Players to Watch:
Mike Brown, Jr., Running Back
A first-team preseason all-conference selection this season, Brown rushed for 823 yards and five touchdowns in 2008, topping the 100-yard mark against Colgate (130) and Western Carolina (122). A small, shifty runner, Brown will be counted on to provide a solid rushing threat in Furman’s spread attack.
Max Lerner, Jr., Safety
Lerner showed a knack for being involved at the point of attack in 2008, finishing third on the team with 86 tackles while equaling the team high with four interceptions. Lerner aided a Furman secondary which finished third in the SoCon in interceptions a season ago.
Preview:
Entering his eighth season as head coach of the Paladins, Bobby Lamb has yet to experience a losing season with the program, yet Furman has been shut out of the FCS playoffs in each of the past two years. The Paladins, which reached as high as 14th in the national rankings in 2008, stumbled to the finish line by losing three of their last four games and finishing in a three-way tie for fourth in the SoCon.
There is reason for optimism as nearly every skill position player on offense returns in 2009, including quarterback Jordan Sorrells, running back Mike Brown and wide receiver Adam Mims. In addition, Furman added a pair of high-profile transfers in QB Chris Forcier and WR Tyler Maples.
Gone, however, is 2008 Jacobs Blocking Award winner Joel Bell, an All-American at left tackle.
Defensively, safety Max Lerner and defensive tackle Justin Brown bring the most experience in big-game situations for a unit which lost seven starters from 2008.
The Paladins visit both Missouri and Auburn in addition to facing the always-challenging Southern Conference slate.