Furman (2-3, 1-1 SoCon) once again failed to finish a second half rally at home over family weekend, losing 28-25 to Southern Conference foe Elon (2-4, 1-1 SoCon). The Paladins stormed back from being down by 18 at the half but never managed to regain the lead. The loss dropped Furman back under .500 and marks the first time that the Paladins have lost at home this season.
Furman benefited early on from two personal foul penalties on Elon, which set up for an 11-yard touchdown run by Terry Robinson. But Elon responded with a 69-yard drive for a score and then took the lead when Chandler Wrightenberry intercepted a pass by Terry Robinson and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown. It was Robinson’s only pass attempt in the game.
A Paladin field goal made the score 14-10, when Elon QB Mike Quinn launched a deep pass to Rasaun Rorie for a huge 73-yard score. Elon then scored again on a second touchdown run by RB Karl Bostick, which gave them a halftime lead 28-10.
Meanwhile, Furman’s QB injury woes continued. Robinson sustained a knee injury in the third quarter, which left Duncan Fletcher as the only Paladin QB left active. It was Fletcher’s first start in relief of sophomore QB Reese Hannon and freshman QB Dillon Woodruff, who were sidelined with previous injuries. Fletcher was the game’s leading passer, finishing 25 of 38 for 255 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Furman continued to rush the ball well. Paladin RB Hank McCloud led all rushers with 116 yards on 20 carries. McCloud also had two second half scores, including a 29-yard touchdown catch in the 4th quarter, and was a major force behind Furman’s comeback attempt.
Furman finished the game with over 400 yards of offense, gaining over a 100 yards more than Elon, vastly out-gaining them in the second half 247-78. Furman’s next game is at Chattanooga on Oct. 12.