Though it was an unconventional time for football due to COVID-19, it still ended up being enough to give us a football champion in the Southern Conference, and that champion turned out to be an uncommon one--the VMI Keydets.
For the first time in 43 years, the Keydets lifted a Southern Conference championship trophy on the gridiron, as Scott Wachenheim's Keydets finished the spring regular-season by winning six out of their seven games. For some program's, just finishing the spring season became a huge challenge, while others--like Wofford and Chattanooga--decided to opt out of multiple games down the stretch of the spring season to call it a season earlier than expected in preparation for the fall.
The Citadel, Mercer, Western Carolina, and Chattanooga all ended up playing games in the fall. East Tennessee State, Furman, VMI, and Wofford did not play games during the fall campaign.
The Citadel decided to play four games in the fall, facing South Florida (L, 6-23), No. 2 Clemson (L, 0-49), Eastern Kentucky (L, 16-39) and Navy (L, 9-14). The Bulldogs would end up playing more than any other team in the Southern Conference during the 2020-21 campaign, as the Bulldogs would finish with a 2-10 overall record, which included a 2-6 mark in Southern Conference play. The Bulldogs had to endure what was a school-record nine-game losing streak before winning two of its final three games against Furman and Wofford to have some measure of momentum heading into the fall season.
For VMI, it was a season that saw some firsts--including a first-ever FCS national ranking and first-ever FCS playoff invitation--as Scott Wachenheim's Keydets continued off the momentum established by the Red and Gold back in 2019, which saw the Keydets complete the fall season with a 5-7 record, including a 4-4 mark in league play.
Below is a week-by-week review of the SoCon Spring Season followed by a quick recap of the fall. Also all-conference and All-America teams included below. Also included in the spring recap will be a look ahead to the fall, who are the favorites and how will a new head ball coach in Cullowhee, N.C., fare in his first season on the sidelines at E.J. Whitmire Stadium in the fall of 2021.
Week 1:
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| ETSU rebounded from a 14-0 first half deficit to grab a thrilling 24-17 win in its spring opener vs Samford/photo courtesy of ETSU sports information |
Week one of the Southern Conference spring season was one that saw three games played, with the only game not being played due to COVID-19 being the VMI at Chattanooga contest. Six other SoCon teams would open their respective spring slates, with a couple of expected results, while one other game came down to the wire.
The game of the weekend took place in Johnson City, TN, between East Tennessee State and Samford, with the Bucs ending up getting the all-important 24-17, come-from-behind win in the contest. Despite falling behind 14-0, the Bucs were able to come from behind and get a 24-17 win on the strength of eight sacks from its defense, as well as 125 yards and a touchdown from star running back Quay Holmes, as the Bulldogs were able to come from behind for the win.
The Bucs would end up out-scoring the Bulldogs 24-3 over the final 45 minutes of game action to come up with the impressive home win. Tyler Riddell drew his first start under center for the Bucs, and he ended the day by connecting on 14-of-25 passes for 186 yards, with a touchdown. In the losing effort for the Bulldogs, Chris Oladokun was able to complete 35-of-54 passes for 222 yards, with a touchdown and a pair of interceptions.
The Bucs would not hit the football field again until mid-March, as they would head into an open week before having their game with Wofford canceled due to COVID-19 related issues within the Wofford program. The Terriers were not able to meet the needed the SoCon requirement for defensive linemen needed for a game.
In other action in the opening week of the 2020-21 Southern Conference spring season, preseason league favorite and 10th-ranked Furman would open up the campaign against Western Carolina at Paladin Stadium. The Paladins looked every bit the Southern Conference spring favorite, dominating the visiting Catamounts, 35-7, en route to starting out the spring in impressive fashion.
The Paladins would begin their dominance from that point forward. A little less than four minutes later, Furman had tied the basketball game when Sisson threw his first of three touchdown passes of the contest, connecting with sophomore running back Wayne Anderson Jr on a 6-yard scoring toss to make it a 7-7 game with 6:44 left in the opening quarter.
After Furman’s defense held the Catamount offense to another three-and-out, Furman got the ball back and had a promising drive end with another Sisson interception. Following a eight plays, which covered 28 yards to get the ball just inside Western Carolina territory at the 47, the Paladins faced a 3rd-and-4 play, however, a pass in the flat intended for Ryan Miller was tipped by Miller up in the air and into the diving arms of Catamount ‘spur’ linebacker Curtis Roach and returned two yards to the Catamount 49.
But Furman’s defense didn’t blink, and once again forced a Catamount three-and-out, as Paxton Robertson trotted onto the field for his second punt of the day.
Following a punt that covered 39 yards, which sailed out of bounds, the Paladins embarked on nine-play, 87-yard drive to take a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish the remainder of the afternoon in the Battle for Purple Supremacy, as Sisson tossed his second scoring pass of the day, finding Zach Peterson for the first scoring catch of his career on a 27-yard scoring strike, making it a 14-7 Paladin lead with 10:29 left in the half.
After gaining one of its five first downs on the opening drive of the second half, the Furman defense once again stood strong on third down, as senior defensive end Dru Seabrook broke through to get pressure on Glover, forcing an incompletion and ultimately another Catamount punt.
Furman would take most of the third quarter to put their fifth and final touchdown on the board and close out what was an impressive season-opening Southern Conference win. The Paladins took 17 plays to cover 74 yards, which was completed by a Devin Wynn 1-yard scoring plunge to make it a 35-7 contest.
The Paladins ended up dominating the football game in every imaginable way, including out-gaining the Catamounts, 533-109 in total offense, including a 320-67 edge in ground yards, as the Paladins ran 91 plays, while Western Carolina's 36. Furman amassed 33 first downs, while limiting Western Carolina to just five. It was the lowest first down total for a Furman opponent since 1999, when VMI charted just four in a 58-0 Paladin win.
Furman senior tailback and All-America hopeful Devin Wynn got his final season off to an outstanding start, finishing the contest with 106 yards and a touchdown on 18 attempts, avreraging 5.9 yards-per-carry. With that rushing effort on Saturday, the Greensboro, GA., product finished the contest with over 2,000 yards for a career, marking just the 13th player in Paladin football history to accomplish that feat, and now has 2,063 yards rushing in his career.
The Paladins had 10 different players make a catch in the contest, led by Peterson, who hauled in four passes for 84 yards and his first-career score. Seeing the first action of his Paladin career, true freshman running back Kendall Thomas from Round Rock, TX, hauled in a pass for 12 yards, while rushing five times for 25 yards, showing glimpses of a bright future in a Paladin uniform much the same way Prosper, TX, product Wayne Anderson. Jr., did in his first-ever game for the Paladins in 2019 against Charleston Southern.
Anderson finished the contest with three rushes for 17 yards, while hauling in two passes for 33 yards and a score. Furman junior running back Devin Abrams was the Paladins second-leading rusher, as he finished with 57 yards on 12 rush attempts. Miller finished with two catches for 29 yards and a TD.
Furman's defense, meanwhile, swarmed to the football all afternoon, as no player charted more than four tackles in the contest, and it was a unit responsible for forcing eight Catamount punts on the day, while the Paladins opted only to punt just once all game.
The final game of the day would see reigning Southern Conference champion and No. 11 Wofford hosted Mercer at Gibbs Stadium. The result would be an expected one, as Wofford was able to post what was a 31-14 win over Mercer. The Terriers entered the spring as the three-time Southern Conference champions, and sent the Bears to an 0-4 mark under head coach Drew Cronic, as the Terriers jumped out to a 17-0 halftime lead and coasted in the second half to the win.
Statistically speaking at least, the game wasn't as lopsided as the score might indicate, however, the Terriers were able to own a 374-312 edge in total yards, and out-rushed the Bears 173-131 on the ground. Most Wofford fans were focused on who would end up being the starter under center in the season-opener, as the battle prior to the kickoff of the spring season had been between Appalachian State transfer Peyton Derrick and incumbent Jimmy Weirick.
It would be Weirick that would be the starter, and the player that would draw most of the meaningful snaps on the afternoon for the Terriers, as he finished the contest by completing 12-of-18 passes for 173 yards. Third-year head coach Josh Conklin planned to introduce more passing into the offense, and for the first week, the Terrier offense looked more versatile than it had been in quite some time.
Leading the ground game for Wofford in the season-opening win was redshirt freshman Irving Mulligan, who rushed 11 times for 90 yards and a touchdown.
The Terrier offense is much more balanced, and was able to be a threat with the passing game, as seven different Wofford players caught a pass, led by KeiAndre Sanders (4 rec, 52 yds).
On the defensive side of the ball for Wofford, it was Michael Mason's performance on the defensive side of the football, which had most people talking. The sophomore defensive end from Effingham, S.C., that stole the show and ended up landing National Defensive Player of the Week accolades for his performance for the Terriers, as he posted eight tackles, forced two fumbles, posted a pair of sacks and a pair of tackles-for-loss in the Terrier win.
Like Wofford, Mercer also went with an new starter under center to start out the 2020-21 season, as Carter Peevy got his first start under center for head coach Drew Cronic's Bears. Peavy connected on 11-of-24 throws for 131 yards, while the Mercer ground game was led by Appalachian State transfer Nakendrick Clark, who rushed for 67 yards on 17 attempts, while 'joker' back Deondre Johnson rushed four times for 50 yards, which included one of Mercer's two touchdowns in the contest, scoring on a 4-yard run early in the third quarter to make it a 17-7 game.
Wofford added back-to-back rushing scores from Walker and Broussard to assume a 31-7 lead in the fourth quarter before Peevy added a 1-yard scoring plunge for the Bears with 2:31 remaining. Mercer's receiving efforts were led Ethan Dirrim, who hauled in four passes for 66 yards.
Week 2:
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| VMI showed it was a worthy SoCon spring title contender from its very first game, knocking off the pre-spring favorite Paladins (photo courtesy of VMI athletics) |
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| Samford QB Liam Welch accounted for 394 yards of total offense and had five touchdown responsibilities (3-rushing, 2-passing) in leading the Bulldogs to a 55-27 win over Western Carolina at Seibert Stadium (photo courtesy of Samford Athletics) |
Week 3:
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| Furman claimed its first home overtime win since 2005/photo courtesy of Furman sports information |
Week three would see more of the same drama in terms of exciting and frenetic finishes, with now No. 17 Furman getting back on track following its heartbreaking loss at VMI a week earlier, as the Paladins posted a thrilling 44-37 overtime win over Samford. It was the second hard-fought loss for Samford on the season, and a second in which it surrendered a second half lead.
With the win, Furman improved to 2-1 overall and 2-1 in the SoCon, while Samford dropped to 1-2 overall and 1-2 in league action.The Paladins finished the day rolling up a 525-407 advantage in total yards, including a 248-154 advantage in ground yards.
Furman redshirt sophomore quarterback connected on 16-of-21 passes for 277 yards, with three touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Samford’s Liam Welch finished the afternoon by connecting on 16-of-21 throws for 253 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.
Wynn’s touchdown in overtime gave Furman its first lead since 7-0 early in the opening quarter, following what was a fumble by the Bulldogs on the opening kickoff of the game.
Furman got the day started in strong fashion, following a fumble on the opening kickoff of the game by Samford, and needed just five plays to cover 20 yards and take a 7-0 lead following a Hamp Sisson 7-yard scoring run to give the Paladins a 7-0 lead with 12:21 remaining in the opening quarter.
Furman’s defense would hold Samford to a three-and-out on the Bulldogs’ first official possession of the day, and following a 55-yard punt by Bradley Porcelatto, the Paladins were pinned deep in their own end at the 12.
However, after driving the ball to the Paladin 44, Sisson would have his pass picked off and by Samford safety Chris Edmonds and returned for 45 yards for a score, knotting the score 7-7, with 6:31 remaining in the opening quarter.
On the ensuing Paladin possession, Furman turned the ball over on downs at its own 32 and forced the Bulldogs to settle for a 50-yard Mitchell Fineran field goal, and the All-SoCon place-kicker from Fort Valley, GA, converted the trifecta to give the Bulldogs a 10-7 lead with 4:42 to play in the opening quarter.
After the Furman offense could not generate a first down due to a key holding penalty, the Paladins were forced to punt deep in their own end. From there, the league’s best punt return threat—Montrell Washington—fielded a Timmy Bleekrode punt and returned it 55 yards for a score to increase Samford’s lead to 17-7 with 2:18 remaining in the opening quarter.
After another three-and-out by the Paladin offense and a 53-yard punt by Bleekrode, a 64-yard run by Jay Stanton on the second play of the drive put the Bulldogs at the Paladin 14. Two plays later, Stanton capped the drive with a 2-yard scoring plunge to make it a 24-7 Samford lead at the end of the opening quarter.
Furman would respond with a 10-play, 56-yard drive, which was capped by a Timmy Bleekrode 36-yard field goal to make it a 24-10 game with 10:04 left in the half. The field goal was set up by a well-devised end-around to Ryan DeLuca, which netted 56 yards to get the Paladins deep into Bulldog territory. However, the drive stalled from there.
The Paladin offense would get the ball back with just over four minutes remaining in the half, and from there, drove it 73 yards in nine plays to get within a touchdown, as Sisson capped the drive with a 10-yard scoring pass to Ryan Miller. Furman would enter the halftime break trailing Samford, 24-17.
In the second half, Furman wasn’t able to generate anything offensively on its opening drive of the half, and the Paladins were forced into a Bleekrode punt. After taking the ball over at their own 17, the Bulldogs moved the ball well on the opening drive, as Liam Welch completed his longest pass of the day for 40 yards, finding tight end Michael Vice.
Samford eventually moved the ball down to the Furman eight, and had a first-and-goal, however, Furman’s defense stood strong and were able to limit the Bulldogs to another Fineran’s field goal, as this one was good from 22 yards to give the Bulldogs a 10-point lead, at 27-17, with 10:08 remaining in the third quarter.
The Paladins ended up adding a field goal of their own on the ensuing drive, as his 24-yard field goal helped bring the Paladins back within touchdown, bringing an end to a six-play, 68-yard drive with 8:32 remaining in the third.
On the first play of the ensuing drive, Liam Welch hooked up with wideout Ty King for an 85-yard scoring strike to Ty King, putting the Bulldogs back up double digits, at 34-20, with 8:14 remaining in the third.
After Sisson was intercepted for a second time on the day by Samford’s Edmonds, it would be the Paladin defense that would keep Furman in the game, as Furman cornerback Darius Kearse registered his second interception of the season, picking off Welch and returning it 34 yards into Samford territory. But after seven plays netted only 15 yards, the Paladins were forced to call on Bleekrode again, and again he came through, as he connected on a 32-yard field goal to make it a 34-23 game with 3:02 remaining in the third.
It appeared the Bulldogs were going to send Furman to its second-straight defeat, and take their first road win of the 2021 campaign back to Birmingham when Fineran connected on a 46-yard field goal to finish off a nine-play, 56-yard drive with 13:53 left, giving Samford a seemingly comfortable 37-23 lead.
However, the Paladin offense, led by Sisson, who had struggled for a great deal of the afternoon, settled down and showed confidence, poise and guile when his offensive teammates needed him most.
