Furman at No. 19 Richmond Preview and Prediction

                                                                                            

Game 33: Furman (2-2, 1-0 SoCon) at No. 19 Richmond (3-1, 2-0 Patriot League)

     Date: Sept. 26, 2026

     Location: Richmond, VA/Robins Stadium 

     Time: 2 P.M. EST

     How To Watch: ESPN+

     Furman Head Coach: Clay Hendrix (62-45/10th Yr at Furman)

     Richmond Head Coach:  Russ Huesman (62-42/10th Yr at UR/121-79 in 18th Yr overall)

     Series: 26th Meeting/Richmond Leads 15-10

     Players To Watch For Furman: QB-Connor Ackerley (Offense)/DE Joshua Stoneking                 (Defense)

     Players To Watch For Richmond: RB Aziz Foster-Powell (Offense)/ DE Camden Byrd                 (Defense)

Previewing the Matchup: Two old Southern Conference rivals will battle Saturday afternoon when Furman takes on Patriot League member Richmond and it will be the first meeting between the former SoCon rivals in 21 years, with the last meeting between the two taking place in the 2005 FCS Playoffs, with the Paladins holding off the Spiders 24-20 in the FCS quarterfinals at the old City Stadium.

The Paladins have in fact won each of the past three meetings, claiming a 17-7 win over No. 22 Richmond at City Stadium in 2002 before claiming a 31-17 win over Richmond on Sept. 20, 2003. 

The last time these two met, it was an absolute thriller that came right down to the wire. Led by dual-threat signal-caller Stacey Tutt and prolific future NFL running back Tim Hightower on offense, and a tenacious defense that allowed next to nothing through the ground or through the air. 

The "Stonewall Defense" as the Spiders came to be known were at that time led by Huesman, who was the Spiders' defensive coordinator and in his second season leading a stout unit. Following Richmond's first and only national title in 2008, Huesman left to become the head coach at Chattanooga, where he would spend the next eight seasons before arriving to become Richmond's head coach in 2017. 

Coming into that '05 matchup that was played at the old City Stadium and former NASCAR Track, the Spiders had won eight in a row and were the Atlantic 10 co-Champions (now the Coastal Athletic Association or CAA). 

However, in Furman and its talented quarterback Ingle Martin, the Spiders had met their match, as the Paladins went on to get a four-point win, as Martin passed for 249 yards and a touchdown, while Jerome Felton finished with 92 rushing yards and a pair of scores in the narrow win. The '05 Paladins, which established themselves as the top offensive in program history, would finish out the night holding a 443-348 edge in total offense. 

The Paladins, who have posted a 13-12 record against ranked foes under Clay Hendrix, including an 11-6 mark since 2021, are seeking their first regular-season road non-conference win over a non-conference ranked foe since a 37-35 win over No. 20 Jacksonville State to open the 2005 season, which would also feature that thrilling win over the Spiders in the playoffs. The Paladins are 10-2 in their last 12 games against the Patriot League, while having posted an all-time mark of 26-29 against Patriot members. 

William & Mary and Richmond account for 42 of those 55 games against the league, with the Paladins a combined 19-23 against the Tribe and Spiders combined. At one time, the Paladins shared SoCon rivalries with William & Mary and Richmond.

Furman will also be playing its fourth-straight ranked opponent, having already faced FBS No. 18 Tennessee, No. 14 Mercer, and in the most recent encounter, taking on No. 14 Mercer. 

It's only the second time in program history that the Paladins have taken on four-straight ranked foes for only the second time in program history, with the only other time having been the 2016 season, when the Paladins faced off against at No. 12 Michigan State (L, 28-13), at No. 15 The Citadel (L, 19-14), No. 4 Chattanooga (L, 21-14), and at No. 17 Coastal Carolina (L, 41-21). The Paladins would go on to lose two more games to a pair of FCS Playoff teams, dropping games to both Samford (L, ) and Kennesaw State (L, 54-42) before eventually getting a breakthrough against East Tennessee State.

