SoCon losses doom 'Dins

"We're still in the playoff hunt. Our league is so balanced right now."Furman football coach Bobby Lamb said these words after the Paladin's last-second 19-12 loss to Elon.

After a close win over Samford but losses to The Citadel and Appalachian State, Lamb's words were different: "Our playoff hopes are over. We just have to keep fighting the rest of the season."

After the loss to Elon, the Paladins kept their season alive with a win against the Samford Bulldogs. And keep it alive they did . barely. After a missed field goal by Furman kicker Matthew Cesari kept the score at 26-24, Samford got the ball back at their own 22 yard-line with 1:51 left in the game. Nine plays and 1:50 later, they lined up to kick a game-winning field goal.

Would the Paladins fall victim to a last second field goal for the second straight week or, in a repeat of the 2008 Furman-Samford contest, would the Furman defense block the kick?

As the crowd held its collective breath, Paladin defensive end Kyle McKinney broke through the line and batted down the 38-yard field goal attempt to seal the win.

"I almost had a heart attack," Furman cornerback Ryan Steed said.

Lamb agreed.

"My hair is already gray and this finish just made it grayer. Every Southern Conference game is a battle and we were lucky to come out on top."

After pulling a victory from the jaws of defeat, the Paladins traveled to Charleston to take on SoCon foe The Citadel, a team the Paladins beat 34-20 last season. The result was different this time, as Citadel quarterback Miguel Starks rolled up 327 total yards and five touchdowns in a 38-28 Citadel win. The Paladin defense was unable to contain Starks, who made his first start at quarterback, and The Citadel had its way with the Paladins all afternoon.

The Furman offense kept the game close, however, as Jordan Sorrells tossed three touchdown passes, two of which went to David Hendrix.

In the end, however, mistakes on defense, offense and special teams doomed the Paladins.

"They outplayed us," Lamb said. "Until we can win big games, we'll be an average football team."

Trying to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Paladins faced archrival Appalachian State last Saturday, a "big game" the Paladins had to win. Before a white-out and a fired up crowd, Furman looked ready to avenge the Citadel loss and secure a season defining win over their rival.

Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards, however, made sure that didn't happen. The Walter Payton Award-winning senior led a powerful Mountaineer spread attack that torched the Paladin defense for 554 yards of offense and seven touchdowns in a 52-27 victory. Edwards accounted for 461 of those yards and scored six touchdowns (two passing and four rushing) while becoming the first player in Division I history to pass for 9,000 yards and rush for 4,000 in a career.

As good as the App State offense was, the Furman attack was potent as well. In the penultimate home game of his career, Sorrells threw for 165 yards and two touchdown passes.

Running back Tersoo Uhaa proved he is a team leader with 114 rushing yards and one score and, in a glimpse of next season, UCLA transfer Chris Forcier showed flashes of stardom as he rushed for 44 yards and a touchdown.

In a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated, Appalachian State steamrolled the Paladins' chances at gaining a berth in the FCS Playoffs.

"We've got to make these last three games our playoffs," Forcier said.

Wide receiver Adam Mims echoed: "Our season isn't over; we have got to keep fighting."

The Paladins return to action on November 7 against the Auburn Tigers.