Furman Hosts The Citadel for the 105th Renewal of the Rivalry!

 

Saturday’s clash will mark the 105^TH all-time meeting between the two programs

Date: Oct. 25, 2025

Site: Paladin Stadium (13,590)/Greenville, S.C.

Kickoff Time: 2 p.m. EST

Setting The Scene: 

Saturday’s annual contest between Furman (4-3, 2-2 SoCon) and The Citadel (3-4, 2-2 SoCon) is arguably the biggest rivalry in the Southern Conference and one of the biggest and most-heated rivalries in all of FCS Football. 

Saturday's contest at Paladin Stadium will mark the 105th all-time clash between the two programs, which began in 1913, with Furman holding a 64-37-3 all-time series edge, which includes winning each of the four clashes between the two programs.

A win for Furman on Saturday would mark its fifth-straight in the series, marking its longest string of victories in the series since winning nine-straight from 1982-90. Overall, the Paladins have claimed six of the previous 10 meetings between the two.

Furman Entering The Matchup:

Furman claimed a thrilling 17-16 win just last season, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter, which included a TD with just over a minute remaining, as then freshman signal-caller Trey Hedden found fellow freshman classmate Jackson Pryor on a 6-yard scoring pass with 61 seconds remaining, as Furman snatched a win from the jaws of defeat in the cruelest of fashions against its bitterest rival, handing the Bulldogs a 17-16 setback in what was the SoCon opener for Furman in 2024 after having its game against Samford ultimately canceled due to the effects of Hurricane Helene.

It would be one of just two league wins for the Paladins in 2024, as Furman won just two league games—both on the road—as the Paladins went on to finish 2-5 in SoCon action and just 3-8 overall.

Furman got off to a 2-0 start in league play this season, which also included winning four out of its first five games of the season, however, consecutive setbacks to Western Carolina (L, 52-7) and Wofford (31-13) has helped quell the Furman momentum, which it started league play with.

The Paladins are under the direction of head coach Clay Hendrix (58-40), who is in his ninth season in charge of the Paladins. For Hendrix, the rivalry is personal, as it will be his 32nd game as a part of the rivalry, which has come in 28 years as an assistant or head coach and four as a player from 1982-85.

The Paladins continue to be led offensively by one of the nation’s best passing attacks, which is led by sophomore quarterback Trey Hedden (185-of-268 passing, 1,851 yds, 10 TDs, 9 INTs), who currently ranks fifth nationally in passing yards. The Paladins currently rank third in the SoCon in passing offense and 13th in the nation, averaging 266.0 YPG through the air.

Furman has been without the services of some key weapons in recent weeks, including its top three wideouts in a loss at Wofford, as Evan James (32 rec, 379 yds, 2 TDs, 11.8 YPR/1 rushing TD), Ja’Keith Hamilton (26 rec, 324 yds, 4 TDs, 12.4 YPR) and Ethan Harris (21 rec, 223 yds, 10.6 YPR ) have all missed time with injuries in recent weeks. In last Saturday’s loss at Wofford, sophomore wideout Devin Hester Jr. (20 rec, 274 yds, 1 TD, 13.7 YPR) picked up his first TD catch of his Paladin career. All told, Furman has six different receivers with 20 or more catches this season and a total of 13 different receivers catch a pass this season.

Joshua Burrell (24 rec, 172 yds, 2 TDs, 7.2 YPR) has seen significant time at tight end this season after suffering a season-ending injury in Furman’s early loss to Charleston Southern last season. He’s stepped up in the absence of Furman’s other tight end passing threat, in Jackson Pryor (4 rec, 50 yds, 1 TD, 12.5 YPR), who went down with an injury at Samford. The Paladins have also gotten some nice added depth at the position, with 6-7 Newberry transfer Luke Clyburn (4 rec, 48 yds, 12.0 YPR) adding further support.

With the passing game being a major part of the Paladin offense, it has seen the Paladins struggle to sustain drives in its two recent losses to both the Catamounts and Terriers, mustering a combined 20 points in each. James, an electrifying young wideout, was recently added to the STATS Perform Jerry Rice Award List, which is given to the nation’s top freshman performer.

The Paladins have bitten by the turnover bug over the past couple of games, having surrendered eight turnovers, which have led directly to 38 points, including a pair of pick-sixes. The Paladins have moved the ball decently in losses to the Catamounts and Terriers, putting up 356 yards in the loss to WCU, while posting amassing 329 yards and outgaining the Terriers by four yards (329-325) in the loss to Wofford last week.

Defensively, the Paladins continue to be led by a solid group up front along the defensive line, with Joshua Stoneking (43 tackles, 15.5 TFL, 10.5 sacks, 1 PBU, 6 QBHs, 1 FF, 1 blkd kick) headlining the unit at defensive end. Though the Paladins have 20 sacks through the first seven games this season, the Paladins have gone seven quarters without a quarterback takedown. 

Leading middle linebacker and preseason first-team All-SoCon selection Ryan Earl went down with a season-ending injury in Furman’s 39-38 overtime loss to Presbyterian, and that has forced Luke McLaughlin (39 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF) into duty as Furman middle linebacker and he currently ranks third on the team in tackles.

Through the first seven games, the Paladins have been led in total stops by all-conference safety Billy Lewis (48 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 2 INTs), who is also tied for the team lead with two INTs through the first seven games of the season.

The Citadel Entering The Matchup:

The Citadel enters Saturday’s clash at Paladin Stadium playing some of its best football of the season, despite losing a heartbreaking 45-38 contest to league co-leader Western Carolina last Saturday at Johnson-Hagood Stadium.

The Bulldogs, who are under the direction of third-year head coach Maurice Drayton, who like Furman’s Hendrix, is an alum of the program he currently presides over, making the hate a special one that previous coaches without such a relationship to the program hard to comprehend or relate to. The Bulldogs have played some of their best football away from Johnson-Hagood Stadium this season, as both league wins over Samford (W, 40-13) and Chattanooga (W, 28-10) were both road wins and by sizable margins.

