Big Plays Highlight Wofford's Fourth-Straight Win Over Furman
Wofford quarterback Ethan Drumm passed for 304 yards and four touchdowns, and wideout Isaiah Scott caught seven passes for 193 yards and a pair of scores, as the Terriers raced to a 29-8 first half lead before holding on for a 32-25 win over Furman in what was the 100th meeting in the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.”
The “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry” commenced in 1889, with Wofford winning 5-1 in Spartanburg. The Terriers have now won four-straight in the series, trailing the series 56-37-7.
After changing offensive coordinators early in the week, Furman found its offense output and efficiency performed much better against the Terriers than it had previously this season, scoring a season-high 25 points and rolling up a total of 387 yards, however, it would be the defense that would falter Saturday by giving up too many shot plays in the opening quarter, which proved to be decisive in the end for the Paladins.
Furman quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Drew Dudzik called his first game in his new role as offensive coordinator. Furman 10th-year head coach Clay Hendrix made the change in offensive leadership following Furman’s 13-9 loss at Richmond, relieving former offensive coordinator Justin Roper of his play-calling responsibilities, and naming Dudzik as Furman’s new play-caller. The offense looked more simplified and efficient, and there were far less plays for negative yardage. Dudzik’s ability to help clean up the Furman offense was evident, especially in the running game, which did not allow a sack for the first time all season. The Paladins came in having allowed 19 quarterback takedowns through the first five games of the season.
With the win, the Terriers improved to 3-3 overall and 2-2 in the Southern Conference, while Furman drops its third-straight game, falling to 2-4 overall and 1-1 in Southern Conference play. Wofford’s fourth-straight win over Furman ties for the longest streak of wins as an NCAA Division I member. That original streak was established from 2015-17, which included two games in the 2017 season. Wofford, which came close to knocking off No. 8 Tennessee Tech last week in Spartanburg, ended a three-game losing streak with its win at Paladin Stadium on Saturday.
Wofford registered 228 of its 412 total yards in the game in the opening quarter and quarterback Ethann Drumm threw all of his four touchdown passes in the opening half of play, as he connected on scoring strikes of 70, six, 80 and 71 yards in the opening half alone to stake the Terriers to a 29-8 lead just 11 seconds into the second quarter. Drumm finished the afternoon connecting on 14-of-21 passes for 304 yards and four touchdowns, with just one INT.
Isaiah Scott hauled in seven passes for 193 yards and two scores, with his 193 receiving yards ranking as the second-highest total in Wofford history. Ivory Aikens added two receptions for 72 yards and a pair of scores.
On the ground, Gerald Modest Jr. continued to be the model of efficiency for the Terriers, as he finished the game with 83 yards on 24 carries. His effect of the game helped chew up time early in the fourth quarter, as the Terriers were trying to maintain possession of the football and limit the offensive opportunities the Paladins, who made a rally in the second half.
Defensively, Wofford was led by sophomore and Newberry transfer linebacker Logan McCloud, who finished the contest eight tackles, while preseason First-Team All-SoCon defensive back Eli Campbell added seven tackles and a pass breakup.
Furman’s 387 yards of total offense was its most against an NCAA Division I opponent this season and second-most overall, as only the 451-yard performance in the season-opener against Anderson was a higher offensive output. Furman’s 387 yards against the Terriers on Saturday eclipsed the previous high for offensive output of 361 yards, which came against Mercer in Furman’s 20-13 upset win over the 14th-ranked Bears earlier this season.
Furman quarterback Connor Ackerley, who made his second start under center, finished the game connecting on 27-of-43 passes for 264 yards, with one touchdown and no INTs. His favorite target in the Paladin passing attack was Ethan Harris, who hauled in seven passes for 81 yards and a touchdown. Luke Shields had another effective day catching the football for the Paladins, hauling in seven passes for 80 yards. Furman senior running back Ben Croasdale had an effect both as the Paladins’ leading rusher, finishing with 93 yards on 21 attempts, while also hauling in seven passes for 48 yards.
