The Paladin Walk Blog

Welcome Paladin Nation

First let me say I have no excuses. My work has become a constant criss-crossing of the US. And I have not made the blog the priority that I should have.

Oddly, I have continued to get messages from a broad range of folks about starting back the blog. And I'm going to do just that.

The Paladin Walk will be changing, this coming week I will be providing a link here at the the Paladin Wlak to www.paladinnation.com. My goal will be to include more features and still support what is all ready out there and "Rockin," like www.uffp2.com, and www.furmanpaladins.com.

So, thanks to all of you who still have an interest and see ya real soon at PaladinNation.

Geno

Back In Business

Well I could blog about excuses for an entire post but that wouldn't serve any purpose. The good news is that I'm back home and I will start blogging again this evening. I will start my All-Access Experience with the Furman Football team this evening.

Check back later tonight as I give my first update.

Geno

The Option

Furman went back to the past to breakout of a second half offensive production slump that carried over from last season.

I think this was a good move by the Furman coaches., Furman has been searching for an offensive identity since the graduation of Ingle Martin. Furman is blessed to have two very good quarterbacks, two quarterbacks that bring very different skill sets into the game.

With both quarterbacks under perfoming in the first half Coach Lamb really had no choice but to simplfy on offense, and for Furman that means running the option.

Furman rolled up 17 points in the second half of the Coastal game the most since Furman put up 28 points in the second half against UNC. And that game was probably one of the best executions of the rio option offense I've ever seen.

I can only guess that we will see more option with Renaldo at the helm. History is on Furman's side running what some criticcs are calling an old school offense.

Wofford is doing quite well this season, and maybe in an odd twist of fate the Pups from Spartanburg have made the Paladins think about going back to its roots and playing some old fashioned smashmouth football. I've got a feeling #45 will like that thought.

Furman vs Coastal Week

Well despite traveling again this week for work related projects, my goal is to bring the Paladin mojo back and post everyday this week.

Coastal Carolina rolls into Greenville for their first visit to Paladin Stadium. Both teams come into the game 1-3 and in a bad mood. On paper Coastal is the perfect opponent Furman needs to get back to basics and re-focus for the remaining 7 games.

I’m learning not to take anything for granted this season but playing a team that doesn’t run a unique scheme (like Wofford) will give the Paladins a chance to get their feet settled before taking on the Dogs in Chucktown.

A quick look at Coastal
The Coastal Carolina Defense has been far from dominate this season, giving up over 32 points per game. Opponents are averaging 327 yards rushing but only 79 yards passing per game, total yards allowed per game 406.8.

On offense the loss of Tyler Thigpen has caused the Chants to struggle on offense despite the return of Jerome Simpson. Coastal is averaging 118 yards rushing per game, and 204 yards passing, total offense per game 323.

Against GSU the only game I’ve seen Coastal play this year, it was a game of basically no defense by either team. Jason Foster ran over and around Coastal often dragging their defensive players with him into the endzone.

This should be the game for Jerome Felton to see plenty of yardage production. The key is patience, Furman has to stick to establish the run like they did early against Wofford but not abandon it after success in the passing game.

First half blues
Furman hopefully will take advantage of Coastal’s first half blues. After 4 games this season Opponents have scored 63 points in the first half, compared to 29 points for Coastal. It hasn’t been a lot better in the second half Coastal opponents have put up 68 points in the second half but Coastal has improved their point production averaging 61 points.

Monday Morning Fog Brew

It's too bad you can't order a Starbuck's bold, extra caffeine coffee to lift the Monday hangover for a loss.

Coach Bobby Lamb said it best in the Monday Gville fishwrap. "We probably talk a little too much about playoffs and this and that," said Lamb. "We're at a point right now where we're just focusing on Coastal Carolina (2 p.m. Saturday at Furman). That's the only thing we're focusing on. We've got to get a win because we're 1-3 right now.

I can't add to much to those words. Now's the time to re-focus and put a patch on the season. Right now the holes are hard to explain and Furman can't afford the time to replace the tires. IMO this season is a gut check for the next several years. Many of the teams in the SoCon have looked at Furman as the model. Now Furman has to do the same. The players are in place and it was obvious to this arm-chair-coach that the difference makers on offense last Saturday were the young guns. Sorrells, Webb, Truss, Hedden, Mims, LaFrance, Brown will be around for the next two years.

I hope that Furman makes a run and game by game turns this season around, they can do it. Bu if that doesn't happen Furman has to look to the future. A future that will be lead by a kid that knows Furman football history and more importantly is one of the few that grew up "wanting to be a Paladin."

Sometimes…

It's hard to have an answer after a defeat. And that's what Andrew Thacker said during his radio interview following the loss to Wofford. Andrew played in his first game since being injured at Hofstra.

I was feeling pretty numb after watching the game from the sidelines. Furman played hard but Wofford had an answer offensively time after time. Kudos to Wofford, I thought coming into the game that the intangibles favored the Terriers in this matchup. Furman played Wofford last season the 5th game of the season, the year before the 10th game. I was not to excited about Furman playing Wofford early this season, Furman especially this season is a consistency mess. The 007 Paladins are a talented bunch but its now becoming obvious that the current team, this team is so developing.

My player of the game is a no-brainer… Andrew Thacker. 11 solos tackles, 15 total tackles. Thacker played with emotion and played as physical as I can remember. But I might have been most impressed by his post game interview.  Andrew was upset about the loss, but he spoke with the kind of wisdom that will get him far in his life. Andrew said hollering won't get it done now, you better bring your lunch pail to practice Monday because we have some hard work to do.