The only real time the Bulldogs have been completely outclassed in conference play this season is in a 38-0 setback to Mercer to open league play. The Bulldogs also were blanked by an identical margin of 38-0 to open the season against reigning national champion and current No. 1 North Dakota State (L, 38-0) to open the 2025 campaign.

With that said, the Bulldogs are a lot old school and some new school on offense under Drayton. The Bulldogs are more a double-option offense rather than a triple-option offense of a bygone era. The Bulldogs are led by shifty Air Force transfer quarterback Quentin Hayes (19-of-33 passing, 175 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT/354 rush yds, 5 TDs, 4.8 YPC) and young, but up and coming signal-caller Cobey Thompkins (25-of-41 passing, 445 yds, 4 TDs, 1 INT/350 yds rushing, 1 TD, 5.4 YPC), as both have featured under center and have run the ball with good results this season.

Both Thompkins and Hayes lead a Bulldogs offense that ranks 10th in the country in total ground output per game (223.3 YPG), while both have been effective enough throwing the ball to keep opposing defenses off-balance.

The big-play threat in this Bulldogs offense is Javonte Graves-Billips (20 rec, 275 yds, 2 TDs, 13.8 YPR), while Braylon Knauth’s effectiveness catching both the intermediate and deep routes has kept opposing secondaries from only being able to focus on just stopping Graves-Billips, who has also been a threat in the ground game with 135 rushing yards this season.

The ground game is a comprehensive one, with both Hayes and Thompkins pacing the Bulldogs’ ground attack, while the true running back and focal point when Hayes or Thompkins aren’t calling their own numbers being Garrison Johnson Sr. (59 rush att, 281 yds, 4 TDs, 4.8 YPC). Sebastien Boyle (46 rush att, 211 yds, 4.6 YPC, 3 TDs) is another option on the ground, and the big, physical freshman has deceptive speed.

The Bulldogs have a veteran unit along the offensive front, which was one of the few in the league to return nearly entirely intact, with four of five starters returning from a unit that really started to click towards the latter part of the 2024 season. Anchoring that veteran unit is center Mike Bartilucci.

The Bulldogs are also physical on the defensive side of the football, entering the clash with the Paladins ranking third in the league in both sacks (17) and tackles-for-loss (41), while ranking 84th nationally in total defense (403.9 YPG). 

The Bulldogs struggle against teams that throw the ball as a primary aspect of their offense, ranking 113th in the country in pass defense (266.1 YPG). SoCon pass defenses occupy five teams that rank among the worst in the country, including East Tennessee State (112/265.9 YPG), The Citadel (113/266.1 YPG), Wofford (114/269.1 YPG), Western Carolina (115/270.8 YPG) and Samford (126/326.0 YPG), who ranks dead last nationally in passing yards allowed per game.

The Bulldogs have a solid front seven, with Jeremiah Holmes (16 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 5 QBHs), Chris Iverson (14 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 QBH), and Josh Cole (14 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 QBH) all having put up solid totals for the Bulldogs across the front line, while Mikey Rosa (43 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 2 PBUs, 1 FF) and Je’Mazin Roberts (30 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 0.5 sack, 1 FF) patrol the heart of the defense, making it especially hard for the opposition to find any semblance of daylight running the ball. Strong safety Cale Williams leads the Bulldogs in total tackles, with 51 stops, a tackle-for-loss and an INT so far this season.

The Rivalry Itself:

While much will be made this weekend, and rightfully so about the big “Dakota Marker” game, which pits No. 1 North Dakota State against No. 2 South Dakota State in a titanic tilt in Brookings, SD, I offer you at least one alternative if you’re looking for a hate a little different.

It’s a game that doesn’t have giant stone property marker, seven-foot wooden native American Chieftain, BBQ trophy or anything you might consume liquor from, although much will likely be consumed later Saturday afternoon and evening for different reasons on both sides. One will drink in triumph, the other in loathing hate to have to wait another year to get a shot to defeat the vilest of foes.

I’m talking about Furman and The Citadel. Saturday’s clash will mark the 105th clash between the two, with 37 of the meetings having been decided by eight points or less aka one touchdown or less. While the battles have been heated, I was expecting that number to be a little higher. Only about 35.5% of the 105 games in this rivalry have been decided by a touchdown or less. However, that doesn’t diminish the emotion which this game and rivalry brings.

Furman has played its home games at Paladin Stadium since 1981 and own a 15-6 record against the Bulldogs on both home soil and now home pellets. The Paladins also hold a 26-22-2 series edge in games played in the Lowcountry. Furman and The Citadel used to meet at the end of each season, and many of those meetings had major playoff and SoCon title implications, but it was also in a golden age for Paladin football in the 1980s and early-90s, which the program was a dominant force on the FCS Football scene.

The Bulldogs were no slouch either, just ask FBS foes South Carolina, Army and Arkansas for all you want to know about just how good the ‘Dogs were under the direction of Charlie Taafe in the late 1980s and early 90s, and yet it was during a time in which Furman owned its biggest winning streak against the Bulldogs, claiming nine-straight in the series from 1982-90, which included two decisive league title outcomes in both 1988 and 1990.

The Citadel’s longest winning streak in the series came in the early-mid 1970s, winning seven-straight against the ‘Dins (1971-77) until a seismic shift in the trajectory of Furman’s program following the 1978 stumping of Stump Mitchell at the goal line to preserve a key win to close out the 1978 season and capture a share of the program’s first of 15 league titles. Up until the 1978 meeting, The Citadel had been the program with more tradition and pedigree. That would change over the course of the next two decades, however, it was certainly a downturn for the Bulldogs’ football program by any stretch.

