A strong second half defensive performance fueled Furman to a 31-22 win over East Tennessee State, Saturday. The Paladin defense set the tone in the second stanza which fueled Furman's comeback.
The Paladins trailed 8-7 after the 1st quarter. The Buccaneers then scored in the 2nd quarter to take a 15-7 lead into the halftime locker room.
ETSU then scored again in the 3rd quarter to take their largest lead of the game at 22-7. Furman then outscored ETSU 24-0, the rest of the way.
The Paladins got a TD pass from QB Trey Hedden and a 44 yard FG from Ian Williams to make it 22-17 going into the 4th.
In the 4th quarter, Hedden threw an interception, but the Paladin defense stood strong and forced a punt. Furman's offense then went on a long drive, but they turned it over on downs after the drive stalled in the red zone.
The defense forced another punt and the offense was able to take advantage. The Paladins scored on a 53 yard TD pass from Hedden to Ja'Keith Hamilton. That was Hamilton's 2nd TD catch of the game, Hamilton had 11 catches and a 141 yards on the day.
The Paladins got the two point conversion and took their largest lead of the game at 25-22. ETSU droved the field late, but Furman DB Jordan Miller sealed the deal. He picked off a pass and returned it 95 yards to the house, which made the final 31-22.
Furman is now 4-1 overall and 2-0 in SoCon play. They'll travel to Cullowhee, North Carolina to take on Western Carolina this weekend. That game is set for a 2:30PM kickoff, Saturday. The Paladins play all season long on The Fan Upstate.