2022 Outlook

[AstroDin]

Jackal, you're probably right…
Furman just posted a gallery of photos from yesterday, and there is another shot in the batch of the same player.
I think the gloves give it a way - looks like the running backs aren't wearing gloves.
The muscle definition made me think it's a thicker guy.
Another player who's bulked up is Caden Richards.
https://furmanpaladins.com/galleries/

[apaladin]

Thinking ahead to the NG Crusaders game...being that they are division 2, does the game count as a game played and use a game of eligibility for a division 1 player? Thinking about all the freshmen on the team and how that factors into playing time for these newbies.

Game is a game.

NG isn't going to be a pushover.

If they’re not it’s going to be a long season. Coming off a 5-6 season including a 45-13 loss at Citadel. Their other 5 losses were by 10, 17, 21, 22 and 42.

[The Jackal]

Thinking ahead to the NG Crusaders game...being that they are division 2, does the game count as a game played and use a game of eligibility for a division 1 player? Thinking about all the freshmen on the team and how that factors into playing time for these newbies.

Game is a game.

NG isn't going to be a pushover.

If they’re not it’s going to be a long season. Coming off a 5-6 season including a 45-13 loss at Citadel. Their other 5 losses were by 10, 17, 21, 22 and 42.

That 10 point loss was on the road to Valdosta State, a team that played in the DII national championship game.

We'll be heavily favored, but this won't be Point. They aren't coming here to get run over.

[FUBeAR]

Thinking ahead to the NG Crusaders game...being that they are division 2, does the game count as a game played and use a game of eligibility for a division 1 player? Thinking about all the freshmen on the team and how that factors into playing time for these newbies.

Game is a game.

NG isn't going to be a pushover.

If they’re not it’s going to be a long season. Coming off a 5-6 season including a 45-13 loss at Citadel. Their other 5 losses were by 10, 17, 21, 22 and 42.

1985 was a pretty long season…played into late December after LOSING to NEWBERRY!

Date Opponent Result
September 7 at South Carolina State W 38–31
September 14 Newberry L 21–24
September 21 at Western Carolina W 31–27
September 28 at NC State W 42–20
October 5 at Davidson W 58–7
October 12 Marshall W 34–3
October 19 East Tennessee State W 35–31
October 26 Appalachian State W 21–7
November 2 Mars Hill W 34–10
November 16 at The Citadel W 42–0
November 23 Chattanooga W 28–0
November 23 Rhode Island W 59–15
December 14 Nevada W 35–12
December 21 Georgia Southern NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

[The Jackal]

Just looked a bit at our depth in the defensive backfield.

CB Travis Blackshear, R.Sr. - 34 games
CB Cally Chizik, R.Jr. - 18 games (missed all of last season)
CB Micah Robinson, R. So. - 18 games
CB Ivan Yates, R. So. - 11 games (missed most of last season to injury)
CB Dominic Morris, So. - 9 games as freshman

FS Hugh Ryan, R.Jr - 31 games
FS Jack Rhodes, R.So - 17 games

SS Dae'One Wilkins, R.Sr - 30 games
SS Kam Brinson, R.Jr - 21 games

[The Jackal]

Highlight on the offensive line.

https://furmanpaladins.com/news/2022/8/ ... -line.aspx

Spolier: there's a lot to get excited about, both this year and the future.

[AstroDin]

Just looked a bit at our depth in the defensive backfield.

CB Travis Blackshear, R.Sr. - 34 games
CB Cally Chizik, R.Jr. - 18 games (missed all of last season)
CB Micah Robinson, R. So. - 18 games
CB Ivan Yates, R. So. - 11 games (missed most of last season to injury)
CB Dominic Morris, So. - 9 games as freshman

FS Hugh Ryan, R.Jr - 31 games
FS Jack Rhodes, R.So - 17 games

SS Dae'One Wilkins, R.Sr - 30 games
SS Kam Brinson, R.Jr - 21 games

of note:
3-star freshman Charles Ingram is coming in as a corner (5-11 180).
Tre' McLeod (6-2 180) is now listed at SS as well as Caleb Williams 5-10 185.

Hopefully this season Austin Jones will conquer injuries and get some PT. He was a highly recruited FS.

[AstroDin]

Also, Furman had another Walk-On or PWO join the roster late.
A QB from Greenville that was homeschooled but played for the Greenville Hurricanes.
They won the 2021 SIFA State Championship
Dixon Massingill
6-3 175

[apaladin]

Thinking ahead to the NG Crusaders game...being that they are division 2, does the game count as a game played and use a game of eligibility for a division 1 player? Thinking about all the freshmen on the team and how that factors into playing time for these newbies.

Game is a game.

NG isn't going to be a pushover.

If they’re not it’s going to be a long season. Coming off a 5-6 season including a 45-13 loss at Citadel. Their other 5 losses were by 10, 17, 21, 22 and 42.

1985 was a pretty long season…played into late December after LOSING to NEWBERRY!

Date Opponent Result
September 7 at South Carolina State W 38–31
September 14 Newberry L 21–24
September 21 at Western Carolina W 31–27
September 28 at NC State W 42–20
October 5 at Davidson W 58–7
October 12 Marshall W 34–3
October 19 East Tennessee State W 35–31
October 26 Appalachian State W 21–7
November 2 Mars Hill W 34–10
November 16 at The Citadel W 42–0
November 23 Chattanooga W 28–0
November 23 Rhode Island W 59–15
December 14 Nevada W 35–12
December 21 Georgia Southern NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Some forget FU starting QB Bobby Lamb did not play in the Newberry game. They won on a 57 yard miracle FG. Strange things happen.

