FCS College Football

Furman (2012)

Furman heads into the 2012 season with plenty of question marks—needing to replace a bevy of talented veterans on both sides of the football—which makes it a little hard to find their “mirror image” heading into 2012. However, there are certainly some comparisons to be found in the past, that’s for sure.

One of the biggest obstacles head coach Bruce Fowler must address heading into the 2012 season is replacing quarterback Chris Forcier. Forcier turned in one of the greatest seasons in the history of Furman football last season by passing for 2,265 yards and a school-record 23 touchdowns.

Forcier also rushed for 250 yards and a pair of scores, and he was the nation’s most efficient passer at season’s end with a 172.4 passer rating.

The 2012 season, which will mark Bruce Fowler’s second season at the command of the Furman football program, sees the Paladins return 14 starters (eight on defense and six on offense). And while there are some questions surrounding the Paladins entering the campaign, there are also some answers.

Expected to start under center this fall for the Paladins is rising senior Dakota Derrick, who threw for 104 yards and one touchdown last season in 17 passing attempts. Derrick has seen only limited action as a signal-caller during his time as a Paladin, but he is 1-1 as a starter after having picked up a win against Western Carolina in his sophomore campaign of 2010.

To win the starting job this fall, however, Derrick must hold off talented redshirt freshman Travis Eman in preseason camp. Eman is a tremendous athlete with a big arm, and was recruited by plenty of BCS programs because of that athleticism, although most wanted to play him at a position other than quarterback.

Furman has other top players returning to the fold this year, including one of the nation’s top tight ends in Colin Anderson—40 rec, 696 yds, 7 TDs, 17.4 YPR in 2011. Anderson will enter the season as a First-Team All-American and he will team up with running back Jerodis Williams (1,055 yds, 8 TDs in 2011), who became Furman’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2003, to lead the Paladin offense.

On the defensive side of the football, Furman lost two of its very best players in All-American cornerback Ryan Steed, who was likely the best to ever play the position as a Paladin, and linebacker Kadarron Anderson, a First-Team All-SoCon performer each of the past two seasons.

Furman does return eight starters on the defensive side of the football for the 2012 season, led by linebacker Mitch McGrath (87 tackles, 13.5 TFLs, 4.0 sacks, 4 INTs), defensive end Josh Lynn and hard-hitting safety Nathan Wade (75 tackles, 5.0 TFL).

Furman (1997)

Like the 2012 group, the 1997 Furman team entered the season with plenty of question marks, but also plenty of budding stars. The Paladins, who were under the direction of fourth-year head coach Bobby Johnson, were looking to build off the successes of a season earlier that had seen the Paladins qualify for the FCS postseason for the first time since the 1990 season.

The Paladins returned 15 starters from that ‘96 team, which had finished 9-4 and claimed a dramatic come-from-behind, 42-31, victory over Northern Arizona in the opening round of the FCS playoffs before being soundly beaten by eventual national title winner Marshall.

The first order of business for the ‘97 Paladins was finding a quarterback to replace the talented Braniff Bonaventure, who went on to claim First-Team All-SoCon honors after finishing the campaign by completing 183-of-283 passes for 2,382 yards, 19 TDs and only four INTs. He also finished as the nation's most efficient passer.

The Paladins entered the ‘97 season with a senior set to lead Furman for the first time as a full-time starter, as Chris Jonas returned to take the reins of the Paladins offense. Jonas had seen only limited action throughout his career, playing behind both Bonaventure and former Furman quarterback Philly Jones for a majority of his career.

The Birmingham, AL native was ready to take command of the offense, and solidified his grip on the starting position with a strong performance in preseason camp, holding off talented redshirt freshman Justin Hill, as well as true freshman Brent Rickman, for the starting job.

Jonas took the reins in the season opener for the Paladins, and Furman boarded the Jeans buses for Birmingham, AL where they would play their Thursday night season opener at Samford. Jonas had little experience though, having attempted only two passes in his entire career heading into the ‘97 season.

Jonas wasn’t the only returner on the offensive side of the ball that folks were excited about heading into the 1997 season, as running back Ernest Crosby was set to return to the Furman backfield. Crosby, a junior, was impressive during his sophomore campaign running the football when he was healthy. He completed the ‘96 season by rushing for 850 yards and eight TDs, averaging an impressive 5.6 YPC.

Though the Paladins didn’t have Luther Broughton to throw to in the ‘97 season, they did have talented sophomore speedster Desmond Kitchings back to be the main deep threat, and returning split end/punter Jody Wade had proven to be a reliable asset down the stretch for the Paladins during the ‘96 season as well.

Wade was coming off a campaign which saw him haul in 24 passes for 396 yards and team-leading five TDs. Most Furman fans will remember Wade’s fine performance in the ‘96 first-round playoff win over Northern Arizona, as Wade hauled in a key TD late in the game to ultimately help the Paladins get an amazing come-from-behind win at Walkup Skydome.

The Paladins returned three of five starters along their offensive line, led by center Mark Foster, who would go on to garner All-League plaudits in ‘97. Also returning up front were Ben Hall at right guard and Ryan Kinard at left tackle.

But while the offense had some weapons, it was actually the defense—which returned eight starters—that had many buzzing about the Paladins heading into the 1997 season.

The Paladins had arguably the top corps of linebackers returning in the Southern Conference entering the ‘97 season led by All-American MLB Orlando Ruff and flanked by the talented Bernard Scott and Jay Thier.

Ruff, a junior, had been instrumental in leading the Paladins’ resurgence on the defensive side of the football in ‘96, as he helped the Paladins field the SoCon’s second-best defense (359.9 YPG) in ‘96. Ruff finished the ‘96 season with a team-leading 162 tackles, garnering Second-Team All-SoCon honors as a sophomore. Thier, a senior, wasn’t all that far behind his teammate Ruff, completing the 13 game season with 142 stops in nine starts, and he also ranked second on the club with 150 stops in ‘96.

Furman’s three starting returners at linebacker had combined to tally 456 tackles, 37 tackles-for-loss, five fumble recoveries, five sacks, five INTs and an INT return for a score in the ‘96 season. This collection of talent at LB was among the best in the history of the Furman football program.

The defensive line returned three starters for the ‘97 season, led by one of the league’s premier defensive ends in senior Bryan Dailer. Dailer would lead what would be a vaunted Furman pass-rush in 1997, a line that finished the season leading the Southern Conference in sacks with 32.

Furman’s secondary would be young, but talented. Senior free safety Jeremy Osborne and a young John Keith gave the Paladins a strong tandem at the safety positions. Osborne was coming off an All-SoCon campaign, which saw him finish with 87 tackles and four PBUs

With the defense expected to lead the way, all Jonas had to do was maintain consistency and many figured the Paladins would be making a second-straight appearance in the FCS postseason.

After all, Jonas may not have had experience, but he was a senior and his leadership and maturity—buoyed by a talented pair of running backs behind him in Crosby and Marq Cerqua—should have been enough to ensure the Paladins an 8-3 record. This expectation was even furthered considering the fact that he had a star-studded and experienced defense backing him up.

All went according to plan when Furman boarded the Jeans buses for Birmingham, AL to open up the 1997 season. The Paladins posted a 29-10 season opening win over the Bulldogs, and Jonas was efficient.

However, the season would take a major turn a week later on the road at South Carolina State, as Jonas went down with a knee injury. With Justin Hill nursing a shoulder injury himself, Brent Rickman was inserted into the lineup. The Paladins were ineffective on offense for much of the afternoon, as Furman dropped a 17-6 decision.

Furman would be inconsistent for the remainder of the season, but managed to finish 7-4, including a 5-3 record in the league which landed them a third-place finish, and they just missed the postseason. The Paladins were unable to hold a 28-13 lead against East Tennessee State on homecoming, dropping a 58-28 decision in the rain.

On the road in Cullowhee against Western Carolina, the Paladins lost by the narrowest of margins, with a 17-16 setback to Western Carolina, as Jason Wells’ potential game-winning kick went awry in the waning moments.

With nothing but pride to play for in the regular-season finale at Chattanooga, at the Mocs’ new facility and new home of the FCS National Title Game, Max Finley Stadium, the Paladins would put together maybe their best game of the season.

UTC entered the matchup with a 7-3 record and the Mocs were hungry to make their first postseason appearance in 13 years. However, the Paladins would get a record-breaking performance from Dailer, who sacked UTC quarterback Brian Hampton seven times, as the Paladins romped to a 43-21 win.

Mirror Image

So how does the 2012 Furman team compare to the 1997 squad. While no comparison is perfect, both teams had and have question marks under center. The Paladins had a senior with few reps expected to lead the ‘97 team (Chris Jonas) and that same scenario presents itself in 2012 with Dakota Derrick.

Jonas was asked to replace a signal-caller that had earned First-Team All-SoCon honors the previous season, and the same goes for Derrick who will be asked to replace Chris Forcier.

Furman returns a seasoned running back this fall in Jerodis Williams, just as it did in ‘97 with Ernest Crosby. One of the few differences was that Furman returns an All-American tight end (Colin Anderson) in 2012, while having had to replace one in ‘97 with the departure of Luther Broughton.

Ryan Culbreath sported nearly the exact receiving statistics that Wade did in 1997, with both boasting the same attributes as reliable possession receivers. Wade’s numbers were a bit better, but you get the idea.

The speedster receiver waiting to explode for Furman in 1997 was Desmond Kitchings, and this season it could be either Gary Robinson, Jordan Snellings or Daniel McFadden.

The defense sees some easy comparisons, as Josh Lynn might be Furman’s best defensive end since Bryan Dailer, or at least Roy Ravenell. While Furman has no one returning with the talent of Orlando Ruff in the middle, don’t be surprised to see Gary Wilkins surprise some people this fall.

Mitch McGrath might be the top OLB in the SoCon entering the ‘12 season, much like Bernard Scott was in ‘97. While John Keith was just a sophomore in ‘97, there is no mistaking his comparison on the 2012 Furman team, vicious hitting safety Nathan Wade, who might just earn the nickname “The Missile II” this fall.

The final odd similarity was that both teams were scheduled to open the season on the road at Samford, with one main differences being that Samford was not yet a SoCon member in ‘97.

There are many similarities, and a 7-4 record would likely get the Paladins into the newly expanded postseason field of 20 if they were able to accomplish that this fall. However, I think Furman might still be a year away from the postseason and two years away from seriously contending for a SoCon title, making the comparison more true to form.

It will certainly be interesting to see if there are any more similarities between the two teams at the conclusion of the 2012 season.

In this article, I am going to attempt something unique and it is a bit of an a trial-and-error idea. However, the idea for an article about this appealed to me, so I figured why not give it a shot.

The object of this article will be to take the current edition of each of the Georgia Southern teams and compare it to a team of the past that most resembles the 2012 edition in terms of personnel and other areas. 

Georgia Southern (2012)

Defending Southern Conference champion Georgia Southern is coming off its first Southern Conference title since the 2004 season (snapping Appalachian State’s string of six-straight Southern Conference crowns won in 2005-10).

The Eagles return 15 starters (eight offense, seven defense) to the fold for the 2012 season, and will be looking to defend that Southern Conference title this fall.

Georgia Southern’s offense will be explosive, returning some key figures to the mix. This includes fullback Dominique Swope (1.023 yds, 7 TDs), who took the league by storm last season as a freshman.

The Eagles will have a new starter under center with the graduation of Jaybo Shaw, as Jerrick McKinnon (3-of-6 passing, 37 yds, 1 TD, 537 rush yds, 7 TDs) will take over under center this fall. McKinnon has played a combination of slotback and quarterback throughout his Eagle careeer. McKinnon is an extreme athlete under center for the Eagles.

On the defensive side of the football, the Eagles bring back perhaps the greatest defensive player in the history of the program, with the return of nose tackle Brent Russell (67 tackles, 16.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks, 1 blkd kick). He enters the season as a leading candidate for the prestigious Buck Buchanan Award, given to the best defensive player at the Football Championship Subdivision level.