First, he rolled towards the Furman sideline to connect with Ryan DeLuca in the corner of the end zone for a 31-yard scoring connection with 6:12 left, getting the Paladins to within a touchdown, 37-30, planting momentum firmly in Furman’s corner. The scoring pass completed an eight-play, 83-yard scoring drive.
The Paladins then needed its stout, resilient defense, which has seemingly responded time and time again to adverse situations in the first three games of the spring season. That would be the case once again, stopping Samford on 2nd and 3rd and-1 plays, forcing a Porcellato punt.
It didn’t take Sisson and the Furman offense long to produce yet another big play, as he rolled left, and threw all the back to the right side of the field—a play once used to perfection by former Georgia Southern head coach Paul Johnson on a number of occasions—on a tight end screen to Ryan Miller, and it was Miller that did the rest, out-pacing the Samford defense 73 yards to the end zone, tying the game, 37-37, with 2:59 left. That’s how the game would end, as the two team’s headed into the extra session.
Samford won the toss in overtime and deferred. Sisson completed a 16-yard pass to DeLuca on the first play and Wynn rushed for what proved to be the game-winning score on the second play, as the Paladins finished off the largest comeback win of 17 points in 236 games in the history of the facility.
Wynn turned in another strong effort running the football for the Paladins, finishing with 106 yards and a touchdown on 21 attempts, while Samford’s ground efforts were led by Stanton, who finished with 86 yards and a touchdown on 18 attempts.
Furman’s receiving efforts were led by DeLuca, who had four catches for 114 yards and a score, while Miller hauled in three passes for 96 yards and a pair of scores.
Samford’s King caught four passes for 115 yards and a score, while A.J. Toney caught six passes for 77 yards.
Defensively, Furman got a team-leading nine tackles from linebacker Nick Kuzemka, which also included half-a-tackle-for-loss. Chizik added six tackles, 1.0 tackle-for-loss to go with his all-important fumble recovery.
Samford was led defensively by Ty Herring’s 16 stops, while linebacker Noah Martin and rush end Joshua Long finished with 11 and 10 tackles, respectively.
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| VMI claimed its first-ever win in Cullowhee and snapped a 17-game losing streak to Western Carolina in convincing fashion/photo courtesy of VMI sports information |
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| VMI's 3-0 start marked its best start to a season since 1981/photo courtesy of VMI sports information |
"We took it personally. That’s exactly what we needed,” Furman senior RB Devin Wynn said. “It got our blood pumping. Everybody just went out in the second half seeing red and ready to hit somebody in the mouth."
"He wants to carry the ball 100 times but I have to remind him we have other guys sometimes," Furman head coach Clay Hendrix added." "You walk off the field at halftime and that bunch is lined up over there letting us have it the whole way through and if that doesn't stir us up...I know it was nothing to do with me and honestly I wasn't too happy the way we played in the first half," Hendrix added.
For the second-straight week, No. 15 Furman found its way to a win in the second half, overcoming a 10-0 halftime deficit to get a 17-13 road win over ETSU, improving to 3-1 overall and in league play, while ETSU evened its ledger at 1-1.
The Paladins found themselves in a hole thanks in large part to a strong opening half by the ETSU defense, which kept the Paladins off-balance, and a healthy dose of Quay Holmes and a couple of big plays in the passing game made by signal-caller Tyler Riddell.
The Bucs held a 10-0 halftime advantage on the strenght of out-gaining the Paladins 178-97 in the opening frame, which included holding a a 120-35 advantage in pass yards. In fact, Riddell, who finished the day completing 22-of-35 passing for 207 yds, with an interception, completed 11 of his 12 throws without a pick in the opening half of play.
As has been the case since the start of the 2019 campaign, Furman second-year defensive coordinator Duane Vaughn made the necessary adjustments at the break, helping the Paladins limit the Bucs to just 101 yards and three points in the final two quarters on Saturday. Through four games this season, the Paladins have allowed just 23 second half points, which averages out to a meager 5.75 points in the latter half in 2020-21.
Furman's stingy second half defense dates back to 2019, has the Paladins limit foes to just 64 second half points in its last 16 games in the second half. Over that same span, the Paladins are yielding just 4.0 PPG since the start of the 2019 campaign.
Furman's secondary again put in a gold star performance, and it was senior cornerback Darius Kearse, who recorded his third interception in four games this spring, that once again highlighted the Paladins' efforts on the back line Saturday.
"In practice we harp on being physical, and assert our dominance back there in the secondary," Kearse said. "We're not really big guys and the other team is going to see that and they're going to try and take advantage of that but we try to assert our dominance early and make the plays that come to us."
One of the play's that came directly to Kearse came directly after Furman took a 14-10 lead, as the Bucs took a shot deep on a 2nd-and-9 play from their own 26. Kearse picked off a deep ball from Riddell, which was intended for Julian Lane-Price, sealing off the talented pass-catcher and coming up with another key big play for the Paladin defense at a critical point in a game during this unprecendented spring season.
Additionally, Kearse added five tackles and a tackle-for-loss. Following his 12-yard return on the interception, ETSU was penalized for a horse-collar tackle, setting up the Paladins in an even better position. It would eventually lead to Timmy Bleekrode's longest field goal of his young career, as he knocked through a 47-yard attempt to give the Paladins a 17-10 lead with 3:10 remaining in the third quarter. It would prove to be the final points of the day, providing just enough cushion for the defense to help close out Furman's first road win of the 2020-21 spring campaign.
It would be one of several key pass breakups recorded by the Furman secondary in the contest. Another came on a 2nd-and-8 at the ETSU 32, with a little less than eight minutes remaining, as Riddell's pass to Lane-Price appeared to be complete, however, similar to his pass breakup in the season opener against Western Carolina in a key moment in the spring opener, Furman 'spur' linebacker Dae'One Wilkins came in at the last moment to make a veteran play, poking the ball free from Price at the last moment, which nullified a drive-extending first down for the Bucs. Two plays later, the Bucs were punting the ball back to the Paladins.
While Furman owned the ETSU in the second half, it was the Bucs who started the day by taking the game to the Paladins.
ETSU got on the board on its second drive of the day, as Quay Holmes carried it 20 yards for the score, giving the Bucs a 7-0 lead with 1:48 remaining in the opening frame. The Bucs picked up a couple of key third downs on passing plays, with one of those being a 30-yard pitch and catch from Tyler Ridell-to-Julian Ware Price on a third-and-five play, getting the Bucs into Paladin territory for the first time in the contest. The 83-yard drive resulted in three chunk plays, with Holmes’ 20-yard scoring jaunt finishing off the first points of the day for either team. That would remain the score at the end of the first frame.
Late in the half, the Bucs were took over the football in their best position of the day, and got one first down to set up a 38-yard field goal following a nine-play, 25-yard drive to make it a 10-0 game, and that would remain the score as the two team's entered the halftime locker room.
Furman got the ball to open the second half, and made the most of the opening drive of the second frame, as the Paladins needed just four plays to drive 75 yards and get on the scoreboard with the first of two Devin Wynn third quarter touchdowns on an 11-yard scoring run. Wynn's second scoring run was indicative of the type attitude the Paladins adopted on both sides of the ball throughout the second half, which was one of a physically-imposing nature, taking the game to the Bucs.
The senior from Greensboro, GA., trucked ETSU Kalion Delince a good four yards deep into the end zone on a punishing five-yard rumble, which will surely draw comparisons to Jerome Felton's punishing run vs. Appalachian State in the 2005 FCS Semifinals, which saw the former Paladin and future Buffalo Bill and Minnesota Viking run over Mountaineer All-American and future Cincinnati Bengal Corey Lynch en route to a 31-yard second quarter scoring run. Wynn's scoring run brought an end to an impressive, nine-play, 73-yard Furman scoring drive, which saw the Paladins take the lead for good, at 14-10, with 5:26 remaining in the third quarter.
Bleekrode's 47-yard field goal following the Kearse interception came with 3:10 remaining in the third quarter, closing out the Paladin scoring in the contest. The Paladin defense was able to do the rest, as it limited the Bucs to just a Tyler Keltner 30-yard field goal with 13:16 remaining to close out the scoring for the afternoon.
In a battle of the SoCon's top two running backs, Wynn got the better of the challenge, as he finished the contest by rushing for 113 yards and a pair of scores on 15 catches, while also hauling in two passes for 39 yards, including a key 27-yard catch, which helped set the tone for the second half on Furman's first second half drive. Wynn rushed for 90 of his 113 total yards in the second half alone. It was Wynn's third 100-yard rushing performance in four games to open the spring season.
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| Samford posted its sixth-straight series win over Wofford in thrilling fashion down on the plains/photo courtesy of Samford sports information |
If you were watching Wofford or Samford during the 2021 spring season, you oftentimes were going to get your money's worth if you were one of the limited lucky ones that got to take in some SoCon spring football due to limitations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the fourth Saturday of the spring, Samford would knock off No. 20 Wofford, 37-31, in what was a SoCon instant classic, as the Bulldogs claimed what was their sixth-straight series win over the Terriers. The win saw Samford square its spring record, at 2-2 overall and in SoCon action, while the Terriers fell to 1-2 overall and 1-2 in league play.
In what was a thriller between two programs that have come to define success on the SoCon gridiron over the past six seasons, it was the Samford defense that was forced to turn away the Wofford offense in what had been an explosive game for both team's offensively.
With the Terriers driving for the potential game-winning score late in the contest, Bulldog freshman safety made one of the play's of the spring for the Samford defense, picking off a Jimmy Weirick pass with 2:30 minutes remaining, returning it 10 yards, and the Samford offense was able to run off all but 49 seconds en route to the six-point win.
It looked as though Samford was going to be able to coast to its second win in the spring following a 40-yard field goal from All-American place-kicker Mitchell Fineran, as the Bulldogs assumed a 37-24 lead with 10:32 remaining in the contest.
However, as had become a theme with seemingly every game during the 2020-21 spring SoCon football season, nothing was ever quite as cut and dry as it might have seemed.
The ensuing Terrier drive saw the visitor's cover 75 yards in 12 plays, as Ryan Lovelace plunged in from a yard out to make it a 37-31 contest with 4:20 remaining. The Terrier defense would then force a rare three-and-out for the Bulldog offense, and Wofford's offense took the field with plenty of time to mount a game-winning scoring drive following a 46-yard punt from Brad Porcellato.
The Terriers took over the football with 3:09 remaining in the game. After Nathan Walker's two-yard run on second down, the Terriers faced a 3rd-and-8 on a winding clock. The one thing the Terriers could ill-afford was to take a sack. However, Weirick would be sacked by Tay Berry for a loss of 20 yards, and then was flagged for intentional grounding to add insult to injury.
Faced with no choice other than to go for it on 4th-and-28, the Terriers did the unthinkable, as Weirick's pass was complete to KeiAndre Sanders for a gain of 31 yards and a first-down to the Terrier 38. On the next play, Nathan Walker rushed for a gain of eight yards to get the Terriers to their own 46. Ryan Lovelace's three-yard run on 3rd-and-2 got the Terriers almost to midfield, and netted the Old Gold and Black another first down.
However, on 1st-and-10 from the 49, Weirick and Wofford's momentum were stopped cold, as Wade White picked off an errant offering at the Bulldog 19, returning it 10 yards to the Samford 29, setting off wild celebrations on the Bulldog sidelines.
As you might expect, it was another banner day for the 'Hatch Attack' offense, which was able to help the Bulldogs roll up 461 yards of total offense, however, it was Wofford that would end up winning the total yardage battle, posting a 490-461 edge in total offense in the contest.
Samford star quarterback Liam Welch finished the day by connecting on 24-of-36 passes for 359 yards, with a touchdown and an INT. The veteran quarterback also added 27 rushing yards on five carries to complete the day with 386 yards of total offense.
His favorite target in the passing attack was sophomore wideout Ty King, who had a monster day catching the football once again for the Bulldogs, as he hauled in seven passes for 178 yards and a score to highlight another passing clinic by Chris Hatcher's offense.
Wofford, meanwhile, was led offensively by a balanced ground attack, which chewed up 272 yards on the ground, with five ball-carriers contributing 42 or more yards rushing to the cause, led by sophomore running back Jamari Broussard, who posted 79 yards on eight carries. Meanwhile, wideout TJ Luther, who would end up entering the transfer portal before the conclusion of the spring, would pace all Terrier wide receivers, as he hauled in three passes for 90 yards and a score.
Weirick finished the contest by connecting on 6-of-11 passes for 117 yards, with a touchdown and an INT. Meanwhile, backcup Peyton Derrick came in and put in a solid performance for the Terrier offense, which looked more versatile than it did the entire spring, as the App State transfer connected on 8-of-13 throws for 101 yards with a touchdown and a pick. Derrick also rushed six times for 52 yards and a score.
Defensively, Samford was led by linebacker's Nathan East and Thomas Neville, who posted 10 tackles apiece. Neville also contributed 1.5 tackles-for-loss. Bulldog defensive back Chris Edmonds continued his strong spring, picking off a pass, while also posting nine tackles and half-a-tackle-for-loss.
Week four was nothing out of the ordinary, with Samford's sixth win over Wofford being the game of the weekend. By virtue of its 41-14 win over Samford, VMI found its way into the FCS Top 25 poll for the first time in school history, checking in at No. 13 in the FCS poll the following week, and would be one of three team's in the league ranked, along with Chattanooga (No. 12) and Furman (No. 11).
Week 5:
In one of the few ranked matchuos of the SoCon spring football season, No. 11 Furman hosted No. 12 Chattanooga at Paladin Stadium inwhat would normally be a "made for TV FCS football showdown." However, the showdown between the Mocs and Paladins would be anything but a showcase of a showdown of what were, at least according to the rankings, two of the best teams in FCS football at the time.
Chattanooga, however, would end up bringing an end to Furman's playoff and SoCon title hopes prematurely, however, as the Mocs came to Greenville and held on for a 20-18 win over the Paladins.
With the win, the Mocs improved to 3-1 this season and remained a perfect 3-0 in the Southern Conference. The Paladins fell to 3-2 overall and also fell to 3-2 in league play this spring.
The 170 yards of total offense was easily the lowest output of the spring for the Paladin offense, and lowest against any foe since mustering just 163 yards against No. 2 Clemson in the season-opener of the 2018 season. Against an FCS foe, the yardage output was the lowest of the Clay Hendrix era (2017-present). Chattanooga held the Paladins to just 49 rushing yards, while posting 172 yards of its own on the ground.
While Furman was able to muster only 70 yards in the opening half, the Paladins were only able to generate 100 yards in the second half. Despite all that, and being out-gained 390-170, the Paladins still had their chances to win the game in the second half, thanks in large part to another strong performance by their play on the defensive side of the football. The Paladin defensive unit were on the field a full 13 minutes more than their opponent (36:37-23:23).
The Furman offense found itself behind the eight-ball from the outset of the contest, and through the first 20 minutes of game action, had only 19 yards of total offense. However, despite getting out-gained 227-70 in the opening half of play, the Paladins found themselves behind by only four points (10-6) at the half.
Mocs place-kicker Skyler Wilson connected on a 42-yard field goal with 7:36 remaining in the contest, as he connected on both of his field goal attempts to bookend the Mocs' scoring on the day, while also handling the punting duties after being pressed into action without the availability of regular starting punter Gabe Boring.