This week brings Big South member Coastal Carolina into Paladin Stadium. Coastal is also struggling this season, but their struggles are due to major graduation losses from the previous season. Furman needs to worry about Furman.  The talent is there for Furman to win out the season but more consistent offensive play has to start this weekend.

Stop the Work. I have some blogging to do.

Sometimes the stars don't align and the best laid plans fall apart. I'm been traveling a lot lately, and battery issues with my Apple laptop and internet exchange connection issues have played a role in my light blogging of late.

The good news is I'm back in the office and I have a new battery and I appear to be back in business.

This week is the most important game of the year. I guess you could say that the current game is always the most important of the season, because you play them one game at a time. This game has a little extra bite to it.

Wofford is Furman's closest rival in distance and historically. I don't want to go into my view of the game just yet, I'll post a game preview tomorrow.

Until tomorrow's preview Go Paladins!!!

Bear Reinhart and Needtobreathe Rock Greenville

 
In case you didn't know former Paladin great Bear Reinhart nas been a busy guy after graduating from Furman. Bear his brother Bo, Seth Bolt (who my 13 year-old daughter has a crush on), and another Furman alum Joe Stillwell have been making waves and sounds in the music industry with the band Needtobreathe. The boys from Seneca put out one of the finest  debut cds you will ever listen too.

The guys just sold out The Handlebar this weekend fro two nights. They rocked the house, the guys played tunes from their debut cd "Faylight" and their new release "The Heat".

The best way I can describe Needtobreathe is soulful, southern alternative rock. The guys have mastered very electric rock music but they ground it in their stories and they don't seem to want to forget where they came from. And I respect them a lot for that.

The biggest roar of the night came when Bear told the story behind "Sweet Talker". He explained that as a student at Furman, he wrote the story about Greenville girls. The crowd of Furman students erupted.

Needtobreathe might not be for everyones taste but I don't think many people from 12 to 50 would be disappointed.

Slippery Defensive Line

After watching the Paladins defense sack Colin Harper of Clemson five times, I thought it might be timely to look into the sack numbers a bit.

This season after 3 games the Furman defense has recorded 11 sacks for 101 yards. Let's breakdown the 11 sacks.

Wallace Artis leads the Paladins this season with 3 sacks. Justin Brown has 1.5 sacks. Gaines Burnett, Channing Welch, Shaun VaRensberg, Corey Ray, and Julian Hicks all have recorded 1 sack each. But let's not forget Paul White 2 sacks for a whopping 32 yards.

How does this compare to previous season? Well the 07 bunch is within 5 sacks of passing the 2006 total and tying the 2005 total. And after only 3 games they are easily within striking distance of the 2004 mark of 24 sacks. By the way the 2001 Paladins recorded 38 sacks for 225 yards.

So whats up? I asked former Western Carolina offensive lineman, father of a Furman great offensive lineman Dwight Covington what he thought.

He said their slippery. The intensity is up and our guys are running through the blocks not around them. I wish I had thought of the slippery term. The last two seasons we've watched our end get bogged down on the edges only to see quarterbacks running around buying time for their receivers to break open.

You can argue that the 2007 Paladins are still weak to the pass. But, I think what we are seeing from the current group of defensive linemen will continue to improve week to week. The unique thing about the sacks this season, especially against Clemson, they were explosive. Dwight's thoughts make sense, these intense rushes by the ends and the line are creating choas in the backfield. The same physical pressure applied to the Tigers QB also resulted in a poor performance by two of the best running backs in the entire nation.

So do we dream that this defensive group could eclipse the sack total of the 2001 defense. Yes they could. One final note, the 2001 team played 15 games.

Slow Week for blogging, busy week for work!

First I want to say thanks to all the guys and gals still hitting the website this week. Sorry, I've been slow posting. Work has jumped up and bit the whole BOF(Brains On Fire Team) no complaints from me, too much work is a good thing in the marketing world.

I going to dig around a bit the rest of the week and see what I can dig up. Hopefully a little chat with Furman SID Hunter Reid. Hunter is an awesome storyteller and I bet we can find some interesting tales from the past to relive a bit.

Thanks again for continuing to be supportive of the Paladin Walk. I promise to be back in a daily mode after this week's over.

The Department of Youth

Department of youth happens to be a title to a long forgotten Alice Cooper song from 1975. The Department of Youth is also a title I’m calling the heavy rotation of youthful depth playing for the 2007 Paladins. Furman’s 2005 recruiting class was considered one of the best in the nation that year.

This past Saturday against bigger, and stronger opponents the class of 2005 performed very well.

Jordan Sorrells 18-28 passing 172 yards 2int
Stephone LaFrance 3-8 yards rushing, 3 KO returns for 72 yards
Chris Truss 5 catches 44 yards
Larry Hedden 4 catches 35 yards
RJ Webb 4 catches 21 yards
Keiron Williams 1 catch 19 yards
Tyler Haynes starter at left guard
Heath Cockburn starter at right guard
Thomas Twitty 6 tackles
Gaines Burnett 4 tackles
Hunter Twitty 4 tackles
Justin Brown 3 tackles
Shaun VanRensberg 2 tackles, 1 sack

The Furman coaching staff made  a very smart decision last season playing many of these players last season getting valuable reps. The 2007 season is still young and the Southern Conference rivals are waiting and The Department of Youth will play a key role in the success of the rest of the Paladins football season.

Sunday Night Ramble: Burned at Clemson

Please remind me next time to wear sunscreen when we play the Tigers again, I’ve been layering aloe vera lotion like crazy.

Saturday’s game with Clemson sure was a crazy one. because if you would have told me that Spiller would finish the game with -1 yard rushing. I would thin that we won. A friend of mine caught the Clemson post game show and he started going nuts. He was listening to them talking about the sacks, time of possession and the running back woes and he thought Furman had won.