The Eagles also have one of the best linebackers in the Southern Conference, as senior Josh Rowe (75 tackles, 4.5 TFL) is back to patrol the middle of the GSU defense this fall.

The Eagles completed the 2011 campaign ranking first in the league in scoring offense (35.1 PPG), second in total offense (435.0 YPG) and second in rushing offense (323.5 YPG). On the defensive side of the football, GSU ranked sixth in total defense (356.6 YPG), third in rushing defense (149.8 YPG) and ninth in passing defense (206.9 YPG).

Mirror Image (Georgia Southern 1999)

In 1997, Georgia Southern had returned to the top of the Southern Conference mountain, winning the Southern Conference crown for the first time since joining the league in 1993.

In 1998, Georgia Southern had steamrolled its competition in SoCon play, brushing through league play in dominating fashion. They completed the league slate with a perfect 8-0 ledger, and with the luxury of not having to face an FBS foe, the Eagles were able to complete the 1998 regular season with a perfect 11-0 mark.

The 1998 season marked the second season on the watch for GSU head coach Paul Johnson, and the Eagles strolled all the way to the FCS national title game. They would face an upstart UMass team, which  had seemingly reached the national title game by getting a few lucky breaks along the way.

There’s no doubt Mark Whipple’s Minutemen were talented, but the Eagles would turn the ball over seven times in the 1998 title game. GSU dropped a 55-43 decision to UMass in one of the bigger upsets in national title game history.

The 1998 Georgia Southern team, which finished the campaign with a 14-1 record, is arguably the greatest SoCon team to not win a national title. The 1998 campaign saw the Eagles average 492.6 YPG, including 378.7 YPG on the ground.

Led by a player that would go on to become the greatest running back in FCS history, in freshman Adrian Peterson, and players like slotbacks Bennie Cunningham and Mark Myers, the Eagles were ultra athletic and fast. The Eagles would go on to finish second in the nation in total offense, second in scoring offense (42.5 PPG) and second in rushing offense.

It would be the third season under the watchful eye of Johnson in which the Eagles would reach the top of the FCS mountain once again. With a large majority of its talent returning for the 1999 season, the Eagles would complete the quest for a title in which they had come up just short the previous two seasons.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Eagles had a senior leader under center—Greg Hill, who had already established himself as one of the most explosive quarterbacks and athletes in the rich history of the Georgia Southern football program.

The Eagles would put up astounding offensive statistics en route to the school’s fifth national crown, averaging a program record 551.7 YPG, 419.0 rushing yards per game and 50.0 PPG.

Georgia Southern had clearly learned from its previous failures in Johnson’s first two seasons at the helm. They won the national title game in dominating fashion over another tradition rich program—Youngstown State, who was tied with GSU with four national titles at the FCS level.

But unlike the heartbreak of the 55-43 loss to UMass a year earlier, the Eagles scored in just about every imaginable fashion, taking down the Penguins, 59-24.

Greg Hill was the orchestrator of a Georgia Southern offense that was no stranger to the "big play" as the Eagles had 12 plays that went for 60-69 yards (including eight TDs, and had three plays for 70 or more yards, with all three going for scores). In total, the Eagles had 38 TDs of 20 or more yards, and had 108 plays that gained 20 or more yards in the 1999 campaign.

Sandwiched between the great Tracy Ham and future Walter Payton Award-winner Jayson Foster (2004-07), there was Hill. Hill had one of the greatest seasons in the history of the program for a GSU quarterback, using his quickness and talents as an improviser to total 2,990 yards of total offense (1,461 pass yds, 1,529 rush yds).

He presided over possibly the most versatile offense in the history of Georgia Southern football, as he averaged 97.4 yards passing per game, while averaging 101.9 YPG on the ground and averaging a whopping 6.8 YPC.

Hill had 33 TD responsiblities (22 rushing TDs, 11 passing TDs). Hill completed 56.3% of his passes (72-for-128) and threw eight INTs. He led the SoCon in passing efficiency, with a rating of 168.0.

It could be argued that Hill’s success was thanks in large part to the opposing defenses having to focus on eventual Walter Payton Award-winning running back Adrian Peterson, who was coming off one of the best freshman seasons by a running back at any level in college football history.

Peterson was a landslide winner of the highest individual accolade given at the FCS level, after completing the season with 2,704 yards rushing and a jaw-dropping 40 TDs. Unfortunately, the NCAA record books only recognize the regular-season numbers put up by Peterson and didn’t take into account the four playoff games. These games saw Peterson rush for 897 yards in the postseason, including a then NCAA Division I record 333 yards in the quarterfinal win over defending national champion UMass.

Peterson was instrumental in GSU’s playoff run, scoring 74 points on his own in the four games in the postseason. His performance in the national title game will be famously be remembered to play simply known as "The Run."

GSU may not have been the defensive outfit that it had been in the Erk Russell era, but there was no shortage of talent on the defensive side of the ball during the 1999 campaign.

The Eagles had one of the best nose tackles to ever play for the program, in Voncellies Allen. Allen, a senior, was the anchor of the GSU defense during the 1999 season, as he was an Associated Press All-American. Allen completed the 1999 campaign with an astonishing 22 tackles-for-loss.

Despite the Eagles’ record-breaking offense which garnered most of the praise during the 1999 season, Allen led an unheralded defense. The defense, however, led the league in total defense (317.3 YPG), scoring defense (17.5 PPG) and rushing defense (129.3 YPG).

GSU finished the 1999 season with a 13-2 overall mark, with the only losses the Eagles suffered coming at Appalachian State (17-16) and at Oregon State (48-41).

So, the question is how does the 2012 unit compare to the 1999 Georgia Southern team that took home the national title?

Well, for starters, like the 1999 team, the 2012 team will mark the third under the direction of Jeff Monken. It was that 1999 squad that claimed the national crown in Johnson’s third season at the helm.

In the previous two playoff appearances, the Eagles were ousted in the postseason in the quarterfinals in 1997 by Delaware (16-7) and in 1998, the Eagles of course lost in the national title game to UMass (55-43).

In Monken’s first two seasons at the helm, the Eagles have lost both times in the semifinals of the FCS postseason, losing two years ago to national runner-up Delaware (27-10) and last season to eventual national champion North Dakota State (35-7).

The Eagles will have to replace a great, gritty quarterback in Jaybo Shaw, but the one area that will be a positive with the graduation of Shaw is that now the GSU offense becomes much more explosive with McKinnon at the controls. In fact, McKinnon is similar in many ways to Hill in terms of the type athlete he is, but he is still an unproven passer. McKinnon has completed just 6-of-15 passes for 61 yards, with a TD and an INT for his career.

However, McKinnon has proven to be every bit as dangerous a running threat as Hill was, and posted a career-long 75-yard run for a score in GSU’s 52-20 rout of Western Carolina last season. He is also averaging 5.5 YPC for his career, including averaging 6.7 YPC last season.

The comparisons for Dominique Swope are pretty easy. According to Mercer head coach Bobby Lamb, Swope is the best running back in Statesboro since Peterson.

Lamb had a chance to see the machine-like GSU offense in action first-hand, having attended spring drills for the Eagles this past March.

The former Furman head coach came back raving and said the Eagles’ sheer speed was "scary." It was Lamb that posted one of the most successful records against Georgia Southern during his time as the head coach at Furman, posting a 4-5 record, including becoming the only coach in Furman history to win twice in Statesboro (2007 and ‘09).

Swope took the Eagle nation by storm last season, and he rushed for 750 yards over the final five games of the season, including rushing for 255 yards on 31 carries in the wild 55-48 second-round playoff win over Old Dominion. Swope was named the SoCon’s Freshman of the Year for his efforts in 2011.

Like that 1999 team, the Eagles will also have tremendous depth at slot back. Despite the potential loss of Robert Brown to a back injury, the Eagles still welcome back big-play threats Jonathan Bryant and Darreion Robinson. The 1999 team had the likes of Bennie Cunningham, Mark Myers, Zzream Walden and Andre Weathers.

Finally, like the 1999 team had with Voncellies Allen, the Eagles have a nose tackle in Brent Russell that can absolutely control a game. But while Allen primarily clogged the middle as just a "run-stopper" with his tremendous size and strength, Russell is a bit more versatile and athletic. Russell’s 20.5 career sacks rank him fifth on the school’s all-time charts. He also has 46.0 career tackles-for-loss heading into his final season.

Now, this is simply a comparison on paper and I am not saying the Eagles will win the 2012 national title, but I do think there are some similarities and I do think this Eagle offense will have a chance to set some records this fall. Watch out for the GSU offense in 2012!

Stay tuned for articles to come in this series of articles on this subject.

While it is a great year for running backs in the SoCon heading into the 2012 season, it’s not a season in which there are big names returning under center.

There is not a B.J. Coleman (UTC), Armanti Edwards (Appalachian State) or Scott Riddle (Elon) returning to headline the 2012 scroll.

Gone are five starting signal-callers from a year ago, including First-Team All-SoCon signal-caller Chris Forcier (Furman), as well as top-class signal-callers, such as Jaybo Shaw (Georgia Southern) and the aforementioned Coleman.

While it’s not a season in which I expect there to be a serious contender for the prestigious Walter Payton Award out of the league’s returning starters under center this fall, there certainly could be a darkhorse or two that could emerge.

1. Jamal Jackson (Appalachian State)--

Jamal Jackson returns for his second season as the starter under center for the Mountaineers, and he’s a player that will most certainly benefit from having Scott Satterfield, a former ASU quarterback himself, back leading the Mountaineer offense this fall.

Jackson took over as the starter for the Mountaineers in the fifth game of the 2011 campaign against The Citadel for an injured DeAndre Presley.

All Jackson did was complete his first 15 passes and lead the Mountaineers to a 49-42 for over the Bulldogs. In his first start, Jackson completed 21-of-27 passes for 234 yards and three TDs, without an INT. He helped lead an ASU offense that amassed 552 yards of total offense. The 552 yards against the Bulldogs would turn out to be a season standard for the ASU offense.

Jackson passed for 200 or more yards in all seven games he started for the Apps under center last season. There’s not much questioning of ASU’s offensive efficiency upon Jackson’s insertion into the role as the Black and Gold starter.

With 284 passing yards in the regular-season finale at Elon, Jackson set a school record with six-consecutive 200-yard passing games. Armanti Edwards (2009) and Richie Williams (2004) shared the previous ASU record with five-straight 200-yard passing games.

In starting the final seven games for ASU in 2011, Jackson finished the campaign completing 161-of-262 passes for 2,001 yards with 15 TDs and eight INTs. Jackson also rushed for 296 yards and seven TDs, accounting for a total off 2,297 yards of total offense and 22 TDs.

2. Terrell Robinson (Chattanooga)--

Like ASU’s Jackson, Chattanooga’s Terrell Robinson was forced into action midseason as a result of an injury to starter B.J. Coleman after Coleman suffered a shoulder injury early in the second quarter in the 28-27 loss to No. 1 Georgia Southern.

Robinson came in and nearly led the Mocs to the unthinkable road win at the top-ranked team in the country, showing an uncanny poise from a freshman signal-caller.

In coming off the bench in the narrow loss to the Eagles, he came into a contest in which the Mocs trailed 14-0. He nearly became an instant hero in the Scenic City, finishing the contest by rushing for 114 yards and three TDs, while completing 5-of-9 passes for 69 yards with an INT.

That performance would catapult Robinson to be the SoCon Freshman of the Year, as well as becoming the first freshman player to garner three SoCon Freshman Player of the Week citations since Armanti Edwards in 2006.

Robinson is much like the legendary Edwards, in that he is a dual-threat, and is jet-quick in the open field, however, he is not yet the passer that Edwards was. Robinson enjoyed his best passing day against Elon, as he completed 11-of-13 passes for 140 yards in the 42-18 road win.

