Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/336821
2013 FURMAN PALADINS FOOTBALL Furman 113 Paladins HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS Program finishes 12th in NCAA I-AA in home regular season attendance, averaging 14,109 over five contests. 2005 — Furman rolls up 11-3 record and advances to semifinal round of NCAA I-AA playoffs before dropping 29-23 decision to eventual national champion Appalachian State in Boone. Paladins open the season with dramatic 37-35 win at Jacksonville State on 8-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ingle Martin to flanker Justin Stepp on game's final play, and later reel off six straight wins during regular season, including a pair of overtime triumphs over Hofstra (44-41) and The Citadel (39-31), and 34-31 victory over Appalachian State in Greenville. Furman edges Nicholls State (14-12) in first round playoff action and Richmond (24-20) in quarterfinal round. Quarterback Ingle Martin breaks his own season passing record by throwing for 2,959 yards and 20 touchdowns and completes two-year career with 15 school records, including Furman's all-time passing (5,761 yards) and total offense (6,277 yards) standards. Jerome Felton rushes for Furman fullback record 940 yards and 18 touchdowns. Three Paladins — Martin, center Corey Stewart, and offensive guard Patrick Covington — are named All-America. Martin, who also leads the SoCon in punting (43.2 avg.), is selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. 2006 — Furman goes 8-4 and earns third straight NCAA I-AA playoff bid. Freshman quarterback Jordan Sorrells throws game winning 19-yard touchdown pass to Brantley Kendall with 28 seconds left in 17-13 season opening win over Jacksonville State. Paladins pile up 521 yards offense in 45-42 loss to North Carolina. Fullback Jerome Felton scores SoCon record six touchdowns in 42-7 whipping of Western Carolina and goes on to set new school season rushing touchdowns (23) and scoring standards (140 points). Scott Beckler kicks game tying 23-yard field goal on final play of regulation in Paladins' eventual 28-22 overtime win over Chattanooga. Paladins extend home winning streak to 13 games with 13-10 victory over Georgia Southern in regular season finale. Offensive guard Adi Filipovic becomes school's 12th Academic All-American and garners NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship and NACDA FCS National Scholar Athlete-of-the-Year accolades. 2007 — After 1-3 start, Furman wins five of final ▲ Inlge Martin passes for school record 2,792 yards and 22 TDs in 11-3 campaign Bruce Fowler assumes head coaching duties and directs Furman to wins over a pair of FCS top-ranked teams in first season at the helm ▼ ▲ ▲ Furman wins 13th SoCon champion- ship behind strong play of consensus All-America tackle Dakota Dozier. seven games, including 52-49 shootout over 15th-ranked Elon and 24-22 victory at 11th-ranked Georgia Southern, to secure winning season. Jerome Felton completes his career as school's all-time leading rushing fullback and leading scorer (414 points), and is selected by the Detroit Lions in fifth round of NFL Draft. 2008 — Furman goes 7-5 and registers 23-21 win over sixth-ranked Delaware. Paladin offensive tackle Joel Bell claims SoCon Jacobs Blocking Award and garners All-America honors along with cornerback William Middleton. Middleton is selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round of NFL Draft, and Bell signs free agent contract with Buffalo Bills. 2009 — Furman notches 6-5 record and 5-3, third place SoCon finish on the strength late season wins over Georgia Southern (30-22) in Statesboro and over Wofford (58-21) in Greenville. Paladins play two FBS foes, Missouri and Auburn, for first time since 1982. Quarterback Jordan Sorrells sets new school career passing yards standard (6,278 yards) and linebacker Kadarron Anderson leads team with 123 tackles and is named Sports Network All-American. 2010 — Paladins drop four of their final five games to suffer first losing season (5-6) since 1998. Adam Mims catches 10 passes for 202 yards and a touchown versus FBS 13th-ranked South Carolina and sets new Furman career receptions (198) and receiving yards (2,433) records. Freshman kicker Ray Early con- nects on 11-of-12 field goals, including 52-yarder (2nd longest in FU history) in 27-10 win over Samford and leads Paladins in scoring. Bobby Lamb resigns at season's end, ending his nine- year head coaching tenure with a 67-40 record. Former Paladin assistant coach and defensive coordinator Bruce Fowler is named Furman's new head coach on Dec. 13. 2011 — Under the direction of new head coach Bruce Fowler, Furman rebounds with winning season (6-5) and notches a two-game improvement (5-3) in SoCon play en route to fourth place finish. Victories over fifth-ranked Wofford (26-21) and third-ranked Appalachian State (26-21) highlight campaign. Quarterback Chris Forcier passes for 2,265 yards and 23 TDs to lead the nation in passing efficiency (172.36), and running back Jerodis Williams (1,055 yards) becomes first Paladin 1,000-yard rusher since 2003. Tight end Colin Anderson joins linebacker Kadarron Anderson and cornerback Ryan Steed in earning All- American honors, and four Paladins — Forcier, Ryan Lee, Kadarron Anderson, and Steed — sign NFL free agent contracts. 2012 — Furman running back Jerodis Williams rushes for 1,170 yards and leads FCS in kickoff returns (35.9 avg.), with two covering 100 yards against Western Carolina and Appalachian State. Williams earns All-America honors along with offensive tackle Dakota Dozier and joins tight end Colin Anderson in sign- ing free agent contracts with the Minnesota Vikings. The press box at Paladin Stadium is demolished following the season and construction on the new Pearce-Horton Football Complex begins. The stadium's original grass playing field is removed in June of 2013 and replaced with new ShawSports turf. 2012 — A preseason No. 7 pick in a pair of SoCon preseason polls, Furman overcomes an 0-2 start and early season injuries with an impressive mid-season turnaround, winning six of its final eight games en route to claiming the SoCon champion- ship -- the program's league record 13th crown -- and SoCon's automatic berth into the FCS playoffs. Paladins knock off arch-rival The Citadel (24-17) in Charleston and hand Appalachian State (27-10) and Georgia Southern (16-14) losses in the Mountaineers' and Eagles' final season of play in the SoCon. A 35-17 win over Samford positions Furman to lay claim to league crown, which the Paladins do with triumphs over Western Carolina (32-20) and Wofford (27-14). Making the program's first playoff appearance since 2006, Furman rolls past South Carolina State (32-20) before falling to eventual national champion North Dakota State in Fargo, N.D. Paladins rank among FCS leaders in turnover margin, return four interceptions for touchdowns, and produce third straight 1,000-yard rusher in Hank McCloud (1,092 yards). Offensive tackle Dakota Dozier earns SoCon Jacobs Blocking Award and consensus All-America honors, and is selected by the New York Jets in fourth round of NFL Draft. All-American placekicker/punter Ray Early is twice honored as national special teams player of the week and boots school record six field goals in win over Western Carolina. Bruce Fowler is recognized as SoCon Coach of the Year by league media. 2005 2011 2012 2013 Jerodis Williams leads FCS in kickoff returns (35.9 avg.) and earns All-America honors.