Defensively, the Paladins were led by linebacker Ryan Earl, who finished with nine tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss, and a pick-six, which he returned 21 yards for a touchdown in the opening quarter.
The Paladin defensive front recorded a pair of sacks, and as an entire defensive unit were responsible for nine tackles-for-loss. Buck Buchanan Award candidate and junior defensive end Joshua Stoneking recorded a sack for a second-straight week, finishing the contest with five tackles, 1.5 TFL, a sack, a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble. Defensive tackle Caldwell Bussey finished the day with three tackles, 1.5 TFL and a chase down sack.
How It Happened:
Furman won the toss and deferred the opening kickoff and on just the second play of the game, Wofford completed a 75-yard scoring pass, as Ethan Drumm found Isaiah Scott scored behind the defense for a 70-yard touchdown and instead of kicking the PAT, Drumm took a direct snap and ran it in for two, giving the Terriers an early 8-0 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, Wofford kicker Connor Deviney hit a short kickoff blooper that bounced just in front of the near sideline on the Furman sidelines and Wofford recovered the ball at the Furman 20. Five plays later, Drumm tossed his second touchdown of the contest a little over three minutes into the game, finding Ivory Aikens in the back corner of the end zone for a six-yard scoring strike and a 15-0 lead.
After recovering another onsides kick, the Terriers took over near midfield, but the Terriers were held by the Paladins and forced to punt the ball away, as the Paladins were already down the point total, they averaged per game coming into the game—15-. Furman took its first new offensive snap with 9:19 remaining in the opening quarter at its own 27. Furman had a 42-yard touchdown by Ben Croasdale wiped out by a chop block and the Paladins were forced to punt the ball back to the Terriers. Furman was flagged for a chop block. The Paladins were eventually forced to punt the ball away as a result.
Wofford’s next possession would see it take the ball in its worst field position all afternoon at its own eight, on 3rd-and-7 at the 11, Drumm’s pass was picked off by Ryan Earl and returned 21 yards for a score to make it a 15-6 game. Following Wofford jumping offsides on the PAT, the Paladins opted to bring the offense on the field for a two-point conversion attempt from the one, and Croasdale plunged over the top from a yard out to make it a 15-8 game with 4:45 remaining in the first quarter.
On the second play of the ensuing drive, the Terriers went deep again it was Scott on receiving end of an 80-yard scoring catch to put the Terriers back up 22-8 with four minutes remaining in the opening quarter. It was another scoring flurry, as the Terriers scored back-to-back long touchdowns to assume a 21-point lead—their largest of the day—just one play into the second quarter.
The Paladins, who had scored only one offensive touchdown in almost nine complete quarters, proceeded to drive the ball to near midfield before an incompletion on 3rd-and-4 forced the Paladins to punt the ball back over to the Terriers with 1:25 remaining in the opening quarter. After the ball was downed at the one by Furman, Wofford moved it out to the 29 before time expired in the opening quarter.
An opening quarter totally dominated by the Terriers, who outgained Furman, 228-57, in the opening quarter, would bleed over into the second quarter, as the aerial domination by the Terriers continued with yet another big play, as Drumm used 71-yard pop-pass from Drumm to Aikens would see the Terriers take a 29-8 lead with 14:49 remaining in the half.
The Paladins would gain one first down before being forced to punt the ball back over to the Terriers with 11:48 remaining. Furman’s defense, which had been a unit that had been pretty good for much of the season, had been uncharacteristically bad for much of the day until just under 10 minutes remaining in the half, Joshua Stoneking broke through the line to sack Drumm, causing a fumble, which the Terriers recovered.
That Stoneking sack would seem to give the Paladins a shot of energy, if ever changing the momentum ever so slightly. The Paladins forced a punt and after a positive punt return by Joshua Tarver and the offense had the ball in good field position at their own 47. The Paladins drove the ball 53 yards in eight plays, which was capped off by a seven-yard scoring run by CJ Stokes, who made it a 29-15 game with 4:13 left in the opening half.