In total, Robinson finished the 2011 completing 27-of-43 passes for 336 yards and six TDs and three INTs, while rushing for 417 yards and five TDs. He totaled 753 yards of total offense and 11 TD responsibilities in eight games, with three starts last fall.

3. Ben Dupree (The Citadel)--

 One of the biggest reasons I have Ben Dupree from The Citadel at No. 3 on the list is for the simple fact of experience and the way he was able to lead the Bulldogs offense last fall. 

Dupree will likely find himself splitting the duties under center with Aaron Miller once again this fall.

The Citadel’s option offense, which will be in its third year of operation this fall, should experience its best season yet in 2012. Dupree still must improve as a passer this fall, but he led the Bulldogs offense from being one of the worst in school history last season, to being one of FCS’ top rushing attacks in 2011. In fact, the Bulldogs finished the 2011 season averaging 286.6 YPG on the ground last season, which was good enough to rank both third in the SoCon and third nationally.

In total, Dupree completed the 2011 campaign ranking second on the team in rushing yards, as he finished the campaign with 645 yards and eight TDs on 177 rush attempts. As a passer, Dupree connected on 22-of-46 passes for 192 yards, with three INTs. In Miller’s time under center for the Bulldogs last fall, he rushed for 314 yards and five TDs, while connecting on 10-of-24 passes for 118 yards, with three INTs last fall.

4. Jerick McKinnon (GSU)--

Like The Citadel, Georgia Southern will likely utilize two QBs in its flexbone offense for the 2012 campaign. McKinnon will likely split time under center with backup Ezayi Youyoute this fall.

While the Eagles will most obviously miss the leadership of quarterback Jaybo Shaw, the Eagles will likely have a more explosive offense and more "big-play" potential with McKinnon and Youyoute under center in 2012. In fact, this Georgia Southern offense will likely resemble some of those GSU offenses of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, which featured both J.R. Revere and Greg Hill at the helm of the the Eagles’ potent flexbone outfit.

McKinnon might be the best athlete in the SoCon, playing four positions (QB, SB, WR and DB) last season for the Eagles and is likely the fastest of the returning QBs under center for the 2012 season.  He sports a 40-yard dash time in the sub-4.4s. McKinnon has yet to show his skills as a passer much in his career, which is a bit of a concern.

McKinnon threw only six passes last season, completing three of them and did have a 37-yard TD pass. He was the Eagles’ third leading rusher, gaining a majority of his yards as a slot back in the GSU flexbone attack last fall. He finished the campaign with 537 yards and seven TDs on 80 attempts last fall.

Youyoute was the SoCon Freshman of the Week for his performance in GSU’s Sept. 26 win over Western Carolina (52-20). In that victory, Youyoute rushed for 119 yards and a score on just four carries.

With the explosiveness of McKinnon and Youyoute, the GSU offense might be "scary good" in 2012.

5. Thomas Wilson (Elon)--

Elon will once again be led by Thomas Wilson, who was asked to fill some huge shoes last season, as he replaced the SoCon’s all-time leading passer, Scott Riddle.

Wilson would be in his first season as the full-time starter under center for the Phoenix, and was in his first season as a starting signal-caller for the Phoenix.

The best way to describe Wilson’s performance last season is inconsistent. Still, Wilson managed to marshal the top passing attack, as the Phoenix averaged 281.5 YPG through the air last season.

Wilson is the typical drop-back passer and led the Phoenix to a 5-6 mark in 2011. Wilson certainly benefited from having the league’s top wide receiver, Aaron Mellette.

Wilson enjoyed his top passing game of his career in a narrow victory over North Carolina Central, as he completed 34-of-48 passes for 416 yards, with three TDs and three INTs.

He also looked good in the regular-season finale against Appalachian State--a game in which the Phoenix blew a three-score lead to lose 28-24. He completed 30-of-43 passes for 344 yards, with two TDs and two INTs.

In total, Wilson finished the 2011 campaign connecting on 279-of-411 passes for 3,057 yards, with 23 TDs and 21 INTs. Wilson led the Phoenix in passing yards, TDs, attempts, completions and INTs.

Elon should once again have one of the league’s top passing attacks, but without a proven running back returning, the pressure will once again be squarely on the shoulders of Wilson and Mellette to lead the offense this fall. That will again likely cost Elon the opportunity to compete for a conference title this fall.  They could, however, once again play a significant spoiler with Wilson at the helm.

6. Brian Kass (Wofford)--

Brian Kass will assume the starting responsibilities under center this fall for the Terriers, and as always seems to be the case when Wofford has a new signal-caller slated to start under center, Kass will have some pretty big shoes to fill in the fall.

All Kass must do now is replace the school’s third all-time leader in career offensive yards, in quarterback Mitch Allen, who amassed 4,948 yards during his illustrious career.

Kass saw limited action last fall, as he connected on 8-of-14 passes for 157 yards, with three TDs and no INTs. As a running threat last fall, Kass rushed for 43 yards on 15 attempts. He saw action in eight games for the Terriers, enjoying his best performance in a win over UVa Wise, completing 5-of-8 passes for 101 yards and three TDs.

Kass is more of a passing threat than his predecessor. The rising junior from Raleigh, N.C., had an even better freshman campaign, which saw him pass for 297 yards and four TDs without an INT, while rushing for 156 yards and three scores.

For his Wofford career, Kass has completed 26-of-48 passes for 454 yards and seven TDs, without an INT. He has also rushed for 199 yards and three scores in two seasons backing up Allen.

Allen certainly experienced some difficulties taking over Ayers’ diverse offensive scheme in his first season as the full-time starter back in 2009. I look for Kass to have some of those same problems this season.

It is important to note that Kass is coming off a strong spring and already seems to have a better grasp of the offense than his predecessor when he took over the reins.

But, Wofford is not a passing attack and running is not Kass’ strength. He still could turn out to be a better quarterback than Allen in the long run and he reminds me of former Wofford quarterback Ben Widmyer.

7. Dakota Derrick (Furman)--

In keeping with the theme of major shoes to fill, Furman’s Dakota Derrick will step into a similar role as Kass will, 40 minutes up the road. Derrick must replace Chris Forcier, who became the Paladin’s first First-Team All-SoCon selection since Braniff Bonaventure in 1996.

Forcier may have put together one of the best single seasons in program history, but it was Derrick that went neck-and-neck with him for the starting job until the final week of preseason camp.

Derrick is a totally different quarterback than his predecessor. While he came out of the spring as the clear-cut starter, expect redshirt freshman Travis Eman to give him a battle for the starting responsibilities in preseason camp.

Derrick is a drop-back passer, but has deceptive speed in the open field. I question Derrick's ability to show a good, consistent pocket presence against a pass rush, and his ability to not try and force throws. He sometimes seems hesitant as to whether to run or pass when the pocket breaks down.

Derrick reminds me of a former quarterback for Furman named Brent Rickman. Rickman had a big-time arm, but he was not a good decision maker when teams began to pressure him with various zone blitz schemes.

Rickman ultimately ended up being unseated as Furman’s starter by local Greer, S.C. product Justin Hill by the end of the ‘97 season, and I could certainly see that happening with Eman this fall once he gets a grasp of the Furman offense.

Derrick has a pair of starts in his career, and is 1-1 as a starting quarterback, defeating Western Carolina during his sophomore season. In that 31-17 win over the Catamounts, Derrick debuted by completing 12-of-23 passes for 122 yards and a pair of TDs, while rushing 12 times for 71 yards in the win. For his entire career, Derrick has completed 28-of-58 passes for 300 yards, with two TDs and an INT.

He has a big arm and has developed his accuracy as his career has progressed. Derrick saw limited action last season, completing 8-of-17 passes for 104 yards and a TD.

Eman comes with impressive credentials and he is the quarterback of the future for the Paladins.  He will remind many Paladin fans of a former signal-caller by the name of Frankie DeBusk. DeBusk, of course, led the Paladins to their only national title as a sophomore signal-caller in 1988.

Eman has a strong arm and good speed and could be ready to shine by season’s end if things don’t work with Derrick. In his senior season at Cansius High School, Eman passed for 1,575 yards and 26 TDs, while rushing for 971 yards and 20 scores to lead Canisius to a 7-3 season.

Eman was impressive during the spring for the Paladins, completing 10-of-15 passes for 134 yards and an interception.

Derrick probably has a better chance of leading the Paladins to success early in the season, due to his experience and knowledge of the playbook. But, I expect Furman to be playing two quarterbacks this fall, and while the future is bright at the position, it would be a lot to ask of either to try and do what Forcier did out of nowhere for Furman last season.

8. Ben Neill (Samford)--

Ben Neill will step into the quarterback role this fall, but he will need to hold off Memphis transfer Andy Summerlin in preseason camp.

Neill is yet another quarterback in the SoCon that steps into a difficult role this fall, as he must replace the school’s second all-time leading passer.

Neill has a strong arm and is a drop-back passer much like his predecessor Dustin Taliaferro was.

He saw limited action last season under center and he was involved in all 11 games as the team’s holder on field goals and extra points.

In limited time under center last season, Neill connected on 9-of-14 passes for 89 yards and a TD. Neill saw his most extensive action in a win over Stillman, completing 6-of-9 passes for 43 yards.

Neill came out of spring practice going neck-and-neck for the starting job with Memphis transfer quarterback Andy Summerlin. Summerlin, in the long run, might end up being the starter, but Neill played with both seeing time as the No. 1 under center in the fall.

Summerlin did not pan out at Memphis, but was a 3-star recruit coming out of college, and he is a pro-style quarterback with a strong arm. 

9. Eddie Sullivan (Western Carolina)-

The quarterback picked to lead the Catamount offense in the first season of the Mark Speir spread offense is Eddie Sullivan.

Sullivan was an original committment to Marshall out of high school, and completed 6-of-24 passes for 124 yards and a score, while rushing for 51 yards on 12 attempts as Marshall’s No. 2 signal-caller last season.

Sullivan looked good for the Catamounts in the spring, completing 17-of-27 passes for 207 yards with an INT and a TD in the spring game.

College football in the state of Utah has a fair bit of prestige, thanks to big-time programs BYU and Utah.  However, at the FCS level, the state of Utah doesn't have nearly as much national recognition. 

Weber State was a moderately successful program for six years under head coach Ron McBride, but struggled last season, and the near future doesn't appear to be too bright for the Wildcats with head coach John L. Smith leaving in the offseason to become Bobby Petrino's interim replacement at Arkansas.

Southern Utah University (SUU) is hoping to garner some respect at the FCS level, as they enter their first season in the Big Sky conference.  After spending a fair bit of time in the FCS purgatory known as the Great West Conference, the Thunderbirds opted for an increase in level of competition and national recognition by moving to the respected Big Sky Conference.

The move to a big-time conference (by FCS standards) makes the outlook for SUU football seem pretty optimistic.  However, the big question is whether or not the Thunderbirds will be able to capitalize on the major opportunity that lies in front of them.

There are a few factors working in the Thunderbirds' favor this upcoming season, but there are also a few major obstacles for them to overcome.  Let's look at each of those.

The first major obstacle is the increased difficulty of schedule.  There's a big difference between playing South Dakota and playing Montana.  Top Great West teams like Cal Poly and North Dakota have also moved to the Big Sky, so they aren't losing any any of the more difficult games from past seasons; they are just adding even more difficult games on top of those ones.

The other major obstacle is the loss of several key players for the Thunderbirds this past offseason.  Running back Austin Minefee, who served as a jack-of-all-trades while amassing nearly 2,000 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns last season, is gone.  So is his backup Deckar Alexander.  Also gone from the offense are SUU's top two receivers from last season, Brady Measom and Jared Ursua.  On the defensive side of the ball, the T-birds lost monster defensive lineman Tyler Osborne, as well as star DB's Erron Vonner and Dion Turner.  That's a whole lot of key players who won't be on the field for SUU this upcoming season.