Furman’s success peaked in that era in 1990, which brought an end to its most successful span of football in its 85-year history of sponsoring the sport. The Bulldogs were only beginning to enter similar territory as a program in terms of a golden age, with arguably its greatest gridiron production of its storied history coming two years after Furman’s ’90 season, which was the third-straight SoCon title and the ninth league title for the program in a span of 12 years. The Paladins also made a pair of national title game appearances (1985 and ’88), winning one (’88) in that 12-year span.

In 1992, the Bulldogs stormed to the No.1 ranking in all of FCS Football, entering the ’92 FCS (formerly 1-AA) 16-team playoff with an 10-1 record overall and top seed overall. After taking down North Carolina A&T (W, 44-0) in the opening round at Johnson-Hagood Stadium, the Bulldogs would meet their ultimate kryptonite in the next round, as Youngstown State and head coach Jim Tressel rolled into Charleston for a cool late fall Saturday in the Lowcountry.

The Bulldogs would fall behind early, 21-0, to high-powered Youngstown State in the next round, however, stormed back to get within a score in the third quarter, trailing just 21-14 as the game entered its final 15-minute frame. However, the Penguins erupted for 21 more points in the final frame, bringing an end to what had been a historic 1992 season for the Bulldogs and arguably their greatest in program history.

The Bulldogs and Paladins have met on the gridiron in every season since 1919, with the only interruption having been as a result of World War II, as the annual rivalry was not played from 1943-45.

Furman’s 64 wins against the Bulldogs mark their most wins against any opponent. It’s always an emotional “get together” when Furman and The Citadel square off on the Southern Conference gridiron, and the annual clash offers one of the more heated rivalries in all of FCS football.

In its rich history of games, the rivalry includes a painted horse, field graffiti, one of the highest scoring games in league history, a goal-line stand to preserve a league title, and at least one coach that has served as a head coach on both sides of the historic rivalry.

In the early 1990s, The Citadel’s Director of Athletics at the time—Walt Nadzak—presented the proposition of moving the game from its slotted final game of the regular season and moving it to the middle of the season because of the added pressure of the game for both teams, but in particular The Citadel, which had not seen very much success through the 1980s and up until the early 1990s in the rivalry.

In fact, from 1982-90, the Paladins won nine-straight in the series, which accounts for the longest streak in the series established by either team. The Citadel enjoyed a seven-game winning streak from 1971-77. In fact, with Baker’s departure from Furman to replace Bobby Ross as the head coach of The Citadel, a switch was flipped, and the Paladins snapped the streak and subsequently began an era of dominance of their own for over a decade. Often, the games in this rivalry have been downright exciting. For Paladin fans, they don’t come much better than the 1978 game, which saw the Paladins, who were led at the time by head coach and South Carolina Football Hall-of-Fame member Dick Sheridan, as he faced off against his former boss at Furman, in Art Baker, who was also a 2021 inductee into South Carolina Football Hall-of-Fame, and it would be a goal line stand against The Citadel’s star running back Stump Mitchell in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, as the Paladins held on for a memorable 17-13 win at Sirrine Stadium in downtown Greenville.

The win would mark a milestone in the history of Furman football, as it would be the first of what would become 15 Southern Conference titles for Furman, which is a league standard. For those Paladin fans that made the trip to Johnson Hagood Stadium for the final regular season game between the Paladins and Bulldogs, they would witness one of the most satisfying feelings on the trip back to Greenville.

Though the Paladins finished disappointingly below their standard of expectation, which meant without a SoCon title and out of the Division I-AA playoffs, the Paladins would finish off the season in grand fashion, handing the Bulldogs a 58-13 setback on their home turf. It was the worst loss inside the friendly confines of Johnson-Hagood Stadium in series history. The Paladins rolled up a school-record 676 yards of total offense in the win. That win would help ignite Furman’s 1988 national title run.

The 1988 clash would be one of those with a lot on the line, as one of those referenced above. With both teams regular SoCon title contenders at the time, as Furman was led by head coach Jimmy Satterfield, and the Bulldogs by the legendary Charlie Taafe, the game was always one filled with emotion and pride when the two met to conclude the regular season. Though both the Paladins and Bulldogs would make it to the FCS postseason, the Bulldogs had a chance to win a share of the Southern Conference regular-season title, while handing the Paladins what would have been their second league loss of the season.

However, in the meeting between No. 5 Furman and the ninth-ranked Bulldogs, the Paladins were able to claim a 30-17 win before an overflow crowd of nearly 18,000 fans. The Paladins went on to win the 1988 national title, with wins over Delaware (W, 21-7), at Marshall (W, 13-9), Idaho (W, 38-7) and Georgia Southern (W, 17-12) to claim the program’s lone national title. A year later, the Paladins would put together a game that would rival the 45-point win of a year earlier, downing the Bulldogs, 44-9, at Johnson Hagood Stadium before a sellout crowd of 20,357 on-hand in Charleston. The Paladins out-gained the Bulldogs, 502-277, as the second-ranked Paladins finished off the regular-season with a 10-1 record.

Furman got out of the gates quickly, which it had done all season, taking a 21-0 lead in the opening quarter and never looked back en route to the 35point win. The 21-0 first quarter was a snapshot of just how strong the Paladins had been in the opening quarter all season, finishing off the regular-season by out-scoring foes a combined 111-13 in the opening frame. The Paladins were paced in the lopsided win over the Bulldogs by quarterback Frankie DeBusk, who connected on 14-of-20 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns, while also adding a TD run of his own. The 1990 clash between the Bulldogs and Paladins saw the second-straight meeting in Greenville with both teams entered the key season-ending league tilt sporting national rankings, with the Paladins entering the contest ranked No. 13, while the Bulldogs, who had knocked off South Carolina, 38-35, in Columbia a few weeks earlier, came in ranked No. 11 in the Division I-AA polls.

