Charleston, S.C. - The Citadel (2-1) will travel to Greenville, S.C. on Saturday, Sept. 25 to face the Furman Paladins (1-1) at Paladin Stadium for the Bulldogs' 1000th game in program history. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. and Bulldog fans can listen to the game live on Bulldog Insider at www.CitadelSports.com or listen on ESPN Radio 910 The Team with the Voice of the Bulldogs Darren Goldwater and color analyst Walt Nadzak.
The Series
The Citadel will face the Furman Paladins for the 90th meeting in the programs' history. Furman leads the series, 55-31-3, and is the most played Bulldog opponent. The series dates back to Nov. 11, 1913 when The Citadel claimed their first win against the Paladins, 75-0, in Charleston (the win was the largest margin of victory until the Bulldogs defeated Webber International, 76-0, in 2007). The Citadel has won two of the last three matchups against Furman. The most recent Bulldog victory was in 2009 when The Citadel defeated the Paladins, 38-28, in a thrilling Parents Day victory at Johnson Hagood Stadium.
The Citadel
The Citadel is coming off a victory against Presbyterian on last Saturday, sending the Bulldogs into conference play with a 2-1 record. The Citadel offense rushed for 359 yards, their most since 2003, en route to a 26-14 win over the Blue Hose after a 40-minute weather delay on Saturday night at Johnson Hagood Stadium. Junior fullback Terrell Dallas racked up a career-high 172 yards and two touchdowns, while senior safety Demetrius Jackson recorded two more interceptions.
The Bulldogs will continue to rely on several true freshmen this week as quarterback Matt Thompson will return to the starting position for the third consecutive week against the Paladins. Freshman running back Terrance Martin will back up Christian Robertson, while Rickey Anderson is out with a leg injury. Martin will also be the starting kickoff returner. Fifth-year senior defensive end Erik Clanton will look to dominate the Paladin defense, leading the conference in sacks with 5.5 and tackles for a loss with 7.5 for 34 yards.
Scouting the Paladins
Furman, ranked by TSN at No. 23, opened their season on Sept. 11 after taking their bye week at the beginning of the 2010 season. The Paladins' season-opener was a 45-15 victory at home against Colgate. Furman then traveled to the midlands of Columbia, S.C. to take on the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. Proving they were not a pushover, the Paladins recorded 19 points against the No. 13-ranked Gamecocks.
As a result of their performance at USC, two Paladins earned SoCon Weekly honors; however they suffered the loss of junior quarterback Chris Forcier, who sustained a broken left shoulder in the second quarter against South Carolina. Forcier is said to be out for the season.
A game recap and statistics will be available online immediately following Saturday's game. For more information on Bulldog Football, go to the official website of The Citadel Athletics, www.CitadelSports.com.