However, the T-birds also have some major contributors returning, and with another year of experience under their belt, they could be quite formidable.  Chief amongst those is senior quarterback Brad Sorenson.  The transfer from in-state powerhouse BYU has had two terrific seasons for SUU so far and will be looked to as the main weapon and leader for the Thunderbird offense this upcoming season.  Expect him to improve on his performance from last season, when he accounted for almost 20 total touchdowns. 

Also returning is the team's leading tackler from last season, linebacker Chad Hansen.  A second consecutive 100-plus tackle season is likely for him, as he will be the focal point of the SUU defense.  Also returning for the T-birds is kicker Colton Cook, arguably one of the best kickers in the nation at the FCS level.  He was 14 of 19 on field goal attempts last season, with three of those misses coming from attempts of over 50 yards.  He is also a great asset in the kickoff game, totaling nine touchbacks last season.

Coach Ed Lamb has some obstacles in front of him to overcome, but with the positive outlook surrounding the program and some key players returning, SUU has a real shot to make their first season in the Big Sky a successful one.

The 2012 season in Southern Conference football is shaping up as one in which we will be focusing on the running back position, with some of the top running backs in FCS football returning.

In 2009, the SoCon had some of the best wide receivers in the nation, with the likes of Andre Roberts (The Citadel), Terrell Hudgins (Elon) and Brian Quick (Appalachian State), all top-flight wideouts.

There have been SoCon seasons like this before for the running back position.

Of course, in the early 2000s, the league had two of the nation’s top running backs in Furman’s Louis Ivory (1998-01) and Georgia Southern’s Adrian Peterson (1998-01).  In 1995, the junior duo of Thomas Haskins (VMI) and Damon Scott (Appalachian State) joined senior Chris Parker (Marshall) as three of the top backs in the country.

In 2012, there will once again be a litany of talent at the position, led by Wofford’s Eric Breitenstein. Breitenstein is the reigning Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year, and the Boone, N.C. native should once again not only be one of the top offensive weapons in the SoCon, but one of a handful of candidates to claim the coveted Walter Payton Award this fall.

In three full seasons as a starter in the Terrier backfield, Breitenstein has rushed for 3,695 yards and 46 TDs, ranking third in Wofford history in career rushing yards and second in career TDs for the Terriers.

Breitenstein has produced the No. 1 and No. 3 best individual rushing campaigns in Wofford history in each of the past two campaigns, and he is coming off a 2012 season which saw him rush for 1,474 yards last fall. He has an excellent chance to become Wofford’s second all-time leading rusher this fall, needing only 157 yards this fall to surpass Kevious Johnson for second all-time on Wofford’s all-time rushing list.

He enjoyed some outstanding rushing performances for the Terriers last season, rushing for a Wofford season-high 217 yards in a win over Elon.

And Breitenstein isn’t alone, as Donovan Johnson returns to the fold for his junior campaign in the Terriers’ backfield.

Over the past two seasons, it has been Johnson who has made the Wofford backfield so versatile. In fact, Johnson wasn’t all that far from reaching the 1,000-yard plateau himself. In fact, Johnson completed the 2011 season with 967 yards and nine TDs in action while mostly in the reserve role at fullback behind Breitenstein.

Johnson posted a pair of big rushing performances last season, with a career-high 173 yards in the 38-17 win over Samford, and a 141-yard performance in the regular-season finale 28-27 win over Chattanooga, both of which helped the Terriers punch their ticket to the FCS postseason.

Just about 40 miles south resides another one of the top running backs in the SoCon, as well as in the FCS, as Furman running back Jerodis Williams will look to build on the 1,000-yard season that was 2011.

Williams’ 1,000-yard rushing season marked the first 1,000-yard campaign by a Paladin running back since the 2003 season, when Hindley Brigham completed the ‘03 season with 1,042 yards.

Williams completed the ‘11 campaign by rushing for 1,055 yards and nine TDs, averaging 5.3 YPC. In his three seasons as a Paladin running back, Williams has rushed for 1,927 yards and 18 TDs.

The Prattville, AL native enjoyed several big performances in 2011, with one of his most memorable performances coming in the season opener against Coastal Carolina, as he rushed for 142 yards and three scores in the 30-23 loss. In the season finale 54-32 loss to SEC East member Florida, Williams rushed for 133 yards and a pair of scores, including a career-long 77-yard scoring run late in the third quarter.

Like Wofford, Georgia Southern has two of the nation’s elite running backs returning to the backfield for the 2012 season. Dominique Swoope and Robert Brown have each rushed for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons.

Swope was the story of the 2011 season, and some have called the rising sophomore running back the best player in the Georgia Southern backfield since Adrian Peterson was toting the pigskin for the Eagles.

Swope finished the 2011 season as the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, completing the campaign with 1,023 yards and seven TDs on 168 rush attempts (6.1 YPC).

Swope came up big in the postseason for the Eagles, producing one of the best rushing performances in the history of Georgia Southern football in the FCS opening round 55-48 win over Old Dominion. In the thrilling win over the Monarchs, he rushed for 255 yards and a couple of TDs on 31 carries.

The performance by Swope marked the first 200-yard rushing performance for the Eagles since Jayson Foster completed the feat in 2007. His rushing total was the fourth-highest single game total by a running back in school history.

In the 45-21 loss to eventual FBS national champion Alabama, Swope showed he could do it against big-time competition as well, finishing with 153 yards and a TD on 18 carries for the Eagles.

Before there was Swope, there was Robert Brown. Brown enters his junior season having rushed for 1,941 yards and 12 TDs so far in his career. Brown became the first Georgia Southern freshman running back to rush for over 1,000 when he finished the 2010 campaign with 1,004 rushing yards.

This past season, Brown started the campaign as the primary ball-carrier for the Eagles, but injuries plagued him in the middle season, and he ended up losing the starting job to Swope. He still managed to finish the campaign with 937 yards and seven TDs.

The Macon, GA product will see a change in position this fall, as he will go from backing up Swope at fullback to starting at one of the slotback positions for the Eagles this fall. Brown enjoyed his best game of the 2011 season for the Eagles against Chattanooga, rushing for 178 yards on 17 carries.

Another running back who made the most of an opportunity given to him last season was Citadel's Darien Robinson.

When Bulldogs starting running back Terrell Dallas went down in the season opener with a season-ending knee injury, Darien Robinson, then just a sophomore, stepped in to take over the starting responsibilities, and quickly became one of the best young running backs in the SoCon in 2011.

Robinson completed the 2011 season rushing for 862 yards and nine TDs, averaging 6.3 YPC. Robinson finished the season ranking sixth in the league in overall rushing average, posting 78.4 yards per outing.

The native of McKeesport, PA will be the focal point of The Citadel’s flexbone attack this fall, as he will likely find himself in the starting role just ahead of Dallas. Robinson enjoyed some strong performances for the Bulldogs last fall, surpassing the century mark on three occasions. His top game of the season came in a 49-42 loss to Appalachian State, as he rushed for 109 yards and one TD.

Another key element of that Citadel backfield this fall will be the aforementioned Dallas, who received a medical redshirt after suffering a torn ACL in the season opener against Jacksonville last fall.

Dallas will enter the 2012 season with 1,252 career rushing yards and 13 rushing scores. Dallas rushed for 665 yards and six TDs in 2010 to lead the Bulldogs. He produced the single-best rushing peformance since the switch to the flexbone offense when he rushed for 172 yards in a win over Presbyterian.

One of the questions facing Samford coming into the 2012 season was how it would replace Chris Evans, all-time leading rusher for not just the school, but the entire state of Alabama.

Evans became one of a handful of FCS players to rush for at least 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons as a Samford running back.  

But the 2011 season would see the emergence of Fabian Truss as the leader of the Bulldogs’ ground attack last fall. Truss managed to have a big sophomore season for Samford.

He proved to be an added threat as a return specialist last season.

In his first season as a full-time starter for the Bulldogs’ backfield, Truss rushed for 847 yards and seven TDs in 10 starts, while also proving to be a solid threat, catching passes out of the Samford backfield and hauling in 23 passes for 137 yards.

Truss’ 84.7 rushing yards per game last fall had him ranking third in the conference behind Breitenstein and Williams in rushing average per game.

Truss enjoyed a couple big rushing performances last season, posting a career-high 191 yards and three rushing scores in a 43-31 win over Elon. In a 26-21 win at Furman, Truss rushed for 136 yards on 26 carries.

Truss also led the league in average all-purpose yards per game last fall, posting an output of 177.4 YPG. As a kick return specialist last fall, Truss ranked second in the SoCon in kick return average, posting 29.3 YPR. Truss also had a kick return for a score last season.

Newcomers To Watch:

Appalachian State hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher at running back since Kevin Richardson last went for 1,348 yards in ASU’s third-straight national championship season in 2007. 

ASU might have its top incoming talent in the backfield since Richardson, although Richardson didn’t establish himself right away as the go-to-back for the Mountaineers. They haven't had a freshman rush for 1,000 yards in the ASU backfield since Chip Hooks rushed for 1,000 yards as a true freshman back during the 1991campaign.

ASU will be rather thin at RB this fall, after the graduation of Travaris Cadet and with Western Kentucky transfer Quarterrio Morgan no longer enrolled in the program as a result of academics. Holloway rushed for 4,844 yards and 77 TDs during his prep career at Asheville High School and was a two star recruit according to Rivals.com.

Just up the road in Cullowhee, N.C., the Catamounts will have another of the league’s top young offensive talents in the backfield, with the signing of Darius Ramsey out of West Rowan High School. The speedy Ramsey finished his final prep season with 1,928 yards and 31 TDs. Ramsey will likely redshirt this season with three experienced RBs returning in front of him, but you never know for sure with a new coaching staff.

Ranking The Top 10 SoCon RBs:

1. Eric Breitenstein--Wofford
2. Jerodis Williams--Furman
3. Dominique Swope--Georgia Southern
4. Robert Brown--Georgia Southern
5. Darien Robinson--The Citadel
6. Fabian Truss--Samford
7. Marquis Green--Chattanooga
8. Donovan Johnson--Wofford
9. Michael Vaughn--Western Carolina
10.Terrell Dallas--The Citadel
 
 
 

Despite posting an 8-4 record in the 2011 football season, Wofford was beset by some heartbreaking defeats last fall.

And one in particular stood out—a 28-21 loss at Northern Iowa in the opening round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs that ended the season for veteran head coach Mike Ayers and the Terriers.

With 14 starters (seven on offense, seven on defense) set to return for the 2012 campaign, the Terriers expect to be back challenging for a Southern Conference crown once again next fall.

Ayers must find a replacement for three-year starter Mitch Allen under center, and that won’t be easy— especially from a running standpoint.

All Allen did was finish his career as the SoCon’s sixth all-time leading rusher, with 2,574 yards.

In spring practice, rising senior Brian Kass (8-of-14, 157 yds, 3 TDs) emerged as the starter, and he will likely be the leading candidate to lead the Old Gold and Black into action when they open the 2012 campaign on Sept. 1 at Gardner-Webb.

Kass has been efficient under center throughout his career, entering the campaign having completed 26-of-48 passes for 454 yards and seven TDs, without having thrown an INT. Kass is nearly the polar opposite of Allen in that he is much more proficient as a passer but does not have quite the running capabilities.

Others competing for the starting job in fall camp will include Michael Weimer and James Lawson. Weimer, a 6'5", 215-pound redshirt freshman from Chapin, S.C., has great size and a strong arm, but it will be interesting to see how he fits the Mike Ayers spread-bone offense. In 20 games as the starter at Chapin High School, Weimer threw for 3,000 yards and recorded 25 passing TDs, while rushing for 11 more scores.

Lawson, a sophomore from Pickens, S.C., will give the Terriers a solid athletic presence under center this fall. However, it’s most likely a two-horse race for the starting position between both Kass and Weimer.

The best news for a ground attack that led the nation once again in rushing last fall is the return of fullback and Walter Payton Award candidate Eric Breitenstein (1,474 yds, 19 TDs, 5.5 YPC) for his senior season.