With the Southern Conference regular-season crown on the line before a crowd of a packed beyond capacity crowd of 18,190 fans on-hand at Paladin Stadium, the Paladins ran to a 30-17 win, with Carl Tremble rushing for 202 yards and a pair of scores, while Billy Stockdale added 123 rushing yards, as the Paladins went on to polish off a third-straight Southern Conference crown. A year later, The Citadel fans could finally celebrate the year with a win over its bitter, hated rival from the Upstate, as the Bulldogs had a sellout crowd of 21, 263 fans at Johnson-Hagood Stadium in Charleston. 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.

The 1991 win was powered by a strong, ball-control ground attack that only allowed Furman to post a pair of Andrew Burr field goals in the second and third quarters, respectively, limiting the Paladins to just 261 yards of total offense in the defensive battle. The Paladin defense did its job, too, holding the powerful Bulldogs ground game to just 135 yards and a total of just 205 yards.

A Jack Douglas 2-yard scoring run with just over six minutes remaining in the game. The win signal by the Bulldogs ended a nine-game losing streak by The Citadel, and a streak of three-straight Division I-AA playoff appearances. Though the Bulldogs finished season 7-4, and despite going 5-2 in league play, were left on the outside looking in when it came to the Division I-AA playoffs. In one of its greatest seasons in program history, the Bulldogs reigned supreme for a second straight season, capturing that 20-14 win over the Paladin in Greenville, which marked the first time The Citadel had won in Greenville since a 17-16 win in 1976.

The 1994 meeting will most be remembered by Terrance “Running” Rivers, as he would run all over the Paladin defense, posting a stadium record for an opponent at the time, rushing for 217 yards and four scores to lead the Bulldogs to a wild 52–44 win in Greenville. 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 a beautiful, mid-October Saturday afternoon was. It looked as if it would be a near-perfect sequence of events on that 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.

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.

Not until Furman’s 39-38 loss against Presbyterian earlier in the 2025 season had Furman surrendered a 21-point lead to any foe, and it has only happened three times in the modern era of Furman football, dating back to 1971 when stats were first being maintained by the NCAA.

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. It was most recently set again by Western Carolina’s Taron Dickens when he completed 50-straight between two games in 2025, including 46-straight to open the game in WCU’s narrow 23-21 win over the Terriers in Spartanburg a few weeks back.

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. Earlier this century, a trio of games in Charleston offered crazy finishes, with two out of the three going to overtime, while the Bulldogs were also triumphant in two of the three clashes.

As any old rivalry should, the 2003 clash featured a good old fashioned fistfight at the end of the game. But more than a bloody lip that might have been felt following the game, the much deeper pain for Paladin players was a bruised ego, as the Paladins were on the wrong end of a 10-9 contest in Charleston. Nehemiah Broughton rushed for 159 yards to pace The Citadel offensively.

The Citadel claimed a 10–9 win in Charleston, as the Bulldogs benefitted from a missed PAT from Danny Marshall, holding on for a one-point win. The win by the Bulldogs snapped what had been a four-game losing streak against the Paladins in the series.

The Citadel held a 312-244 advantage in total offensive yards 2005 and ’07 meetings—both were Parents Weekend games in Charleston, and both would be absolute thrillers. It was The Citadel head coach Kevin Higgins’ first year in the Lowcountry, and it looked like the Bulldogs were going to pull off the unthinkable against No.5 Furman. When Paladin star quarterback Ingl 2005 and ’07 meetings—both were Parents Weekend games in Charleston, and both would be absolute thrillers. It was The Citadel head coach Kevin Higgins’ first year in the Lowcountry, and it looked like the Bulldogs were going to pull off the unthinkable against No.5 Furman.

When Paladin star quarterback Ingle Martin went down with cramps in the third quarter, Furman trailed 21–7. In stepped Renaldo Gray to rescue the Paladins, as he rallied the Paladins to two scoring drives to tie the game, sending it to overtime. Three overtime possessions later, the Paladins eventually pulled out of Charleston with a 39-31 win.

Jerome Felton’s 16-yard touchdown run in overtime and the ensuing two-point conversion allowed the Paladins to escape Charleston with the eight-point win. Furman held a 486-261 advantage in total offense in the win, and the victory was the fifth in the past six meetings between the two arch-rivals. In the 2007 meeting in Charleston, the Paladins held as much as a 27–7 lead in the contest before the Bulldogs stormed back to eventually take the lead late in the game. The Paladins would tie it late, forcing overtime and Tory Cooper’s TD in overtime would help the Bulldogs pick up an amazing 54–51 win in what was the second-highest scoring game in Southern Conference history at the time.

The Citadel piled up 641 yards of total offense were a school record allowed by a Paladin defense and were the most yards allowed by a Furman defense since allowing 640 yards to Georgia Southern in the 1985 national title game. The Citadel quarterback Duran Lawson completed 28-of-37 passes for 386 yards and three TDs, while rushing for 100 yards and a TD, accounting for 486 yards and four TD responsibilities in the win. Not to be lost in The Citadel’s win was the performance by Furman wideout Patrick Sprague hauling in nine passes for a school record 238 yards receiving and three TDs.

Furman would get its revenge a year later in Greenville, as the two met in a ranked matchup, as the 19th-ranked Paladins hosted the 24th-ranked Bulldogs. Furman quarterback Jordan Sorrells passed for 253 yards and three scores, as Furman prevailed, 34-20, at Paladin Stadium. The Citadel’s Bart Blanchard would finish his afternoon connecting on 20-of-37 throws for 196 yards for visitors from the Lowcountry.

In 2009, the Bulldogs were able to pull off what was a 38-28 win in Charleston, using dual-threat quarterback Miguel Sparks, who ended a big afternoon by accounting for 327 yards and five touchdowns, leading the Bulldogs to a 38-28 win at Johnson-Hagood Stadium in what was the 89th all-time series clash between the bitter rivals.

