Furman @ WCCC Oct. 21st

[The Jackal]

Read that last bit.

I still can't get over the fact this dude was a backup QB at Presbyterian. I bet the number of SoCon quarterbacks all time with those numbers is a pretty small group.

[The Jackal]

[The Jackal]

[apaladin]

Read that last bit.

I still can't get over the fact this dude was a backup QB at Presbyterian. I bet the number of SoCon quarterbacks all time with those numbers is a pretty small group.

Well he really wasn’t a backup was he. Started 6 games as a freshman, was first team all pioneer in the spring ‘21 season then the weird cosching change where the new coach brought his own qb with him. Not like someone at PC beat him out and he was a benchwarmer.

[FurmAlum]

I suspect the experience gap may come in to play in terms of early game energy.

This was probably WCU's biggest home game of the season when the schedule came out. The Cats are coming off a bye week. They are playing at home and have a lot of national attention on this game.

I suspect the home team is going to be at risk of being almost too amped up early in the contest. Playing with intensity is good, playing with too much intensity can be a liability. Coach Bell is going to have to figure out how to get them in the right frame of mind and handle the ups and downs of the game.

Furman did a good job with that last week. It seemed every time Samford would get a big momentum play, Furman would answer immediately and steal the momentum right back. I think that was the mark of a veteran club knowing how to manage the moment.

I thought Furman's best play against Samford was the 48 yard RPO throw to Shiflett on their first offensive play after Samford scored a touchdown to pull the margin to three in the 3rd quarter. Just seemed to deflate Samford to put together a drive, score, and then Furman immediately get 50 yards back on the first play.

You nailed it on the early game energy. Furman was the more experienced team and it showed when we jumped on them early in front of an almost capacity crowd on the road!

They hyped that game so much that I think it worked against them. CCH took a more low key business approach and it paid off. Our guys were hyped up. Just not over-hyped.

I don't think WCU has anything to be ashamed of at all and believe they are a top 5 or 6 FCS team.

[FurmanATT]

Read that last bit.

I still can't get over the fact this dude was a backup QB at Presbyterian. I bet the number of SoCon quarterbacks all time with those numbers is a pretty small group.

Huff was a star at PC in the COVID spring of 2021 with Tommy Spangler. Kevin Kelley brought in his own QB (Ren Hefley). Tyler never had a chance. All he got out of it was a knee injury. -- MD

[dornb]

Read that last bit.

I still can't get over the fact this dude was a backup QB at Presbyterian. I bet the number of SoCon quarterbacks all time with those numbers is a pretty small group.

Huff was a star at PC in the COVID spring of 2021 with Tommy Spangler. Kevin Kelley brought in his own QB (Ren Hefley). Tyler never had a chance. All he got out of it was a knee injury. -- MD

Now, Furman is blessed with the talents of both Coach Spangler and Tyler Huff. Thank you, PC!

[Bootie]

Some next day thoughts…

Western has a good team, I’m happy for them.

The Western student section displayed the maturity and class of their Boone neighbors with multiple “F&ck You Furman” cheers. I’m a little old school, but if I was HC of a program and heard such garbage I would’ve pulled a Sam Wyche move to pause things and go rip new buttholes in that crowd.

It was a beautiful day, great weather and fall colors.

The Western band has always been solid. We sat above them and I’m envious of their size, spirit and involvement in the game. They have enough sousaphone players to form their own football team.

Aside from the kicking and punting catastrophes, we played the game we needed to.

Remember the game before when we had some painful false start penalties that extended drives? I don’t think we had a single pre-snap error yesterday.

I was a little disappointed in the jawing and taunting I saw from the Furman players to the band at the end of the game… I assume the band members down front must’ve been giving the sidelines some jawing throughout the game and this was payback, but I don’t know… does anyone have any insight there? In any case I thought the Furman players drug out their jawing more than necessary. Just point to the scoreboard and go home.

Keep winning baby!

[The Jackal]

The radio crew kept noting that the band was probably playing too long and into Furman's cadence on offense.

It looked like a great atmosphere, though. Furman players with that sort of intensity was reminiscent of games in Boone or Statesboro when the fans would just give it to you for 4 hours and then the players would give it right back.