Breitenstein, who was the Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2011, has already posted one of the greatest careers by a Wofford running back in the history of the program.

He enters his senior season having rushed for 3,695-career yards, which is third on the school’s all-time rushing ledger behind former greats Kevious Johnson (3,851 career yards) and quarterback Shawn Graves (5,128 career yards).

In his standout career for the Terriers, Breitenstein has already produced the No. 1 and No. 3 best single-season rushing yardage totals.  His 1,474 yards last season were third best in school history, while his 1,639 yards in 2010 set the school’s all-time standard for rushing yards gained in a single season.

Breitenstein has had some monster game for the Terriers in his career. In a 38-17 win over No. 17 Furman in 2010, Breitenstein ripped off a 230-yard, four-TD effort, accounting for the most rushing yards by a Wofford running back in a single game since Lamond Smith went for 256 yards in 1994. Last season, Breitenstein posted a 217-yard rushing performance in the 48-28 homecoming win over Elon.

Breitenstein completed the 2011 season ranked 10th nationally in rushing yards.

Flanking Breitenstein as the two wing backs this fall for the Terriers will be Donovan Johnson (110 ATT, 967 YDS, 9 TDs, 8.8 YPC) and Brad Nocek (28 ATT, 168 YDS, 6.0 YPC). 

Both Nocek and Johnson are experienced performers and will once again be dangerous threats on the perimeter for the Terriers.

Johnson will also likely see some action at fullback in relief of Breitenstein. He is one of the most versatile running backs in the SoCon, and if it weren’t for Breitenstein, he might be an all-conference performer at fullback. In the Sept. 24 win over Samford, Johnson was part of three-headed rushing attack as he went for a career-high 173 yards in the 38-24 win.

Rising senior Bryan Youman (47 ATT, 274 YDS, 3 TDs, 5.8 YPC) should also play a significant role in the Wofford backfield this fall and will likely compete for a starting job as a Terrier wingback in fall camp.

One of the major losses on the offensive side of the football for Wofford heading into the 2012 season is wide receiver Brenton Bersin. All Bersin did in his senior campaign was haul in 26 passes for 445 yards and a couple of TDs (17.1 YPR) to lead the Terriers.

Set to replace Bersin as Wofford’s primary receiving target will be wideout Jeff Ashley (7 REC, 188 YDS, 2 TDs, 26.9 AVG), who finished the 2011 season as the Terriers' second-leading wideout.

Ashley is coming off a strong spring, and is poised to build upon what was a solid sophomore campaign last fall. The 6'3", 185-pound receiver has excellent hands, good speed, and he isn’t scared to mix it up as a blocker on the edge.

There are other young wide receivers that also may contribute this fall for the Terriers, including a pair of talented, young redshirt freshmen, Rickman Davis and Will Irwin. Rob Greene also returns for his sophomore campaign.

With the graduation of Joseph Inman at tight end, the Terriers will now rely on rising junior Michael Harpe (2 rec, 64 yds, 2 TDs, 32.0 YPR) to be a presence both as a receiver and blocker this fall. The 6-2, 227-pound native of Spartanburg has good hands and is also a solid perimeter blocking presence.

Both of Harpe’s receptions last fall ended up being scoring catches in Wofford’s 47-14 rout of UVa-Wise.

The offensive line returns four of five starters for the 2012 campaign.

It’s a unit that helped the Terriers once again lead the FCS in rushing average last season, as the Terriers churned out an average of 364.6 YPG.

The bad news, however, is the one loss along the front is a significant one. RG Nate Page garnered the SoCon’s prestigious Jacobs Blocking Award for his efforts in his senior season along the Terriers offensive front.

Expected to inherit the unenviable task of replacing Page will be senior T.J. White, who is coming off a solid spring. The four starters returning for Ayers’ Terriers this fall: Tymeco Gregory (LG), Calvin Cantrell (LT), Jared Singleton (C) and Jake Miles (RT). Cantrell, who enters his senior season, is the best of the bunch.

This corps of four offensive linemen helped the Terriers’ offense rank second in the SoCon in scoring (32.3 PPG) and top the league in total offense (444.7 YPG).

Defensively, the Terriers return seven starters from a unit that was once again among the league’s elite, as Wofford ranked second in total defense (311.8 YPG), fifth in scoring defense (24.3 PPG), first in total defense (135.8 YPG) and sixth in pass defense (176.0 YPG).

The most devastating losses as a result of graduation might be felt on the defensive line where Ameet Pall, Eric Eberhardt and Alex Goultry have all graduated.

The revamped defensive line will definitely be one of the storylines heading into spring for the Terriers. A trio of talented players return hoping to fill those vacancies along the defensive line this fall, which include Zach Bobb, Tarek Odom and Allen Smith.

Bobb and Smith will likely compete for starting jobs at defensive end, while Odom will be in line to take the starting job at nose tackle. Odom was one of the bright stars on the Wofford defense last season, as he garnered SoCon All-Freshman Team honors.

A trio of talented redshirt freshmen defensive ends return, in Jordan Pope, Daniel Patton and Ethan Gaskins, while veteran Josh Roseborough returns for his senior season at nose tackle.

Linebacker has always been a strength for the Terriers and the 2012 season should be no different.

The Terriers welcome the return of all four starters, including outside linebacker Alvin Scioneaux (85 tackles, 17.0 TFL, 8.5 SCK, 5 FF), who enters the 2012 season as one of the top defensive players in the Southern Conference.

Scioneaux stepped up and played along the defensive front last season as an extra defensive end, finishing the 2011 campaign as Wofford’s sacks leader. Scioneaux was an All-SoCon First Team selection by the league’s media, while garnering second-team honors according to the league’s coaches.

Scioneaux had three double-digit tackle games last season for the Terriers, with a season-high of 11 tackles coming against both The Citadel and Western Carolina.  

Joining the athletic Scioneaux as a starter as a leader at linebacker for the Terriers this fall will be redshirt senior inside linebacker Mike Niam (83 TACK, 6.0 TFL), who will also likely compete for All-SoCon accolades this fall.

Niam, who has battled knee problems his whole career, fashioned a strong 2011 season, finishing second on the team in total tackles.

Rounding out the starters at linebacker for the Terriers this fall will be junior Mike McCrimon (62 TACK, 5.0 TFL) at inside linebacker, while senior Phillip LeGrande (34 TACK, 3.0 TFL) will join Scioneaux at outside linebacker.

McCrimon is one of the best athletes on the defensive side of the football for the Terriers, as he holds the school record in the triple jump.

The secondary also returns its fair share of talent for the 2012 season, with four players—including three starters—returning with solid experience. The only loss was the graduation of cornerback Preston Roseborough.

The three returning starters as a part of the unit heading into the 2012 season will be senior strong safety Kendall Bratcher and junior free safety James Zotto.

Bratcher and Zotto are veterans and will give the Wofford secondary a physical edge. Zotto finished third on the team on tackles last fall and was solid in coming up and making plays against the run.

The two cornerback positions will likely be manned by Blake Wylie (3 INT) and Stephon Shelton.

Wylie is one of the best coverage corners in the SoCon and will contend for all-league honors this fall, while Shelton is talented and athletic.

The special teams unit should be in good shape with the return of placekicker Christian Reed (4-of-6 FG) and punter Kasey Redfern (37.1). 

Last season at this time, Furman head coach Bruce Fowler was busy trying to hire a staff for the 2011 Football season, however, this season Fowler and the Paladins appear to be in much better shape.

Fowler did about what was expected of him in his first season back in Greenville, after spending nine seasons in Nashville as the defensive coordinator for the Vanderbilt Commodores under longtime friend and Commodores’ head coach Bobby Johnson.

The Paladins finished the campaign with a 6-5 overall mark and a 5-3 league ledger, which was good enough for a third-place finish in the Southern Conference standings.  

Not only did the Paladins improve their overall record by one game in Fowler’s first season at the helm, the Paladins also captured a pair of wins over top-five foes, handing No. 4 Wofford a 26-21 loss on Oct. 22 and No. 3 Appalachian State a 20-10 setback on Nov. 5.

The win over the Appalachian State Mountaineers snapped a six-game skid to the Black and Gold, dating back to the 2005 campaign, and was just Furman’s second win over ASU since 2001. The two wins over top-five ranked opponents last season marked the first time in school history that Furman has knocked off a pair of top-five foes in the regular season in school history.

Furman saw another of its staples from previous years return in 2011, as Paladin fans played witness to the return of a physical ground game. For the first time since 2003, the Paladins had a running back rush for over 1,000 yards, with Jerodis Williams eclipsing the millennium mark, with 1,055 rushing yards rushing in 11 games last season.

Fifteen starters return to highlight the 2012 campaign, however, the Paladins lost arguably their best players on both sides of the football, with first-team All-Southern Conference quarterback Chris Forcier having graduated, as well as first-team All-America cornerback Ryan Steed and first team All-SoCon linebacker Kadarron Anderson on the defensive side of the football.

While the Paladins struggled more than expected at times on the defensive side of the football, the aggression and physicality was back on the defensive side of the football for the Paladins. That was something that had been lacking in the twilight of Bobby Lamb’s career at the helm of the program.

Though the Paladins finished ranking eighth in the SoCon in total defense (374.5 YPG) last season, the Paladins did manage to effectively cause turnovers last season, as the Paladins completed the campaign tied overall for turnover margin (+9, 0.82) with the Chattanooga Mocs.

On offense, the Paladins were explosive, finishing the 2011 season ranking fourth in scoring offense (28.6 PPG), fifth in total offense (389.4 YPG), fourth in rushing offense (166.8 YPG) and fifth in passing offense (222.5 YPG).  

That explosiveness came from Forcier under center, who set a school record for passing efficiency (172.36) in a single-season, and ended the campaign ranking tops in the FCS in that particular stat. Forcier threw a single-season school-record 23 TDs, while his 2,265 yards passing for the campaign were fourth-most in program history.

 Forcier became the first Furman quarterback to garner first-team All-SoCon accolades since 1996, when Braniff Bonaventure garnered first-team All-SoCon honors.

If the Paladins hope to return to postseason play for the first time since 2006, it will have to start by getting consistent play from the quarterback position this fall. Dakota Derrick and Travis Eman competed for the starting job in the spring, with the senior Derrick emerging from spring drills as the starter for the Paladins, but Eman, a redshirt freshman, did not seem to be all that far behind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbME0OWpg84

Derrick, a 6-4, 210-pound product of Conway, S.C., is slated to take over the reins under center this fall, as he came out of the spring as the starter. Derrick has a big arm and has developed his accuracy as his career has progressed. Derrick saw limited action last season, completing 8-of-17 passes for 104 yds and a TD.

Derrick has a pair of starts in his career, and is 1-1 as a starting quarterback, defeating Western Carolina during his sophomore season. In that 31-17 win over the Catamounts, Derrick completed 12-of-23 passes for 122 yards and a pair of TDs, while rushing 12 times for 71 yards in the win. For his entire career, Derrick has completed 28-of-58 passes for 300 yards, with two TDs and an INT.

Derrick will have some stiff competition on his hands for the starting quarterback position, competing with Eman for the starting responsibilities under center. Eman has a strong arm and good speed, and is the quarterback of the future for Furman football. In his senior season at Cansius High School, Eman passed for 1,575 yards and 26 TDs, while rushing for 971 yards and 20 scores to lead Canisius to a 7-3 season.

Eman was impressive during the spring for the Paladins, completing 10-of-15 passes for 134 yards and an interception. 

Furman will have one of the best ground options in the Southern Conference this fall, with the return of senior running back Jerodis Williams (199 rush att, 1,055 yds, 9 TDs, 5.3 YPC). Williams is a key piece to the puzzle once again for the Paladins this fall, and all he did last season was become Furman’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2003, when Hindley Brigham rushed for 1,048 yards.