Furman took the lead for the second and final time of the contest early in the fourth quarter, as freshman running back Kendall Thomas hauled in an 11-yard pass for the go-ahead touchdown with 14:41 remaining in the game. Following a missed two-point conversion by Furman, who opted to attempted to go for an the extra point on the scoreboard after place-kicker Timmy Bleekrode had one blocked earlier in the contest.
The Paladin offense had been set up in its best position all afternoon after Wilson accidently downed the ball at the 11 following what was a low snap.
It looked as though the Paladins might be able to get even more of an advantage following a nice stand by the Furman defense, as Luke Wilson applied heavy pressure to Drayton Arnold, who was throwing out of his own end zone, and the ball was picked off by Furman safety Hugh Ryan at the UTC 38.
However, with a chance to add to its lead, the Furman offense couldn't generate any yardage, and Bleekrode came on to try and pin the Mocs deep within their own end, however, a perfect punt by Bleekrode, which couldn't be downed inside the two after it was mis-played, would give the Mocs some breathing run and come out to the 25.
The Mocs made the most of that Paladin miscue, as Cole Copeland re-entered the lineup and led the Mocs on an 11-play, 55-yard drive to set up what would be the game-winning points provided by Wilson on the 42-yard field goal.
Both team's would put points on the board in the third quarter. On its opening drive of the second half, the Paladins would take their first lead of the day when tight end Jake Walker hauled in the first of two scoring passes from Sisson, as the duo connected on a three-yard pass to give Furman a 12-10 lead. For the second time this season, the Paladins would suffer a miscue on a PAT, and it would prove costly, as Bleekrode's attempt would be blocked.
The Mocs would respond with one of their best drives of the day on the ensuing drive, needing just six plays to cover 75 yards, as Gino Applebury ran the ball in from from three yards out and Wilson's PAT would give the Mocs a 17-12 lead with 7:10 remaining in the third quarter.
Chattanooga received the opening kickoff and managed to drive, using a 26-yard one-handed catch from Reginald Henderson to set the Mocs offense at Furman 22. Chattanooga would reach the four-yard line before being turned away by the Paladin defense, as they held the Mocs to a 22-yard field goal from Wilson to give the Mocs the lead with 9:10 left in the first quarter. The key play on the drive was a 50-yard pass completion from Arnold-to-Henderson on a 3rd-and-16 play, which got the Mocs all the way down to the Furman 31.
Furman's opening possession would result in the first turnover of the day, as Paladin quarterback Hamp Sisson was pressured by Devonsha Maxwell and the ball was intercepted by Ty Boeck to set the Mocs up inside Paladin territory at the 40. Six plays later, the Mocs would score the game's first touchdown on a 1-yard plunge from Tyrell Price to extend the Mocs lead to 10-0 with 5:31 remaining in the opening quarter.
Furman's second possession of the day resulted in a second turnover for the Paladins, as a missed exchange between Sisson and Devin Wynn gave the Mocs great field position once again at the Paladin 30. The Paladin defense would force the Mocs into a decision on 4th-and-3, and the Mocs opted to go for it after a timeout by Furman. However, an incomplete pass on fourth down from Mocs quarterback Drayton Arnold would see Chattanooga turn it over on downs.
The Paladins got their first break of the day on a botched exchange on a Chattanooga punt, as place-kicker Skyler Wilson would give the Paladins a first down at the UTC 36. After netting only one yard, the Paladins had to settle for a 40-yard Bleekrode field goal, which split the uprights with 12:01 remaining in the half, bringing the Paladins to within a touchdown, at 10-3. Despite only having 16 yards of total offense and no first downs, the damage had been managed well by the Paladins all things considered.
Midway through the second quarter, Furman's defense would force a turnover on a third-and-long play, as Jeremiah Jackson would get the quarterback pressure, and Luke Clark came up with the intercetpion to set the Paladins inside Mocs territory.
However, after gaining its first first down of the day, the Paladins were penalized for an offensive pass interference on the next play, forcing the Paladins to have to settle for a 46-yard Timmy Bleekrode field goal, which had the distance, but ended up being wide left.
Late in the half, the Paladins would get their second interception of the day when Braden Gilby stepped in front of a Cole Copeland at the Furman 5-yard line and returned to the 25. After a 15-yard penalty put the Paladins at their own 40 with 1:31 remaining in the half, it left time for points to be put on the board in a game where they were coming at premium on both sides.
A 16-yard pass completion from Sisson to Wynn helped the Paladins advance the ball into Mocs territory at the 47. Another completion to Noah Henderson got the Paladins to the 22 before the Paladins eventually had to settle for a Bleekrode 37-yard field goal to make it a 10-6 game at halftime.
Sisson finished the contest by completing 10-of-23 passes for 121 yards with two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Arnold completed the day connecting on 6-of-20 passes for 125 yards, with two interceptions. Copeland completed the day by connecting on 5-of-9 passes for 93 yards and an interception.
Tyrell Price was the story running the football for the Mocs, as he completed the day by rushing for 111 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Applebury finished the contest by rushing for 85 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
The Paladins were led on the ground by Devin Abrams, who rushed for 31 yards on eight carries, while Sisson added 20 yards on 10 rush attempts. Furman leading rusher Devin Wynn completed the afternoon with just seven yards on nine carries.
The Mocs got four catches for 95 yards from Reginald Henderson, while Price hauled in two passes for 36 yards. Jamoi Mayes also hauled in a pass for 42 yards. Abrams and Noah Henderson led the Paladins in receiving, as each hauled in two passes for 27 yards.
Defensively, linebacker Ty Boeck led the Mocs with eight tackles, with an interception and a fumble recovery, while fellow linebacker Kam Jones added six tackles and 3.5 TFL. Furman was led by linebacker Braden Gilby, who posted 10 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup.
Now that the preseason spring favorite was no longer an active threat in claiming the crown, it opened the door wide for Scott Wachenheim's Keydets.
True to the form which it had displayed the entire spring, VMI responded in what was a tough road test at Samford, which was starting to play some of its best football of the spring season to this point.
The thrilling spring would continue for Wachenheim's brave collection of valiant warriors, and in what was truly one of not only one of the best games of the Southern Conference football season, but also one of the best for the FCS during the spring season as a whole, the Keydets were able to hold off Samford, 38-37, in overtime in thrilling fashion.
The Keydets had to battle all game long to come away from Samford with a one-point, 38-37,overtime win, as well as the program's best start since 1981 (4-0)
The Keydets also came into the contest against the Bulldogs ranked in the FCS Top 25 poll for the first time in school history. VMI, which was aided by Chattanooga's 20-18 win at Furman, rebounded from a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to take the game into overtime.
The Bulldogs held a 30-17 lead with 8:34 remaining following the third field goal of the day from Samford place-kicker Mitchell Fineran, however, the Keydets answered on the ensuing drive when Udinski hooked up with a wide-open Michael Jackson for a 16-yard touchdown, pulling the Keydets to within six, at 30-24, with 5:25 remaining.
After the Keydet defense came up with a big stop, and then Udinski helped orchestrate a 10-play, 77-yard drive, as Jakob Heres' 17-yard scoring catch with 1:11 remaining tied the game. Jerry Rice had a chance to give the Keydets a one-point lead, but he missed the PAT, leaving the score 30-30. Samford regained the lead in overtime, using just four plays to find the end zone, when Liam Welch found wideout Montrell Washington on a 13-yard strike to make it a 37-30 Samford lead following the PAT by Fineran.
VMI and Udinski wasted little time in finishing off the win, as he connected with leading wideout Jakob Heres for a 18-yard score to make it a 37-36 game. However, instead of opting for a Jerry Rice PAT, the Keydets rolled the dice and went for the win. It would pay off in a big way, as Udinski connected with Michael Jackson in the back right corner of the end zone, as the Keydets remained atop the Southern Conference standings.
One interesting note for the Bulldogs in the win was the performance of starting quarterback Liam Welch, who was simply sensational in defeat. Welch's 570 passing yards for Samford were more than The Citadel, Furman and Western Carolina combined for (568 yds) in Saturday's SoCon action.
In a game that also suddenly started to mean something in terms of how the league standings might shake out was the game between Mercer and Western Carolina in Macon. The Bears would get a 45-28 win over Western Carolina, as the balanced Mercer offense and an opportunistic defense was enough to overwhelm the Catamounts early, before needing to hold off a hard-charging Catamount squad late in the contest.
Mercer scooted out to a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter following a Carter Peevy 1-yard sneak for a touchdown. From there, the Catamounts would slowly, but surely begin to find themselves offensively, using touchdown runs by Donnovan Spencer and quarterback Ryan Glover to cut the Bears lead to just a touchdown with just under six minutes remaining in the opening half of play.
However, Mercer would enter the locker room with the momentum, as Fred Davis plunged over the goal line from a yard out with just 18 seconds remaining in the opening half, as Mercer went to the break with a 28-14 edge.
Nakendrick Clark, who ended the day leading Mercer's rushing efforts with 92 yards on the ground, helped increase Mercer's lead back to 21 points, as scored on a 5-yard scamper to cap off an impressive, 15-play, 86-yard drive, and give the Bears a comfortable 35-14 lead with 5:41 remaining in the third.
Spencer found the end zone for Western for the second time on the day on the ensuing Catamount drive, making it a 35-21 with just 2:26 remaining in the third.
Mercer all but made the game academic early on in the fourth quarter, as the drive produced the Bears' lone aerial score of the contest when wideout Ty James hauled in a 19-yard scoring pass from Peevy with 11:42 left. The short, 33-yard scoring drive was set up by a Catamount turnover. It would be the final touchdown of the day.
Western Carolina would continue to keep things interesting on its ensuing drive, as Spencer answered with a 53-yard scoring run on the Catamounts' ensuing offensive possession, making it a 42-28 contest. Mercer was able to put its final points on the drive via a Caleb Dowden 45-yard field goal with 4:18 remaining, setting the final score, at 45-28.
The road loss by the Catamounts marked their 10th-straight away from the friendly confines of E.J. Whitmire Stadium, as the Catamounts fell to 1-7 overall in the 2020-21 season, including 1-4 in SoCon play. Mercer improved to 2-5 overall and 2-2 in SoCon play for the 2020-21 season.
In terms of total yards, Mercer held a 426-230 advantage. The 308 rushing yards by the Bears in Saturday's win over the Catamounts were the most in the Drew Cronic era. Nakendrick Clark led the rushing efforts for Mercer, finishing with 92 yards and two scores on 23 carries.
While Mercer kept faint hopes of a Southern Conference title alive with the home win over the Catamounts, East Tennessee State also had renewed hope, and it was keen on making sure The Citadel's miserable spring continued in Charleston, as the Bucs looked to bounce back following its first loss of the spring the previous week--a 17-10 setback against Furman at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium.
The Bucs defense certainly had been the catalyst the entire spring, as head coach Randy Sanders continued to form a better opinion on who would be his most comfortable signal-caller not only for the remainder of the spring, but also as the Bucs prepared for the 2021 fall campaign.
In what turned out to be a sloppy, 28-21, win for the Bucs over the Bulldogs, ETSU would certainly benefit mightily from 21 points off of Citadel turnovers. Redshirt freshman quarterback Tyler Riddell would end up tossing a pair of Bucs touchdowns, finding both Jacob Saylors and Will Huzzie on four and 49-yard scoring strikes in the second and third quarters, respectively.
The Bucs took the early advantage in the contest when Di'Andre Davis forced his first-career fumble for ETSU, and the ball would be subsequently picked up and run in by defensive back Tyree Robinson on a 27-yard scamper to give the Bucs the early 7-0 edge.
The Citadel would respond with a pair of scores to take their lone lead of the day, as Jaylan Adams scored on a 1-yard plunge in the opening quarter, following an ETSU turnover at its own 14 yard line. Five plays later, The Citadel would be firing its cannons following Adams' 1-yard TD.
With ETSU finding it hard to generate anything offensively in the second quarter, the Bulldogs would actually end up taking the lead when the Bulldogs took advantage of a short field following a turnover on downs by ETSU. The Citadel needed only four plays to travel the needed 49 yards for the go-ahead score, as Adams connected with All-SoCon wideout Raleigh Webb to set up the 3-yard scoring run by Cooper Wallace, making it a 14-7 game with just 4:22 remaining in the opening half.
However, the Bucs would end up catching a break before the two teams entered the halftime locker room, as The Citadel fumbled an ETSU punt at its own four yard line. From there, Saylors was able to haul in the short 4-yard pass from Riddell with just 33 seconds to play in the opening half, as the two teams went to the locker room tied, 14-14.
ETSU would take the lead for good courtesy of a pair of third quarter touchdowns. Less than 90 seconds into the second half, Riddell found Huzzie on a 49-yard scoring strike to make it a 21-14 ETSU lead. After the Bulldogs turned it over on the ensuing possession, as Alijah Huzzie picked off his second pass of the season, the Bucs would double their lead five plays later as All-America running back Quay Holmes plunged over from a yard out to make it a 28-14 contest with 10:38 left in the third. It was Holmes' fourth rushing score of the season.
ETSU's defense would lock down The Citadel for the remainder of the third quarter, and The Citadel wouldn't get on the board again until late in the fourth quarter, as Darique Hampton's four-yard scoring scamper completed a 12-play, 60-yard drive with 2:42 left, making it a 28-21 game.
Following a big defensive stand by the Bulldogs, holding ETSU to a three-and-out to get the ball back to their offense in ETSU territory. However, the Bucs defense continued their stellar form through the first half of the spring season by nailing the door shut on the Bulldogs, stopping The Citadel on a 4th-and-2 play a yard short. The ETSU offense ran out the remainder of the clock to secure the road win.
The Citadel suffered its 10th-straight loss dating back to 2019, as the East Tennessee State Buccaneers came to Charleston and came away with a 28-21 win at Johnson-Hagood Stadium on Saturday.
The Bucs won despite totaling just 223 yards of total offense, with 21 points coming off Bulldog turnovers. The Citadel was limited to just 168 yards of total offense by the Bucs defense, including just 138 yards on the ground.
Week 6:
The Keydets continued their thrilling spring season, as the 13th-ranked Keydets moved to 5-0, as the Keydets trailed the contest four different times, before coming back for the second-straight week to get a 36-31 win on the road at Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg, S.C.The win saw the Keydets move to 5-0 in league play and 5-0 overall, and coupled with Chattanooga's home loss to Mercer, VMI now sits alone atop the Southern Conference standings. Woffrord dip into SoCon obscurity for the first time in five years continued, as the Terriers dropped to 1-3 overall and 1-3 in SoCon play.
The victory by the Keydets marked its first-ever win in Spartanburg, while snapping an eight-game losing streak to the Terriers, which dates back to 2004. The last VMI win over Wofford was a 27-16 win over the No. 18 Wofford Terriers in 2002. VMI's 5-0 start to the season is its best since the John McKenna era in 1960, while the victory also ensured its first winning season since 1981. The Keydets were without offensive stars Reece Udinski at quarterback, running back Korey Bridey, and wideout Leroy Thomas, however, Seth Morgan stepped under center and put on a masterful performance, leading the Keydets from behind seemingly all afternoon.
Morgan finshed the contest connecting on 25-of-34 passes for 375 yards, as he showed maturity well beyond his class, as a redshirt freshman in his first-career start for the Keydets.