The 2010 clash would see the 23rd-ranked Paladins open Southern Conference play with a 31-14 win over The Citadel in what was a late-September clash on that occasion. Furman quarterback Cody Worley, who was now the full-time starter with Chris Forcier suffering a season-ending injury the week prior in Furman’s 38-17 loss at No. 13 South Carolina, and he would end the day by rushing for a pair of TDs and throwing for another, as the Paladins captured the 17-point home win.

Furman would have a new coach on the sidelines for the 2011 meeting and in what was a defensive struggle for the better part of four quarters, the Paladins emerged as 16-6 victors thanks to Furman place-kicker Chas Short, who booted through field goals, including a 46-yarder with just under three minutes left in the game, as the Paladins left Charleston with the win. The win was also special for head coach Bruce Fowler, who garnered his first win as the head coach of the Paladins.

In 2012, the Bulldogs would come to Greenville in a late-season clash and would simply overwhelm the Paladins en route to the 42-20 win. That win helped the Bulldogs capture a seven-win season and second in what was a successful five-year span, as the Bulldogs could seemingly do no wrong offensively in the 92nd all-time clash between the two foes. VanDyke Jones led a powerful Bulldogs ground attack, which rolled up 309 yards on the day, as he scored on runs of 25, 14, and 7 yards to ensure the Bulldogs ended the 2012 campaign on a high. The loss by the Paladins meant it would be saddled with its first three-win season since 1994 and only its second of three wins or less since 1974. The win by the Bulldogs would also mark its first in ,Greenville since Stanley Myers’ heroics in 1998, bringing an end to The Citadel’s streak of six-straight losses inside the facility.

The Paladins would exact revenge a year later in Charleston and did so with some unlikely heroes. In another late-September, early-SoCon clash, the Paladins would get a 13-yard scoring burst from Tanner Skogen midway through the fourth quarter, which broke a 17-17 tie, and allowed Furman—the eventual SoCon tri-Champions—escape with a 24-17 win. Furman’s unlikely hero in that 2013 clash was backup quarterback Duncan Fletcher, who came off the bench in relief of injured starter Reese Hannon in the third quarter, helping the Paladins by completing all three of his passes for 61 yards, while rushing for 19 yards on four attempts to help the Paladins close out the rivalry win in Charleston.

The 2014 clash also coincided with The Citadel’s program starting to trend upward once again under first-year head coach Mike Houston, and on this cloudy late-season matchup in Charleston, the Bulldogs only added to what had been a dismal season for the Paladins, handing the visitors from the Upstate a 42-35 overtime setback to carry back with them to Greenville. The reason for a second-straight clash in Charleston was also directly due to the uneven scheduling the league had when Georgia Southern and Appalachian State departed for the FBS, and Elon left to join the CAA.

While Duncan Fletcher might have been Furman’s unlikely hero in the ’13 clash in Charleston, it was Aaron Miller that did a masterful job of leading the Bulldogs’ ground attack on this cloudy Charleston afternoon in the late fall, as he rushed for 91 yards and a couple of scores, while leading an offense that rolled up nearly 600 yards on the day, as The Citadel out-gained the Paladins 549-457 on the day. With the game tied, 35-35, Miller’s 2-yard run in overtime would prove the difference after Furman, as The Bulldogs scored the game’s final 14 points to escape with the win.

A year later, The Citadel came to Greenville and physically won the battle in the trenches on both sides of the ball en route to a 38-17 win in Greenville. After Furman got to within 24-17 in the third quarter, the Bulldogs closed the final quarter-and-a-half leaving little doubt as to who the better team was on this afternoon, scoring the game’s final 14 points, while holding the Paladins on their side of the 50. The Citadel would end up out-gaining the Paladins, 455-295 on the day.

Under first-year head coach Brent Thompson, No. 15 The Citadel would make it three-in-a-row over the Paladins with a 19-14 win in what was the SoCon opener for the Paladins, while it was the second game of league play and of the season for the Bulldogs, who improved to 2-0. The Bulldogs, who would also go on to repeat their SoCon title winning success of a year earlier by closing out an undefeated league campaign, and one of those eight league wins was highlighted by the five-point win over the Paladins.

In what was the 96th clash between the two old Palmetto State rivals, it was quarterback Dominique Allen’s 1-yard scoring keeper with 2:13 remaining in the contest that proved to be the difference. Furman’s defense played well most of the night, keeping a powerful ground attack of The Citadel in-check the best it could, however, four turnovers by the Paladin proved costly.

Allen’s sharply-led, 15-play, 78-yard drive that proved to be the deciding score saw the field general mix a solid combo of run and pass, including connections of 29 and 21 yards to DeAndre Schoultz and Tyler Renew out of the backfield to ultimately get the Bulldogs into the Furman red zone and eventually set up Allen’s game-winning scoring tote.

In 2017, Furman would be led by current head coach Clay Hendrix, as he was in his first of what is now nine seasons as Furman’s head coach, but he was no stranger to the rivalry, and he would see to it that the Paladins got back on the winning track in the series in a big way, as the Paladins blasted the two-time reigning league champions. The 21st-ranked Paladins used an offensive showcase, posting a 56-20 win over the Bulldogs, amassing 554 yards of total offense en route to a seventh-straight in-season win.

The Paladins scored points on their first seven possessions and left no doubts as to who the better team was on this day, scoring its most points in a rivalry game against the Bulldogs since 1987. A powerful ground game was led by Antonio Wilcox, who finished with 106 yards and two scores on 12 carries, while Kealand Dirks added 83 yards and two more scores on the ground. Furman senior quarterback PJ Blazejowski also managed another efficient afternoon under center, connecting on 12-of-14 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns. The Paladins rushed for a total of 283 yards and passed for 261 in the win.