Williams was instrumental in the Paladins’ 6-5 campaign, helping Furman re-establish itself as a team that could move the ball effectively on the ground when it needed yards. Williams provided the punch for Furman’s ground attack in each of the first two games last season, posting a 142-yard, three TD performance in the season-opening loss at Coastal Carolina, while following up that performance by going for 122 yards on 28 carries in the Paladins’ 16-6 road win.

Williams also got it done against the name opponent on Furman’s schedule last season, posting a big day in Furman’s 54-32 loss to Florida. In that contest, Williams went for 133 yards and a pair of TDs, including a season and career long 77-yard scamper for a score late in the third quarter.

Joining forces with Williams in the Furman backfield this fall will be Hank McCloud (58 att, 241 yds, 1 TD), who is coming off a strong redshirt freshman campaign, which saw him provide plenty of support to Williams in the Paladin backfield.

McCloud, a 5-8, 184-pound sophomore, is a running back that runs much more powerfully than his frame would suggest. He ended the campaign as the Paladins’ third-leading rusher, and posted his best overall rushing performance in the win at Western Carolina, rushing for 61 yards on 12 carries in the win.  Look for McCloud to be used more as a receiving option out of the Paladin backfield next fall, as he ended the 2011 campaign with three receptions for 37 yards.

Furman has lost some quality talent to graduation over the past couple of seasons, graduating the school’s all-time leading pass-catcher, Adam Mims, two years ago, and will have to replace two of the top four receiving options this fall, with the graduation of Sederrick Cunningham and Tyler Maples. Cunningham proved useful as a deep ball threat down the stretch last season, while Maples was a reliable underneath threat as a possession receiver, but did possess quickness and was an excellent route-running wideout.

The cupboard, however, is certainly not bare when looking at the talent returning in Furman’s receiving corps for the 2012 season, led by the return of maybe the top tight end in FCS football, in senior Colin Anderson (40 rec, 696 yds, 7 TDs, 17.4 YPR).

Anderson is not only a reliable, big target, he is also extremely athletic. He is the first tight end to lead the Paladins in overall receiving since 1996, when Luther Broughton was the Paladins’ main threat in the passing game.  In his previous three seasons combined, the former high school quarterback from Dallas, Texas, has hauled in 60 passes for 1,043 yards and 11 TDs.

Anderson’s 11 TD receptions in three seasons are the most ever by a Furman tight end, surpassing the former great Brette Simmons’ 10-career TD catches from 1974-78. Anderson is also within striking distance of Furman’s all-time receiving yards mark for a Furman tight end, which also currently held by Broughton, who finished his four years in the Purple and White with 1,565 yards receiving. Anderson needs 523 yards receiving this fall to set a new all-time mark. His seven TD grabs in a single season last fall ranked tied for sixth all-time for TD grabs in a single-season by a receiver.

 Anderson also threw a TD pass on a double-pass in the season finale loss at Florida. His TD pass was a 47-yard strike to a wide-open Cunningham, who had gotten behind the Florida secondary for the easy score.  

When Furman is not looking to Anderson, the Paladins will no doubt be looking to Ryan Culbreath (18 rec, 265 yds, 2 TDs, 14.7 YPR) and Daniel McFadden (8 rec, 180 yds, 2 TDs, 22.5 YPR).

Culbreath has tight end size, at 6-4, 215 lbs. He has an excellent pair of hands and with his physicality, has the ability to cause matchup problems for the SoCon’s smaller corners. Culbreath will once again line up as the Paladins starter at split end. Culbreath had four catches for 63 yards and a TD in a late-season loss to Elon, while hauling in three passes for 69 yards, including a season-long 43-yarder, in a 26-21 win over fourth-ranked Wofford. With a big season this fall, Culbreath could start putting himself on the NFL radar heading into his senior campaign of 2013.

While Culbreath will start at split end, expect Daniel McFadden to move Cunningham’s former position as the starting flanker for the Paladins. McFadden has the type of speed to get behind defenses just as Cunningham provided last season. McFadden turned in his strongest performance of the 2011 campaign in the 62-21 win over Presbyterian, hauling in a pair of passes, both of which went for TDs (39 and 20 yds) for 59 yards in the rout. He had a season-long 61-yard reception in Furman’s late-season loss to Elon.

One of the real surprises at wide receiver this fall for the Paladins could be walk-on Will King (3 rec, 20 yds, 1 TD) and redshirt freshman Gary Robinson. King caught his lone TD pass in Furman’s win over PC, while Robinson’s speed could be a factor this fall, likely backing up McFadden at flanker.  Robinson could also be a significant contributor on special teams for Furman this fall.

The offensive line must find a way to replace a couple of veteran starters, graduating both center Daniel Spisak and First-Team All-SoCon offensive tackle Ryan Lee. Both will be missed, but a solid nucleus of three regulars return for the 2012 campaign, including a pair of all-league honorees.

Furman left tackle Dakota Dozier was a Second-Team All-Southern Conference selection last season, and has been called by the current coaching staff as having the potential of being one of the best to ever suit up along the offensive line for Furman. The 6-4, 291-pound product of West Columbia, S.C., started all 11 games for the Paladins last season, and has great feet and overall athleticism.

Joining Dozier in all-conference recognition last season was redshirt freshman Charles Emert, who garnered SoCon All-Freshman team accolades after starting at various positions along the offensive front last season, with the majority of those starting assignments coming in four starts at left guard.  The Statesboro, Ga., native showed his versatility by also logging starts at right tackle last fall.

Rounding out the returning starters along the offensive line for the Paladins heading into the 2012 season will be Ryan Storms, who will likely enter preseason camp as the starter at right guard entering fall camp. Storms has garnered starts in 12 games out of the 16 he has played in his career.

The only real question mark for the Paladins remains at the center position, with the graduation of Spisak. Spisak was a stalwart along the offensive line each of his four seasons for the Paladins, logging action as the Paladins’ full-time starter at center for three seasons. Spisak might be replaced by Emert at center in the fall, as that was Emert’s originally recruited position.

The defensive side of the football actually saw the Paladins yield two less yards in Bobby Lamb’s last season at the helm than the 374.9 given up by the Paladins in Fowler’s first season at the helm.  It was evident, however, that there was a different mentality on the defensive side of the ball for the Paladins in 2011.

The biggest noticeable difference was the Paladins’ physicality, with numerous hits that jarred football’s loose last season, which had been a missing element for Furman defenses since the early 2000s. The Paladins finished the 2011 campaign tied for first in turnover margin (+9, 0.82) last season, and with 25 total sacks on the campaign, Furman tripled its total of eight sacks last season and totaled more sacks in 2011 than the past two seasons combined.    

There are significant losses to be accounted for on the defensive side of the football, as the Paladins lose their two top defensive players from a year ago, in cornerback Ryan Steed and linebacker Kadarron Anderson, who both garnered numerous accolades during their respective senior seasons, including All-America honors.

A solid contingent of eight starters returns on the defensive side of the football for the Paladins in 2012, including a few solid honors candidates. It was just a few years ago that many that followed the Furman football program were maligning the defensive line talent, however, now the unit might be the strongest on the Furman defense.

One of the leaders on the defensive side of the football this fall for the Paladins will be rising senior defensive end Josh Lynn (49 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, 5.0 sacks). The 6-4, 264-pound native of Fort Lawn, S.C, completed the 2011 season garnering second team All-Southern Conference honors.

Lynn was instrumental in helping revive what had been a stagnate pass-rush for the Paladins in recent seasons. Lynn’s five sacks were good enough to lead the Paladins in that category last season, and was part of a season which saw the Furman defense amass a total of 21 sacks. Lynn enters his senior campaign with 21.5 tackles-for-loss and six sacks.

The other bookend position will feature another player on the defensive line who should enter the 2012 campaign as an All-SoCon honors candidate, in Shawn Boone (27 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, 1 PBU). Boone’s power and athleticism have made him a force in his first two seasons as a starter.

The real area of concern for head coach Bruce Fowler heading into the 2011 season was the defensive interior, which was a little undersized. The Paladins have three of four defensive tackles that logged a majority of the action returning for the 2012 season. The only loss as a result of graduation heading into 2012 is Cody Reynolds.

Colton Keig (32 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 1 FR) returns for his senior season at defensive tackle, while Neal Rodgers (21 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 0.5 sack) and Tyreek Phillips (23 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 1 FF). Phillips was regarded as a “project” player when he entered the program a couple of years ago, but under the direction of Ricky Logo, and now new defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey, he has honed his raw skills and athleticism to become what coaches believe to be a major contributor in the teeth of the Furman run defense this fall.

The linebacking corps will not have the usual stalwarts Chris Wiley and the aforementioned Anderson, as both have moved on as a result of graduation, but the Paladins have stockpiled linebacker talent in each of the past couple of recruiting classes.

Headlining the Paladin linebacking corps this fall will be ‘bandit’ Mitch McGrath (87 tackles, 13.5 TFLs, 4.0 sacks, 4 INTs, 3 FFs, 1 FR). McGrath was arguably Furman’s defensive MVP last season, despite playing somewhat in the shadows of his more heralded teammates, Steed and Anderson.  

McGrath’s athleticism and physicality on the defensive side of the football last season was part of the defensive ‘attitude’ that Furman exhibited throughout the Bobby Johnson era and in the first few seasons of the Bobby Lamb era at Furman, as his bone-jarring hits were a constant reminder of the attempt at regaining respect. McGrath will no doubt enter the campaign as an all-conference selection and potential All-America candidate.

It was McGrath’s performance in a 14-7 win at Chattanooga that nearly single-handedly won the tough road contest and earned him Sports Network National Player of the Week plaudits. All McGrath did was tally nine tackles, four sacks, an INT, force a fumble and recover a fumble in the seven point road win.  

The likely replacement at middle linebacker this fall is Matt Solomon (22 tackles, 1.5 TFLs). A solid reserve for three seasons behind Anderson and former Paladin standout middle linebacker Andrew Jones, Solomon will finally get his chance to make a name for himself in the middle of the Furman defense where so many predecessors in the middle have.

Wiley’s likely replacement at the weak side linebacker post will likely be Gary Wilkins (46 tackles, 0.5 TFLs, 1 BLK), who might be the best athlete on the team. Wilkins saw significant action in his redshirt freshman campaign for the Paladins, and was a significant role player on special teams as well, using his leaping ability to affect punts, and even recording a partially blocked punt in the season-opener against Coastal Carolina. His 46 tackles were good enough to rank Wilkins sixth on the tackles ledger last season.

The secondary should once again be strong, returning three of four starters for the 2012 season, however, replacing the school’s top all-time cornerback Ryan Steed will not exactly be easy.

Slated to draw the starting responsibilities at the respective cornerback positions this fall will be Derrick Murray (23 tackles, 1 INT) and Austin Williams (10 tackles, 1 PBU). Cortez Johnson (11 tackles, 1 FR), Marcus McMorris (18 tackles, 1 FR, 1 INT) and E.J. Vinsang (25 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack) will also be in the mix to challenge for some significant playing time at cornerback this season.

Murray and Williams split starting duties at the corner position opposite Steed last season. I expect McMorris will make a strong charge at a starting job in fall camp. He was one of the most impressive young talents in the Furman last season.

The real strength of the secondary should be the safety duo of the potential all-league tandem of Greg Worthy (80 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, 3 INTs, 3 PBUs) and Nathan Wade (75 tackles, 5.0 TFLs, 1 FR, 3 PBUs). Both are physical and can be game-changers for the Paladins this fall.

Furman must see improvement from its place-kicking this fall, but rising junior Ray Early had a strong spring and appears poised and ready to overcome what was an abysmal sophomore season. The Paladins must also replace punter Chas Short.

Furman and The Citadel have been hating each other on the Southern Conference gridiron for a long time, as the two Palmetto State institutions are the only charter football members of the Southern Conference.

The Citadel and Furman have met 91 times previously, with the Paladins holding 57-31-3 all-time series edge, and there have been plenty of memorable meetings between the two Palmetto State schools.