It’s funny in my gameday post I made the point that on paper Furman didn’t match up with Clemson.  But if you just read the stas Furman won just about every statistical category but the most important one …turnovers.

The Game
Leaving to go to the game I had mixed expectations. I knew that Clemson would be prepared for Furman, APP made sure of that. For Furman to have a chance to win this game, it would take flawless execution.

During warm-ups I was chatting with Gman84, we both thought things didn’t look very good as we watched Clemson’s wealth of athletes take up what seemed like the entire field.

My biggest concern coming into the game was the Tigers tailbacks, Davis and Spiller are spectacular runners, and they can burn you from anywhere. But the Paladins restored my faith The Paladins made tackles, flew to the ball and generally made life hell for Thunder and Lightning.

Many of my fellow Paladin fans were concerned over the loss of long time assistant Julius Dixon to Presbyterian, JD is a great coach and I’m sure he will be missed. But I believe we have to give a lot of credit to Coach Lamb for making a helluva hire last year in Coach Pinilla. Pinilla has the defensive line from end to end playing some fine football. Furman is within 6 sacks of passing the sack total of last season.  Think about that we have only one senior on the two deep. Yes there was bad news on the pass defense. Clemson’s scored on 4 long pass plays. I’m not too worried, I think Furman will continue to improve their pass coverage and at the same time I expect our defensive line to also improve.

Defensive player shout outs: Wallace Artis showed up big, as well he should. Artis athletically matched up very well with the Tigers and he proved to be a match up problem for the Tiger line.
Julian Hicks played a great game. Hicks gives Furman some excellent versatility, he can play corner, safety and linebacker, and pass rusher.
Shaun Van Rensberg looked good, Shaun is another player that just had to settle into the right position and looks like he has Shaun’s stock is rising fast in an already crowded defensive end position.
The Twittys, they play hard, they play gritty, and they will only get better.

I heard a comment on the Clemson post game show that Clemson is not using their entire playbook and one concern is can their o-line run the schemes. Well the boys in white ran a dizzying range of formations Saturday. Rio lido, option, spreads, bootlegs, misdirection’s. I have to give Clemson credit their team speed saved their asses many times, as their heads were cocked one way the Paladins were going the other way.

After the Paladins played an egg in the second half at Hofstra, I was a little concerned about the Clemson game. Defense is their strong suit. To counter the Clemson defense Furman played patient and deceptive. The Paladins used just about every weapon they have on offense the running backs, the receivers and the soft spot for Furman fans the tight ends.

Offensive player shout outs: Jerome Felton for running it hard up the Tigers gut, the big man is back.
Chris Truss and Larry Hedden are possibly the best one-two punch at tight end Furman has ever had. We have these fellas two more years but don’t forget the all-time leading receiver in Tennessee high school football is ready to join them next season.
The receivers also showed the ability to catch the ball in traffic, our boys had Tigers draped on them much of the day.
Brantley Kendall proves once again that he is a quality fullback, good enough to start for most FCS teams.

One final thought; quarterback
I’ve always been a Renaldo Gray fan, I’m still one. PJ is just the kinda guy you want to pull for. Renaldo has shown great potential and I think he can lead Furman to many wind this season. But, Furman has another quarterback sophomore Jordan Sorrellls is having a coming out party. Jordan showed maturity in his first season now he is showing quick decision-making and the ability to stay clam in the pocket well beyond his years.

I’m sure glad I’m not Bonny Lamb, I think this is actually a good problem. From here out teams will have to prepare for both quarterbacks.

Gameday: Death Valley

Furman and Clemson meet for the 56th time today. Unfortunately will work schedule did not allow me time to post a preview of the match up. My bad.

On paper as do most FBS vs FCS match ups, this one looks like a mismatch. Clemson has all the talent in the world, plus size and speed. Lucky for Furman this isn't a game of table top football.

This week proved to be a good week for Furman to put the past behind them and look forward to a rival that gets the players and the fans hearts pumping a bit faster.

The one advantage Furman will have in today's match up is the intangibles. The big crowd and the Death Valley atmosphere will serve as a "now is our time" moment. Furman students and Furman fans who actually  bought the entire allotment of tickets will mess with our Clemson brothers and sisters.

I've always thought of the Clemson/Furman game as the backyard game against your brothers or your cousins. Coaches are friends, players are friends, and fans are friends.

As I'm looking out over the field waiting for the kickoff, I'll be honest I will be praying to the football god. To give the Paladins that little bit extra, to play smart, confident. And to play proud.

Good luck boys, bring some Death Valley mojo back to Greenville.

Clemson vs Furman

When two schools are only 30 miles apart there’s bound to be some interesting connections.

I stumbled on a very interesting post on clemsontigers.com about the Furman vs Clemson series. Some interesting tings of note:

Furman is Clemson's oldest football rival. The two teams played in the first game in Clemson football history back on October 31, 1896. Clemson won that game in Greenville, SC by 14-6 score.

Clemson has won 28 straight games against Furman dating to a 0-0 tie between the two schools at Furman in 1937. Furman's last win over Clemson took place in 1936 by a 12-0 score in a November 26 game played in the snow in Clemson. It is the only time on record that Clemson has had a home game played in the snow.

On October 8, 1960, Clemson and Furman shared the same uniform pants. In one of the most bizarre uniform stories in college sports history, both teams wore a special water repellant uniform that day to guard against the predicted severe weather.

Clemson wore the pants in defeating Virginia 21-7 in the afternoon, then had the pants shipped to Furman for a night game against William & Mary. Furman defeated William & Mary that night in Greenville 25-23. Furman Head Coach Bob King said after the game, "After those big Clemson boys got out of those pants, some of our guys had a hard time making them stay up. We had to tape the legs of the pants for several players."