The native of a state and city not short on quarterback talent, hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Morgan tossed four touchdown passes, and added 76 rushing yards, finishing with 451 yards of total offense, which is the second-best performance in program history. Morgan would be the signal-caller for the remainder of the spring season for the Keydets, as starter Reece Udinski suffered a season and career-ending--at least in a VMI uniform--knee injury. The senior grad transfer quarterback is slated to suit up for the Maryland Terrapins this fall.
The one big upset of the day took place in the Scenic City of Chattanooga, Tenn, as the No. 9 Chattanooga Mocs ended up getting bested on their homefield by the Mercer Bears, as the Orange and Black scored their first win over a ranked foe of the Drew Cronic era, downing UTC, 35-28, in what would turn out to the final game of the spring season for the Mocs, who would allegedly be forced to forego the remainder of the spring season as a result of attrition.
It would turn out to be a game, which would see the Mocs play mostly reserves almost in a strange expectation or knowledge that it would indeed be their final game of the spring, despite owning a Top 10 ranking.
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| The scene at William B. Greene Stadium following a hailstorm, which caused a delay between East Tennessee State and Western Carolina (photo courtesy of ETSU athletics) |
With the win, Samford moved to 3-3 overall and 3-3 in the SoCon this spring, while The Citadel dropped to 0-9 overall and 0-4 in the SoCon in the 2020-21 season.
Samford had an offensive explosion for the second week in row, amassing 550 yards of total offense, while Samford's opportunistic defense caused seven turnovers en route to the big win.
Following a school-record 570 passing yards last Saturday vs. VMI, Samford quarterback had another big week, completing 19-of-35 passes for 306 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing 13 times for 139 yards and a touchdown.
Jai'Rus Creamer led what waas a big day for the Samford passing attack, hauling in three Welch deliveries for 97 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
On the defensive side of the ball for Samford, linebacker's Trimarcus Cheeks and Nathan East recorded a team-high 13 tackles. Cheeks also had a fumble had a fumble recovery, along with five other defender's on the Samford defense, which recorded fumbles. Linebacker Thomas Neville, safety Chris Edmonds, defensive end Jeremy Garth, safety Lamar Anderson, and defensive end Joseph Mera all had fumble recoveries for Samford, while cornerback Hakeem Johnson recorded the Bulldogs' only interception Saturday. Anderson's fumble recovery he returned 68 yards for a touchdown.
The Citadel was led on offense by quarterback Darique Hampton, who finished the day with 98 rush yards on 22 carries. Hampton also finished the contest with 22 pass yards and one touchdown.
Samford's success offensively started from the outset of the contest, as the Bulldog offense drove 75 yards in 10 plays to go ahead 7-0 on a 20-yard scoring strike from Welch-to-Creamer for a 7-0 lead with 12:28 remaining in the opening quarter of play.
After a Mithcell Fineran 19-yard field goal gave Samford a 10-0 lead with 6:34 remaining in the first quarter, The Citadel was driving deep inside Samford territory, facing a 4th-and-goal from the Samford five-yard line, Cheeks recovered a fumble for Samford to halt the scoring threat for The Citadel and giving Samford the ball at its own seven yard line. The Bulldogs then put together an impressive 93-yard drive, with Welch capping the drive with a nine-yard scoring run, giving Samford a comfortable 17-0 lead with 9:25 remaining in the half.
A 70-yard touchdown pass from Welch-to-Creamer with 4:03 left in the opening half gave Samford a 24-0 lead, and the rout was on. After the Samford defense held The Citadel when Jeremy Garth recovered a fumble on the first play of the drive, Welch tossed his third scoring pass of the half, when he hooked up with tight end Michael Vice for a 20-yard score, making it a 31-0 game with 3:52 remaining until the break.
The Citadel would score its only points of the game with just under a minute to play in the half, as Darique Hampton found all-conference wideout Raleigh Webb on a 25-yard scoring pass to make it a 31-7 game. Fineran scored the final points of the half for Samford, as his 48-yard field goal with just six seconds to play in the opening half gave Samford a 34-7 lead at the break.
Samford put up the lone touchdown of the third quarter when Demarcus Ware scored on a 16-yard run to make it 41-7 with 8:33 left in the third.
In the fourth quarter, the Samford defense got into the scoring act, as Lamar Anderson picked up a Citadel fumble and raced 68 yards the other way to make it a 48-7 game with 13:40 remaining. Ware provided the final points of the afternoon, as his one-yard plunge gave Samford a 55-7 lead with 9:26 left.
Week 7
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| ETSU handed VMI its SoCon setback of the spring (photo courtesy of VMI athletics) |
Week seven was for all intents and purposes the de facto Southern Conference championship game--well, at least as close as one would get to one in the spring 2021 season. It was the two best teams remaining in the Southern Conference playing late in the season, with a potential league crown on the line.
A win by VMI, and it would celebrating its eighth league football crown in its history, along with being its first since the 1979 campaign, but a loss would keep both East Tennessee State and Mercer in the hunt to claim a potential share of the Southern Conference crown.
It would end up turning out to be VMI's only league setback of the spring, as the Bucs came to Lexington and ended up posting a 24-17 win over the Keydets, delaying the championship party at least for one more week.
ETSU star running back put together the best rushing performance of anyone against the Keydets during the spring season, as he rushed for 135 yards and a pair of touchdowns, as the Bucs held on for a 24-20 win at Foster Stadium. Holmes' 4-yard scoring run with 12:36 remaining in the fourth quarter allowed the Bucs to go on to the win.
The Keydets managed to hold a 382-275 advantage in total offense, and after the Keydets jumped out to a 10-0 lead on a 27-yard field goal by Jerry Rice and a 2-yard scoring run by Seth Morgan, it looked as though it was going to the Keydets' day to celebrate. However, the Bucs got on the board with just 21 seconds remaining in the opening quarter, as Holmes scored on a 1-yard plunge to make it a 10-7 contest. A Jerry Rice 20-yard field goal increased VMI's lead back to six (13-7) early in the second quarter.
Just before the half, ETSU's Tyler Keltner connected on a field goal of his own, connecting from 27 yards out, as VMI went to the half with a narrow 13-10 lead. ETSU took its first lead on its opening possession of the second half, as wideout Will Huzzie hauled in a 9-yard scoring strike from Brock Landis to tie the Bucs a 17-13 lead. VMI re-took the lead late in the third quarter, as Grant Swinehart scored on a 3-yard run to make it a 20-17 VMI lead. However, early in the fourth quarter, the Bucs put together a nine-play, 69-yard drive, capped by a Holmes 4-yard scoring run, giving the Bucs a 24-20 lead, which it wouldn't relinquish.
Following an off-week, Furman would take the field in what would turn out to be its second-to-last game of the spring, as Wofford announced it would be foregoing its final three games of the spring following a loss to The Citadel.
Furman's probelms offensively didn't improve with the simplifacation of the offense. Keeping the playbook more simplistic was something that offensive coordinator George Quarles had talked about in the lead-up to the game at Mercer. It would also be a reunion of sorts for the two coaching staffs, as Mercer head coach Drew Cronic had served in two previous stints as a Furman assistant, serving as Bobby Lamb's wide receivers coach for nine years, and served as the Paladins' offensive coordinator under Clay Hendrix in his first season at Furman back in 2017.
The game would turn out to be the best offensive game of the spring for the Bears, and it would be the worst surrendered through the air all spring.
Freshman quarterback Carter Peevy passed for a school-record 406 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while rushing for another, as Mercer out-gained No. 17/21 Furman 507-243 in total offense en route to a 26-14 Southern Conference win Saturday afternoon at Five Star Stadium.
With the win, Mercer kept its faint hopes alive for a Southern Conference title this spring, as the Bears improved to 4-5 in the 2020-21 season, including a 4-2 mark in SoCon play. It was Mercer's third-straight win, including its second over a ranked foe in as many weeks.
Furman saw its faint hopes of a Southern Conference spring title, as well as its FCS playoff hopes come to an end in Saturday's loss, as the Paladins fell to 3-3 overall and in league play in the 2020-21 campaign.
Points were not easy to come by in the opening half of play, however, it was the Bears who got on the board first, putting together one of their most impressive drives of the entire spring, as Peevy capped off a 13-play, 89-yard drive with a 1-yard scoring plunge with 7:15 remaining in the opening quarter.
Furman responded late in the opening quarter, as All-SoCon running back Devin Wynn evened the score on a 1-yard plunge of his own, capping what was a 12-play, 83-yard drive by the Paladins.
The second quarter saw both defenses bend, but neither broke, as the two teams went into the locker room tied, 7-7. Travis Blackshear's first interception of the spring, and first of two by the Paladin defense on the day helped thwart a late Mercer potential scoring drive.
Furman's second interception of the afternoon, which came via linebacker Nicky Kuzemka, set up the Paladin offense in good stead with an opportunity to take its first lead of the day. Kuzemka's pick came on just the third play of the second half, setting up the Paladin offense in Mercer territory, eventually leading to the Paladins' only points of the second half.
Hamp Sisson tossed his 11th scoring pass of the spring, and fifth to Ryan Miller, as his 30-yard pass down the far sidelines found his reliable tight end in stride to make it a 14-7 Furman lead following Timmy Bleekrode's PAT with 13:19 remaining in the third quarter.
From that point forward, Furman would be smothered by the Bears defense, which held the Paladins scoreless the rest of the way, as the Paladins could muster only 26 yards on its next five possessions, and totaled just 103 total yards in the second half.
Mercer was able to slowly, but surely whittle way Furman's seven-point lead with a pair of Caleb Dowden field goals from 23 and 31 yards, cutting the Paladin lead to 14-13 heading into the fourth quarter.
Peevy's favorite receiver in the win over the Paladins was freshman Ty James, who proved pivotal in the win in the second half, as he hauled in passes of 34 and 47 yards, respectively, setting up both of Dowden's third-quarter field goals. In the fourth quarter, it was James, who hauled in a Peevy pass, spun to elude a Paladin defender, and then raced 15 yards to the end zone to give the Bears a 19-14 lead following a failed two-point conversion attempt with 7:37 remaining. All told, James finished the big day for the Mercer passing attack by hauling in eight passes for 179 yards and a touchdown.
On Furman's next possession and needing points, the Mercer defense stood strong, as Bears defensive back Michael Campbell stopped Sisson for no gain and then broke up a pass intended for Paladin wideout Noah Henderson, forcing a three-and-out and getting the ball back to Peevy and the red hot Bears offense.
Following a 53-yard connection from Peevy-to-Ethan Dirrim, which got the Bears all the way down to the Furman 26, the Bears were in the end zone once again three plays later, as Peevy found Dirrim on a 24-yard pass to make it a 26-14 game following another failed two-point play with 3:50 remaining.
Furman would drive inside Mercer territory late in the contest, however, on a 4th-and-10 play at the Mercer 27, Sisson's pass intended for Miller fell incomplete with 1:31 remaining, and the Paladins were forced to turn the ball over on downs. Mercer's offense would run off the remainder of the clock, snapping what had been a three-game losing streak to Furman in the series.
All told, Peevy finished the afternoon connecting on 21-of-36 passes, with two touchdowns and two interceptions, finishing off his school-record 406-yard passing performance. Sisson finished the contest completing 16-of-30 throws for 177 yards and a touchdown, while getting sacked four times.
Mercer's defense held the Paladins to just 66 yards on the ground, out-gaining the Paladins on the ground, 101-66. Wynn was held well under his rushing average for the second game in a row, as he finished the contest with just 55 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries. With his 55 yards on the ground, Wynn moved onto Furman's top 10 career rushing chart, surpassing Hank McCloud's (2011-14) 2,395-career yards, as the native of Greensboro, GA, now has 2,437 career ground yards during his sterling four-year Paladin career.
The one game of the weekend that had absolutely nothing on the line other than pride, when bitter rivals The Citadel and Wofford squared off against each other in Spartanburg, and it would be the game in which the Bulldogs finally turned things around, posting a dramatic come-from-behind win.
The Citadel fell behind 24-7 following a Wofford touchdown drive on the opening drive of the second half, however, this is where the Bulldogs would finally find their mojo in the 2020-21 season, exploding to score 21 unanswered points over the final 26:54 of game clock, as the Bulldogs put an end to a school-record 11-game losing streak.
It would mark The Citadel's first win over Wofford since 2016, and also ended what was a four-game skid to the Terriers. The Citadel did a large majority of its damage on the ground in the second half of play alone, rushing for 206 of its 272 yards in the final two quarters.
Leading the way on the ground for the Bulldogs was Clay Harris, who put together one of the best rushing efforts of the 2020-21 season for The Citadel, as he finished with a pair of touchdowns on 18 carries. Harris rushed for 89 yards on 11 carries in the second half alone. Nathan Storch also put together an outstanding rushing effort, as the senior walk-on finished with 89 yards on just nine carries, which included a career-long 64-yard scamper in the contest.
On the defensive side of the football, The Citadel saw the return of arguably the SoCon's best individual defensive player, in Willie Eubanks III, and he certainly didn't disappoint, as he posted a game-high 12 tackles, with 10 of those being of the solo variety.
After this game, the Terriers were so ravaged by injuries that they would end up canceling their final two games against both Western Carolina and Furman, looking to get an early start on the fall season.
Week 8
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| Hayden Johnson recovered a blocked Furman punt in the end zone to set the tone for the Bulldogs in the 19-point win for the Bulldogs (photo courtesy of The Citadel athetics) |
The Citadel took all the momentum it had gained from the win over arch-rival Wofford a week earlier, which saw the Bulldogs catch lightnning in a bottle much like it had in 2018 against Samford in the second half to score 21 unanswered points to down Wofford, 28-24, on the road, and they would would parlay that into the Bulldogs' most meaningful win of the 2020-21 campaign--a 26-7 complete domination of Furman in a battle between the two oldest league members, as well as renewing the league's oldest rivalry for the 100th time.
In the past two meetings combined, the Bulldogs have out-scored the Paladins 43-17, and out-gained the Paladins 678-469, including out-gaining the Paladins 286-254 on Saturday. The win marked the first time since 2016 that the Bulldogs defeated both Furman and Wofford in the same season. The Paladins were limited to just 129 rushing yards for the game, with 44 of those yards coming on the final rush of the game by Jeff McLveen.
With the win, the Bulldogs claimed their second-straight win following a school-record 11-game losing streak, dating back to 2019, as the Bulldogs improved to 2-9 overall and 2-5 in Southern Conference play, while Furman finished out the spring with a 3-4 mark and a 3-4 record in Southern Conference play.
It was another afternoon which would see the Paladin offense struggle, as the Paladins failed to reach 300 yards of total offense in the final four games to close out the spring season, losing three out of their final four games. In the final 12 quarters of football in the 2020-21 season, Furman has scored 39 points and gained 666 yards.
The Bulldogs would get on the board midway through the opening quarter, thanks to two plays made by The Citadel's special teams. The first came on a blocked punt, as Timmy Bleekrode had his punt blocked on a 4th-and-9 play at the Furman 21, and the ball would eventually be recovered in the end zone by Hayden Johnson, giving the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead with 10:57 to play in the opening quarter.
