Furman set to take on #6 Ole Miss to open 2024 campaign
The pressure of defending a title. The excitement of new faces. The pain of loss. And the inspiration of the fallen teammate. Furman Football is back.
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Furman Football is finally back as the Paladins get set to travel to Oxford, Mississippi to face the #6 overall team in the country.
The Paladins, fresh off their second straight 10 win season, had their year ended in heartbreaking fashion in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs last season. The aptly named “Missoula Miracle” touchdown pass from Tyler Huff to Mason Pline did not prove to be enough to lift Furman over eventual FCS runner-up Montana.
A lot has changed in Greenville, SC, as Furman only returns 7 out of 22 starters. While fresh faces give plenty of reason for excitement, the unknown qualities of the 2024 Furman Paladins
Of course, one very prominent player in Furman’s story this season isn’t a new face at all, but rather a very familiar one. Redshirt sophomore Carson Jones is set to take up the mantle of starting quarterback for Furman full-time after backing up Tyler Huff last season. Jones showed flashes of his mettle in critical moments last season, throwing for two critical scores in relief of the injured Huff against the Chattanooga Mocs. Jones’ heroics led to the Paladins clinching the Southern Conference championship, and he was later named to the 2023 SoCon All Freshmen team as well as co-freshman of the year in the SoCon.
The team on the opposite sideline of Furman in Saturday’s match needs no introduction.Lane Kiffin and Jaxon Dart have led the Ole Miss Rebels to be the SEC’s most explosive offense week-in and week-out. The Rebels are in search of their first ever College Football Playoff berth in the newly expanded 12 team college football playoff at the FBS level.
The visiting Paladins are underdogs by a whopping 42 points according to the Action Network.
Series History:
This won’t be the first time Furman has played Ole Miss, but it will be the second. Saturday’s game will mark only the second time that Ole Miss has faced Furman in football, with the Paladins actually holding a 1-0 lead in the all-time series. According to the website of Ole Miss athletics, Furman defeated Ole Miss 7-2 in a game in Greenville, SC almost exactly 100 years ago in November of 1924.
Spotlight player of the week: Bryce Stanfield, DE #97
It’s not often that a spotlight player isn’t physically with his team anymore, but in week one there’s no one person that will have more of an impact on the Furman football team than Bryce Stanfield. On February the 8th Stanfield, a junior defensive tackle for the Paladins, collapsed in a spring workout. After nearly two days in critical condition, Stanfield passed away in a tragedy that rocked and is still rocking those who knew him.
Stanfield’s death shocked Paladin Nation and his brothers in football arms. However, as the months rolled on, Stanfield Strong became the rallying cry of his teammates, friends, and fans. Stanfield was named an honorary team captain on August 21st, and the Furman helmets were given a “Stanfield Strong” decal.
So while Bryce Stanfield may not take the field for Furman this season, his impact on and presence around the Furman Paladins football team is exceedingly apparent.
Television information:
ESPN+/SECN+ | 6:00 PM CST / 7:00 PM EST
Saturday’s game between the Furman Paladins and the Ole Miss Rebels will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+ and SEC Network +. Radio broadcasts for the game can be found on Audacy.com or Furmanpaladins.com, or you can follow the action through live reporting right here on FurmanJoust.com and The Furman Joust on Twitter/X.
For more news and coverage of Furman athletics, visit our website at FurmanJoust.com.