Following the game against No. 19 Richmond, the Paladins will face a home test against a Wofford team Furman has lost three-straight games against before traveling to meet nationally-ranked and SoCon favorite Tennessee Tech on Oct. 10. The Paladins are 1-1 against FCS ranked foes this season, dropping a 20-17 game to South Carolina State last weekend, while defeating SoCon preseason pick and 14th-ranked Mercer, 20-13, a couple of weeks back. 

Richmond has struggled to find its own rhythm this season, dealing mostly with injuries, however, the Spiders have found a way to start 3-1, with the only loss coming in a 73-0 humiliation at the hands of North Carolina State a couple of weeks back. The Spiders have gotten off to a strong 2-0 start in Patriot League play, knocking off Bucknell (W, 35-14) and Georgetown (W, 24-21) last Saturday.

The Paladins have had trouble protecting their quarterbacks through the first four games this season, especially over the course of the past three weeks, surrendering a combined total of 14 quarterback takedowns through the first four games, which is about 4.5 sacks per game.  

The Spiders bring in a tough defensive unit of their own under head coach Russ Huesman, having posted 14 sacks as a unit this season, which ranks them fifth nationally in total quarterback takedowns this season.  Defensive end Camden Byrd has been Richmond's version of Joshua Stoneking this season, having posted 4.5 of those 14 sacks through the first four weeks of the season.

The Spiders will offer equally as tough of a challenge on the defensive side of the ball as both Mercer and South Carolina State proved to be each of the past two weeks. In its 3-0 start against FCS foes this season, the Spiders are allowing only 243.3 YPG and just 18.7 PPG. The Spiders are also holding FCS foes to just 10-of-43 on third down attempts in those three games. The Spiders rank 33rd in FCS in third down conversion defense. 

The Paladins, meanwhile, have been one of the worst in the nation when it comes to converting on third downs this season, as the Paladins are just 12-of-59 for the entire season, which ranks 122nd nationally out of 124 teams ranked. 

Furman's defense, however, has proven one of the stoutest, holding teams to just a 25.5% (14-of-55) conversion rate on third down. Furman ranks ninth in the country in third down conversion defense. Though the Paladins have just seven sacks through four games, their defensive line has provided constant pressure throughout the season, especially on third down. 

Richmond, meanwhile, is stout defensively in its own right, and the aforementioned Byrd leads a formidable defensive front for the Spiders. Richmond ranks three spots higher nationally in total defense than the Paladins, as the Spiders come in ranking 50th nationally (364.5 YPG). 

Byrd anchors that talented front seven for the Spiders, with Daniel Sellers being Byrd's partner-in-crime along that talented defensive front for Richmond. Sellers was named to Bruce Feldman's "Freaks List" in the preseason, ranking 98th among the 101 most physically-gifted players in college football. 

Sellers gives the Spiders quite a pass-rushing tandem along its three down linemen, as the two have combined to rack up seven of the team's 14 sacks through the first four games. Sellers has 12 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery in the early portion of the season.

Linebacker Blake Houser anchors the second level of a talented front seven for the Spiders, and he is leading the Spiders in tackles through the early portion of the season, having posted 34 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.  Teaming with Houser as a dynamic player at linebacker is Jackson Thorne, who ranks right behind Houser in tackles, having posted 24 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss and a pass breakup.

Dating back to Huesman's days as the Chattanooga head coach, where he completely restored the program during his seven years at the helm (2009-16), the secondary was always a strength for those Mocs teams, and Huesman, who was once a standout defensive back himself during his days as a player in the late 1970s and early '80s at UTC, it's always been a unit that has been close to his heart. 

Like those Mocs secondaries over his seven seasons as the head coach, the Richmond Spiders have more often than not been among the best in FCS when it comes to the third level of the defense and this season is no different. The Spiders unit, which is anchored by brothers Devin Geronomi (19 tackles, 1 PBU, 1 FR) and Caleb Geronomi (9 tackles, 4 QBHs), which has limited three FCS opponents to just 39-of-80 passing for 457 yards, with 18 pass breakups and 12 sacks in those three FCS games. The Spiders currently rank 35th in the nation in passing yards allowed (190.8 YPG). Richmond's only interception of the season was recorded by cornerback Kyree Richardson (7 tackles, 2 PBUs, 1 INT).