This rivalry has seen a lot of plays over the 100 meetings between the two, but the ensuing kickoff by The Citadel brought back memories of the 2009 clash between the two in Charleston, as Furman mishandled the kickoff and failed to judge the trajectory correctly, and the Bulldogs' Ryland Ayers recovered the football at the Furman 25.
In 2009, a mis-handled Jordan Painter kickoff by Furman's Derek Murray led to a Bulldog recovery at the 23. It would eventually lead to a 14-0 lead following a Miguel Starks 3-yard scoring run and subsequent recovery of his own fumble to give the Bulldogs a 14-0 lead in that game.
In 2020-21, the Bulldogs signal-caller would call his own number once again, and it would result in a Jaylan Adams 25-yard scoring run to make it a 13-0 lead following a missed PAT by Colby Kitner.
The Paladins were the only team to get on the board in the second quarter, as he tossed his league-leading 12th scoring pass of the season, connecting with tight end Ryan Miller for his league-leading sixth scoring catch of the spring, making it a 13-7 game following a Bleekrode PAT with 10:57 remaining in the half. It would turn out to be the lone points of the day for the Paladins.
The Paladin defense turned away The Citadel twice inside Paladin territory prior to the half, however, and the Paladins entered the halftime locker room trailing by just six.
It appeared that the Paladins might be ready to take the lead on their first possession of the second half, moving the ball 74 yards in 10 plays to get all the way to The Citadel 1, however, the Bulldogs held on downs, stopping Wynn twice, and then Sisson's pass on fourth down fell incomplete on fourth down to end Furman's most promising scoring threat of what would be the second half.
Neither team would score in the third quarter, however, The Citadel would seal its 37th win in series history in the final quarter. Wilson Hendricks intercepted a Hamp Sisson pass with `just over six minutes remaining. It didn't take long for The Citadel offense to capitalize, as Jaylan Adams called his own number, keeping the football and scampering 43 yards for a touchdown with 5:16 remaining, making it a 19-7 contest following a failed two-point conversion attempt.
The Paladins were then forced to put the ball in the air to try and get back into the contest, and the Bulldog defense was able to bring the house on every play against Sisson, as he faced relentless pressure on Furman's second-to-final possession of the football.
Linebacker Anthony Britton Jr. was able to get heavy pressure on Sisson on a 3rd-and-18 play at Furman's own 17, and the redshirt sophomore from Birmingham, AL, saw his pass tipped in the air and picked off by Jay Smith and returned 31 yards for the score to put the final points on the board. Kitner's PAT provided the final point of the afternoon, as the Bulldogs finished off their most-impressive and most dominant performance of the season with a 19-point win.
The only other game to take place in week eight on the SoCon gridiron took place between East Tennessee State and Mercer in Macon in a game, which would essentially see the loser fall out of contention for the Southern Conference title. The Bucs came into the contest ranked No. 20 in the latest STATS FCS poll, and it the red-hot Bears would take down their third-straight ranked opponent, knockling off ETSU, 21-13, at Five Star Stadium.
It would be a loss that would not only knock the Bucs out of the conference title race, but would also be even more damaging to the Bucs' FCS playoff hopes, as ETSU would find out it was one of the "first four out" of the 16-team FCS playoff field, and in fact, some have said that ETSU might have been the 17th team, or the first team left of the 2021 FCS playoffs.
That said, it was another outstanding, gutty performance by Mercer, who all of the sudden improved to 5-5 in the fall-spring, which included a 5-2 mark in league action. The loss saw the Bucs fall to 4-2 overall and 4-2 in Southern Conference play. While it was Mercer's third-straight win over a ranked team, it also marked the Bears' fourth-straight win overall.
The biggest plays in the game were made by Mercer cornerback Yashyn McKee proceeded to return an ETSU kickoff 80 yards, while also posting a 63-yard fumble return for a score in the fourth quarter, which proved to be key on a night when the Bears offense found itself with an exceptionally tough assignment against ETSU's top-tier defensive unit. However, those two plays would help offset a night, which saw the Bears out-gained, 382-219, in total yards on the final stats sheet.
Neither team would get on the board in the opening quarter, as there was a tentative start to the contest, as one might expect with so much on the line. Early in the second quarter, however, it would be the Bears that would end up breaking the ice, when Drake Starks hauled in a 22-yard pass from Carter Peevy for a score, giving the Bears a 7-0 lead following Caleb Dowden's PAT with 14:28 remaining in the opening quarter.
On its first drive of the second frame, ETSU would find its first points of the day after a promising drive ended up stalling at the Mercer 32, and the Blue and Gold ended up having to settle for a Tyler Keltner 52-yard field goal attempt, which he knocked through to make it a 7-3 game with 8:29 remaining in the half.
Mercer would continue its best offensive quarter of the day scoring-wise by putting more points on the board on the ensuing possession, and it would be the Bears special teams unit that put the Orange and Black in good stead, following an 80-yard kickoff return by McKee, giving the Bears the ball at the ETSU eight-yard line. Three plays later, Peevy went in from a yard out to make it a 14-3 game with 7:07 remaining in the opening half following Dowden's PAT.
ETSU would end the half on a high note, however, adding another Keltner field goal--this one from 39 yards out--as time expired in the opening half, and the Bucs went to the break, trailing 14-6.
The two defenses assumed business as usual in the third quarter, with neither Mercer or ETSU able to produce any points, and in fact, the next points in the contest would be provided by Mercer's opportunistic defense. Bears sophomore cornerback Yashyn McKee recovered an ETSU fumble and returned it 63 yards for a score, giving the Bears a 21-6 cushion with 12:18 remaining in the contest.
The Bucs score their lone touchdown of the contest with a little over five minutes remaining. ETSU quarterback Brock Landis, who was making just his second start under center for ETSU, connected with Will Huzzie on a 4-yard scoring reception to make it 21-13 game following Keltner's PAT with 5:17 remaining.
After the ETSU defense forced Mercer into a three-and-out on its next possession, Caleb Dowden's punt would pin the Bucs in their own end, at the 15, as Landis and the Bucs offense would need to go 75 yards and hope for a successful two-point conversion just to tie the game with 2:59 remaining. However, a key sack by Mercer's Danijah Gammage all but squelched any opportunity of ETSU having an opportunity to tie the contest.
Week 9
The final week of the regular season would prove to be the crowning achievement for VMI, ending what had been a 43-year wait to lift the Southern Conference championship trophy. It would come about in fitting fashion, as the Keydets also lifted the Silver Shako trophy for the second-straight season, knocking off bitter rival The Citadel, 31-17, to finish out the SoCon's first-ever spring season.
When we look back on the weird year that was the 2020-21 football season in the Southern Conference, we should all salute the VMI Keydets for accomplishing what virtually no one except the team and coaching staff itself envisioned--A Southern Conference title.
To me, when I think about this championship run for VMI, I think about soccer. Wait, before you stop reading, I am going somewhere with this...Remember back to 2015-16 and virtually every sports fan remembers Leicester City's unreal run to the Premier League title. Though it was Leicester City's first Premiership, and it won't be VMI's first SoCon title, you get the point. No one really saw this coming, and for that, I am pretty sure most of the SoCon not named Mercer or Citadel fans were hoping to see the Keydets get the win over the Bulldogs Saturday afternoon at Foster Stadium.
In a season of several firsts for the VMI football program, perhaps the most interesting one and most prestigious one is the fact that the Keydets will be making their first-ever FCS playoff appearance.
At the end of a spring filled with opt outs and some teams around the league looking for reasons to turn in their helmets and uniforms, VMI answered the battlecry each and every Saturday as the schedule allowed. The season obviously got off to a strange start, as Chattanooga canceled the opener with the Keydets due to positive COVID-19 tests within the Mocs football program.
With their 31-17 win over The Citadel on Saturday afternoon at Foster Stadium, not only did the Keydets retain the Silver Shako, but collected some hardware that hasn't been seen in Lexington, VA., since 1977--a Southern Conference title trophy.
The win by VMI sees the Keydets improve to 6-1 overall this spring, while the Bulldogs finish out the 2020-21 season with a 2-10 overall mark, including a 2-5 mark in Southern Conference play. The Keydets will now await the FCS playoff selection show tomorrow to see who they will face in the opening round of the FCS playoffs.
With Mercer's 44-20 loss at Samford Saturday, which ended prior to the end of the Keydets-Bulldogs clash in Lexington, the result of the Silver Shako game didn't necessarily matter in terms of the overall Southern Conference title, however, the Keydets obviously wanted to finish out the spring season in style with a win against their arch-rivals.
With the win, VMI has now won SoCon titles in 2020-21, 1951, ‘57, ‘59, ‘60, ‘62, ‘74 and ‘77. The following was written by me on VMI's tradition prior to game with Furman in 2014. Please refer to the link for some interesting facts.
https://saturdayblitz.com/2014/10/31/furman-looks-continue-streak-wins-vmi-saturday/
How it happened...
The league crown for the Keydets marks their first since 1977, and with the win, the Keydets claimed the SoCon's automatic bid to the 2020-21 FCS playoffs, which has been limited to its old format of 16 teams, as opposed to its normal 24-team field due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Keydets jumped out quickly in the opening quarter, with a pair of quick scores to take a 14-0 lead on a Korey Bridy 17-yard scoring catch from Seth Morgan, and then Morgan found his favorite target--Jakob Heres--on a short, 3-yard scoring pass with just 1:19 remaining in the opening quarter, giving VMI command of the contest early. As with any rivalry, however, the Bulldogs wouldn't fold.
Reigning Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week Jaylan Adams got the Bulldogs on the board on a 1-yard plunge midway through the second quarter, but Morgan and the Keydets would answer on the ensuing drive to regain a two-touchdown lead, as Morgan scored on a 3-yard run to conclude an eight-play, 75-yard drive to make it a 21-7 game with 4:14 remaining in the opening half. Just before the half, The Citadel's Colby Kitner connected on a 32-yard field goal with 17 seconds remaining in the half, as VMI took a 21-10 lead into the locker room.
The Citadel would make things interesting in the third quarter when Adams scored on a 22-yard run with just under 10 minutes remaining in the frame, getting the Bulldogs as close as they had been all afternoon, at 21-17. Jerry Rice added his lone field goal of the day, giving the Keydets a little bit of breathing room, as they extended their lead to 24-17 with 6:41 remaining.
After VMI forced The Citadel to turn the ball over on downs, the Keydets would put the icing on the cake, as Morgan tossed a 50-yard scoring pass to Michael Jackson, as he out-ran the Bulldog secondary to the end zone with just 1:52 remaining, as the celebrations would begin at Foster Stadium.
As they had done all season, VMI linebackers Stone Snyder and Connor Riddle stole the show, as Snyder posted 21 tackles and 2.5 tackles-for-loss, while Riddle added 20 stops. Morgan led the VMI offense by completing 24-of-35 passes for 328 yards and three scores. It marked the first time the Keydets won the Silver Shako in Lexington in 21 years, and it also marks the first time the Keydets won back-to-back Shako games since Thomas Haskins was busy rushing his way into the record books in 1995 and '96. The Bulldogs concluded their 2020-21 season with a 2-10 mark and a 2-6 ledger in league play.
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| Samford QB Liam Welch passed for 443 yards and a touchdown in a spring-ending win over the Bulldogs (photo courtesy of Samford athletics) |
In the only other game of the afternoon on the SoCon gridiron, Samford hosted Mercer in another key SoCon battle at Seibert Stadium. The Bulldogs continued their strong play down the stretch, ending a four-game winning streak for Mercer and put the Bulldogs squarely on the bubble for the FCS playoffs, however, the Bulldogs would ultimately be one of the first teams left out of the FCS playoffs.
After four-straight wins, Mercer had worked its way into the national rankings and came to Seibert Stadium ranked No. 23 in the most-recent STATS FCS poll. With the win, Samford closed the spring season exceptionally well, with wins in three of its final four games after a shaky start.
It was a game that featured no shortage of offense, with the two teams combining to gain 1,096 yards of total offense, with the Bulldogs able to roll up 596 yards of total offense, while the Bears posted 504 yards of total offense in the contest. It was another huge day throwing the football for quarterback Liam Welch, as he connected on 39-of-49 passes for 443 yards and a touchdown, as he powered what was another outstanding offensive day for the Bulldogs, which was hitting on all cylinders for most of the afternoon.
Welch's top target in the passing attack was sensational sophomore Ty King, who finished out an outstanding spring campaign against the Bears by hauling in seven passes for 73 yards. Montrell Washington, who hauled in a 43-yard bomb from Welch with just under four minutes remaining in the opening half.
It was a solid end to the spring for Samford running back Jay Stanton, who finished the game rushing for 96 yards and three scores on 10 carries.
The Bulldogs ran out to a 31-0 lead with 1:29 remaining in the half before Mercer finally got on the scoreboard as time expired in the opening half. While Mercer would make a little bit of a comeback in the second half, it would be far from being enough to counter Samford after the Bulldogs had run out to such a big lead.