The Paladins and Bulldogs rivalry has much to do with the contrast of both schools—The Citadel being a disciplined military education that prepares a man for the world and to be a leader through service, while Furman’s stringent academic standards challenge good minds to be great ones. They are both vastly different and both offer a quality education, but both fanbases view each other in a condescending manner.

For Citadel fans, Furman is usually viewed as the school full of students that wear Polo, drive BMWs and is only for students who have family members who are members of the bourgeoisie.

Furman fans view Citadel cadets as “bellhops,” mostly due to their uniforms resembling that of your upscale hotel porter. They also have the condescending view of Citadel cadets as being “West Point rejects” or members of a lesser military institution than those of the other major service academies, Army, Navy and Air Force.

Both stereotypes are vastly skewed, and both are quality institutions which offer outstanding educations in their own right, but the aforementioned stereotypes each fanbase holds for the other institution is what makes the rivalry what it is to this day.

For a long time, the Furman-Citadel rivalry was a significant part of rivalry week, as the Paladins and Bulldogs met on the final week of the college football season. However, after a nine-game winning streak from 1982-90, Citadel Athletics Director Walt Nadzak petitioned to have the game moved to the middle of October rather than at the end of the campaign.

Nadzak would win that petition and the game was moved to mid-October instead of the end of the season in 1993, and with that move, the rivalry lost a little of its luster.

However, the 2012 season will see the game moved back to the end of the campaign.

Greatest Moments In The Rivalry

There have been so many great moments in the rivalry, narrowing to just a few might be hard. Though Furman has dominated the series, The Citadel has had their moments over the years.  

Certainly the Bulldogs did enjoy some success at the beginning of the 1990s, as The Citadel claimed four-straight wins in the rivalry from 1991-94.

It was during the Bulldogs’ golden era that they enjoyed some of their most memorable moments in the series, with most Citadel fans holding the 1991 and ’92 wins over the Paladins in particularly high regard.

Led by quarterback Jack Douglas and fullback Everette Sands, the Bulldogs, led by legendary Citadel coach Charlie Taaffe, posted a 10-6 win in ’91 and a 20-14 win over the Paladins in a driving rainstorm in ’92.

It was the 1998 meeting between the two that saw the Bulldogs forge a comeback for the record books. It was October 17, 1998, and Paladin Stadium was especially alive with the home-side nearly fully purple and white on what was a beautiful, mid-October Saturday afternoon.

It looked as if it would be a near-perfect sequence of events on that particular homecoming Saturday, and after the Paladins jumped out to a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter, it looked like a homecoming win over the arch-rival Bulldogs would be a mere formality.

Former standout Furman wide receiver Des Kitchings was in high gear on that afternoon, scoring two of the Paladins three TDs in the contest—one of which came on 65-yard run on a reverse, and the other coming on a 52-yard pass from quarterback Justin Hill early in the second quarter, which gave the Paladins a 21-0 lead with 10:30 remaining in the half.

That is where the perfect Saturday for the Paladins would end, however, as the Bulldogs stormed back dominated the next 40 minutes of football. It was Citadel signal-caller Stanley Myers and running back Antonio Smith that did a large majority of the damage, as the duo would keep the Paladin defense off-balance the remainder of the game to help the Bulldogs to the 25-24 win.

Myers connected on an astounding 18-of-19 passes in the contest for 167 yards and a TD, while Smith rushed for 110 yards and a couple of TDs to help the Bulldogs rebound for the win. Myers completed 18-straight passes against the Paladin defense, setting a new Southern Conference standard for consecutive pass-completions in a single game. That record would later be shattered by Appalachian State’s Richie Williams, also against the Paladins, when he completed 28-consecutive throws against the Paladins in 2004.

Trailing 25-24, the Paladins had a chance to win the contest late in the fourth quarter, driving all the way to the Citadel 31, but Jason Wells’ potential game-winning field goal was blocked by Citadel cornerback Marcus Johnson and the Bulldogs were able to preserve the one-point, come-from-behind win.

The two have had a pair of overtime decisions in the recent past. Both the 2005 and ’07 meetings needed overtime to decide things between the two archrivals, and both were at The Citadel’s Johnson-Hagood Stadium.

It was Furman that fell behind 21-7 in the ’05 contest, and the Paladins had plenty of ground to make up when starting signal-caller Ingle Martin exited the lineup with cramps in the third quarter in the sweltering Charleston October heat.

Backup signal-caller Renaldo Gray would come into the contest, and his versatility as a run-pass threat would save the fifth-ranked Paladins, as Furman would score 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to force overtime, eventually winning a triple overtime thriller, 39-31.

The Paladins had only 226 yards of total offense through the first three quarters, as their offense was stymied. However, after Gray came into the game, the Paladin offense found another gear and generated 235 yards the remainder of the game in getting the thrilling win.

In 2007, it was the Duran Lawson show, as the Bulldogs rolled up a school-record 641 yards en route to a 54-51 overtime win over the Paladins on another warm afternoon in the Port City.

The 641 yards gained by the Bulldogs were not only a Citadel record for single-game total offense, it was also the most yards ever given up by a Paladin defense, eclipsing the previous record surrendered by a Furman defense, which was 640 yards to Georgia Southern in the 1985 national championship game.

Lawson set a single-game Citadel record for total offense, accounting for 486 total offensive yards (386 passing, 100 rushing) of the 641 yards gained by the Bulldogs offense on the afternoon.

Not lost in the loss for the Paladins was the performance by wideout Patrick Sprague, who had a record-breaking afternoon for a Furman receiver. Sprague caught nine passes for 238 yards and three scores, setting the school record for receiving yards in a single game.

In stark contrast to the ‘05 and ’07 meetings, the ’03 meeting  in Charleston was one that was a much more defensively slanted contest, with the Bulldogs taking a narrow 10-9 win, benefiting mostly from late-game Paladin miscues.

Furman rebounded from a 10-0 halftime deficit, getting a 29-yard field goal from Danny Marshall late in the third quarter and the Paladins finally found the end zone via Furman backup quarterback Josh Stepp, who scampered in from three yards out to make the score 10-9. However, a bad exchange on the extra-point attempt forced the Paladins into a botched PAT.

Furman was then forced into an onside kick to try and get the ball back, but The Citadel recovered and was able to run all but 12 seconds off the game clock. The Paladins eventually got the ball back with only 12 seconds remaining at their own 16, but could not get within Marshall’s field-goal range and time ran out, with the Bulldogs holding on for the 10-9 win.

One of the memories that will forever live in the minds of Furman fans will be the 1978 meeting between the two schools—a matchup that would ultimately end up deciding the Southern Conference title—with Furman getting a 17-13 win over the Bulldogs to claim the crown.

Furman needed a goal-line stand on a Citadel drive late in the fourth quarter, as the Paladins kept talented Citadel running back Stump Mitchell out of the Sirrine Stadium on a fourth-and-goal, allowing Furman to claim the first of its league-standard 12 Southern Conference crowns. The Paladins went on to finish 8-3 in 1979.

With Furman having no hopes of reaching the postseason in 1987, the one game that meant something to Paladin nation was the regular-season finale at Citadel’s Johnson-Hagood Stadium, and this game alone would play a huge role in establishing momentum for Furman’s lone national championship season in 1988.

The Paladins entered the contest with a 6-4 record, while the Bulldogs came into the matchup with a 4-6 overall mark. The Paladins handed the Bulldogs one of their worst beatings inside the friendly confines, rolling up a school record 676 yards en route to a 58-13 win.

Furman denied the Bulldogs a shot at the league title in 1988 (30-13) and in 1990 (30-17), with the 1990 contest between the two rivals being before the third-largest crowd (18,190) in Paladin Stadium history.

The two met in what was another tough, hard-fought game in Charleston last season, with the Paladins getting a 16-6 win over the Bulldogs in Charleston. The win proved to be another milestone moment for the Furman football program, as it was Bruce Fowler’s first win as a head coach and first win at the helm of his alma mater. It was Paladin field-goal kicker Chas Short, a smash-mouth ground-attack and a gritty performance by the Furman defense, which aided the Paladins to the 10-point victory.

Short connected on three field goals, including a 46-yarder with under three minutes to play, to give the Paladins a double-digit advantage and allowing them to leave Charleston with an all-important win in their Southern Conference opener in tow.

Jerodis Williams powered the Furman offensive efforts, and helped Furman control the ball and the clock against The Citadel’s ball-control, flexbone offense. All Williams did was eclipse the century mark for the Paladins for the second-straight game, finishing the contest with a 122-yard rushing effort, which came on 28 rush attempts. Furman’s defense held The Citadel in check, limiting the Bulldogs to just 301 yards of total offense.

With the game set to return to the end of the season this fall, it will be interesting to see what is on the line when the two meet at the end of the season for first time in two decades. Who knows, it could once again be a playoff spot, or perhaps a Southern Conference title. Time will tell, but both teams will be improved this fall and dark horses for the SoCon crown.  

The Chattanooga Mocs were the SoCon darlings two years ago, and many felt they were a play away from the postseason, and two games against FBS foes didn't help either.

The Mocs were 12 points away from the postseason last year, and quite simply, an offense that was supposed to be explosive was anything but in 2011.

This fall, the Mocs return eight starters on offense, but among the three losses on offense are quarterback B.J. Coleman and Joel Bradford. Both Bradford and Coleman battled injuries last season, but a majority of the lack of offensive productivity for the Mocs last season could be laid directly at the feet of the offensive line, which had to replace three starters along the offensive front entering the season.

One of the good things that did come out of what was a dismal 5-6 finish for the Mocs last season was the fact that the Mocs got some good experience for their younger players on the offensive side of the football, such as signal-caller Terrell Robinson (27-of-43 passing, 336 yds, 6 TDs, 3 INTs/90 rus att, 417 yds, 5 TDs, 4.6 YPC).

While the season was a struggle for the Mocs, those struggles couldn't be put on Robinson, who would go on to become the first Mocs player to garner the award since 1987, when James Brooks claimed the Freshman of the Year plaudit.

Robinson has Armanti Edwards-like potential under center for the Mocs if he can improve as a passer. He showed the whole Southern Conference what he could do in UTC’s heartbreaking road loss at Georgia Southern last season. Robinson came off the bench and put together a near flawless effort in 2.5 quarters of work in relief of an injured B.J. Coleman. All Robinson did was rush for 114 yards and three scores, while completing 5-of-9 passes for 62 yards and an INT.

For Robinson to lead the Chattanooga offense back to respectability, he must get more support from his offensive line and other offensive backfield mates in order to make the Mocs’ offense more versatile.

The running back position is a deep one heading into fall camp, with three worthy backs to tote the pigskin returning. Marquis Green (120 rush att., 530 yds, 3 TDs, 4.4 YPC), Keon Williams (103 rush att., 500 yds, 4 TDs, 4.9 YPC) and Chris Awuah (58 rush att., 227 yds, 3 TDs, 3.9 YPC/9 REC, 121 YDS, 13.4 YPR ) are all back and poised to be a dangerous three-headed monster this fall.

Green led the Mocs in rushing a year ago and showed future promise for the Mocs in the offensive backfield, garnering SoCon All-Freshman Team honors for the Mocs in 2011. His 530 rushing yards as a freshman last season were the second-most all-time by a UTC freshman running back.

Williams was the highest rated offensive recruit a couple of years ago, and he was immediately thrust into the fold when Bryan Fitzgerald decided to give up football as a result of injuries. Williams was a workhorse in his first season, but was dismissed from the team last season for violating team rules. Williams is powerful and fast, and performed well in the spring. He will be a player to watch this fall and I wouldn’t be surprised if he earns the starting job in the offensive backfield by the time fall camp concludes.

Awuah might be the best all-around athlete of the three running backs heading into the season as he enters the campaign. In his career as a Chattanooga running back, the rising senior has fashioned a couple of solid seasons for the Mocs, especially in his freshman season of 2009 when he garnered SoCon All-Freshman team accolades after leading the Mocs with 459 rushing yards during that campaign. He enters his senior campaign with 803 career rushing yards and eight TDs on 237 attempts (3.4 YPC). He will also benefit the Mocs in the return game and as an extra receiving threat out of the backfield this coming fall.