[AllTimeFU]

Some next day thoughts…

Western has a good team, I’m happy for them.

The Western student section displayed the maturity and class of their Boone neighbors with multiple “F&ck You Furman” cheers. I’m a little old school, but if I was HC of a program and heard such garbage I would’ve pulled a Sam Wyche move to pause things and go rip new buttholes in that crowd.

It was a beautiful day, great weather and fall colors.

The Western band has always been solid. We sat above them and I’m envious of their size, spirit and involvement in the game. They have enough sousaphone players to form their own football team.

Aside from the kicking and punting catastrophes, we played the game we needed to.

Remember the game before when we had some painful false start penalties that extended drives? I don’t think we had a single pre-snap error yesterday.

I was a little disappointed in the jawing and taunting I saw from the Furman players to the band at the end of the game… I assume the band members down front must’ve been giving the sidelines some jawing throughout the game and this was payback, but I don’t know… does anyone have any insight there? In any case I thought the Furman players drug out their jawing more than necessary. Just point to the scoreboard and go home.

Keep winning baby!

Yes, the players were getting more than an ear full from kittycat fans along the benches.

[AllTimeFU]

The radio crew kept noting that the band was probably playing too long and into Furman's cadence on offense.

It looked like a great atmosphere, though. Furman players with that sort of intensity was reminiscent of games in Boone or Statesboro when the fans would just give it to you for 4 hours and then the players would give it right back.

Yes, the band was playing deep into the play sequence. They really cranked it up in that last sequence of the targeting, no targeting call, but a holding call on us.

[Jasper]

Quite honestly, I thought the Western students, band and crowd were a bunch of classless a-- holes. They reminded me of the old Georgia Southern visitors. Besides the F--k Furman cheer from the "students", a bunch behind us got into it with the Furman parents when the Western people started screaming about a FU player faking an injury while he lay on the field for quite a long time before being helped to his feet. His Dad naturally took exception to that and it could have turned ugly. They had to station a cop between the 2 factions for the rest of the game. As we were leaving and while wearing a Paladin sweatshirt, we passed the band and when I tried to compliment them on an excellent half time performance, a few immediately got hostile without hearing what I was saying simply because my sweatshirt made me an enemy. I expect they deserved every trashing they got from the FU players. They were lined up along the sideline near the end of the game and likely had their mouths flapping pretty good at the team nearby before Huff emptied the stadium with his sealing 50+ yard run. Disappointment is one thing, rude behavior is quite another. To the WCU crowd, FU ALL THE TIME.

[AstroDin]

Yep, I witnessed some major league heckling of the Furman offensive players.
The main targets were Huff and No. 10 Charles Watson. The attempts to rile up the wide receivers fell on deaf ears.
Joshua Harris smiled at them, and Dean held his hand to his ear - like I can't hear you.

The incident with the player's parents and the Western fan booing Matt when he was on the turf did get ugly. Western fans came prepared to look for this big Furman conspiracy of flopping. By the way, the incident got the attention of Furman's O line. Like I said before, the game Western was poking the Bear. And that Bear woke up. The O Line buckled up after all that and stood as a unit, ready to take the field on that last drive. I heard one of them say this sh$t ends here.

GATA!

Finally, I talked to the two guys heckling the most - we shook hands afterward. I get some of the frustration as they told me it's been forty years since Western has sniffed a playoff game. They also admitted they were scared of Huff - as one called him a tough dude.

Also, our coach's purple and white Nike dunks were getting much attention from the Western fans around me. And rightly so - I think I will custom order a pair.

[Bootie]

To give credit where it’s due, we were sitting above the band, and at some point in the second half one of the band directors/leaders got on their microphone and were calling some of them out for some rude behavior and said to the group “that’s not acceptable” and to not participate in that behavior.

[AstroDin]

I blame Western's ticket sales procedure for this situation.
They moved the opposing team to the far sideline, and online seating could have been clearer.
We had the entire Western Ladies BB team beside us, plus Western fans were scattered all over our section (J), making for some interesting cheering combat. You're kinda asking for trouble - when you put the opposing team and opposing player's parents and fans bunched into loose sections with your fans and students.