Offensively, the Spiders have been much like Furman, in that they haven't been terribly explosive, averaging 314.5 YPG, which ranks 81st nationally in total offense. The Spiders average 21.8 PPG this season, which ranks the Spiders tied for 76th nationally in scoring average. 

Leading the offense is senior quarterback Ashten Snelsire (73-of-135 passing, 858 yds, 7 TDs, 1 INT), who is coming off a career performance last time out in the 24-21 win over Georgetown, establishing both new career highs for completions (29), attempts (49) and passing yards (322). He leads the Patriot League and ranks 30th nationally in completions and also ranks 30th nationally in total passing yards this season.  The Spiders prefer the airways a little more than the ground through the early portion of the season, passing for 214.5 YPG, while averaging just 100.0 YPG on the ground. 

The Spiders are coming off their best offensive day yardage-wise of the season, having amassed 467 yards on 77 snaps in last Saturday's win over the Hoyas. 

The leading wideout is tight end Sean Clarke, who is off to a strong start to the season, having hauled in 16 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown (8.4 YPR). Wideouts Bryce Allen (15 rec, 243 yds, 3 TDs, 16.2 YPR) and Quanye Veney (14 rec, 228 yds, 1 TD, 16.3 YPR) are the only receivers to have more than 200 yards receiving for the Spiders over the first four games of the season. Allen had a 75-yard scoring catch from Snelsire in the opening week win over Bucknell. 

Richmond's ground attack is led by one of the top running backs in the Patriot League, as Aziz Foster-Powell (43 rush att, 228 yds, 5 TDs, 5.3 YPC) leads the attack, and is coming off a solid performance in last Saturday's win over the Hoyas, rushing for 87 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 17 attempts, including a 33-yard scoring run. He accounted for all three touchdowns against Georgetown, as he also hauled in a 12-yard scoring pass from Snelsire in the second quarter. The Spiders have taken pretty good care of the football in the early portion of the season, having thrown only one INT on 135 attempts through the first four games.

Like Richmond, Furman has had the injury bug begin to bite a little at this juncture of the season. One of those new starters on offense and under center, as Connor Ackerley (13-of-23 passing, 171 yds, 1 TD, 0 INTs) is set to start his first game for the Paladins after coming into last week's game against South Carolina State, relieving Jake Garcia, who went out with an apparent shoulder injury on the third play of the second half in last week's 20-17 loss by the Paladins. 

Ackerley transferred in from Western New Mexico in the spring, starting all 11 games as a sophomore last fall, completing 253-of-397 passes (63.7%) for 2,999 yards, with 30 TDs and 12 INTs. In last week's loss to No. 16 South Carolina State, Ackerley connected on 10-of-18 passes for 164 yards and one touchdown, which was a 67-yard toss to Luke Shields late in the game, as Ackerley threw deep spotting a wide-open Shields, who had benefited from a Bulldogs defensive back slipping down to the turf on the scoring play.

Furman's offense actually moved more fluently for much of the second half with Ackerley in the lineup, though points were still tough to come by against the best defense statistically in FCS football. 

While SC State's defense is certainly good, seven Furman dropped passes--six of which were uncontested--were part of what was a frustrating evening offensively. Then Paladins will hope to change that Saturday afternoon at Richmond, with Daniel Haughton (18 rec, 214 yds, 1 TD, 11.9 YPR), Ethan Harris (10 rec, 108 yds, 10.8 YPR) and the previously mentioned Luke Shields (14 rec, 174 yds, 1 TD, 12.4 YPR) having been the three primary options for Furman quarterbacks through the first four games. 

Furman's ground attack has been pretty good this season, despite finishing last week's contest against a good SC State defensive unit with only 53 yards on the ground. Senior Ben Croasdale (27 rush att, 172 yds, 3 TDs) continues to lead the Furman ground attack, while CJ Nettles (24 rush att, 134 yds, 5.6 YPC) and Charlotte transfer CJ Stokes (31 rush att, 78 yds, 2.5 YPC) have done a nice job of supplementing the former walk-on, Croasdale. 

