Charleston, S.C. The Citadel football will play their second SoCon road game on Saturday when they compete against longtime conference rival Furman at Paladin Stadium in Greenville, S.C. Game kick-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. and can be listened to on ESPN/WTMZ 910 am or on Bulldog Insider through www.Citadelsports.com.
Saturday's match-up will be the 86th meeting between the two longtime arch rivals. The Paladins currently lead the series, 53-29-3, which dates back to 1913. The Citadel won the first match-up between the two schools, 75-0, before giving up the next five competitions to Furman. The Citadel's longest winning streak against the Paladins was between the years of 1971-1977 when the Bulldogs won seven consecutive games. The most recent Citadel win was in 2003 when the Bulldogs defeated Furman, 10-9, in Charleston.
The Citadel, 17-22-2 in games played in Charleston, has won 12 and lost 29 in Greenville. There have been only eight seasons in the series' history that the two teams have not met - 1914-1918 and 1943-1945 (due to WWII). Saturday's game will be the 61st consecutive game between the Bulldogs and the Paladins, the most of any Citadel opponent. The series also involves more games than any Bulldog opponent. The last time the teams met was in 2005 when No. 5 Furman defeated The Citadel in triple-overtime, 39-31, at Johnson Hagood Stadium.
The Bulldogs (1-4 overall; 1-1 SoCon) are coming off a 28-20 loss to the Wofford Terriers on Oct. 7 in Spartanburg, S.C. However, looking at the numbers from the disappointing loss, the Dogs dominated the game in most categories, except the one that counts the most - points. The Citadel totaled 24 first downs to the Terriers seven, the best first down performance and the largest margin for the Bulldogs this season.
While Wofford only tallied 14 more rushing yards than The Citadel, the Bulldogs dominated the passing game with 213 yards to the Terriers' 82. It became the first time The Citadel held an opponent under 100 yards passing since 2004 when Benedict through for 57 yards in The Citadel's 29-0 victory in Johnson Hagood Stadium. In total offense, The Citadel led with 356 yards in 85 plays, while Wofford totaled 239 yards in 39 plays, explaining the 14:20 Bulldog margin in time of possession (CIT 37:10, WOF 22:50). The Bulldogs recorded only three penalties for 15 yards, while the Terriers racked up a loss of 41 yards in five penalties.
Furman (4-2 overall; 2-0 SoCon) dropped to No. 11 in the country after suffering an upset at Coastal Carolina, losing to the Chanticleers, 29-27, on Saturday, Oct. 7. The Paladins were ranked No. 3 in the nation before experiencing only their second loss of the season and still remain undefeated in the Southern Conference.
More Notes:
'05 Triple Challenge
Last season's overtime thriller against the No. 5 Paladins was the first overtime between the two schools since the rule was put into affect. Previous to the rule change, the two teams tied on three occasions: 1929, 0-0; 1941, 13-13; and 1952, 7-7. Other than The Citadel's win over Furman in 2003, last year's competition that ended with a score of 39-31 was the closest match-up between the schools since the Bulldogs' 25-24 win in 1998.
Bulldogs Face No. 11
For the first time this season, the Bulldogs will face a ranked opponent when they match-up against No. 11 Furman at Paladin Stadium in Greenville, S.C. The Paladins (4-2 overall; 2-0 SoCon) will be the first ranked opponent the Bulldogs have faced since being defeated by No. 24 Georgia Southern, 49-14, on Oct. 22, 2005. While currently ranked among the nation's top teams, Furman also holds the No. 21 spot in rushing and No. 16 in total scoring offense. In Southern Conference standings, the Paladins are No. 3 in total offense (349.7) and second in total defense, allowing an average of 272.8 yards a game.
High Scoring Rivals
In fierce competition, The Citadel and Furman have been known to put a lot points on the board in efforts to bring down their rival opponent. The most points the two teams have put on the board combined was 96 when the Bulldogs defeated the Paladins in 1994, 52-44, in Greenville. In the last 30 years, the two teams have totaled more than 50 points on offense in 10 occasions, only one which includes overtime scoring. These 10 consist of 89 points in The Citadel's 1979 loss to Furman in Charleston that ended 45-44 and last season's triple overtime Bulldog loss that totaled 70 points between the two teams that ended 39-31. There have been 16 competitions in the series' 93-year history of which the two teams have combined for more than 50 points. On seven occasions, both teams have scored at least 25 points and four times both teams have scored at least 30 points each, two which have occurred in the last 15 years.
Bulldogs Best in Country at Staying in Line
After getting tagged for a season high eight penalties costing 65 yards in the season opener at Texas A&M, The Citadel has reigned in on the rowdy behavior. The Bulldogs are currently first in the nation in yards penalized per game, averaging only 27.8 yards penalized per game. The Citadel was only penalized twice against Chattanooga, getting set back eight yards and three times against Wofford for 15 yards...The Bulldogs are also among the best at holding on to the ball. Ranking fourth in the nation, The Citadel follows Northwestern State, Alabama A&M and Hofstra in time of possession, averaging 33:20 a game. Northwestern State holds the top spot with an average of 35:50.
Freshman First Five
Of the Bulldogs five games this season, freshman Andre Roberts has made his way in the stat book for each competition. The true freshman wide receiver standout, from Spring Valley High School in Columbia, has recorded at least one reception in each of The Citadel's competitions this season and has scored a touchdown in three of the last four match-ups. Other than junior quarterback Duran Lawson, Roberts is the only current player who has scored two or more touchdowns during his freshman season. As a freshman, Lawson recorded six rushing and three passing TDs (Carnell also recorded three passing TDs during his freshman season). Currently, Roberts leads the Bulldogs in receiving yards with 182 in 14 receptions. He averages 36.4 yards a game, a team high and 10th in the SoCon, and his longest reception was for 62 yards against Chattanooga on Sept. 30. In that game he earned his second touchdown of the season with a 24-yard pass from Duran Lawson. He totaled 99 yards in four receptions.
Spreading the Offense
Saturday's 28-20 loss against the Wofford Terriers in Spartanburg showed a lot of positives for the Bulldog coaching staff. While the stats showed signs of improvement, The Citadel's performance also positively exemplified the meaning of spread option offense. Of the Bulldogs' 213 passing yards, nine players were on the receiving end. Lawson completed 26-of-46 passes, including seven passes to Marcus McKnight who led the team with 78 yards. Freshman Andre Roberts and junior Tory Cooper recorded four receptions and a touchdown each, while senior Rontreal Tyler also had four receptions. Marquel Willis and Derek Moore had two receptions, while Joshua Haney, Aaron Kelly and Nuru Goodrum had one a piece.
