COLUMBIA, S.C. — After a tough weekend in Charlotte, South Carolina is at home for the first time in 2023 hosting the Furman Paladins.
In a battle of the SEC versus the Southern Conference, the Gamecocks are favored to notch that first victory of the season. But head coach Shane Beamer has respect for the Paladins who are currently ranked sixth in this week's AFCA FCS Top 25.
Beamer made note of the seasoned upperclassmen who dot the Furman depth chart, along with the Paladins' ability to generate turnovers and blocked kicks based on the 2022 statistics.
Last year, Furman went to Clemson and was more than respectable in a 35-12 loss to the Tigers. In that game, Paladin quarterback Tyler Huff was 31-of-40 passing for 259 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Huff is a Presbyterian College transfer who is in his second season with Furman.
"If anybody thinks that is the case and that this is a 'take a breath' week, you are sorely mistaken. Us, our team, fans," Beamer said Tuesday.
"This is a really good team coming in here and we need to play really, really well but confident that we will. "
Furman comes to Williams-Brice after a strong opener against Tennessee Tech where the Paladins dominated 45-10.
The Gamecocks fell to University of North Carolina 31-17 in Charlotte.
Saturday's game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.