"It
was a good game. We played well. We took VMI out of the game early, and I
was proud of the way our guys played," said Furman¹s Bobby Johnson, who
posted his 50th win as head coach of the Paladins.FOURTH-RANKED FURMAN ROUTS VMI
65-7 TO
CLAIM 100TH WIN IN PALADIN STADIUM HISTORY
GREENVILLE -- Josh Cooper's 85-yard fumble return for a touchdown keyed a 24-point second quarter outburst and helped lead NCAA I-AA nationally fourth-ranked Furman (2-1, 1-0 SoCon) to a 65-7 rout of VMI (0-3, 0-1 SoCon) in the Southern Conference season opener for both teams.
The win, Furman's 20th straight over the Keydets, marked Furman's 100th victory in Paladin Stadium history, and the 65 points were the most since 1935 when the Furman defeated Piedmont 69-0. The triumph was also the Paladins' 10th consecutive home victory against Southern Conference opposition.
"It
was a good game. We played well. We took VMI out of the game early, and I
was proud of the way our guys played," said Furman¹s Bobby Johnson, who
posted his 50th win as head coach of the Paladins.
"We were excellent on kickoff returns. We weren't very good on kickoff coverage. Some parts [of the special teams] were great, but there are some parts we have got to get better. Louis needed work. We haven't played in a couple of weeks. It was good to get him in there and get the lead. I think Hindley Brigham ran well, and I think Toreico and Lamar ran well, so it's always a benefit when your backups can run like that."
"We made too many mistakes tonight," said VMI head coach Cal McCombs. "From an offensive standpoint, Furman outplayed us physically. Defensively, they played soundly and gave us short throws. We got very few yards after the catch. When you combine all that with the mistakes and turnovers we made, you get a score like 65-7."
With Furman leading 14-0, Cooper, a senior free safety, picked up a fumble by VMI's Pedro Garcia at the Furman 15 and raced untouched 85 yards for the touchdown to put the Paladins ahead 21-0 at the 14:15 mark of the second quarter.
An interception by Furman's Rodney Johnson on VMI¹s next possession led to 26-yard field goal by Danny Marshall that extended the Paladin lead to 24-0.
A blocked punt by Shelvis Smith at the Furman 43 led to the Paladins' next score. After quarterback Billy Napier connected on a 41-yard pass to tight end Trent Sansbury to the Keydet 16, Louis Ivory ripped off a 13-yard run to the 3, and Napier completed the 3-play, 57-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to make it 31-0 with 6:27 left in the half.
Furman capped its 24-point second period explosion with an 11-play, 69-yard drive that ended when backup tailback Toreico O'Neal scored on a 2-yard run of the last play of the first half to put the Paladins comfortably ahead, 38-0.
A
91-yard kickoff return by Furman's Brian Bratton to open the second half made
it 45-0, and the Paladins later added a second kickoff return for a touchdown
when Lamar Rembert bolted 79 yards following VMI¹s only score of the game to
make it 58-7.
Furman, which outgained VMI 435-223, got 100 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown from All-America tailback Louis Ivory, who exited the game midway through the second period in favor of reserves. For Ivory, the 100-yard performance was his ninth straight and the 23rd of his career. Reserve tailback Hindley Brigham paced all Paladin rushers with eight carries for 106 yards and a touchdown.
Furman returns to action next Saturday when it takes on Western Carolina in Culowhee in a 6:00 p.m. game. VMI hosts defending national champion Georgia Southern in Lexington beginning at 1:00 p.m.