The patchwork offensive line the Mocs had last season was one of the worst the program has had in quite awhile. Chattanooga completed the 2011 season yielding  24 sacks, which ranked eighth out of nine teams in the sacks against category. Only lowly Western Carolina, which surrendered 36 sacks last fall, was worse.

The Mocs return four starters from the inexperienced front of a year ago, with the veteran-most player along that offensive front being rising junior Adam Miller, who should contend for All-SoCon honors at right tackle this fall.

Kevin Revis (RG), Patrick Sutton (C) and Brandon Morgan (LT) round out the returning starters along the offensive line for the Mocs heading into the fall. Sutton was a walk-on who started every game for the Mocs last season, while Revis logged starts in 10 of 11 games for the Mocs, while Morgan booked eight starts.

Despite losing Bradford, who finished his career as the school’s fifth all-time leading receiver (1,944 yds), the Mocs should be strong at wide receiver this fall, led by Marlon Anthony (27 rec, 333 yds, 4 TDs, 12.3 YPR).

Anthony has good size and athleticism and is ready to step into his role of being the team's leading wide receiver this fall. Anthony enjoyed his best season as a sophomore, hauling in four passes for a career-high 86 yards and a TD in the 28-27 loss to Wofford. Anthony is set to start at the split end receiver position for the Mocs this fall.

Joining Anthony as a part of what should be a strong corps of wideouts this fall will be Tommy Hudson (5 catches, 30 yds), who came out of the spring as the Mocs' starter at slot receiver. The speedy Hudson didn't see all that much action last fall, but he is poised for a big season in 2012 if the spring is any indication of how the the rising sophomore might fare this fall.

Redshirt freshman Max Zinchini and Malcolm Jones are also candidates to see significant action as a part of the receiving corps this fall.

Bryant Belew and Ron Moore (3 rec., 147 yds., 2 TDs, 49.0) should also factor in prominently in the UTC passing game in 2012. Moore posses great speed and could be a factor as a deep threat for the Mocs this fall. Moore’s first-career reception was a 60-yard scoring reception against The Citadel. He also had another 52-yard reception against The Citadel.  Moore could be set to have a big season for the Mocs at flanker.

Tight end will be one of the deepest positions on the offensive side of the football for the Mocs this fall, with the return Faysal Shafaat (19 rec., 179 yds., 2 TDs) and Sean Stackhouse. Stackhouse, who was a high school All-American three years ago as a prep, transferred into Chattanooga from the University of Kentucky a couple of years ago, and he redshirted last season. Shafaat garnered SoCon All-Freshman honors last season, and should once again be one of the league’s top tight ends.

The strength for the Mocs this season will once again be their defense. The unit welcomes the return of eight starters, which helped Chattanooga finish the campaign ranking No. 1 in the SoCon and No. 13 nationally in total defense (305.3 YPG). There was a significant loss on the defensive side of the ball, as leading tackler Ryan Consiglio (120 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 1.0 sack, 2 FRs, 2 FFs) has graduated.

The strength of the Chattanooga defense this fall will definitely be its defensive front, which returns all four starters from a year ago.

Leading the way for the Mocs will be 2011 First Team All-Southern Conference honoree Josh Williams (42 tackles,10.0 TFLs, 9.5 sacks, 7 QBHs ). Williams has already established the school record for career sacks, having recorded 21.5 sacks in his previous three seasons. His 9.5 sacks a year ago was the third-highest single-season total in school history, and that tally was also enough to lead the Southern Conference.

Williams, who will enter the season as the league’s most dominant bookend, garnered SoCon Defensive Player of the Week accolades after amassing seven tackles in a 24-9 win at Samford last season. Williams also had three sacks for the Mocs in the win over Samford, setting a new single-game high.

Starting opposite Williams at the other bookend position will be Davis Tull (30 tackles, 8.0 TFLs, 5.0 sacks, 2 FRs, 1 FF), who was a SoCon All-Freshman selection last season. Tull gave the Mocs the most versatile pass-rushing tandem of defensive ends last season, as the he and Williams combined for 14.5 of the team’s 23 sacks a year ago.  Tull had one sack in each of the final five games for the Mocs last season.

The two starters at defensive tackle entering the 2012 season will be Josh Freeman (23 tackles, 2 FRs) and Toyvian Brand (15 tackles, 0.5 TFLs, 1 FR). Freeman was a Southern Conference All-Freshman selection last season. Freeman recorded a season-high seven tackles in the 14-12 loss at Appalachian State.

Wes Dothard (98 tackles, 15.5 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, 6 PBUs, 1 INT, 5 FFs) and Gunner Miller (51 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 1 INT, 1 FF) return at two of the three linebacking positions, with the lone loss being Consiglio in the middle.

Dothard is coming off a season which saw him garner first-team All-America praise by the Sports Network, and he will play the middle linebacker position for the Mocs this fall. Dothard finished second on the team in tackles last season, and he enjoyed his best individual of the 2011 campaign against The Citadel, posting 12 stops.  Dothard also had 11 stops against Appalachian State and had 10 tackles, including three for a loss, in a win over Eastern Kentucky.

Miller will occupy the weakside linebacker position for the Mocs in the fall. Miller is coming off a 2010 campaign, which saw him start eight of 11 games for Chattanooga. His best highlight of the season came on a 24-yard interception return against Elon. He posted a season-high eight tackles in UTC’s home loss to Furman.

Rounding out the starters for the Mocs at linebacker heading into fall camp will be strong-side linebacker Shane Heatherly (45 tackles, 1 FR, 0.5 TFL), who emerged from the spring as the starter for the Mocs.  He recorded his best performance of the season against Western Carolina, recording four tackles and a PBU.

The secondary remains the biggest question mark for the Mocs heading into the 2012 campaign. The Mocs must replace cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris and safety Jordan Tippitt, and that won’t be easy considering both were All-Southern Conference performers.

Returning to anchor the Mocs’ secondary this fall will be veterans Kadeem Wise (45 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 2 INTs) at left cornerback and D.J. Key (77 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, 3 INTs, 6 PBUs, 2 FFs, 1 FR) at safety. Both Wise and Key were second-team all-conference performers last fall, and are poised to key figures on the Chattanooga defense once again this fall.

Wise posted a career-high eight tackles in a late-season win at Samford, while recording six tackles and an INT in a win at Elon. Key was sensational in his freshman season and is maybe the best athlete on the Mocs defense. He had a school-record 85-yard INT return for a score in a win at Western Carolina last season.

Coming out of spring practice, the two new starters in the UTC secondary were rising sophomore Zach McCarter (7 tackles, 1 INT) at free safety, while rising junior Chaz Moore (20 tackles, 2 INTs) was penciled in as the starter at right cornerback.

The Mocs should be sound defensively once again in 2012 and should be in the mix for the Southern Conference title this fall. The Mocs were a bit unlucky last season, but head coach Russ Huesman isn’t a coach that makes excuses and he knows that championship caliber teams make those plays in the fourth quarter to win games. We will see how much those experiences from last season might benefit the Mocs in 2012.

The Furman spring football preview will be available in the coming days, so stay tuned for more Southern Conference football on Bleacher Report

 In this series of articles during the offseason, we will take a look at some of the greatest rivalries in Southern Conference football history. This series of articles will look at games only featuring Southern Conference teams facing off against other league members, whether it be in the regular season or the postseason. 

East Tennessee State vs. Appalachian State

One of the forgotten Southern Conference rivalries in football is the one between the Appalachian State Mountaineers and the East Tennessee State Buccaneers. The rivalry came to an abrupt end, of course, with ETSU canceling its football program at the conclusion of the 2003 campaign.

The ASU-ETSU rivalry probably didn't receive much fanfare because the the Bucs were often not among the elite teams on the Southern Conference gridiron, but it was a game that always seemed to draw great crowds, as the two schools were only separated by about a one-hour drive.

The Bucs played their home football games in the 13,000-seat Memorial Center—also known as the “Mini-Dome"—and weren’t one of the Southern Conference schools that drew particularly well, with the exception of the Appalachian State game.

Appalachian State and East Tennessee State met on 47 occasions, with the Mountaineers dominating the overall series, 32-14-1.

Greatest Moments In the Series

Appalachian State and East Tennessee State saw some significant milestones occur when the two squared off on the gridiron, with one of the greatest memories in the minds of Appalachian State fans being the 2002 meeting, when Appalachian State picked up a 29-10 road win over the Bucs.

Though the win was rather lopsided, Appalachian State head coach Jerry Moore would be carried off the field by a couple of Mountaineer linemen, as the veteran head coach became the Southern Conference’s all-time winningest.

The 19-point win gave Moore his 111th win on the Appalachian State sidelines in his 14th season at the helm of the football program, surpassing former Duke head coach Wallace Wade’s previous record of 110 career wins from 1931-41 and 1946-50. Moore has nearly doubled that total since, and he will enter the 2012 season with 207 career wins.

Appalachian State suffered one of its most lopsided home losses in the history of the program in 1997. There was some irony in the 51-28 win on the first Saturday in October, as it was an Appalachian State graduate that coached the Bucs to the sound 23-point win on that afternoon.

Paul Hamilton, who was in his first season at the helm of the East Tennessee State football program, took over at a time when Buccaneer football was at its peak. The Bucs entered the 1997 season coming off of their first and only FCS (then Division I-AA) playoff appearance, and had soundly defeated Appalachian State, 31-10, the previous season in Johnson City.

The Bucs broke the game wide open, showing the nation why (at least for that Saturday) they were worthy of their No. 14 ranking, amassing over 500 yards of total offense en route to the road win over No. 6 Appalachian State.

Making the win even more impressive was the fact that the Buccaneers did it with a freshman quarterback, in the talented Todd Wells, who would go on to an outstanding career which would see him finish his four years in the Tri-Cities as the SoCon’s all-time leader in total offense.  The win would mark the last victory the Bucs would ever garner against the Mountaineers, as ASU closed out the series by claiming six straight victories.

Two years later, the Apps and Bucs would play another memorable contest in front of a massive crowd at Kidd Brewer Stadium. The Mountaineers would hold on to get a 23-19 win in front of 24,343 fans, which at the time was the second-largest crowd in the history of Appalachian State football.

The crowd still stands as one of the top 20 home crowds in school history. The win also came on a milestone Saturday in beautiful Boone, N.C.—the Centennial Homecoming Saturday for Appalachian State, founded in 1899.

East Tennessee State provided the large partisan home crowd with some tense moments down the stretch, as the Bucs were nearly to the red zone inside the final 10 seconds, needing a TD to win the ball game.

With the nose of the football touching the 27-yard line and only eight seconds left, reserve Buccaneer quarterback Jamey Chadwell launched a pass intended for wideout Lamar Cooper; however, Mountaineer linebacker Weslan Hunter batted the ball away as time expired, and the Mountaineers held on for a heart-stopping home win over their mountain rival.

The win would be a momentum-building win for the Apps, who went on to finish the regular-season with a 7-1 Southern Conference record, and would finish in a three-way tie with Georgia Southern and Furman for the Southern Conference regular-season title.

ASU and ETSU began their rivalry as members of the old Smoky Mountain Conference. East Tennessee State claimed a 9-6 win in the first-ever meeting between the two schools on Nov. 28, 1928.

The Mountaineers and Buccaneers met twice in postseason games prior to Division I membership, as the two squared off as NAIA members in the postseason in the 1954 and ’55 seasons in the “Burley Bowl.” The Mountaineers claimed a 27-13 win in ’54, while the Bucs returned the favor in ’55 with a 7-0 win.

ASU claimed the last game ever played between the two mountain rivals on Oct. 4, 2003, with a 21-7 homecoming win on a cold, cloudy Saturday inside the friendly confines.