Back in Charleston for the 2018 clash, the Paladins got a timely drive from their offense, which was engineered by quarterback JeMar Lincoln. Furman rallied from a 17-14 deficit over the final 10 minutes of the contest to come up with a 28-17 win. Lincoln’s 4-yard option-keeper concluded the nine-play, 65-yard drive to allow the Paladins to take the lead, 21-17, with just over nine minutes remaining.

Trailing by four late in the game and with one more opportunity to take the lead, Furman would seal the win, as redshirt freshman bandit linebacker Adrian Hope sacked The Citadel’s Jordan Black, forcing a fumble, which would be recovered by fellow Paladin linebacker Donovan Perryman and returned for a score, delivering a thrilling 20-yard return for a touchdown to secure the 11-point win.

On a rainy, cool late October Saturday afternoon in Greenville in 2019, No. 8 Furman hosted The Citadel looking to remain in contention for both an FCS Playoff spot as well as a Southern Conference title. However, those aspirations were quickly put on hiatus by The Citadel, as the Bulldogs surprised the Paladins, defeating Furman 27-10.

The Citadel is a program that isn’t scared to get a little dirty when the conditions are not ideal. The Paladins are more a program that at least during this specific season, seemingly played the best when the sun was out, and this was not one of those occasions. The Citadel’s ground game was strong all afternoon, as the Bulldogs amassed 360 yards on the ground, while the Bulldogs’ defense did its thing as well, limiting the Paladins to just 216 yards of total offense for the afternoon.

The 27-10 verdict snapped Furman’s three-game winning streak, dropping the Paladins to 4-3 overall and 3-1 in league action, putting their FCS and SoCon title hopes in serious peril. All told, behind the excellent rugged running quarterback Brandon Rainey, the Bulldogs racked up a total of 392 yards in the win, totaling a whopping 34:39 time of possession total in the win.

Furman and The Citadel would have to wait a little longer than expected for the rematch in Charleston in 2020-21, with the COVID-19 pandemic canceling FCS Football in the fall, as it would be moved to the spring. The Paladins, which returned 14 starters from a playoff team in 2019, were the pre-spring favorites to claim the SoCon title, however, on another cloudy Saturday, it was The Citadel that dominated the proceedings, especially with its defense being able to dictate the outcome.

Like Furman, the Bulldogs entered the fall with plenty of momentum with hopes of plenty of momentum and talented expected to return to the fold. However, when more than 30 players decided they didn’t want to continue as a part of the program, the Bulldogs had to scramble to make a respectable showing by the time football was officially played again in the spring of 2021. With that said, The Citadel looked like the team it thought it might be before the pandemic and before so many of those former cadets went AWOL, as the Bulldogs trounced the Paladins, 26-7, in what was the spring finale for both teams.

The COVID-19 meeting compromised between the two marked the 100th all-time clash between the Bulldogs and Paladins. With the win, the Bulldogs claimed their second-straight win following a school-record 11-game losing streak, dating back to 2019, as the Bulldogs improved to 2-9 overall and 2-5 in Southern Conference play, while Furman finished out the spring with a 3-4 mark and a 3-4 record in Southern Conference play.

It was another afternoon which would see the Paladin offense struggle, as the Paladins failed to reach 300 yards of total offense in the final four games to close out the spring season, losing three out of their final four games. In the final 12 quarters of football in the 2020-21 season, Furman scored 39 points and gained 666 yards.

The Bulldogs would get on board midway through the opening quarter, thanks to two plays made by The Citadel's special teams. The first came on a blocked punt, as Timmy Bleekrode had his punt blocked on a 4th-and-9 play at the Furman 21, and the ball would eventually be recovered in the end zone by Hayden Johnson, giving the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead with 10:57 to play in the opening quarter.

This rivalry has seen a lot of plays over the 100 meetings between the two, but the ensuing kickoff by The Citadel brought back memories of the 2009 clash between the two in Charleston, as Furman mishandled the kickoff and failed to judge the trajectory correctly, and the Bulldogs' Ryland Ayers recovered the football at the Furman 25.

In 2009, a mis-handled Jordan Painter kickoff by Furman's Derek Murray led to a Bulldog recovery at the 23. It would eventually lead to a 14-0 lead following a Miguel Starks 3-yard scoring run and subsequent recovery of his own fumble to give the Bulldogs a 14-0 lead in that game.

In 2020-21, the Bulldogs signal-caller would call his own number once again, and it would result in a Jaylan Adams 25-yard scoring run to make it a 13-0 lead following a missed PAT by Colby Kitner.

The Paladins were the only team to get on the board in the second quarter, as he tossed his league-leading 12th scoring pass of the season, connecting with tight end Ryan Miller for his league-leading sixth scoring catch of the spring, making it a 13-7 game following a Bleekrode PAT with 10:57 remaining in the half. It would turn out to be the lone points of the day for the Paladins.

The Paladin defense turned away The Citadel twice inside Paladin territory prior to the half, however, and the Paladins entered the halftime locker room trailing by just six.

It appeared that the Paladins might be ready to take the lead on their first possession of the second half, moving the ball 74 yards in 10 plays to get all the way to The Citadel 1, however, the Bulldogs held on downs, stopping Wynn twice, and then Sisson's pass on fourth down fell incomplete on fourth down to end Furman's most promising scoring threat of what would be the second half.

Neither team would score in the third quarter, however, The Citadel would seal its 37th win in series history in the final quarter. Wilson Hendricks intercepted a Hamp Sisson pass with `just over six minutes remaining. It didn't take long for The Citadel offense to capitalize, as Jaylan Adams called his own number, keeping the football and scampering 43 yards for a touchdown with 5:16 remaining, making it a 19-7 contest following a failed two-point conversion attempt.

The Paladins were then forced to put the ball in the air to try and get back into the contest, and the Bulldog defense was able to bring the house on every play against Sisson, as he faced relentless pressure on Furman's second-to-final possession of the football.