Nettles and Stokes are two guys that can deliver a blow and are backs that get a good number of yards after initial contact. Isaiah Davis, who rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee, is the only other player not named Ben Croasdale to have scored a rushing TD this season.

Furman's offensive line is one of the more talented units that Clay Hendrix has had in his 10 seasons at Furman, however, while the ground game is much improved so far, the Paladins have surrendered 14 sacks (6 sacks surrendered vs. FBS Tennessee) through the first four games, ranking the Paladins 115th out of 122 teams ranked nationally, allowing 3.50 sacks per game. 

Defensively, Furman has been solid and comes in ranking 53rd nationally in total defense (372.8 YPG), while ranking 36th nationally in scoring defense (23.0 PPG). It all starts up front for the Paladins, which continue to feature among the nation's top defensive line units. It's a little peculiar then, to see a Furman defense that forced only one turnover and didn't record a sack in last Saturday's 20-17 home loss to SC State. The Paladins forced five turnovers and recorded four sacks in the 20-13 road win at No. 14 Mercer a week earlier.

At the forefront of that talented group are a pair of preseason All-SoCon selections and a Buck Buchanan Award runner-up last season, in Wingate transfer Eli Lipscomb (20 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 FRs, 3 QBHs) and returning junior defensive end Joshua Stoneking (14 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 0.5 sack, 8 QBHs). 

Lipscomb, which is the Paladins' edge rusher, has teamed with Trevor Short (10 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 4 QBHs, 1 FF, 1 FR) at 'bandit' linebacker this season, giving Furman a formidable 1-2 punch on the perimeter. Furman's athleticism at 'bandit', whether it's Lipscomb or Short, has created matchup problems for foes this season.

While the defensive line unit is among the best in the FCS, the linebacking room has been hit hard by injuries through the first three weeks, with both starters Caleb Ellison and Raleigh Herbert having been injured in an especially physical game against Mercer in the Paladins, 20-13, win over the 14th-ranked Bears a couple of weeks back. 

Furman was dealt yet another blow last Saturday, as backup inside linebacker Jacob Hanson suffered a season-ending knee injury last Saturday in the loss to the Bulldogs, leaving Furman even more undermanned at inside linebacker. Nick Simmons (6 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1 QBH) is slated to make his second-straight start on Saturday against Richmond, as he will start alongside veteran Ryan Earl (20 tackles, 1 PBU, 1 QBH, 1 FR), who was a 2024 SoCon All-Freshman selection, and remains one of the veteran leaders of the Paladin front seven.

Furman's improvement in the secondary has been notable through the first four games of the season, as the Paladins rank 67th in the nation, surrendering 217.0 YPG. The Paladins finished 93rd last season, surrendering 239.5 YPG through the air. 

Leading the unit this season has been lockdown cornerback Caleb Easterling (20 tackles, 2 INTs, 2 PBUs, 1 FF), who is in his first season as a starter and has made a big impact. He's arguably Furman's most talented defender with the variety of skills that he brings to the table, with his speed, coverage ability and physicality, as well as his tackling ability, which might the most fundamentally-sound of any Paladin defender. 

Not to be overlooked is the veteran leadership of AK Burrell (14 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PBU), who is coming off a strong performance as that third safety for the Paladins, finishing off his contest against SC State by posting four tackles, a PBU and an INT. It was Burrell's second-career pick, having recorded his first in last season's 31-13 loss at Wofford. Braylon Peebles (29 tackles, 2 PBUs) has been among the best freshmen defenders in the SoCon this season, and he is Furman's tackles leader entering Saturday's contest at Richmond. 

Originally in the preseason, I had Richmond predicted to win this game, 17-14, over the Paladins. But given the fact that the Paladins lost a tough, 20-17, game at home against South Carolina State last week, it would be hard for-me to believe that they lose back-to-back games, despite the fact that the game is on the road. I think this will be a game in which Furman's offense will come to life for the first time this season, with Ackerley at the controls and the Paladins surprise some folks with their most complete performance of the season on both sides of the ball, playing complimentary football. 

FINAL PREDICTION: FURMAN 28,

RICHMOND 17