The Terriers took the ball at their own 20 on the ensuing possession, but the Paladins came up with another stop forcing the Terriers to punt the ball away at their own 39. The Paladins got the ball back with 1:48 left in the half at their own 15. An incompletion on 4th-and-7 at Wofford’s 41 would bring an end to the half.
The Paladins opened the second half with the football at their own 25 and aided by a 15-yard pass interference penalty and runs of 19, nine, and one yards by Croasdale, the Paladins moved inside the Wofford red zone, with a first down at the Wofford 20. The Paladins then converted a 2-and-8 with a 10-yard completion to Luke Shields got the ball to the 10, but a holding penalty on a designed quarterback run pushed the ball back to the 20. Croasdale gained eight of the yards back on the next play to bring up 2-and-goal from the 12.
Following an Ackerley incompletion on second down, the Paladins would get another short gain on an option play before having to settle for a 29-yard field goal from Nathan Chapman, which made it a 29-18 game with 9:30 remaining in the third quarter.
Wofford’s next possession, Furman’s defense allowed one first down on third-and-long but then forced a Wofford punt that was downed at the Furman 15 with 5:44 remaining in the third quarter. But the Paladins suffered their first turnover of the game on a 3rd-and-7 play, as Ben Croasdale caught a short pass, gained five yards and then coughed up the ball, which was recovered by the Terriers at the Furman 21.
The Terriers converted a 3rd-and-7 to keep the drive alive and move the ball to the Furman two, but an offsides infraction on the next play moved it back to the seven. Despite being aided by a hands-to-the-face penalty at the 2, Furman’s defense again stood tall, with Demetrius Baldwin Jr. getting a tackle-for-loss for three yards and then on second down, AK Burrell chased down Wofford quarterback Drumm from behind for no gain. Braylon Peebles then broke up the pass on third down from the four, forcing the Terriers to settle for a short 22 -yard field goal from Connor Deviney to make it a 32-18 game with 11 seconds remaining in the third.
In the final quarter, Wofford went to the ground game to take time off the clock, leaving the Paladins no chance for a come-from-behind win. The Terriers were eventually forced to punt, however, as the Terriers wilted nearly five minutes off the clock before giving the ball back to Furman at its own nine after the punt with 8:14 remaining.
The Paladin offense drove the ball 91 yards in 11 plays and got an 18-yard touchdown pass from Connor Ackerley to Ethan Harris to make it a 32-25 game with 4:47 remaining. It was one of the more impressive offensive drives of the season for the Paladins.
On Wofford’s next possession, Furman’s defense stopped Wofford on 3rd-and-1 and the Paladins took over with the ball with 2:39 at their own 34 after a personal penalty following a signaled fair catch by Joshua Tarver. Ethan Harris caught a pair of passes from Ackerley to get the Paladins to the Wofford 38 at the two-minute warning.
The Paladins moved the ball to the Wofford 23 with 1:12 remaining and facing 4th-and-7, however, Ackerley’s pass fell incomplete and Wofford got one first down and then ran off the remaining time off the clock to secure its fourth-straight win in the series against Furman and evening the series, 15-15, since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 1997.
Furman returns to action next Saturday, as the Paladins will be on the road to face nationally ranked Tennessee Tech (4-1, 2-1 SoCon), who is coming off its first SoCon loss Saturday night, as the Golden Eagles dropped a 44-20 contest at Western Carolina. Kickoff is set for 3:30 pm EST at Tucker Stadium in Cookeville. Wofford will be on the road in non-conference game next Saturday, facing off against former league rival Elon in a 2 p.m. kickoff slated for Rhodes Stadium.
Defensively, Wofford was led by sophomore and Newberry transfer linebacker Logan McCloud, who finished the contest eight tackles, while preseason First-Team All-SoCon defensive back Eli Campbell added seven tackles and a pass breakup.
Furman’s 387 yards of total offense was its most against an NCAA Division I opponent this season and second-most overall, as only the 451-yard performance in the season-opener against Anderson was a higher offensive output. Furman’s 387 yards against the Terriers on Saturday eclipsed the previous high for offensive output of 361 yards, which came against Mercer in Furman’s 20-13 upset win over the 14th-ranked Bears earlier this season.