The pants defeated two teams from the state of Virginia on the same day.

Clemson has two members of its coaching staff who are Furman graduates. Clemson tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator Billy Napier was a start quarterback at Furman. Clemson graduate assistant coach Mike Dooley also played for the Paladins in the 1990s.

Four head coaches in Furman history also coached at Clemson, including one who is a Clemson graduate.

A.P. McLeod served as Clemson's line coach in 1927 under Josh Cody and coached Clemson's first All-American, center O.K. Pressley. At Furman, McLeod was an outstanding player and coach. He was Furman's head basketball coach beginning with the 1928 season and still has the best winning percentage in the school's basketball history with a 69-17 record. In 1932, he became Furman's head football coach, a position he held until 1942. He is the last Furman coach to defeat Clemson (1936).

McLeod was followed in 1946 (Furman did not have a team from 1943-45 because of WWII) by Bob Smith, a 1934 Furman graduate. Smith was a star player at Furman from 1931-33. He became the Furman head football coach for the 1946-47 seasons. In 1950 he came to Clemson to coach under Frank Howard. He served Clemson for 28 years as an assistant football coach and head baseball coach. In fact, it was Smith who won Clemson's first ever ACC Championship in any sport when he led the Tigers to the 1954 ACC baseball championship. He is a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame at both institutions.

Art Baker was an assistant coach at Clemson under Frank Howard from 1965-69, then became head football coach at Furman from 1973-77. In fact, he was the head coach when David Whitehurst was the quarterback at Furman. David Whitehurst is the father of former Clemson quarterback Charlie Whitehurst. Baker laid the groundwork for considerable success at Furman as he hired Dick Sheridan, Jimmy Satterfield and Bobby Johnson as assistant coaches. They all went on to become head coaches at Furman.

Johnson is a 1973 Clemson graduate who went on to become head coach at Furman from 1994-01. He coached against Clemson for Furman in 1994 and 1998. He and Mike O'Cain are the only Clemson graduates to coach against Clemson. In 1993 Johnson was Clemson's defensive coordinator, helping the Tigers to a 9-3 season He is now the head coach at Vanderbilt.

Game Week: Furman vs Clemson

Sorry I've been super busy at work and it looks like I will be doing most of my postings this week in the evening. Today I'll just focus on the random Clemson vs Furman conversations going on this week.

It appears the Tigers are not going to overlooked the Paladins… thanks to APPY. I really didn't think they would anyway. Many of the players on both teams are friends as are the coaches. Now to the comments.

From the State:

“That game made people look and say those guys can really play,” said Clemson junior fullback Alex Pearson, a Greenville native who has friends on the Furman roster and coaching staff. “Seeing Appalachian State do it hits home because Furman is a team like that. They’ve got some good players.

“Most of their guys would like to be here, there’s no way getting around saying that. So they’re going to show us we made a mistake.”

From Tommy Bowden's Tuesday press conference:

App. State: Mentioned it once and probably won't mention it any more. It happened a couple of weeks ago and I think it got everyone's attention. I'm going to talk more about us improving and getting better.

They have guys that run 4.4 and 4.3, too. They may not have as many. But they've got fast players, too.

Most of the guys on Furman's roster are on the verge of being 1-A players. Years that say we had 19 scholarships, if we had 20 or 21 we might have offered one of those guys.

Furman fullback Jerome Felton: If we tackle like we did Saturday he'll present a lot of problems.

It's Gameday. Wakeup!

Football is a funny thing. Fans love their team when they win, but will turn on a coach and a player in a heartbeat. This week my mailbox has been full. Emails about Southern Conference football, and of course about the looming match up Oct. 27th against APP ST.

It seems the new darlings of football are now the FCS division, with the major emphasis being APP and deservedly so. Furman has benefited from this new interest in the “little guys” too. Granted beating GaTech, UNC, South Carolina, NC ST might not hold the media and casual fan’s attention like APP beating Michigan. Newspapers like AJC have looked back to the past this week to re-tell the stories of some of the Furman-GaTech battles. Furman will have it’s own chance for the spotlight next week. Yes Michigan has a big name but around here Clemson and USC are kings. I’ll save the rest of my Clemson talk for next week.

One of the reason’s I decided to invest my time and a little dollar in this blog was to try to fill a void of positive information about Furman football and FCS football. And to show the rest of college football, mainly FBS fans that people are passionate about FCS football too. You see the bias towards FBS football by the television voices is also here in blog land. But on the Internet we are equal, no scholarship limits, the only limit is the investment in time.

My challenge is to other FBS fans to step up and blog about your beloved Mountaineers, Bulldogs, and Eagles. I can count on my fingers the amount of FCS football blogs, and that’s sad.

Preview: Furman vs Hofstra

This is my first attempt at evaluating the match up for the week. For this game it's been a little difficult due to the fact that Hofstra's SID doesn't give out a lot of info. I plan on blogging live during the game, so join me Saturday night.

