Furman vs Anderson (SC)

After a scoreless first quarter, Furman seized control in a 17-point second period. Nathan Chapman opened the scoring with a 40-yard field goal at 7:10, capping a six-play, 52-yard drive.

Ben Croasdale punched in from four yards out at 3:02 to make it 10-0, capping a four-play, 63-yard drive. Anderson responded with their only points of the night — a 28-yard Ross Burnette field goal at 1:16 after a nine-play, 64-yard march.

But Furman had the last word of the half. Jake Garcia marched the Paladins 73 yards in nine plays over 70 seconds, and Croasdale scored his second from one yard out as time expired, sending Furman into the break up 17-3.

Chapman added a 30-yard field goal at 9:05 of the fourth quarter to complete the scoring.

Anderson's first offensive snap set the tone. After receiving the opening kickoff, the Trojans fumbled on the first play from scrimmage and Furman's Eli Lipscomb recovered at the Anderson 40. Though the Paladins couldn't convert the turnover into points — Chapman missed a 42-yard field goal — the sequence established defensive dominance that never relented.

Anderson managed zero first downs rushing all night (0 rushing first downs on 23 carries) and converted just 2 of 13 third-down attempts.

Ben Croasdale, RB, Furman — Two rushing touchdowns (4 yards, 1 yard) on 11 carries for 67 yards. His second score just before halftime effectively broke Anderson's resistance.

Eli Lipscomb, DE, Furman — A game-wrecking performance: six tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, one fumble recovery and two quarterback hurries.

CJ Nettles, RB, Furman — Game-high 99 rushing yards on 10 carries (9.9 avg) with a long of 47 yards, anchoring the ground attack that amassed 268 yards.

Carter Wit, LB, Anderson — A bright spot for the Trojans with nine tackles and an interception, the lone takeaway Furman surrendered.

Player of the match: Eli Lipscomb (Furman)

The 451-160 yardage disparity tells the full story: Furman's 6.3 yards per play dwarfed Anderson's 3.0, and the rushing gap (268 to 6) was the decisive margin. Furman's 13 rushing first downs to Anderson's zero reflects a game controlled at the line of scrimmage. xG-equivalent metrics (red-zone efficiency: Furman 3/5, Anderson 1/1) suggest the scoreline could have been wider — Chapman missed two field goals (42, 29 yards) that would have pushed the margin beyond 20.

Furman opens 1-0 for the first time since 2023 and travels to face Tennessee on September 5 in what will be a significant step up in class. Anderson (0-1) will look to regroup ahead of their home opener.

This was a statement performance from Furman's defence — the kind of front-seven dominance that wins Southern Conference titles. The offence was efficient if unspectacular, but the ground game (268 yards) and ball control (31:09 possession) will travel. Anderson's inability to run the ball is a structural problem that must be solved before conference play.