Furman quarterback Connor Ackerley, who made his second start under center, finished the game connecting on 27-of-43 passes for 264 yards, with one touchdown and no INTs. His favorite target in the Paladin passing attack was Ethan Harris, who hauled in seven passes for 81 yards and a touchdown. Luke Shields had another effective day catching the football for the Paladins, hauling in seven passes for 80 yards. Furman senior running back Ben Croasdale had an effect both as the Paladins’ leading rusher, finishing with 93 yards on 21 attempts, while also hauling in seven passes for 48 yards.
Defensively, the Paladins were led by linebacker Ryan Earl, who finished with nine tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss, and a pick-six, which he returned 21 yards for a touchdown in the opening quarter.
The Paladin defensive front recorded a pair of sacks, and as an entire defensive unit were responsible for nine tackles-for-loss. Buck Buchanan Award candidate and junior defensive end Joshua Stoneking recorded a sack for a second-straight week, finishing the contest with five tackles, 1.5 TFL, a sack, a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble. Defensive tackle Caldwell Bussey finished the day with three tackles, 1.5 TFL and a chase down sack.
How It Happened:
Furman won the toss and deferred the opening kickoff and on just the second play of the game, Wofford completed a 75-yard scoring pass, as Ethan Drumm found Isaiah Scott scored behind the defense for a 70-yard touchdown and instead of kicking the PAT, Drumm took a direct snap and ran it in for two, giving the Terriers an early 8-0 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, Wofford kicker Connor Deviney hit a short kickoff blooper that bounced just in front of the near sideline on the Furman sidelines and Wofford recovered the ball at the Furman 20. Five plays later, Drumm tossed his second touchdown of the contest a little over three minutes into the game, finding Ivory Aikens in the back corner of the end zone for a six-yard scoring strike and a 15-0 lead.
After recovering another onsides kick, the Terriers took over near midfield, but the Terriers were held by the Paladins and forced to punt the ball away, as the Paladins were already down the point total, they averaged per game coming into the game—15-. Furman took its first new offensive snap with 9:19 remaining in the opening quarter at its own 27. Furman had a 42-yard touchdown by Ben Croasdale wiped out by a chop block and the Paladins were forced to punt the ball back to the Terriers. Furman was flagged for a chop block. The Paladins were eventually forced to punt the ball away as a result.
Wofford’s next possession would see it take the ball in its worst field position all afternoon at its own eight, on 3rd-and-7 at the 11, Drumm’s pass was picked off by Ryan Earl and returned 21 yards for a score to make it a 15-6 game. Following Wofford jumping offsides on the PAT, the Paladins opted to bring the offense on the field for a two-point conversion attempt from the one, and Croasdale plunged over the top from a yard out to make it a 15-8 game with 4:45 remaining in the first quarter.
On the second play of the ensuing drive, the Terriers went deep again it was Scott on receiving end of an 80-yard scoring catch to put the Terriers back up 22-8 with four minutes remaining in the opening quarter. It was another scoring flurry, as the Terriers scored back-to-back long touchdowns to assume a 21-point lead—their largest of the day—just one play into the second quarter.
The Paladins, who had scored only one offensive touchdown in almost nine complete quarters, proceeded to drive the ball to near midfield before an incompletion on 3rd-and-4 forced the Paladins to punt the ball back over to the Terriers with 1:25 remaining in the opening quarter. After the ball was downed at the one by Furman, Wofford moved it out to the 29 before time expired in the opening quarter.
An opening quarter totally dominated by the Terriers, who outgained Furman, 228-57, in the opening quarter, would bleed over into the second quarter, as the aerial domination by the Terriers continued with yet another big play, as Drumm used 71-yard pop-pass from Drumm to Aikens would see the Terriers take a 29-8 lead with 14:49 remaining in the half.
The Paladins would gain one first down before being forced to punt the ball back over to the Terriers with 11:48 remaining. Furman’s defense, which had been a unit that had been pretty good for much of the season, had been uncharacteristically bad for much of the day until just under 10 minutes remaining in the half, Joshua Stoneking broke through the line to sack Drumm, causing a fumble, which the Terriers recovered.