Furman Offense vs Hofstra Defense
Furman proved to be very adaptable in the season opener against PC a team with a veteran defense and a defensive coordinator who knew just about every scheme Furman could throw at them. Furman still finished with over 500 yards. This week Furman knows what they’re facing a hard-nosed CAA veteran defense led by All-American middle linebacker Gian Villante. The Pride returns nine starters on defense. Since Hofstra has yet to release game notes listing a tow-deep it’s been very hard to look at the matchups, The key to this matchup will be how well the Paladin offense line gets to the Pride’s linebackers. I think Hofstra will play Furman straight up; Furman’s multiple looks will be a bit different from the more pass happy CAA conference. Gray showed a lot of maturity last week and I think he will bring with him a very potent rushing attack led by Felton and the triple-threat runningback. So if Furman attacks the Prides interior with Felton and LaFrance, and goes to the edge with Gipson and Brown what does this open up with the passing attack? I think this could be the biggest challenge. Hofstra plays well against the pass. They have physical safeties and experienced corners. The good news is Furman has a lot of pass catching personnel to throw at them. What it all comes down to is Hofstra has a very good defense. Furman has a very good offense. I like the versatility of the Furman O.
Edge: Furman

Hofstra Offense vs Furman Defense
The good news for the Furman defense is that they have one game under their belts, and Hofstra has none. The bad news for the Furman defense is that for the second week in a row Furman will play an opponent that will be a little bit of an enigma.  Hofstra will start a new quarterback in 07 and that job belongs to Bryan Savage a transfer from Wisconsin/Coffeyville CC. Hofstra has some nice weapons in scatback Kareem Huggins, and receiver Charles Sullivan. On paper Hofstra looks very thin, at least compared to the days of the highflying passing attacks of old. I think Hofstra will have their hands full with the Paladins strong and very quick defensive line.  Furman will bring a veteran defense into this matchup that should be capable of adjusting to just about any package the Pride throws their way.
Edge: Furman

Special Teams
Hofstra has two proven All-American candidates at both kicking positions. Furman has two very good but at times inconsistent kickers. Furman showed much improvement in special teams play last week. And I think they will throw some surprises in the game. On paper this matchup leans to the Pride but Furman has the ability to score on their punt blocking and return teams. Still I won’t be a total homer.
Edge: Hofstra

Intangibles
Hofstra draws poorly for a home game, crowds average between 4500 to 5800. This will probably be the smallest crowd Furman will play in front of. This will also be the first game for Hofstra, the second game for Furman. Furman usually plays well on the road when they are a more upperclassman team.  Still it’s a road game, Hofstra will be ready to hit somebody other than a teammate.
Edge: Draw

Coaches
Hofstra is coached by second year head coach Dave Cohen a defensive minded coach who came to Hofstra from Delaware. Hofstra has 5 first year assistant coaches. Furman has a very experienced coaching staff and in my humble opinion one of the best in FCS football. Coaching comes down to making adjustments and I like the way the Furman coaches make them.
Edge: Furman

The Conclusion
I’ll be the first to admit I have no real way to judge how this game will play out. Furman has a veteran team on both sides of the ball. The defenses are close to even but the Furman offense is talented and very deep. If this game comes down to the kicking game we could be in trouble. Last season Hofstra played everyone tight and this game could be played the same way. Furman wins 27-13.

Game One: Make the Grade

Kudos to Pitch Right for giving me the idea of grading each Furman game performance. Trying to post everyday you have to borrow from the guys that have doing this longer.

Quarterback: A
I really don’t think I could give the Gray/Sorrells duo a lower grade. Zero interceptions, five touchdowns, 28 first downs, 535 yards of offense against a defensive coordinator that was a coach at Furman for the past 14 seasons. Gray looked polished and ready to lead the Paladins. Some will question the dual quarterback play, I happen to like it. I think this offers Furman the opportunity to keep defenses off-balance. This week’s road test against a veteran CAA defense should be a challenge.

Runningbacks: B-
Am I being hard on the runningbacks? I really didn’t expect for the running game to gain less than the passing game. But when you think about it Julius Dixon and the PC defense set out to take away the running game. Still Furman averaged 4.1 yards per carry but all the runningbacks were held out of the endzone. I’m still excited about the depth Furman has at runningback. Gipson will be pressed this season LaFrance and Brown are very promising backs. Major points to Mike Brown for making the block of the game.

Fullbacks: B
Jerome did what was asked of him 12 rushes 56 yards, 4.7 average, and one receiving touchdown. Brantley Kendall again showed his ability to catch the ball, score touchdowns, block and be a solid backup to Felton.

Wide Receivers: A
Sprague, Webb, Williams, stepped up big in the first game of the season. The good news here is; one – that the coaches are not going to be afraid to go to the air when a defense stacks against the run. Two – Furman has the receivers this season to stretch teams vertically. I really like this receiving corp, they have size, speed and I think they will play physical. The only negative from the PC game was the inability to get the ball to Mims.

Tight Ends: B+
I like our tight ends. They are big, mobile, and they can block and catch. Russ had a helluva game, catching a touchdown but he suffered an ankle injury. Hedden gives Furman a rare one-two punch at tight end in FCS. Hedden is a great receiver and he’s big. The Truss injury could open the opportunity for true frosh Set Skogan.

Offensive Line: B-
The O-Line had a lot thrown at them by the PC defense. They did a good job but some miscues by the line cost Furman yardage and some possible scores.

Safeties: B
Twitty and Thacker played a very solid physical game, and that’s what we needed to see. I think those two will develop as a team nicely. The play of Lerner and Hicks could cause debate for an even higher rank. These two guys are hitters and they are solid tacklers. As they gain experience these guys will help Furman greatly against the likes of Elon, Citadel, and APP.

Corners: B+
Middleton, Holmes, Austin, and Gourdin played very well. They did give up some yards on some big pass plays but I will chalk this game up to an unknown opponent. This week will be a bigger test as they will be needed to provided more run support.

Linebackers: B
Our experienced linebacker corp had a slow night. Why? The defensive line did such good job and PC only ran 31 times. Twitty made the play of the game for the linebackers, making a beautiful interception. These guys should make plenty of noise this weekend.

