryan Kineard (Blakely, Ga.). Littlejohn totaled 59 plays and posted a blocking grade of 1.85 (.779%) the 34-24 win.
TAKING ADVANTAGE...Furman took full advantage of Samford's six turnovers in Saturday's 34-24 win over the Bulldogs, converting the six miscues into 31 points. After suffering four turnovers in their first two games, Furman turned it over only once in the win over Samford. After failing to force a single turnover in the season opening 33-0 loss to Clemson, Furman has been the beneficiary of eight opponent miscues in the last two contests and now leads the Southern Conference (along with The Citadel) in turnover margin with a +1.00 margin.
KEITH KEEPS UP THE STRONG PACE...After totaling a career high 19 tackles in the Paladins' season opener against Clemson and nine tackles in Furman's 27-19 win over South Carolina State, junior All-Southern Conference strong safety John Keith (Newnan, Ga.) came back with another strong performance in the Paladins' 34-24 win over Samford, racking up eight tackles, a sack, a caused fumble, a fumble recovery, and a pass deflection. He currently leads Furman in tackles (along with senior linebacker Orlando Ruff) with 36 stops through three games (12.0/game).
IVORY PUTS UP NOTABLE NUMBERS...In rushing 23 times for 161 yards and two touchdowns in Furman's 27-19 win over South Carolina State on September 12, 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 Southern Conference Freshman-of-the-Week honors for his work against South Carolina State but sustained a mild ankle sprain early in the Paladins' 34-24 win over Samford on Saturday. 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 its opposition. The only problem with that figure is the fact that Furman's defense actually only surrendered 188 points (17.0/game), 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 converted four turnovers by Furman's offense into 20 points, all while Furman's defense looked on from the sideline.
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 ‹ 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 27-22 (.551), and his last three teams have combined to post a 24-14 slate (.631). 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 159-75-7 (.675) and includes 17 winning seasons, eight Southern Conference championships and one NCAA I-AA title.
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 VMI game with 427 career tackles following a 12-tackle performance in the Paladins' 34-24 win over Samford 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 but did not play in the Paladins' 34-24 win over Samford on Saturday.
WELLS MAKING HIS MARK...Junior placekicker Jason Wells (Lawton, Okla.) heads into the VMI game ranked fifth on Furman's all-time kick scoring chart with 137 points. A pre-season first team All-Southern Conference selection, Wells connected on a pair of field goals and all four PATs Saturday in the Paladins' 34-24 win over Samford. His field goals covered 19 and 30 yards. He 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 20-of-36 field goal attempts and 77-of-81 PATs in two seasons of action.
FAMINIE AND FEAST?...A year ago Furman was dealt a pair of losing hands 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 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)..
Furman will depart for VMI via chartered bus at approximately 9:00 a.m. Friday and will headquarter at the Holiday In-Staunton (540) 248-6020. The team will return immediately following the game.