The reigning Southern Conference football champion, Furman, should have a good chance of winning the title.
The Paladins won their 15th SoCon title last season, then lost 35-28 in overtime at Montana in the second round of the FCS playoffs. They are projected to finish second in the 2024 preseason poll behind Chattanooga, which lost twice to Furman in 2023.
Furman lost quarterback Tyler Huff, who transferred to Jacksonville State, and sophomore Carson Jones is a favorite to succeed the Paladins. He came off the bench last season to lead a win over Chattanooga and was named Southern Conference co-Freshman of the Year.
The Paladins on this year’s All-Southern Conference preseason team include offensive lineman Luke Petit, defensive lineman Xavier Stephens, kicker Ian Williams and return specialist Colton Hinton.
Here’s a look at Furman’s 2024 schedule and game predictions:
August 31 at Ole Miss
Ole Miss won 11 games last season, including the Peach Bowl against Penn State, which is a new program record. The Rebels are ranked No. 6 in the USA TODAY LBM Coaches Poll.
Forecast: Ole Miss 35, Furman 17
September 7 against Charleston Southern
Charleston Southern, 4-7 last season, was tipped to finish sixth in the nine-team Big South-Ohio Valley partnership league.
Forecast: Furman 30, Charleston South 13
September 14 against Stetson
Stetson was selected to finish last in the 11-team Pioneer League, which does not offer athletic scholarships. The Hatters finished 1-7 in league play last year.
Forecast: Furman 52, Stetson 6
September 21 at William & Mary
William & Mary begins the season ranked 19th in the FCS Coaches Poll. The Tribe is projected to finish fourth in the 16-team Colonial Athletic Association.
Forecast: Furman 24, William & Mary 20
September 28 against Samford
Samford was picked to finish fifth in the SoCon. New quarterback Quincy Crittendon started in a playoff game for North Dakota State as a freshman three years ago
Forecast: Furman 34, Samford 24
October 5th in the Citadel
The Citadel has fallen on hard times. The Bulldogs went 0-11 last season and finished last in every SoCon vote for 2024.
Forecast: Furman 42, The Citadel 10
October 12 against Chattanooga
Chattanooga is the preseason SoCon favorite and is ranked No. 8 by the FCS coaches. Mocs All-SoCon quarterback Chase Artope comes from UCLA.
Forecast: Chattanooga 27, Furman 20
October 19 against Western Carolina
Western Carolina was picked third in the SoCon and is ranked 19th in the FCS. WCU and All-America QB Cole Gonzales led the county in offense last season.
Forecast: Western Carolina 35, Furman 24
November 2 at VMI
VMI was picked seventh, ahead of only Wofford and The Citadel. The Keydets have gone just 2-29 against Furman since 1979, both wins (2021, 2014) at home.
Forecast: Furman 31, VMI 13
November 9 against Wofford
The buzz: Wofford, which had a 2-9 record last year, pulled off an upset by beating Furman in the season finale, but the Paladins had already secured the SoCon title and a bye in the first round of the FCS playoffs.
Forecast: Furman 34, Wofford 24
Nov. 16 at East Tennessee State
ETSU’s new coach, Tre Lamb, led Gardner-Webb to the playoffs two years in a row and brought 20 players with him to Johnson City, Tennessee.
Forecast: Furman 24, ETSU 17
November 23 at Mercer
What you should know: Mercer won its first FCS playoff game last season. The Bears signed running back Dwayne McGee, a Division II All-American at Lenoir-Rhyne.
Forecast: Furman 31, Mercer 30.
Final count: Furman is 9-3 overall, 6-2 in the SoCon