Defensive Line: A
Pinilla is obviously a great positions coach and the young defensive line is coming along fine. I know there will be worries about size, but Furman is blessed with a lot of depth. The only worry here is Ricky Jones ankle, hope we get that big guy back out on the field. The defensive end position looks to still be a competition. White, Mars, and newcomer Welch all looked very good in Roy’s old spot. I believe Welch is going to be really special.

Special Teams: B
The Special Teams are the hardest to grade. They did some very good things. A blocked punt, a 54 yard field goal, excellent coverage on punts and kickoffs. The only negative is kicking consistency. 2 missed field goals and an extra point could be costly in a tight game.

"It's not like they lost to Furman."

I think I can speak for a lot of Furman fans, by saying we are very proud of APP. I'm happy for the players and the coaches, especially Coach Moore. Coach Moore did a very good job being an evangelist for FCS football. Now it's time for some other FCS schools to step, just like Nicholls State.

Furman has a very good track record against the big boys, let's run down the list. Georgia Tech, South Carolina, NC ST, UNC and some painful last second defeats to Pitt an UNC.

So who gets called out as the chump Michigan could have lost to? Furman. Adam Gold of 850 AM Blog. He posts; "If I might offer this to Michigan fans that want Carr to slam it in gear and drive out of town; The Mountaineers are the 2-time defending FCS champs.  It’s not like they lost to Furman."

I'll admit Clemson will be a tough athletic matchup for Furman, as they would be for APP. But I wouldn't bet against the Paladins if they were playing any of your beloved ACC teams from North Carolina.

Posts like Adam's get my goat.

Furman By The Numbers Week One

I found some surprises as I read the FCS stats after one week of football. I’m really not sure when was the last time you saw stats like this for Furman following the first week of the season.

Individual
Passing Efficiency
1. Andrew Rolin, San Diego 250.4
2. Renaldo Gray, Furman  246.0
3. Matt Nichols, Eastern Wash 227.1
4. Cole Stinson, Eastern Ill. 198.0
5. Dale Fink, Sacred Heart 196.8
6. Nick Hill, Southern Ill. 190.1
7. Cole Ingle, Drake 184.2
8. Armanti Edwards, Appalachian St. 182.5
9. Josh Dudash, Stony Brook 179.1
10. Joe Flacco, Delaware 170.7

Receiving Yards Per Game
1. Ramses Barden, Cal Poly             207.00
2. Reginald Jackson, Grambling       198.00
3. Micah Rucker, Eastern Ill.   169.00
4. J.J. Moore, Massachusetts    163.00
5. D.J. McAulay, William & Mary  162.00
6. R.J. Webb, Furman    143.00
7. Andrew Atchison, William & Mary    139.00
7. Tamarkus McElvane, Missouri St.    139.00
9. Alex Watson, Northern Ariz.  133.00
10. Jason Horton, Illinois St.  119.00
11. Craig Gritton, Southern Utah 116.00
12. Tommy Breaux, Towson    109.00
13. Andre Roberts, 108.00
14. Arman Shields, Richmond   107.00
15. Michael Rasky, Duquesne     105.00
16. Bruce Hocker, Duquesne       104.00
17. Thomas Harris, Alabama A&M    100.00
18. Patrick Sprague, Furman     99.00
19. Tim Jones, Charleston So. 98.00
20. Victor Williams, Northern Iowa   97.00

Team
Passing Offense
1. William & Mary     433.0
2. Texas Southern     380.0
3. Furman               344.0
4. Holy Cross            321.0
5. Eastern Ill.           308.0

Total Offense
1. Missouri St.            690.00
2. Eastern Wash.        567.00
3. William & Mary      542.00
3. Stony Brook           542.00
5. Furman                535.00

Rushing Defense
1. Lafayette          -14.0
2. McNeese St.      -10.0
3. UC Davis           22.0
4. Citadel             24.0
5. Furman           28.0

Former Demon emerges as a force at Furman

Pinilla was in his first year at Furman. He moved over from The Citadel where he had fiercely recruited Brown out of Warner Robins. In fact, Pinilla was in the Georgia Dome crowd that saw Warner Robins beat Ware County on the way to the GHSA Class AAAA state championship in 2004.

"The thing we saw about Justin on film, he was just so quick off the ball and he was getting off blocks and making plays," Pinilla said. "Coaches will teach different techniques, but playmaking ability comes from within the player."

Brown is especially good at taking the lessons learned in film sessions and converting that information into on-field production, the coach said.

"Justin does have a good knack of picking up blocking schemes," Pinilla said.

You can read the rest of the article here from the Macon Telegraph, writer Chris Deighan.

Gameday: Furman vs Presbyterian

Tonight is the first game of the season, Furman vs Presbyterian 7pm at Paladin Stadium. The weather seems to know it's football season also, today has that little touch of wind that brings fall to the nose.

So far this college season has already shown us that in college football anything can happen. Chatty loses to Carson-Newman, Drake beats Ill St. And that was just the start of things, who would have guessed Michigan is getting taken to the wood shed by APP.

Furman plays a dangerous opponent tonight, on paper Furman wins. Play this game ten times and I think Furman wins. But APP has shown me one important thing. The spread is the great equalizer in college athletics. Spread a more talented defense out and if you can execute you can make plays. PC will try to do the same thing APP is doing successfully tonight.

I want to throw a big kudo out to Dwight Covington, and the Furman Athletic staff and marketing for working on many avenues to bring out the fans. This team will be fun to watch and Furman Football is this hidden gem that more people in the upstate need to discovery.

I've decided against better judgment to make a prediction for tonight's game, if this works out I might do another. 11,883 in attendance… just kidding. I'll see you at the Paladin Walk.

