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Interceptions help Furman overcome WCU in SC game
Western Carolina held Furman's high-powered offense in check, but three interceptions helped the Paladins claim a 31-10 Southern Conference win Saturday before 14,412 fans at Paladin Stadium.
Ingle Martin completed 17 of 25 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns for the nation's second-ranked I-AA team. Isaac West had four receptions totaling 46 yards.
Daric Carter was Furman's top rusher with 37 yards in 11 carries.
The Catamounts (2-3, 0-1) received 58 yards in just four carries from Darius Fudge. Nicholas Wishart carried 11 times for 53 yards.
Bennett Swygert completed 14 of 20 passes for 87 yards. However, he left the game with a separated shoulder and is expected to be out three to four weeks.
Furman scored on the game's opening possession by driving 80 yards in 17 plays. Ingle completed a pair of 10-yard passes to West and Willis Sudderth, and Carter had a 12-yard run. Martin's 5-yard TD pass to Carter and the first of Scott Beckler's four PAT's made it 7-0 with 6:19 left in the first quarter.
The Cats cut the gap to 7-3 on Tim Mayse's 26-yard field goal with 4:41 to go in the half. Swygert ran for 12 yards, and Wishart had a 17-yard gain as they moved from their 16 to the Furman 8 before stalling.
The Paladins were on top 17-3 at intermission after scoring 10 points in the final two minutes of the half.
Martin passes of 10 and 14 yards to Sudderth and his 21-yard pass to West led to Jerome Felton going over from a yard out for a 14-3 advantage at the 1:55 mark.
WCU gambled on fourth-and-1 from the Paladin 45, but Wishart was stopped for no gain.
Martin passed his team into position for Beckler's 42-yard field goal with five seconds on the clock.
Carter fumbled on his team's first possession of the second half with Rico Reese recovering at the Paladin 32.
Disaster struck two plays later when quarterback Justin Clark barely got the ball out of his hands on a pass attempt. Jeremy Blocker plucked the ball out of the air and raced 58 yards to paydirt for a 24-3 lead with 11:50 remaining in the third period.
Furman put the game out of reach at 31-3 with 3:21 to play in the third stanza. Martin hit Brian Bratton for 24 yards to the 1. Bratton fumbled, but teammate Grant Brigham recovered in the end zone.
A 45-yard run by Fudge and Russell Hemby's 22-yard pass to Lamont Reid highlighted WCU's 95-yard drive in nine plays. Wishart scored from the 2, and Mayse kicked the PAT making to account for the 31-10 final with 10:08 left in the game.
Western's final two possessions ended on interceptions after the Cats had threatened by reaching the 7. Hemby completed a 39-yard pass to J.J. Nesheiwat, but T.J. Wilson picked off another Hemby pass in the end zone.
Cedrick Gipson fumbled on the next play with Western's Corey Ellison recovering at the 15.
However, William Freeman intercepted Hemby's pass at the goal line.
WCU's Primus Glover and Furman's Josh Slagle led their teams with nine tackles apiece.
WCU Furman
14 First Downs 23
32-181 Rushes-Yds. 40-117
20-38-3 Passing 17-26-0
170 Passing Yds. 168
5-37.4 Punts-Avg. 5-35.8
1-0 Fumbles-Lost 3-2
7-57 Penalties-Yds. 4-27
WCU 0 3 0 7 10
Furman 7 10 14 0 31
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