The win by Samford took care of any lingering hopes of a playoff bid for Mercer, despite what was a strong close to the season. In fact, it could be argued that Samford and Mercer were playing some of the best football by the end of the season-
-------------------------------------------------------- End of SoCon Regular Season-------------------------------------------------------------
SoCon Superlatives:
Offensive Player of the Year: WR Jakob Heres (VMI)
Defensive Player of the Year: LB Stone Snyder (VMI)
Specialist of the Year: PK Mitchell Fineran (Samford)
Freshman of the Year: QB Seth Morgan (VMI)
SoCon John's All-SoCon Team (Offense)
QB-Liam Welch (Samford)
RB-Quay Holmes (ETSU)
RB-Devin Wynn (Furman)
OL-Harrison Moon (Chattanooga)
OL-Brad Davis (VMI)
OL-Haden Haas (The Citadel)
OL-Tre'Mond Shorts (ETSU)
OL-Bailey Clark (Mercer)
TE-Ryan Miller (Furman)
WR-Jakob Heres (VMI)
WR-Ty King (Samford)
SoCon John's All-SoCon Team (Defense)
DL-Devonsha Maxwell (Chattanooga)
DL-Solomon Zubairu (Mercer)
DL-Michael Mason (Wofford)
DL-Dalton Owens (The Citadel)
LB-Anthony Britton Jr. (The Citadel)
LB-Connor Riddle (VMI)
LB-Stone Snyder (VMI)
DB-Darius Kearse (Furman)
DB-Travis Blackshear (Furman)
DB-Chris Edmunds (Samford)
DB-Alijah Huzzie (ETSU)
Specialists
PK-Mitchell Fineran (Samford)
P-Landon Parker (Wofford)
RS-Quay Holmes (ETSU)/Montrell Washington (Samford)
SoCon Media Superlative Awards
Roy M. “Legs” Hawley Offensive Player of the Year – Jakob Herres, Jr., WR, VMI
Defensive Player of the Year – Stone Snyder, So., LB, VMI
Freshman of the Year – Carter Peevy, QB, Mercer
Wallace Wade Coach of the Year – Scott Wachenheim, VMI
SoCon Coaches and Media Association First and Second Teams
First team defense
DL Dalton Owens, R-Jr., The Citadel
DL Solomon Zubairu, So., Mercer
DL Devonnsha Maxwell, Jr., Chattanooga
DL Micheal Mason, So., Wofford
LB Anthony Britton Jr., So., The Citadel
LB Isaac Dowling, Fr., Mercer
LB Stone Snyder, So., VMI
DB Tyree Robinson, Sr., ETSU
DB Darius Kearse, Sr., Furman
DB Lance Wise, So., Mercer
DB Chris Edmonds, So., Samford
First team special teams
PK Mitchell Fineran, Jr., Samford
P Matt Campbell, Jr., The Citadel
RS Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford
Second team offense
QB Reece Udinski, Sr., VMI
RB Devin Wynn, Sr., Furman
RB Deondre Johnson, R-So., Mercer
OL Anderson Tomlin, R-So., Furman
OL John Harris, R-So., Mercer
OL Gavin Orr, Jr., Samford
OL Cole Strange, Sr., Chattanooga
OL Isaiah Helms, So., Western Carolina
TE Michael Vice, So., Samford
WR A.J. Toney, So., Samford
WR Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford
Second team defense
DL Carson Hatchett, Fr., The Citadel
DL Nelson Jordan, Jr., Samford
DL Armond Lloyd, Gr., Samford
DL Jay Person, So., Chattanooga
DL Jordan Ward, Sr., VMI
LB Jared Folks, Gr., ETSU
LB Connor Riddle, R-Sr., VMI
LB Ty Harris, Sr., Western Carolina
DB Alijah Huzzie, R-Fr., ETSU
DB AJ Smith, Sr., VMI
DB Ethan Caselberry, Jr., VMI
DB Ronald Kent Jr., Jr., Western Carolina
Second team special teams
PK Tyler Keltner, So., ETSU
P Timmy Bleekrode, R-So., Furman
RS Quay Holmes, R-Jr., ETSU
2020-21 Coaches All-Southern Conference Football Team
Offensive Player of the Year – Liam Welch, Gr., QB, Samford
Offensive Player of the Year – Jakob Herres, Jr., WR, VMI
Defensive Player of the Year – Jared Folks, Gr., ETSU
Defensive Player of the Year – Stone Snyder, So., VMI
Freshman of the Year – Seth Morgan, QB, VMI
Jacobs Blocking Award – Tre’mond Shorts, R-Jr., OL, ETSU
Jacobs Blocking Award – Cole Strange, Sr., OL, Chattanooga
Coach of the Year – Scott Wachenheim, VMI
First team offense
QB Liam Welch, Gr., Samford
RB Quay Holmes, R-Jr., ETSU
RB Donnavan Spencer, R-Sr., Western Carolina
OL Tre'mond Shorts, R-Jr., ETSU
OL Anderson Tomlin, R-So., Furman
OL McClendon Curtis, Jr., Chattanooga
OL Marshall Gill, Jr., VMI
OL Isaiah Helms, So., Western Carolina
TE Nate Adkins, Jr., ETSU
WR Ty King, So., Samford
WR Jakob Herres, Jr., VMI
First team defense
DL Armond Lloyd, Gr., Samford
DL Devonnsha Maxwell, Jr., Chattanooga
DL Jordan Ward, Sr., VMI
DL Micheal Mason, So., Wofford
LB Jared Folks, Gr., ETSU
LB Willie Eubanks III, Sr., The Citadel
LB Donovan Manuel, R-So., ETSU
DB Tyree Robinson, Sr., ETSU
DB Lance Wise, So., Mercer
DB Chris Edmonds, So., Samford
DB AJ Smith, Sr., VMI
First team special teams
PK Mitchell Fineran, Jr., Samford
P Matt Campbell, Jr., The Citadel
RS Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford
Second team offense
QB Reece Udinski, Sr., VMI
RB Devin Wynn, Sr., Furman
RB Deondre Johnson, R-So., Mercer
OL Haden Haas, R-Jr., The Citadel
OL Gavin Orr, Jr., Samford
OL Mike Williams, Sr., Samford
OL Cole Strange, Sr., Chattanooga
OL Nick Hartnett, R-So., VMI
TE Ryan Miller, Jr., Furman
WR Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford
WR Reginald Henderson, Sr., Chattanooga
Second team defense
DL Cameron Coleman, R-So., Furman
DL DJ McDaniel, Jr., Mercer
DL Solomon Zubairu, So., Mercer
DL Nelson Jordan, Jr., Samford
DL Jay Person, So., Chattanooga
LB Isaac Dowling, Fr., Mercer
LB Nathan East, Gr., Samford
LB Ty Boeck, Jr., Chattanooga
LB Stone Snyder, So., VMI
DB Parrish Gordon, Gr., The Citadel
DB Yahsyn McKee, So., Mercer
DB Ethan Caselberry, Jr., VMI
DB Tahir Annoor, So., Wofford
Second team special teams
PK Tyler Keltner, So., ETSU
P Timmy Bleekrode, R-So., Furman
P Caleb Dowden, R-So., Mercer
RS Quay Holmes, R-Jr., ETSU
All-Freshman Offense
Ben Brockington, The Citadel
Nathan Storch, The Citadel
Fred Norman Jr., ETSU
Noah West, ETSU
Jacob Johanning, Furman
Ethan Dirrim, Mercer
Ty James, Mercer
Carter Peevy, Mercer
Cooper Frazier, Samford
Seth Morgan, VMI
Irvin Mulligan, Wofford
All-Freshman Defense
Carson Hatchett, The Citadel
Di'Andre Davis, ETSU
Max Evans, ETSU
Alijah Huzzie, ETSU
Nick Kuzemka, Furman
Isaac Dowling, Mercer
Noah Martin, Samford
John Prince, Chattanooga
Quay Wiggles, Chattanooga
Alex Oliver, VMI
Dorian Davis, Western Carolina
Jaquarius Guinn, Western Carolina
All-Freshman Special Teams
Chance Knox, VMI
Jerry Rice, VMI
Paxton Robertson, Western Carolina
Week 10 FCS Playoff First Round:
Twelth-ranked VMI fell behind 21-3 at the half to No. 1 James Madison, but as has done throughout the spring of the 2020-21 season, the Keydets never threw up the white flag, and in fact, would make things interesting before finally falling 31-24 in their first-ever playoff game Saturday afternoon at Bridgeforth Stadium.
With the win, the Dukes extend their season moving on to the FCS quarterfinals where it will host North Dakota at Bridgeforth Stadium next Saturday, while the Southern Conference champion Keydets conclude their 2020-21 campaign with a 6-2 overall record.
As heartbreaking as it might have been for VMI player's, fans and coaching staff, what was accomplished will live on in the annals of the Southern Conference history books as one of the more memorable league championship runs by anyone in league history. It was fitting that, in the SoCon first spring football season, the Keydets would end up breaking through and garnering its first-ever FCS national ranking, as well as being able to make its first-ever FCS playoff appearance.
With a healthy Reece Udinski--VMI's all-time leading passer and the NCAA record-holder for consecutive passes thrown without an INT--things might have been even more interesting in Harrisonburg on Saturday.
Still, while the loss stings and it brings the Southern Conference playoff season to an end after only one round for the second-straight playoff season, those wondering if the Keydets were champions of the SoCon because the perception of the league's overall strength has slipped in recent seasons, and as a result, led to VMI's first SoCon crown in 43 years couldn't have been further from the truth.
The Keydets proved to be worthy champions, and the SoCon wasn't quite as week as many wanted to believe it was, even though it's been a struggle to maintain the normal standard of excellence the league has enjoyed throughout its storied history over the past few seasons. The SoCon can be proud of how its champion and debutante FCS playoff participant acquitted itself on the road against a foe that has won two national titles (2004 and '16) and has won 15-straight home games in front of the home folks.
It should give the SoCon a good shot of momentum heading into the fall, and there is certainly a different feeling about the way VMI lost Saturday's contest against FCS juggernaut James Madison, than the feeling that seemingly lingered after the 2019 playoff run saw Wofford bow out of the tournament with opening round losses against foes from the Ohio Valley Conference and the Big South Conference, respectively.
The Dukes would end up out-gaining the Keydets 509-403 in total yards in the contest, as the Dukes racked up what was a 305-117 advantage and at the helm of that offensive effort was led by SoCon Freshman of the Year signal-caller Seth Morgan, who connected on 30-of-50 passes for 286 yards and a pair of touchdowns, as he passed for 200 or more yards for his fourth-straight game. Morgan also threw three interceptions in the contest, with one of those coming on VMI's opening drive of game, thwarting some early momentum.
The key play of that opening drive of the contest came on a reverse to Chance Knox, as he advanced the football deep into JMU territory following a 63-yard run on a reverse to get the ball all the way down to the JMU 11. After 7-yard completion from Morgan-to-Knox for another seven yards, the redshirt freshman quarterback from Pittsburgh, PA, saw his pass intercepted in the end zone by JMU cornerback Wesley McCormick to halt VMI's early momentum.
VMI forced a JMU three-and-out on the ensuing series, however, but VMI's offense could not move the football, and on a 4th-and-1 play from midfield, Morgan's 49-yard pooch punt was downed at the JMU 1. On the very first play of the ensuing Dukes drive, speedy Jawon Hamilton took a handoff from quarterback Cole Johnson off right tackle, finding a nice hole to run through, racing 99 yards to the end zone for the game's first score, giving the Dukes a 7-0 lead with 6:13 to olay in the opening quarter.
The Keydets would answer with their only points of the opening half, as VMI needed seven plays to drive 48 yards and get into Jerry Rice's field goal range. He would convert a 44-yard kick with 4:11 remaining in the first quarter, trimming the Dukes' lead to 7-3.
JMU would own the second quarter, however, putting 14 more points on the board to go into the locker room with a seemingly comfortable 18-point lead. Percy Agyei-Obese scored on a 2-yard run to give the Dukes a 14-3 lead with 10:54 remaining in the half.
Then another momentum shift came when Morgan was picked off for a second time of the afternoon, as his underthrown pass intended for Max Brimigion was intercepted by Dukes defensive back Taurus Carroll at the JMU 23. From there, the Dukes would put their final points on the board of the opening half of play, as former VMI wideout Kris Thornton hauled in a 10-yard scoring strike from Johnson to give the Dukes a 21-3 lead with 1:23 remaining in the half.
In the second half, the Keydets would get in the end zone for the first time in the contest midway through the third quarter, as a pair of 15-yard penalties against JMU would put the Keydets in good field position. Morgan then connected with his favorite target--Jakob Herres--for a 25-yard pass play and then a 12-yard hookup in quick succession. Morgan scored on a 1-yard plunge to give the Keydets some momentum, trimming the JMU to 11, at 21-10, with 6:29 remaining in the third.
However, that momentum was quickly eradicated when JMU picked up its second big scoring play of the afternoon, as Johnson went deep to wideout Antwane Wells Jr., who hauled in a 62-yard touchdown pass, putting the Dukes back up 18, at 28-10, with 3:20 remaining in the third.
The fourth quarter would see the Keydets put together their best quarter of the game offensively. It was Morgan and Herres once again that were the main attraction for the Keydets, and a puzzle that JMU was suddenly finding harder to solve. Morgan connected with Herres on three separate plays, including on a 4th-and-2 play, as well as an 11-yard connection, which resulted in another VMI six points, getting the Keydets to within 11 again, at 28-17, with 13:43 remaining.
From there, the team's would trade interceptions. The first came when Morgan was picked off by JMU's James Carpenter at the VMI 35 and return six yards to the 29. From there, the Dukes would go ahead by 14 points when Ethan Radke connected on a 32-yard field goal to make it a 31-17 game with 2:18 remaining in the game.
The Keydets wouldn't go away easily, however, as they would continue to make things interesting. VMI scored with nine seconds remaining, as Morgan hooked up with Max Brimigion on a 2-yard scoring pass to conclude a 12-play, 75-yard drive to make it a 31-24. However, the Keydets could not recover the on-sides kick, and the Dukes were able to close out the win in the opening round of the FCS playoffs.
Herres finished out the contest by putting on another outstanding performance, hauling in 13 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown. Knox led the Keydets on the ground, with 63 of his 65 yards gained on the ground coming on one play, as he went 63 yards on a reverse on VMI's opening drive of the contest. Knox and Michael Jackson also caught four passes apiece, which totaled 34 and 32 yards, respectively.
On the defensive side of the ball, VMI had three players finish the contest with double-digit tackle totals, with Stone Snyder leading the way with 12 tackles, while Connor Riddle and A.J. Smith added 11 tackles apiece. The Keydet defense totaled four sacks, with Jordan Ward totaling four tackles and a pair of sacks.
VMI also got a pair of interceptions from Kyser Samuel and Ethan Castleberry. Castleberry also had nine tackles to go with his interception.
JMU was led offensively by Johnson, who completed 11-of-22 passes for 204 yards, with two TDs and two INTs. His favorite target was Antwane Wells Jr, who had four catches for 132 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, Jawon Hamilton completed the contest with 171 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.