[FUBeAR]

Thinking ahead to the NG Crusaders game...being that they are division 2, does the game count as a game played and use a game of eligibility for a division 1 player? Thinking about all the freshmen on the team and how that factors into playing time for these newbies.

Game is a game.

NG isn't going to be a pushover.

If they’re not it’s going to be a long season. Coming off a 5-6 season including a 45-13 loss at Citadel. Their other 5 losses were by 10, 17, 21, 22 and 42.

1985 was a pretty long season…played into late December after LOSING to NEWBERRY!

Date Opponent Result
September 7 at South Carolina State W 38–31
September 14 Newberry L 21–24
September 21 at Western Carolina W 31–27
September 28 at NC State W 42–20
October 5 at Davidson W 58–7
October 12 Marshall W 34–3
October 19 East Tennessee State W 35–31
October 26 Appalachian State W 21–7
November 2 Mars Hill W 34–10
November 16 at The Citadel W 42–0
November 23 Chattanooga W 28–0
November 23 Rhode Island W 59–15
December 14 Nevada W 35–12
December 21 Georgia Southern NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Some forget FU starting QB Bobby Lamb did not play in the Newberry game. They won on a 57 yard miracle FG. Strange things happen.

Yep - as it would be strange if FU struggles with NGU, but “strange things” do not, necessarily, portend a “long” (read as ‘bad’) season IF that struggle happens; just as the Loss to Newberry did not in 1985.

[Furmanoid]

The Indians were 7-3-1. They lost to Mars Hill, Elon and Ga Southern. They beat us, Webb, Davidson and Wofford. They were a very good team for their level, and back then IAA and II teams seemed closer to the same level. Hard to know now because the two divisions don’t play each other much.

North Greenville isn’t a very good DII team. They’re just sort of OK. This isn’t comparable to the ‘85 Newberry game. We need to kill them, and we will. We shouldn’t lower expectations.

[FUBeAR]

The Indians were 7-3-1. They lost to Mars Hill, Elon and Ga Southern. They beat us, Webb, Davidson and Wofford. They were a very good team for their level, and back then IAA and II teams seemed closer to the same level. Hard to know now because the two divisions don’t play each other much.

North Greenville isn’t a very good DII team. They’re just sort of OK. This isn’t comparable to the ‘85 Newberry game. We need to kill them, and we will. We shouldn’t lower expectations.

FUBeAR doesn’t need to review stats and records from that era or learn anything about it from another poster on a message board because, like Walter Cronkite, HE WAS THERE.

When we lost to PC in ‘79, it felt like Michigan losing to Appy.

Losing to the NAIA Blue Ho’s was simply unacceptable. We played JV ball @ PC and @ Newberry & laughed at how much worse their facilities were than our high schools. We sure didn’t take those JV games nearly as seriously as the Ho’s and the Indians did…since they were playing 2nd Team Varsity Players and our JV Players were 4th Team…at best. Pretty sure Elon, Wofford & G-W were all NAIA at the time and Davidson Football had absolutely ‘fallen off a cliff’ after 1980…and GaSou was up 31-7 on the Berry at halftime. It was a rout…as the Newberry @ Furman shoulda been…but wasn’t. None of these Teams were even close to being on our level.

FUBeAR wasn’t there in ‘85, but he is quite confident Coach Sheridan spent a considerable amount of time thoughtfully discussing with Furman’s Players his thoughts on Furman losing to Newberry. The very few times we lost to a Team we were expected to beat, he always shared copious quantities of thoughtful words with us, so FUBeAR is 100% certain in this claim.

The point is, and remains, failure to dominate NGU a few Thursdays from now would not, necessarily, indicate a bad season ahead. And, as bad as it would feel to EVERYONE, a loss to NGU wouldn’t either…just as the BAD loss to Newberry didn’t in 1985.

Everyone, of course, is free to have whatever expectations they would like regarding the NGU game. FUBeAR’s expectation is a W. That’s the same expectation he will have 9 days later when his Paladins line up against Clemson…just as it was when that ‘85 Furman Team lined up against NC State 14 days after the Loss to Newberry. FUBeAR was there and on the sidelines for that one - SO FUN!!!

* And…Bobby Lamb did play against Newberry in 1985. He was 1-3 for 2 yards and his backup, Chris Speaks, was 1-5 for 9 yards

[apaladin]

I stand corrected BL played the last 4 plays.

[The Jackal]

The Indians were 7-3-1. They lost to Mars Hill, Elon and Ga Southern. They beat us, Webb, Davidson and Wofford. They were a very good team for their level, and back then IAA and II teams seemed closer to the same level. Hard to know now because the two divisions don’t play each other much.

North Greenville isn’t a very good DII team. They’re just sort of OK. This isn’t comparable to the ‘85 Newberry game. We need to kill them, and we will. We shouldn’t lower expectations.

I'd bet a shiny nickel that we could beat NGU soundly and there will be folks on this forum complaining about how we weren't dominant enough regardless of the score.

[The Jackal]

Defensive line: https://furmanpaladins.com/news/2022/8/ ... -line.aspx