Linebacker Anthony Britton Jr. was able to get heavy pressure on Sisson on a 3rd-and-18 play at Furman's own 17, and the redshirt sophomore from Birmingham, AL, saw his pass tipped in the air and picked off by Jay Smith and returned 31 yards for the score to put the final points on the board. Kitner's PAT provided the final point of the afternoon, as the Bulldogs finished off their most-impressive and most dominant performance of the season with a 19-point win.

Furman got payback in the fall of 2021, although it certainly didn’t come easy as it never seemingly does for one or the other in this rivalry when the two go at it. The Paladins held off the Bulldogs 24-14 under the lights at Paladin Stadium on an evening that proved a big one for Furman running back Dominic Roberto, who finished the night by rushing for 132-yard rushing performance, with 90 of those yards coming on one carry.

Roberto, Wayne Anderson, Jr., Devin Abrams, starting quarterback Jace Wilson and halfback Kendall Thomas combined to rush for 205 yards, but it was Roberto that did a lion’s share of the work, rushing for a career-best 132 yards and a score on just 12 carries. The 5-11, 242-lb sophomore’s 90-yard rumble accounted for the second-longest scoring run in program history.

Furman’s 205 yards on the ground was a large bulk of its 289 yards of total offense on just 52 total plays. Furman quarterbacks Jace Wilson (4-of-12, 89 yds, 1 TD) and Hamp Sisson (0-of-3) combined to go just 4-of-15 for yards and a TD through the air.

In fact, the Bulldogs owned advantages in total plays (89-52), total yards (364-289), time of possession (36:45-21:59), rushing yards (241-205) and passing yards (123-84). However, the Paladins did manage to win the turnover battle (3-2).

Furman had to battle the corps of cadets and a humid, hot afternoon at Johnson-Hagood Stadium in the 2022 clash, as the Paladins used a strong defensive performance to emerge with what was a 21-10 road win. It was a Furman team powered by a strong defense and a good ground attack, and that balance held true against a gritty Bulldogs team looking to spring the upset on home turf.

Once again it was Dominic Roberto that helped power that strong Furman ground attack, as he finished the contest with 133 yards and a pair of third quarter touchdowns, which helped Furman create some separation on the scoreboard after what had been a tense first half. Tyler Huff returned under center after having missed the previous game—a loss to eventual SoCon champion Samford—looked rusty throwing the ball in the first half, as he would be picked off a couple of times by the Bulldogs secondary, in Destin Mack and Dominick Poole before the half.

Furman opened the game with an impressive drive, as Huff led the Paladins on a 70-yard, 11-play drive, which culminated with a 3-yard touchdown run from Devin Abrams to give the Paladins a 7-0 lead with 10:18 remaining in the opening quarter.

The Citadel had the ball inside Furman territory on its opening two possessions of the game—one on a 34-yard pitch-and-catch from quarterback Ahmad Green-to-wideout Christian Hilton, however, the Paladins held on a 4th-and-1 play, as Kam Brinson came up and made the stick on Green, who called his own number on a quarterback keeper.

The next Citadel series inside Paladin territory was set up the next time by a Dominic Poole interception and returned to the Furman 40, however, the Paladins stood strong again on fourth down—this time on a 4th-and-4 play after the turnover–as the Paladin defense broke through the line and stopped Green for a loss.

The Paladins would hold the Bulldogs on their third possession of the game, holding the Bulldogs to a three-and-out, and after a heavy rush on The Citadel punter was only just avoided by James Platte, the Paladins got the ball back at midfield late in the opening quarter.

Late in the half, the Bulldogs drove deep inside Furman territory, however, after reaching the Paladin 5-yard line, the Paladin defense again did its job, holding Bulldogs to a 22-yard field goal from Colby Kintner 22-yard field goal, ending a scoreless drought of nearly 10 quarters and making it a 7-3 contest with 3:12 remaining in the opening half.

The Paladins drove inside The Citadel territory just before half, threatening to score for a fourth-straight game on their final possession of the half, however, for a second time on the afternoon, Huff was picked off by Destin Mack to thwart the scoring opportunity, and Furman went to the half leading the rivalry game 7-3.

In the second half, the Paladins would essentially put the game away in the third quarter, and it was the defense that gave the Paladin offense possession in great field position.

On the first third down of the second half, it looked like the Paladins were going to yield their first touchdown of the day after The Citadel quarterback Ahmad Green connected with Ricky Conway for a 29-yard gain on 3rd-and-8 to move the ball to out to the Bulldog 36 to bring The Citadel crowd to its feet and bring The Citadel cadet corps to its feet.

The first turnover caused by the ‘Dins came courtesy of the preseason All-SoCon cornerback Blackshear, who delivered a big hit on Bulldogs A-back Cooper Wallace, and the ball was recovered by Furman defensive lineman Bryce Stanfield to set the Paladin offense at the 32. Blackshear had a couple of opportunities to pick of his first pass of the season and ninth of his career, however, his play against the run this season on the perimeter continues to be exceptional. Blackshear, of course, tied with The Citadel’s Mack for the league lead with five INTs last season.

It didn’t take long for the Paladin offense and Roberto to capitalize on The Citadel miscue. After picking six yards on the first play of the drive, Roberto gashed the Bulldog defense for 26 yards and a Paladin touchdown, and with Axel Lepvreau’s PAT made it a 14-3 Paladin lead.

On The Citadel’s next possession, the Paladin defense came up big again, Green completed a short pass to Wallace, with Kam Brinson coming up to make the stick and then the ball came free, and he pounced on the loose ball as well, giving the Paladins great field position once again at The Citadel 19.

It took Furman just two plays to find the end zone and take a 21-3 lead, and it was Roberto’s number that was called twice, as Roberto gained 14 and 5 yards, with the latter of which producing his second scoring run in 95 seconds to give the Paladins the 18-point lead with 9:25 remaining in the third quarter.