2021 Spring AFCA Football Championship Subdivision Coaches' All-America Team - First Team
Offense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
QB Eric Barriere 6-0 200 R-Sr. Eastern Washington Aaron Best Inglewood, Calif. (La Habra)
RB Julius Chestnut 6-1 215 Jr. Sacred Heart Mark Nofri Bowie, Md. (Archbishop Spaulding)
RB Pierre Strong, Jr. 5-11 210 Jr. South Dakota St. John Stiegelmeier Little Rock, Ark. (McClellan)
WR Avante Cox 5-10 170 Jr. Southern Illinois Nick Hill Rochester, Ill. (Rochester)
WR DeAngelo Wilson 5-9 173 Sr. Austin Peay Scotty Walden Bowling Green, Ky. (Bowling Green)
WR Jakob Herres 6-4 211 Jr. VMI Scott Wachenheim Easton, Pa. (Easton Area)
OL *Drew Himmelman 6-10 325 Sr. Illinois St. Brock Spack Geneseo, Ill. (Geneseo)
OL Tristen Taylor 6-6 325 Sr. Eastern Washington Aaron Best Stockton, Calif. (Stagg)
OL J.D. DiRenzo 6-6 315 Sr. Sacred Heart Mark Nofri Hammonton, N.J. (St. Joseph)
OL Garret Greenfield 6-6 295 So. South Dakota St. Joh Stiegelmeier Rock Valley, Iowa (Rock Valley)
OL Ty Whitworth 6-4 300 Sr. Weber St. Jay Hill Temecula, Calif. (Linfield Christian)
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
P Daniel Whelan 6-6 215 Sr. UC Davis Dan Hawkins Rancho Mirage, Calif. (Rancho Mirage)
PK Ethan Ratke 5-10 178 R-Sr. James Madison Curt Cignetti Mechanicsville, Va. (Atlee)
AP Jequez Ezzard 5-9 190 Gr. Sam Houston K.C. Keeler College Park, Ga. (Hapeville Charter)
*-2019 AFCA All-American ^-2017 & 2019 AFCA All-American
Offense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
QB Eric Schmid 6-1 180 R-Jr. Sam Houston K.C. Keeler The Woodlands, Tex. (The Woodlands)
RB Kevin Brown 5-9 204 Sr. UIW Eric Morris Mount Pleasant, S.C. (Wando)
RB Juwon Farri 5-10 195 R-So. Monmouth (N.J.) Kevin Callahan Germantown, Md. (Northwest)
WR Talolo Limu-Jones 6-5 220 R-Sr. Eastern Washington Aaron Best Vallejo, Calif. (Grace Davis)
WR Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim 6-1 190 So. Alabama A&M Connell Maynor Miramar, Fla. (Miramar)
WR Keith Pearson 5-9 175 Sr. Presbyterian Tommy Spangler Enoree, S.C. (Woodruff)
OL Bucky Williams 6-3 290 R-So. Austin Peay Scotty Walden Ringgold, Ga. (Ringgold)
OL Jake Dixon 6-6 290 Sr. Duquesne Jerry Schmitt Pittsburgh, Pa. (Bethel Park)
OL Brian Foley 6-4 314 Sr. Holy Cross Bob Chesney Clarendon Hills, Ill. (Hinsdale Central)
OL Kyle Nunez 6-2 340 R-Jr. Stony Brook Chuck Priore East Islip, N.Y. (East Islip)
OL Tylan Grable 6-7 290 R-So. Jacksonville St. John Grass Gordon, Ga. (Wilkinson County)
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
DL Spencer Waege 6-5 274 Jr. North Dakota St. Matt Entz South Shore, S.D. (Watertown)
DL Kobie Turner 6-3 285 R-Jr. Richmond Russ Huesman Clifton, Va. (Centreville)
DL Kevin Glajchen 6-2 270 R-Sr. San Diego Dale Lindsey Saratoga, Calif. (Saint Francis)
DL Devonnsha Maxwell 6-2 295 Jr. Chattanooga Rusty Wright Valdosta, Ga. (Valdosta)
LB James Kaczor 6-0 211 Jr. North Dakota St. Matt Entz St. Cloud, Minn. (St. Cloud Tech)
LB Tre Walker 6-1 235 Jr. Idaho Paul Petrino Dos Palos, Calif. (Fresno Central)
LB Jomard Valsin 6-1 240 Jr. Northwestern St. Brad Laird Port Arthur, Tex. (Memorial)
DB Zyon McCollum 6-4 195 Sr. Sam Houston K.C. Keeler Galveston, Tex. (Ball)
DB Preston Smith 5-11 185 Sr. Weber St. Jay Hill Gilbert, Ariz. (Mesquite)
DB Irshaad Davis 5-9 182 So. Alabama St. Donald Hill-Eley Opa Locka, Fla. (Carol City)
DB Brandon Barbee 5-11 192 Jr. Morehead St. Rob Tenyer Orlando, Fla. (East River)
Specialists
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
P Noah Gettman 6-5 205 Jr. Sacred Heart Mark Nofri Daytona Beach, Fla. (Mainland)
PK Luis Aguilar 6-3 200 R-Sr. Northern Arizona Chris Ball Nogales, Ariz. (Nogales)
AP Devron Harper 5-10 165 So. Gardner-Webb Tre Lamb Conyers, Ga. (Heritage)
FIRST TEAM
QB – Cole Kelley, senior, 6-7, 260, Southeastern Louisiana
RB – Percy Agyei-Obese, senior, 6-0, 204, James Madison
RB – Julius Chestnut, junior, 6-1, 215, Sacred Heart
RB – Otis Weah, sophomore, 5-9, 195, North Dakota
FB – Hunter Luepke, sophomore, 6-1, 245, North Dakota State
WR – Avante Cox, junior, 5-10, 170, Southern Illinois
WR – Jakob Herres, junior, 6-4, 211, VMI
WR – Tyler Hudson, sophomore, 6-2, 185, Central Arkansas
TE – Trae Barry, senior, 6-7, 245, Jacksonville State
OL – P.J. Burkhalter, senior, 6-3, 330, Nicholls
OL – Garrett Greenfield, sophomore, 6-6, 295, South Dakota State
OL – Drew Himmelman, senior, 6-10, 315, Illinois State
OL – David Kroll, senior, 6-7, 315, Delaware
OL – Cordell Volson, senior, 6-7, 310, North Dakota State
OL – Ty Whitworth, senior, 6-4, 300, Weber State
DEFENSE
DL – Jared Brinkman, senior, 6-2, 290, Northern Iowa
DL – Isaiah Chambers, grad, 6-5, 250, McNeese
DL – Mike Greene, senior, 6-3, 285, James Madison
DL – Jahari Kay, senior, 6-2, 255, Sam Houston
DL – Jordan Lewis, junior, 6-3, 195, Southern
LB – Colby Campbell, senior, 6-0, 210, Presbyterian
LB – La'akea Kaho'ohanohano-Davis, junior, 6-1, 215, Southern Utah
LB – Connor Mortensen, senior, 6-0, 215, Weber State
LB – Stone Snyder, sophomore, 6-3, 225, VMI
LB – Tre Walker, junior, 6-1, 235, Idaho
DB – Chris Edmonds, sophomore, 6-2, 205, Samford
DB – Nicario Harper, sophomore, 6-1, 205, Jacksonville State
DB – Kordell Jackson, senior, 5-9, 188, Austin Peay
DB – Kedrick Whitehead, junior, 5-11, 195, Delaware
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Ethan Ratke, senior, 5-10, 185, James Madison
PK – Antonio Zita, senior, 5-9, 170, Tennessee State
P – Garret Wegner, senior, 6-0, 197, North Dakota State
P – Dan Whelan, senior, 6-6, 215, UC Davis
LS – Kyle Davis, junior, 5-11, 210, James Madison
LS – Robert Soderholm, junior, 6-1, 216, VMI
KR – Christian Watson, junior, 6-4, 200, North Dakota State
PR – Devron Harper, junior, 5-10, 165, Gardner-Webb
AP – Quay Holmes, junior, 6-1, 216, ETSU
AP – Javon Williams Jr., sophomore, 6-2, 245, Southern Illinois
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Eric Schmid, junior, 6-1, 180, Sam Houston
QB – Liam Welch, grad, 6-2, 194, Samford
RB – Juwon Farri, sophomore, 5-10, 195, Monmouth
RB – Karl Mofor, senior, 5-9, 229, Albany
RB – Pierre Strong Jr., junior, 5-11, 210, South Dakota State
FB – Nathan Walker, junior, 6-0, 225, Wofford
WR – Talolo Limu-Jones, senior, 6-5, 220, Eastern Washington
WR – Keith Pearson, senior, 5-9, 175, Presbyterian
WR – DeAngelo Wilson, senior, 5-9, 173, Austin Peay
TE – Ryan Miller, junior, 6-2, 221, Furman
TE – Rodney Williams II, junior, 6-4, 235, UT Martin
OL – AJ Farris, senior, 6-2, 300, Monmouth
OL – Brian Foley, senior, 6-4, 314, Holy Cross
OL – Tylan Grable, sophomore, 6-7, 260, Jacksonville State
OL – Kyle Nunez, junior, 6-2, 340, Stony Brook
OL – Tre'mond Shorts, junior, 6-4, 326, ETSU
OL – Colby Thomas, senior, 6-2, 295, Sam Houston
DEFENSE
DL – D.J. Coleman, junior, 6-6, 265, Jacksonville State
DL – Kevin Glajchen, senior, 6-2, 270, San Diego
DL – Malik Hamm, junior, 6-3, 260, Lafayette
DL – Kobie Turner, junior, 6-3, 285, Richmond
LB – Bryson Armstrong, senior, 5-11, 205, Kennesaw State
LB – Ryan Greenhagen, junior, 6-1, 235, Fordham
LB – Matthew Jackson, junior, 6-2, 205, Eastern Kentucky
LB – Storey Jackson, senior, 6-3, 225, Prairie View A&M
LB – James Kaczor, junior, 6-0, 211, North Dakota State
LB – Tristan Wheeler, sophomore, 6-2, 228, Richmond
DB – Qua Brown, senior, 5-11, 206, Southern Illinois
DB – Don Gardner, senior, 6-1, 185, South Dakota State
DB – Nijuel Hill, senior, 5-10, 185 Delaware
DB – Ferlando Jordan, junior, 6-0, 180, Southeastern Louisiana
DB – Robert Rochell, senior, 6-0, 195, Central Arkansas
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Mitchell Fineran, 5-10, 183, junior, Samford
P – Cade Coffey, senior, 6-1, 199, Idaho
P – Noah Gettman, junior, 6-5, 205, Sacred Heart
LS – Ross Kennelly, senior, 5-11, 213, North Dakota State
KR – Rashid Shaheed, senior, 6-0, 180, Weber State
PR – Jequez Ezzard, grad, 5-9, 190, Sam Houston
PR – Tyrin Ralph, senior, 5-8, 170, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
AP – Kevin Brown, senior, 5-9, 204, UIW
AP – Dejoun Lee, senior, 5-7, 185, Delaware
Offense
QB Mark Gronowski, South Dakota State
QB Cameron Ward, Incarnate Word
QB Tony Muskett, Monmouth
RB Isaiah Davis, South Dakota State
RB Devon Starling, Tennessee State
RB Dontae McMillan, Weber State
RB Lan Larison, UC Davis
RB Damonta Witherspoon, Murray State
OL Evan Roussel, Nicholls
OL Grey Zabel, North Dakota State
OL Justice Guillory, Stephen F. Austin
OL Michael Dorundo, Duquesne
OL Clayton Frady, Gardner-Webb
WR Antwane Wells Jr., James Madison
WR Bo Belquist, North Dakota
WR Yogi Flager, Butler
WR Ty James, Mercer
WR Josh Sterns, Houston Baptist
TE Ethan Howard, Southern
Defense
DL Jared Verse, Albany
DL Ty French, Gardner-Webb
DL Carson Hatchett, The Citadel
DL Eli Mostaert, North Dakota State
DL Jonathan Hammond, Davidson
DL Caleb Fox, Stephen F. Austin
LB Isaac Dowling, Mercer
LB Adam Bock, South Dakota State
LB Jaylen Swain, Jacksonville State
LB Jamar Shegog, Robert Morris
DB Myles Harden, South Dakota
DB Keyon Turner, Valparaiso
DB Pig Cage, Nicholls
DB Alijah Huzzie, ETSU
DB Braiden Clopton, Sam Houston
DB Dorian Davis, Western Carolina
P Zach Haynes, SEMO
P Scotty Roblow, Northwestern State
K Seth Morgan, Sam Houston
K Tyler Larco, UT Martin
LS Micah Torres-Whitmer, Grambling State
PR Alijah Huzzie, ETSU
KR Charlie Maxwell, Valparaiso
________________________________________
Sophomore All-American
Offense
QB Justin Miller, Southern Utah
QB John Bachus III, UT Martin
QB Jeff Undercuffler, Albany
RB Juwon Farri, Monmouth
RB Otis Weah, North Dakota
RB Geno Hess, Southeast Missouri
RB Javon Williams Jr., Southern Illinois
FB Hunter Luepke, North Dakota State
OL Garret Greenfield, South Dakota State
OL Mason McCormick, South Dakota State
OL Bucky Williams, Austin Peay
OL Tylan Grable, Jacksonville State
OL Noah Atagi, Weber State
OL Isaiah Helms, Western Carolina
OL Prince Pines, Sam Houston
WR Tyler Hudson, Central Arkansas
WR Hayden Hatten, Idaho
WR Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim, Alabama A&M
WR Xavier Gipson, Stephen F. Austin
WR Jaxon Janke, South Dakota State
TE Derek Kline, San Diego
TE McCallan Castles, UC Davis
Defense
DL Jevon Leon, Sam Houston
DL Davoan Hawkins, Tennessee State
DL Micheal Mason, Wofford
DL Logan Jessup, Central Arkansas
DL Damon Washington, Lafayette
LB Stone Snyder, VMI
LB Tristan Wheeler, Richmond
LB Jason Johnson, Eastern Illinois
LB Jacob Dobbs, Holy Cross
LB Donovan Manuel, ETSU
DB Chris Edmonds, Samford
DB Nicario Harper, Jacksonville State
DB Eddie Heckard, Weber State
DB Cody Cline, Charleston Southern
DB Noah Plack, Delaware
DB Lance Wise, Mercer
DB Montrae Braswell, Missouri State
DB Marcis Floyd, Murray State
P Timmy Bleekrode, Furman
K Matthew Cook, Northern Iowa
LS Robert Soderholm, VMI
PR Devron Harper, Gardner-Webb
KR Cameron Myers, Central Arkansas
________________________________________
All-American (All Classes)
Offense
QB Eric Barriere, Eastern Washington
QB Eric Schmid, Sam Houston
QB Cole Kelley, Southeastern Louisiana
RB Julius Chestnut, Sacred Heart
RB Otis Weah, North Dakota
RB Pierre Strong Jr., South Dakota State
OL Cordell Volson, North Dakota State
OL Drew Himmelman, Illinois State
OL Mason McCormick, South Dakota State
OL PJ Burkhalter, Nicholls
OL Raymond Gillespie, James Madison
WR Jakob Herres, VMI
WR Jequez Ezzard, Sam Houston
WR Tyler Hudson, Central Arkansas
TE Trae Barry, Jacksonville State
DL Isaiah Chambers, McNeese
DL Jared Brinkman, Northern Iowa
DL Mike Greene, James Madison
DL Joseph Wallace, Sam Houston
DL Jordan Lewis, Southern
LB Colby Campbell, Presbyterian
LB Stone Snyder, VMI
LB Tre Walker, Idaho
LB Ryan Greenhagen, Fordham
LB Storey Jackson, Prairie View A&M
LB Logan Backhaus, South Dakota State
DB Kordell Jackson, Austin Peay
DB Robert Rochell, Central Arkansas
DB Nicario Harper, Jacksonville State
DB Qua Brown, Southern Illinois
DB Zyon McCollum, Sam Houston
Special Teams
P Daniel Whelan, UC Davis
P Garret Wegner, North Dakota State
K Ethan Ratke, James Madison
LS Robert Soderholm, VMI
PR Jequez Ezzard, Sam Houston
KR Christian Watson, North Dakota State
QB – Cole Kelley (6-7/260/Sr.) Southeastern Louisiana
RB – Julius Chestnut (6-1/215/Jr.) Sacred Heart
RB – Otis Weah (5-9/195/So.) North Dakota
WR – Avante Cox (5-10/170/Jr.) Southern Illinois
WR – Jakob Herres (6-4/211/Jr.) VMI
TE – Trae Barry (6-7/245/Sr.) Jacksonville State
OL – P.J. Burkhalter (6-3/330/Sr.) Nicholls
OL – Garret Greenfield (6-6/295/So.) South Dakota State
OL – David Kroll (6-7/315/Sr.) Delaware
OL – Cordell Volson (6-7/310/Sr.) North Dakota State
OL – Ty Whitworth (6-4/300/Sr.) Weber State
DEFENSE
DL – Jared Brinkman (6-2/290/Sr.) Northern Iowa
DL – Mike Greene (6-3/285/Sr.) James Madison
DL – Jahari Kay (6-2/255/Sr.) Sam Houston
DL – Jordan Lewis (6-3/195/Jr.) Southern
LB – Logan Backhaus (6-4/205/Sr.) South Dakota State
LB – Colby Campbell (6-0/230/Sr.) Presbyterian
LB – Conner Mortensen (6-0/215/Sr.) Weber State
LB – Stone Snyder (6-3/225/So.) VMI
DB – Chris Edmonds (6-2/205/So.) Samford
DB – Nicario Harper (6-1/205/So.) Jacksonville State
DB – Kordell Jackson (5-9/188/Sr.) Austin Peay
DB – Kedrick Whitehead (5-11/195/Jr.) Delaware
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Ethan Ratke (5-10/185/Sr.) James Madison
P – Garret Wegner (6-0/197/Sr.) North Dakota State
LS – Kyle Davis (5-11/210/Jr.) James Madison
KR – Christian Watson (6-4/200/Jr.) North Dakota State
PR – Devron Harper (5-10/165/Jr.) Gardner-Webb
AP – Jequez Ezzard (5-9/190/Grad) Sam Houston
FIRST TEAM
Offense
Quarterback — Eric Barriere, senior, Eastern Washington.