Players I'll watch on defense:
Thomas Twitty FS
Corey Ray, Gaines Burnett DT
Paul White, JJ Mars, Channing Welch DE

Players I'll watch on offense:
Tyler Haynes, Heath Cockburn OL
RJ Webb, Keiron Williams, Adam Mims WR
Stephone LaFrance, Mike Brown TB

 

Furman 42
Presbyterian 13

1 Day Till Kickoff! Meet #1 William Middleton

William Middleton  | CB
5-11  190  | JR
Marist

Well I started 99 days ago, and it ends today with William Middleton. I believe William is set to have a big year. I wouldn't call it a breakout year because I think Middleton played well as a first year starter at corner and he started to prove to be an explosive special teams player. Middleton and Holmes should have plenty of opportunities to make plays this season with a more athletic and mobile defensive line applying more pressure to opposing quarterbacks.

William make us proud, have a great season.

Peyton Watch; Jerome Felton

Congrats to Jerome on making the initial Walter Peyton Watch List, you can follow it here. Below is the player capsule on Jerome.

Jerome Felton, Senior, Fullback, Furman
Considered by many experts to be the top fullback in all of college football, Felton is one of the most versatile performers in FCS. In an era where most teams limit the duties of fullbacks to blocking and occasionally catching passes out of the backfield, this hard-working, 6-0, 246-pounder excels at running, blocking and receiving. Despite suffering a badly sprained ankle in 2006, Felton rushed for 707 yards and a 4.4 average yards per carry. He had 23 TDs on the ground, including four against North Carolina and six against Western Carolina in back-to-back weeks. He has 51 TDs and 1,947 yards rushing in his career. Ran for 940 yards, 18 TDs and a 5.2 average in 2005 as he helped carry the Paladins to the playoff semifinals before losing to eventual national champion Appalachian State. Had 300 yards and 10 TDs as a freshman as Furman advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to James Madison, which won the NCAA title. Has 36 catches for 280 yards and three TDs as a receiver, and has converted five two-point conversions on five attempts in his career. 

2 Days Till Kickoff! Meet #2 Adam Mims

Adam Mims  | Flanker
5-9  183  | RSFR
Spain Park HS

Adam appears to have recovered from last season's injuries, and that's good news for the Paladin receiving corp. Mims and Hicks made the roster last season as true freshmen. Unfortunately a leg injury at UNC ended Mims season. Yes, Adam is a speedster, but don't let his size fool you. Mims is a solid, compact player and he will be a terror in the open field. Mims speed is the reason he has capture the eyes of fans, but Mims ability to run after the catch will make him a weapon on short passes as well as deep routes.

3 Days Till Kickoff Meet #3 John Castleberry

John Castleberry  | SS
6-0 190  | SO
Gainesville HS

John made the switch from cornerback to strong safety in the spring. Listed third at strong safety behind returning starter Andrew Thacker and Julian Hicks.

High School; 2005 graduate of Gainesville (3A) High School...football coach was Bruce Miller...saw action at defensive back, running back and wide receiver...played his junior and senior seasons at Gainesville after two years at North Forsyth (Ga.) High School...scored 21 touchdowns and totaled 91 tackles, 38 assists, 12 interceptions, and 12 pass deflections in his prep career...served as team captain, scored 12 touchdowns, and notched eight interceptions on the way to earning Gainesville High MVP, all-area, and all-state honors in 2004. Play in the Georgia North-South All-Star Game.

4 Days Till Kickoff Meet #4 RJ Webb

RJ Webb  | Split End
6-2  202  | SO
Pickens HS

After one season of play RJs stock has risen dramatically. It says a lot that on a team with a potential draft pick fullback, RJ could be the playmaker of 2007. Why? RJ has the ability to make any catch a touchdown. RJ has excellent size, speed and great hands, and with one season under his belt a more seasoned Webb should mean a lot of points to the Paladin offense.

In 2006 Webb set a receiving record for a freshman last season 28 catches for 407 yards and a touchdown. So what will RJ do in 2007? RJ can do many things for Furman, and with his ability to run with the ball. I would look for the coaches to get him as many touches as possible. RJ is valuable enough to get ten plus touches a game, if he does I could see RJ with 60+ catches and runs this season and total yards approaching 800. Webb's biggest contribution should be getting in the endzone.

5 Days Till Kickoff Meet #5 Patrick Sprague

Patrick Sprague  | Split End
6-1  191  | SR
Mountain Brook HS

I don't know if it's fair to say that Patrick has played in the shadow of Justin Stepp for the last 3 years. Patrick has made some big catches for Furman, but this season he will be the leader of the receiving corp.

This season Patrick should really improve on his numbers,33 catches for 481 yards and two touchdowns in 2006. I wouldn't be surprised to see numbers like 700 yards and 6-8 touchdowns in 2007.

As a Furman fan we always seem to expect all Furman players to be nice, friendly young men.  Patrick is an example of this. I have actually had him buzz by me on the sideline of a practice, and say hello when he walked back on the field after making the catch.

Good luck Patrick in 2007.

6 Days Till Kickoff Meet #6 Austin Holmes

Austin Holmes  | CB
5-9  178  | SR
The Boles School

Austin Holmes has been a staple in the paladin defensive backfield since the Western Carolina game during the 2005 season. Holmes is the best cover corner for the Paladins and has been ranked the fourth best corner in FCS by The Sporting News. Austin is a co-captain this season and I think he play a vital role in the leadership of the 2007 team.

Austin is also a newlywed, I've met many Paladin players over the years and I would have to rank Ausitn as one of the most mature and respectful players I've ever met.

7 Days Till Kickoff Meet #7 Cody Worley

Cody Worley  | QB
6-1  212  | RSFR
Calhoun HS

Cody Worley should see some action this season, starting his process of developing into a future starter at quarterback. Worley has a big arm and surprising mobility. I like his gunslinger swagger.