After back-to-back three and outs by the Bulldogs and Paladins, The Citadel got the football back with 5:43 remaining in the third. It would end up seeing The Citadel snap an 11-quarter drought without scoring a touchdown, as Green avoided being sacked twice as he dropped back to pass, and then scrambled towards the Furman sideline before tossing a perfect 26-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone to Conway on a 3rd-and-9 play to make it a 21-10 game following Kintner’s PAT.

That would turn out to be the final points of the contest, as the Furman defense would do the rest shutting the door in the fourth quarter, not allowing the Bulldogs to cross midfield in the final quarter.

An odd uniform combo for Furman was one of the highlights of the 2023 clash between the two, but it was a game that would see The Citadel have a new coach on the sidelines for the annual rivalry clash, with Maurice Drayton succeeding Brent Thompson on the sidelines as the Bulldogs’ new head coach.

The former standout defensive back for the Bulldogs got his first taste of the rivalry from a different perspective, but it was still the same old hate. The Bulldogs found a Furman team that was going through the motions in the opening half before waking up in the second half to go on to a 28-14 win.

It was a particularly tough campaign for the Bulldogs, which saw them go on to finish winless (0-11) for the first time in the storied history of the program.

Traditionally, Furman has struggled at times in recent seasons coming off an off week, although that wasn’t going to ever be a viable excuse to explain going through the motions against an arch-rival to his head coach, who was part of some heated rivalry games for the Bulldogs as a player and has been a part of 30 now as a player or head coach.

“We’ve got to clean up... We’re happy to be where we are, but we’ve certainly got a challenging road ahead, without any question,” head coach Clay Hendrix said in the press conference following the 14-point win.

Furman’s leading rusher continued to be its quarterback. Tyler Huff was once again Tyler Huff. He rushed it nine times, gaining 94 yards on nine carries. He was also solid in the passing game, completing 19-of-24 passes for 146 yards and a pair of TDs and one INT.

Huff’s ability to find yards on the ground has been something that has come in handy this season, as ever since the Kennesaw State game Dominic Roberto sustained an injury that has nagged him ever since. It’s something that, however, offensive coordinator Justin Roper had hoped he wouldn’t necessarily have to rely on as much this season.

However, when the play broke down, which they often have through the first five games and did on more than a few occasions Saturday, Huff made the defense pay with his running ability. The graduate transfer and veteran signal-caller broke off a season-long 39-yard run that got Furman off to a strong start on what would turn out to be its final scoring drive of the day.

That’s some good news, considering the running back position is suddenly a unit that is quickly becoming a depleted unit due to injuries, as Dominic Roberto came into the game less than 100% and now with No. 2 running back Jay 'Quan Smith having gone down with an apparent injury of a serious nature in the win over the Bulldogs, it is now an area of concern for Hendrix heading into the Paladins’ gauntlet, which will see the Purple and White on the road the next couple of weeks, with games on the road at both Samford (3-3, 2-2 SoCon) and SoCon unbeaten and 17th-ranked Western Carolina (5-1, 3-0 SoCon).

Clay Hendrix addressed the health concerns at running back in the postgame press conference.

“We’ve got a guy like Wayne Anderson Jr. [wide receiver and former Furman RB] …so we have some options there…But yeah that is a concern…But what I am more concerned with is when we don’t block who we are supposed to and jumping offsides.”

Huff had a pair of scoring passes on the day, with Nick Cannon hauling in his first-career scoring pass for the Paladins, while Luke Shiflett scored his very late in the first quarter of play to give the Paladins their first of four trips to the end zone on the sun-splashed, brisk fall afternoon at Paladin Stadium. Shiflett would end up finishing the contest with two catches for 22 yards, while the Paladins got three receptions for 32 yards from Kyndel Dean and a pair of catches for 24 yards from talented redshirt freshman Ben Ferguson.

For the game, the Paladins were able to hold the Bulldogs to just 278 yards of total offense, including only 39 yards on 28 rush attempts. It was a stark contrast to what we've seen the Bulldogs do on the ground against the Paladins in past seasons, even during an era when some form of the option or wishbone wasn’t the favorite mode of operation. All told, the Paladins held a 345-278 edge in total offense, while boasting a 199-39 edge in total rushing yards.

Huff’s opposite Graeson Underwood had arguably his best game as a passer this season for The Citadel. He finished the contest completing 18-of-33 passes for 226 yards with a pair of INTs.

Aside from Huff’s 94 yards on the ground, the Paladins got 77 tough yards and a touchdown on 18 carries from Dominic Roberto. With Cannon’s third quarter scoring catch, it marked the 18th different Paladin to have caught at least one pass this season.

The most recent meeting had all the drama and turns of momentum that we have been so accustomed to seeing in this rivalry for much of its storied and rich history of hate on both sides, and the fashion in which the Paladins stole victory from the jaws of defeat for a fourth-straight win in the series was extra salt in the wounds from a Bulldogs team that, for much of the first three quarters, dominated the football game only to see a pair of Paladin freshmen take over the game on offense in the fourth quarter.

Those two freshmen would be both quarterback Trey Hedden and tight end Jackson Pryor, who combined for the final score of the day, as Hedden tossed a 6-yard scoring strike to Pryor in the back of the end zone to give Furman its first lead of the day, at 17-16, with just 61 seconds remaining. Then it would be freshman defensive back Jaylan Moson’s INT of a Jonathan Bennett pass on The Citadel’s next possession, which helped Furman claim one of its three wins (two conference wins) of what was for the most part, a 2024 campaign that saw Furman endure much adversity with such a large turnover of players.

It’s Furman and The Citadel and for an old-school connoisseur of FCS football since it was referred to as Division I-AA like me, it’s truly one of the greatest rivalries in all of college football—FBS or FCS.