Running backs — Otis Weah, sophomore; North Dakota; Julius Chestnut, sophomore, Sacred Heart.
Linemen — Cordell Volson, senior, North Dakota State; Drew Himmelman, senior, Illinois State; Garrett Greenfield, sophomore, South Dakota State; David Kroll, senior, Delaware; P.J. Burkhalter, senior, Nicholls.
Receivers — Jakob Herres, junior, VMI; Tyler Hudson, sophomore, Central Arkansas.
Tight end — Ryan Miller, junior, Furman.
All-purpose player — Christian Watson, junior, North Dakota State.
Kicker — Luis Aguilar, senior, Northern Arizona.
Defense
Linemen — Jared Brinkman, senior, Northern Iowa; Jahari Kay, senior, Sam Houston; Isiah Chambers, senior, McNeese State; Mike Greene, senior, James Madison.
Linebackers — La’akea Kaho’ohanohano-Davis, junior, Southern Utah; Stone Snyder, sophomore, VMI; Colby Campbell, senior, Presbyterian.
Secondary — Chris Edmonds, sophomore, Samford; Nicario Harper, sophomore, Jacksonville State; Robert Rochell, senior, Central Arkansas; Kendrick Whitehead, junior, Delaware.
Punter — Garrett Wegner, senior, North Dakota State.
SECOND TEAM
Offense
Quarterback — Cole Kelley, senior, Southeastern Louisiana.
Running backs — Dejoun Lee, senior, Delaware; Percy Ageyi-Obese, senior, James Madison.
Linemen — Ty Whitworth, senior, Weber State; Nathan Nguon, senior, North Dakota; Colby Thomas, senior, Sam Houston State; Raymond Gillespie, senior, James Madison.
Tight end — Trae Berry, senior, Jacksonville State.
Receivers — Avante Cox, junior, Southern Illinois; Jequez Ezzard, senior, Sam Houston.
All-purpose player — Quay Holmes, junior, East Tennessee State.
Kicker —- Ethan Ratke, senior, James Madison.
Defense
Linemen — Jordan Lewis, junior, Southern; Kobie Turner, junior, Richmond; Jevon Leon, sophomore, Sam Houston State; Kevin Glajchen, senior, San Diego.
Linebacker — Conner Mortensen, senior, Weber State; Bryson Armstrong, senior, Kennesaw; Tre Walker, junior, Idaho.
Secondary —- Don Gardner, senior, South Dakota State; Kordell Jackson, senior, Murray State; Qua Brown, senior, Southern Illinois; Decobie Durant, senior, South Carolina State.
Punter — Cade Coffey, senior, Idaho.
 |
| The Citadel Senior QB Brandon Rainey vs. No. 1 Clemson (Photo courtesy of The Citadel Athletics) |
The Citadel (0-4)
Sept. 12, 2020 at South Florida L, 6-27
Sept. 19, 2020 at No. 1 Clemson L, 0-49
Sept. 26, 2020 vs. Eastern Kentucky L, 14-37
Oct.10, 2020 at Army L, 9-14
Mercer (0-3)
Oct. 10, at Jacksonville State, L, 28-34
Oct. 24, at Army, L, 3-49
Oct. 31, vs Abilene Christian, L, 17-20
Western Carolina (0-3)
Nov. 14 at No. 22 Liberty, L 14-58
Nov. 21 at Eastern Kentucky, L, 17-49
Dec. 5 at No. 17 North Carolina L, 9-49
Chattanooga (0-1)
Oct. 24 at Western Kentucky L, 10-13
 |
| VMI redshirt freshman quarterback Seth Morgan (Photo courtesy of VMI athletics) |
VMI—Following
its best season in modern history, the Keydets are definitely trending upward
heading into the fall of 2021 and will be one of the favorites to claim the
2021 fall league crown. That’s because a majority of talented players return,
led by redshirt sophomore quarterback Seth Morgan, as well as Buck Buchanan Award
finalist Stone Snyder at linebacker.
East Tennessee State—The Bucs
seem to have finally figured out the situation at quarterback, as the Bucs
settled on Brock Landis towards the end of the spring. He will only get better
as he gains experience, and with some big play weapons now in the passing game,
like Will Huzzie, and an outstanding defensive unit, the Bucs could be one of
the title contenders in the SoCon race heading into the fall. The biggest
reason for that optimism is also the fact that the Bucs have one of the best
all-purpose running backs in FCS football, in Quay Holmes, who is on-pace to become
the program’s all-time leading rusher.
The Citadel—It might
seem surprising considering the Bulldogs had to overcome the longest losing
streak in school history (11 games) would be a team headed in the right
direction, however, with wins in two out of its final three games against both
Furman and Wofford, and the fact that the Bulldogs were competitive, despite
injuries, for most of the spring have some thinking the Bulldogs might have overcome
the mass departures following the cancellation of conference play in the fall.
Jaylan Adams has come into his own at quarterback on the offensive side of the
ball, and on defense, the Bulldogs return one of the favorites to take home the
Buck Buchanan Award in the fall, in linebacker Willie Eubanks III.
Mercer—Drew Cronic’s
career at Mercer didn’t exactly get off to a rosy start, with losses to Abilene
Christian (L, 17-20), Army (L, 3-49), and Jacksonville State (L, 28-34). The Bears opened the
spring with a 31-14 loss at Wofford, but would close the spring by winning five
its final seven games to finish as one of the hottest teams in the SoCon, and
the Bears would even achieve a national ranking, climbing to No. 23 in the
nation following a win over East Tennessee State. Carter Peevy returns to lead
the Bears offense, while a much improved defense, as Isaac Dowling and Solomon
Zubairu combined for 12 of the Bears’ league-leading 29 sacks in the spring.
Chattanooga—Chattanooga
may well have been the best team in the SoCon during the spring, but that wasn’t
something that could be easily discerned since the Mocs opted out of the spring
season early. The Mocs had a combined 3-2 record from the fall, and UTC was 3-1
in league play with the lone loss coming at the hands of Mercer in a game when
the Mocs played mostly reserves. Chattanooga has one of best running backs in
FCS football returning, in Ailym Ford, and recently got some good news at
quarterback, as it was announced that Mercer quarterback Robert Riddle would be
transferring back close to home, returning to Chattanooga to play quarterback
for the Mocs. The Mocs should have one of the best defensive units in FCS
football in the fall of 2021.
Samford--The Bulldogs were one of the most exciting teams to watch during the spring of the 2020 season, and dynamic quarterback Liam Welch was one of several reasons the Bulldogs were worth the price of admission this past spring. Welch finished out an incredible spring by collecting SoCon Offensive Player of the Year honors, as he finished the spring leading the SoCon in passing yards, touchdown passes, total offense, passing yards per game, and total offense per game, and was named as one of 16 finalists for the prestigious Walter Payton Award, which is given to the best offensive player each season in FCS football. Welch is expected to return for the fall of 2021 season, and along with one of the top defensive backs in the Chris Edmonds, who returns in the secondary for the Bulldogs, Samford figures to be one of the favorites to claim the fall SoCon title.
Teams on the downturn:
Wofford--Of the 'lists' you don't want to be a part of entering the fall of 2021, it's this one. Wofford was the three-time defending SoCon champion entering the spring, but things obviously didn't go as planned for the Terriers and it was evident even in the spring-opening win over Mercer. The Terriers are in a transition mode on the offensive side of the ball, looking to implement more passing into the offense and present a more balanced offensive attack. That worked at times this spring, while at others, the Terriers struggled to show an identity. Josh Conklin has both Jimmy Weirick and Peyton Derrick returning to fold at quarterback, while the running game will be powered by Irving Mulligan. The defense should be strong again, with Michael Mason back along the defensive line. The loss to The Citadel and the general sense of low morale surrounding the team in the spring, due in large part to injuries, is the main reason the Terriers find themselves as a part of this list entering the fall season. The good news is what was a re-tooled offense heading into the spring was strong the most part, finishing ranked third in total offense in the SoCon (371.0 YPG). It will be interesting to see how the national media selects the Terriers in the SoCon pecking order entering the fall season.
Furman--Quite simply, Clay Hendrix's Furman Paladins were the preseason pick to claim the Southern Conference spring title, and the season went disastrously wrong for the Paladins, although not initially. In fact, it was almost as if the Paladins regressed as the spring season progressed, with the Paladins looking solid even in their 14-13 road loss at VMI in week two. But while the Paladin defense maintained a high standard for a majority of the spring, finishing the inaugural spring season ranking third in the league in total defense (324.3 YPG) and second in scoring defense (20.4 PPG), the Paladin offense appeared anemic in its final four games. Despite all that, the Paladins still managed to finish ranked fourth overall in total offense (339.1 YPG) during the spring. The best news is that most of Furman's key performers return on both sides of the football entering the fall, with Devin Wynn returning in the backfield, as well as All-America Ryan Miller at tight end. The defense still has some veteran leadership around, anchored by a linebacking unit that will feature Adrian Hope and Elijah McKoy as its main playmakers heading into the fall.
Western Carolina--Western Carolina closed out the Mark Speir era this past spring/fall season with a 1-8 record, which included a 1-5 mark in Southern Conference play. The lone win for the Catamounts during the abbreviated spring season came against The Citadel (W, 21-14). While it was a forgettable season around the Catamount football program, there were some positives. Ryan Glover looks like he has settled in as the leader under center for the Catamounts, however, the offensive side of the ball needs to find a replacement for running back Donnavan Spencer, who has decided to transfer out of the program. After Mark Speir submitted his resignation, it didn't take the Catamounts all that long to replace the 11-year veteran head coach, hiring a veteran in his place, as Kerwin Bell became the 14th head coach of the Catamount football program it was officially announced back on April 28. Bell is a veteran, successful head coach and offensive coordinator at both the Division I and II levels, respectively. He served most recently at Division II powerhouse Valdosta State, serving as Charlie Strong's offensive coordinator over the past couple of seasons. One of the biggest puzzles Bell will be asked to solve right away will be on the defensive side of the football, where the Catamounts have struggled in recent seasons. The Catamounts finished the spring ranking 91st out of 97 teams ranked in total defense, yielding 481.2 YPG.
Spring Team Key Statistical Champions:
Total Offense: Samford (513.9 YPG)
Scoring Offense: Samford (40.3 PPG)
Rushing Offense: The Citadel (241.9 YPG)
Passing Offense: Samford (351.3 YPG)
Sacks Allowed: Wofford (7)
Total Defense: Chattanooga (241.9 YPG)
Scoring Defense: East Tennessee State (18.8 PPG)
Rushing Defense: East Tennessee State (114.5 YPG)
Passing Defense: Chattanooga (99.6 YPG)
Sacks By: Mercer (29)
Turnover Margin:Samford (+8/1.14)
Spring Individual Key Stastical Champions:
Total Offense: QB Liam Welch, Samford (424.4 YPG)
Passing Yards: QB Liam Welch, Samford (2,242 yds/373.3 YPG)
Passing Efficiency: QB Liam Welch, Samford (161-of-236 passing, 22 TDs, 5 INTs 160.6)
Rushing Yards: RB Quay Holmes, East Tennessee State (640 yds/106.7 YPG)
Receiving Yards: WR Jakob Herres, VMI (978 yds/122.2 YPG)
Receptions: WR Jakob Herres, VMI (80 rec/10 RPG)
Touchdown Receptions: Jakob Herres, VMI (8)
Scoring (TDs): Quay Holmes, East Tennessee State (8)
All-Purpose: Quay Holmes, East Tennessee State (1,094 yds/640 rush yds/ 55 rec yds/399 KOR yds/182.3 YPG)
Spring Individual Special Teams Statistical Champions:
Scoring (Kicking): Mitchell Fineran, Samford (15-of-18 on FGs/77 pts/11.0 PPG)
Kickoff Return Avg: Quay Holmes, East Tennessee State (24.9 YPR)
Punting Avg: Landon Parker, Wofford (45.0 YPP)
Final STATS FCS Top 25 Poll
1 Sam Houston 10-0 1,000 4
2 South Dakota State 8-2 958 2
3 James Madison 7-1 918 1
4 Delaware 7-1 918 5
5 North Dakota State 7-3 827 6
6 North Dakota 5-2 783 7
7 Jacksonville State 10-3 732 7
8 Southern Illinois 6-4 706 14
9 Weber State 1-0 714 8
10 Eastern Washington 5-2 630 9
11 Monmouth 3-1 606 10
12 VMI 6-2 572 11
13 Missouri State 5-5 503 12
14 UC Davis 3-2 405 13
15 Richmond 3-1 402 15
16 Villanova 2-2 356 16
17 Kennesaw State 4-1 345 17
18 (tie) Murray State 5-2 247 19
18 (tie) Rhode Island 2-1 247 18
20 Southeastern Louisiana 4-3 223 20
21 ETSU 4-2 223 22
22 Sacred Heart 3-2 154 NR
23 Austin Peay 4-5 153 21
24 Alabama A&M 5-0 152 NR
25 Nicholls 4-3 110 23
Dropped Out: Arkansas-Pine Bluff (24), Northern Iowa (25)
Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Holy Cross 64, Northern Iowa 59, Davidson 31, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 30, Southern 19, Samford 16, Maine 12, Duquesne 8, UIW 3
FCS National Title Notes:
The first-ever FCS spring football season was fittingly claimed by a debutante national champion, as the Sam Houston State Bearkats downed South Dakota State, garnering a 23-21 win, as the Bearkats completed the spring season with a 23-21 win in Frisco Texas.
With the win, the Bearkats were able to avenge national setbacks to North Dakota State in 2011 and '12, respectively. For Sam Houston State head coach K.C. Keeler, he became the first-ever coach in FCS (formerly Division I-AA) to win national titles at two different programs, as he also was able to lead Delaware to the 2003 national title. In both championship runs for Keeler, he led each program wire-to-wire to unbeaten seasons.
In a classification that has been dominated by two conferences--the Colonial Athletic Association and Missouri Valley Football Conference--have claimed every national championship at the FCS level since 2010. The last team to not be from either of those two conferences to claim a national title was Big Sky member Eastern Washington, knocking off Delaware for the national crown in 2010. On that particular night in some strange irony, Keeler stood on the sidelines as the head coach of the Blue Hens. Keeler is now tied for the all-time lead in playoff wins with 24.
Sam Houston State became the first team since Northeast Louisiana (now known as Louisiana-Monroe) defeated Marshall, 41-40, in the 1987 national title. In fact, the national title by the Bearkats marks just the second all-time national title claimed by the league.
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