By MONTE DUTTON

Furman is atop the Southern Conference football standings, at least in the loss column, and the margin is so small.

Western Carolina (3-3), which the Paladins play on Saturday at E.J. Whitmire Stadium in Cullowhee, N.C., is, like Furman, 2-0 in SoCon play. Reigning champion Mercer has a head start and is 4-0.

The 2:30 p.m. clash is a measure of how much better the Paladins are. Among the youngest, least experienced teams in school history went 3-8 last year after consecutive seasons of 10-3. The Catamounts’ 52-20 victory at Paladin Stadium on Oct. 19, 2024, was a low point, the widest margin ever in a loss to WCU. Furman leads the all-time series, 36-14-2.

“It’ll be a huge challenge for us,” Furman head coach Clay Hendrix said. “We’re certainly up for it. We’re getting better. “I think we’re doing a lot of really good things. We can play better.

“We’re trying to win a conference championship. This game is huge for both teams.”

Every Furman (4-1) game to date has been close. An inordinate number of SoCon games has been the same. The Catamounts are coming off a 23-21 victory over Wofford (0-5, 0-2) in Spartanburg. It’s a slog for whichever school winds up winning the title.

Job one for the Paladins is limiting the effectiveness of Western Carolina quarterback Taron Dickens, who last week against Wofford completed an NCAA record 46 consecutive passes. Yet the Catamounts scored just 23 points.

In three of Furman’s four victories, the Paladins have overcome fourth-quarter deficits. Most dramatic was last week’s home victory over East Tennessee State. Furman trailed, 22-7, in the third quarter but scored 24 straight points afterwards.

“When you win big games, you get to play more big games,” said Hendrix, “and we like big games.”

Demonstrating most the team’s resilience is the defensive platoon, which features end Joshua Stoneking, whose 9-1/2 sacks and 13-1/2 tackles for loss lead the FCS and are part of a unit that owns 18 sacks through five games. A year ago Furman totaled only 20 sacks over 11 games.

Eight players have logged significant time at the nose guard, tackle and end positions.

The play of Luke McLaughlin (28 tackles, sack) and Raleigh Herbert (23 tackles, interception) have helped the Paladins weather the loss of starting linebacker Ryan Earl to injury.

“It’s a next-man-up mentality,” said McLaughlin, a redshirt senior from, of all places, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. “Each week brings with it a new level of confidence. … and I’ve kind of hit that flow.

“It’s a natural thing, built through preparation each week.”

Furman’s secondary, led by redshirt sophomore safety Billy Lewis (32 tackles, 2 int.), has been similarly deep, including cornerback Jordan Miller, who delivered both a game-saving pass breakup in the end zone and game ending 95-yard interception return — Furman’s third pick-six this year — in the final minute against ETSU.

On the offensive wish list is continued improvement in the running game, where Furman is coming off its most productive showing. The Paladins ground out 142 yards, led by sophomore Gavin Hall’s 101-yard effort.

“What it takes is not only offensive linemen doing their job but the running backs doing their job for a successful running game,” said another senior, Ryan Lamb, from Plano, Texas. “It takes 11 guys doing their job on an offense.

“If you have one guy mess up, it messes up the whole play. On defense, you can have a guy out of gap, and someone else can fill that hole. We’ve been really focusing, as a group, on being on the same page with one another.”

Despite not having dynamic freshman Evan James available against the Bucs, Furman’s passing game, triggered by sophomore quarterback Trey Hedden, proved it is no one-trick pony as wide receivers Ja’Keith Hamilton (11 rec., 141 yds., 2 TDs) and Ethan Harris (11 rec., 81 yds.) combined to record the first double-double receiving performance in Furman history.  In addition, tight ends Jordan Burrell and Luke Clyburn contributed seven receptions.

Hedden’s 358-yard passing performance versus the Buccaneers, the third highest in program history, saw him complete 36/49 attempts and two touchdowns.  He has completed 72.2 percent of his passes for 1,386 yards and eight touchdowns on the year.

In addition to television and streaming options, Saturday’s game will be aired over Furman flagship The Fan Upstate and its four stations: 97.7 FM/1330 AM in Greenville, and 97.1 FM/950 AM in Spartanburg.

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