Worley played in high school for Coach Bobby Lamb's brother Hal at Calhoun. Cody threw for 4,394 yards and 51 touchdowns. Finished his prep career 36-4, and was ranked 80th nationally among quarterbacks by ESPN.com.

9 Days Till Kickoff Meet #9 Jordan Sorrells

Jordan Sorrells  | QB
6-1  205  | SO
Greenville HS

After one season of action I think it's fair to say that Jordan is a mature quarterback. Jordan had one of the best seasons a freshman quarterback has played at Furman. Two emergency starts = two wins, 851 yards passing and four touchdowns. Jordan was baptized by fire coming in to pick up a win in the very first game of the season. Boy has Jordan matured. In the fan day scrimmage Jordan displayed confidence, excellent passing skills, and a complete understanding of the Paladin offense.

To quote Cocah Bobby Lamb "Furman has two starting quarterbacks." The quarterback for the 2007 team is Renaldo Gray but Jordan Sorrells is a helluva relief pitcher. And the good news is we'll still have him for two more years.

"It's going to be a war each and every Saturday."

I found this very good article about Furman from Andrew Miller of the Charleston Post. You can find the entire article here.

Lamb should know a good team when he sees it. As a record-setting quarterback, Lamb led the Paladins to the SoCon title in 1985 and a spot in the national championship game. As an assistant coach he watched the Paladins march to a national title in 1988 and finish as runners-up in 2001.

"We had our best team in 2004 and we lost a heartbreaker to James Madison in the quarterfinals by one point," Lamb said. "I see a lot of similarities to that 2004 team in this year's team. This is a veteran team. They've got a lot of playoff experience and they're used to playing in big games. Only time will tell how good this bunch is."

"We could have a better team than we did last year and not have as good a record," Lamb said. "The Southern Conference is as good as I've seen it. Appalachian State is Appalachian State. I think The Citadel is going to have the best team they've had in 10 years. Wofford will have its best team since they won it in 2003. Georgia Southern is going to bounce back. Elon and Chattanooga are going to be better. It's going to be a war each and every Saturday."

10 Days Till Kickof Meet #10 Stephone LaFrance

Stephone LaFrance  | TB
6-2  222  | SO
Creekside HS

Stephone is currently battling redshirt freshman Mike Brown for the backup tailback position. Either way, LaFrance and Brown will see plenty of playing time in 2007. LaFrance was hampered by ankle and knee injuries in 2006 but still manged to rush for 165 yards in his first season of playing time. Expect Stephone's numbers to jump this season LaFrance is a big swift tailback, and appears to have a knack for breaking tackles at the line of scrimmage.

LaFrance is a versatile weapon for the Paladins because of his ability to catch the ball. Keep an eye on Both LaFrance and Brown this season, they should be fun to watch.

11 Days till Kickoff Meet #11 Clifton Dortch

Clifton Dortch  | LB
6-1  215  | SR
Chamblee HS

Three year letterman, Clifton is part of the experienced corp of Furman linebackers. Dortch is battling in the pre-season to regain his starting spot after sitting out the spring. I don’t think it matters who will start at weak side linebacker, because the trio of Dortch, Twitty, and Williams will all see plenty of playing time.

Do yourself a favor if you’ve never watched Dortch on special teams, follow #11 on a kickoff, he plays special teams with an attitude. Reminds me of Ivan Johnson.

13, 12 …Days Till Kickoff Meet #13 Ryan McKie and #12 Chas Short

Yes I'm a slacker and forgot to post a kickoff update yesterday. So today is a two-for-one.

Ryan McKie  | FLK
5-11  192  | SR
Hillcrest HS

Ryan is penciled in to be the starting flanker in 07 replacing Justin Stepp. Ryan is an experienced receiver, that can make the tough catch. McKie also has excellent speed and is a threat vertical. McKie will be pushed by the youngsters Mims and Williams but I look for McKie to have some big catches this season.

Chas Short  | K
6-3  175  | FR
Flint River Academy

Chas was very successful as a QB and kicker for Flint River. Flint River had a combined record of 40-2 during Short's career. He also kicked three field goals overing 45, 47, and 49 in the state championship game last season. Chas also has the ability to punt, kicking punts of 61, and 58 in the same game as a junior.

Photos from Fan Day 2007

 
Masharn Austin is pumped for the scrimmage. Click on the photo to go to my flickr set of scrimmage pictures.

14 Days Till Kickoff Meet #14 Renaldo Gray

Renaldo Gray  | QB
6-0  227  | SR
Greewood HS

It goes without saying that 2006 was not the kind of season that Renaldo and the Furman coaches had hoped for. Gray's ankle injury in the final week of the pre-season played a role in limiting Gray's ability to play at full speed in 2006. The good news is that Gray rehabed the foot, lost weight and looks ready to lead the Paladins in 2007.

Gray allows Furman to be extremely versatile, he can run the option, the wing sets, and pass out of the spread formations. A lot of people are questioning if Gray can remain healthy in 07,I'm going to be optimistic and say I expect Gray to stay healthy in 07, mainly due to the hard work and rehad efforts of the off season. Gray has the potential to take the Paladins to the title game.

16 Days Till Kickoff Meet #16 Bryan Hayes

Bryan Hayes  | QB
5-11  185  | FR
Mendham HS

Bryan is a walk-on this season and will be listed as the 4th team QB. Hayes passed for 1,389 yards as a senior, the third highest total in school history. Earned Morris County Daily Record second team all-area honors and New Jersey Star Ledger third team.

18 Days Till Kickoff Meet #18 Masharn Austin