The Daily Journal caught up with Furman beat writer Jay Jacobs of Furman Joust to see what he considers the keys to the Ole Miss-Furman matchup.
This is a Furman program that has made consecutive FCS playoff appearances. What would you say the state of the program is? What sort of expectations do the Paladins have in 2024?
Last year Furman had a lot of experience, which helped lead them to a Southern Conference title. This year the Paladins have a lot of youth and speed. Coach Clay Hendrix has really done a great job of rotating players in and out, so even though they lost a lot of seniors, their replacements did get meaningful snaps. Expectations for Furman in 2024 is to be at the top of the Conference and make the playoffs hunt once again. Furman under Hendrix has been moving in the right direction and the state of the program is great.
What is Furman’s offensive identity? Who are the key pieces offensively, and how will they try to attack Ole Miss’ defense? How can Furman negate Ole Miss’ talent on the defensive front?
The Furman offensive line lost four starters last year, but several of their replacements — EJ Wilson and Blake Hundley — got experience starting games last year as Coach Hendrix is great at rotating and building depth. Facing a top-notch Ole Miss defensive line will be a supreme test. I could see lots of play action, quick passes to help them keep the defense guessing. It’s going to take Furman’s OL having an A+ game to stay with Ole Miss. We have a great WR group that played versus USC Gamecocks last year. It’s going to be interesting to see what Hendrix does.
Is there any positional group or unit on the field where you see Furman having an advantage over Ole Miss?
I don’t see a group that has an advantage over Ole Miss., but several are close to them. The tight E\end room at Furman is solid, as well as special teams. Furman will not be intimidated by Ole Miss or the atmosphere. They respect the team they’re playing, and will give them all they have.
What is the most important matchup in the game, whether it be individuals or positional groups?
The most important area, I feel, is Furman’s offensive line vs Ole Miss’ defensive line. Ole Miss will score, Furman has to find a way to stay close. If the offensive line struggles early, it’s going to be a long night.
If Furman is going to make this game close or even pull an upset, what has to happen? And do you see a path to a Paladins win?
Furman has to take advantage of any mistakes Ole Miss might make. They need to cause any kind of turnover and capitalize on them each time. Coach Hendrix will have them ready. I feel if Furman can stay close until halftime, they have a chance — no matter how slim people think — they have a chance.
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