October 26, 2002

Scoring Summary, Game Statistics

Johnson City, Tenn. -- Bear Rinehart returned a punt 66 yards for a touchdown and Furman recorded its first shutout since 1999 in whipping East Tennessee State, 25-0, in Southern Conference football action Saturday afternoon at the Memorial Center.

With Furman (6-2, 4-1 SoCon) leading 6-0, Rinehart, a senior All-Southern Conference performer, fielded a punt at his own 36 and raced up the middle before breaking a tackle on the way to the end zone with 0:52 left in the first half to give the fourth-ranked Paladins a 12-0 halftime lead.

The Seneca native, who last week scored on a 47-yard reverse in the Paladins' 37-10 win over The Citadel, also caught six passes for 57 yards to move ahead of Luther Broughton into fourth place on Furman's career receiving yards list with 1,571 yards. The punt return for a touchdown was the first by a Furman player since Andre Worrell returned a fielded punt 70 yards in a 45-14 win over East Tennessee State in 1992.

"The punt return was huge because it gave us a cushion and helped settle us down offensively," said Furman head coach Bobby Lamb, whose team snapped a three-game losing streak in Johnson City. "In the second half our offensive line took control up front and we got the running game going, which in turn made our play action more effective. But I was even more impressed with our defense. They continue to improve and make plays, especially in the secondary and in the linebacking corps. They're athletic and a bunch of no names, but they've played some pretty good ball the last three weeks."

Leading 12-0 at intermission, Furman took the second half kickoff and moved 76 yards in 11 plays to seize total control of the contest when fullback Eric Emerson bulled over from two yards out at the 10:29 mark.

The Paladins tacked on their final score on a 1-yard sneak by quarterback Billy Napier, capping an 18-play, 80-yard drive that consumed 8:29 of clock.

Furman outgained East Tennessee State 397-290 and displayed impressive balance in the process. The Paladins ran for 222 yards, passed for 188 yards, and converted 9-of-13 third down plays against a Buccaneer defense that entered the contest ranked second in the conference in total defense, yielding only 310.2 yards per game. Furman currently leads the league in third down percentage offense (56.1 percent).

The Paladins' junior tailback trio of Hindley Brigham, Lamar Rembert, and Toreico O'Neal combined to rush for 175 yards on 34 carries, and Napier, the nation's passing efficiency leader, continued his strong work in the air, completing 17-of-26 attempts for 188 yards and a touchdown, which covered 19 yards to sophomore wide receiver Brian Bratton on the first play of the second quarter. Bratton finished the contest with four receptions for 75 yards.

Furman's defense, meanwhile, kept Buccaneer wide receiver Cecil Moore from big play territory, limiting him to four receptions for 60 yards while picking off a pair of passes by East Tennessee State quarterback Jatavis Sanders. Interceptions by sophomore cornerback T.J. Wilson and free safety Cam Newton, who recorded his league leading sixth pickoff of the season, improved the Paladins' interception haul to seven over the past three games.

Junior linebacker Keito Whetstone topped the Paladin tackle chart with eight stops, including one-for-loss, and sophomore nose guard Michael Burant, making his first career start, had four tackles, including two-for-loss, and a pair of pass deflections.

Furman's defensive unit has surrendered only 17 total points and an average of 248.6 yards over the Paladins' last three games.

After eight straight weeks of action, Furman will enjoy an off Saturday next week before returning to action on Nov. 9 when it hosts rival Georgia Southern. The Paladins defeated Georgia Southern, 24-17, last year in NCAA I-AA semifinal playoff action in Statesboro and downed the Eagles 45-10 two years ago in Greenville.

Pictured: Cornerback T.J. Wilson returns a first half interception 28 yards, keying a strong Paladin defensive effort versus East Tennessee State.