That Stoneking sack would seem to give the Paladins a shot of energy, if ever changing the momentum ever so slightly. The Paladins forced a punt and after a positive punt return by Joshua Tarver and the offense had the ball in good field position at their own 47. The Paladins drove the ball 53 yards in eight plays, which was capped off by a seven-yard scoring run by CJ Stokes, who made it a 29-15 game with 4:13 left in the opening half.
The Terriers took the ball at their own 20 on the ensuing possession, but the Paladins came up with another stop forcing the Terriers to punt the ball away at their own 39. The Paladins got the ball back with 1:48 left in the half at their own 15. An incompletion on 4th-and-7 at Wofford’s 41 would bring an end to the half.
The Paladins opened the second half with the football at their own 25 and aided by a 15-yard pass interference penalty and runs of 19, nine, and one yards by Croasdale, the Paladins moved inside the Wofford red zone, with a first down at the Wofford 20. The Paladins then converted a 2-and-8 with a 10-yard completion to Luke Shields got the ball to the 10, but a holding penalty on a designed quarterback run pushed the ball back to the 20. Croasdale gained eight of the yards back on the next play to bring up 2-and-goal from the 12.
Following an Ackerley incompletion on second down, the Paladins would get another short gain on an option play before having to settle for a 29-yard field goal from Nathan Chapman, which made it a 29-18 game with 9:30 remaining in the third quarter.
Wofford’s next possession, Furman’s defense allowed one first down on third-and-long but then forced a Wofford punt that was downed at the Furman 15 with 5:44 remaining in the third quarter. But the Paladins suffered their first turnover of the game on a 3rd-and-7 play, as Ben Croasdale caught a short pass, gained five yards and then coughed up the ball, which was recovered by the Terriers at the Furman 21.
The Terriers converted a 3rd-and-7 to keep the drive alive and move the ball to the Furman two, but an offsides infraction on the next play moved it back to the seven. Despite being aided by a hands-to-the-face penalty at the 2, Furman’s defense again stood tall, with Demetrius Baldwin Jr. getting a tackle-for-loss for three yards and then on second down, AK Burrell chased down Wofford quarterback Drumm from behind for no gain. Braylon Peebles then broke up the pass on third down from the four, forcing the Terriers to settle for a short 22 -yard field goal from Connor Deviney to make it a 32-18 game with 11 seconds remaining in the third.
In the final quarter, Wofford went to the ground game to take time off the clock, leaving the Paladins no chance for a come-from-behind win. The Terriers were eventually forced to punt, however, as the Terriers wilted nearly five minutes off the clock before giving the ball back to Furman at its own nine after the punt with 8:14 remaining.
The Paladin offense drove the ball 91 yards in 11 plays and got an 18-yard touchdown pass from Connor Ackerley to Ethan Harris to make it a 32-25 game with 4:47 remaining. It was one of the more impressive offensive drives of the season for the Paladins.
On Wofford’s next possession, Furman’s defense stopped Wofford on 3rd-and-1 and the Paladins took over with the ball with 2:39 at their own 34 after a personal penalty following a signaled fair catch by Joshua Tarver. Ethan Harris caught a pair of passes from Ackerley to get the Paladins to the Wofford 38 at the two-minute warning.
The Paladins moved the ball to the Wofford 23 with 1:12 remaining and facing 4th-and-7, however, Ackerley’s pass fell incomplete and Wofford got one first down and then ran off the remaining time off the clock to secure its fourth-straight win in the series against Furman and evening the series, 15-15, since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 1997.
Furman returns to action next Saturday, as the Paladins will be on the road to face nationally ranked Tennessee Tech (4-1, 2-1 SoCon), who is coming off its first SoCon loss Saturday night, as the Golden Eagles dropped a 44-20 contest at Western Carolina. Kickoff is set for 3:30 pm EST at Tucker Stadium in Cookeville. Wofford will be on the road in non-conference game next Saturday, facing off against former league rival Elon in a 2 p.m. kickoff slated for Rhodes Stadium.
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