By MONTE DUTTON

Jackson Pryor (17) has three catches for 42 yards and a touchdown (Furman photo).

The Southern Conference football championship is there for the taking. Furman takes its first shot at SoCon opposition on Saturday when the Paladins visit Samford at 3:30 p.m.

Forget about picking a favorite.

Only Mercer is 2-0 in the conference. Only Mercer and Furman are 2-1 overall. What do the two have in common? Losses to Presbyterian, which doesn’t award football scholarships.

Western Carolina is 1-0 in the conference but 1-3 overall. The Citadel is 1-1 and 1-3. Samford is 0-2 and 0-4. Of the four schools who have not yet played SoCon games, Furman is 2-1, East Tennessee State is 2-2, Chattanooga, VMI and Wofford all 0-4.

Saturday finds Furman at Samford, WCU at Campbell, Mercer at ETSU and The Citadel at Chattanooga.

The Paladins are coming off a bye, which gave them time for development and healing.

“I think we’ve played a little better in each game,” head coach Clay Hendrix said, “and I think we just played our most complete game, which is what you like to see. There’s still lots of room for growth and development, but I think we’re in a good spot heading into conference play.”

The SoCon is holding out for a hero. As Bonnie Tyler sang, “he’s gotta be strong and he’s gotta be fast and he’s gotta be fresh from the fight.”

Uh, “they.” “They’ve gotta be strong.” It’s not too late for any team. A Furman victory might make it too late for Samford. It’s early yet. It’s earlier than it seems. It’s early enough for any team to emerge.

As Hendrix reiterated in his Tuesday media conference, “I’ve looked around. I’ve tried to watch a little bit of everybody, and there’s absolutely no reason why we can’t be as good as anybody in our league, and that’s our goal: to win the conference championship. I certainly look to go 1-0, and that’s our goal for the week.”

Aggravating matters a bit, Furman and Samford did not meet in Greenville last year. The game was a casualty of Hurricane Helene.

Furman leads the series 14-12 and has won the past four visits to Homewood, where it is 8-4 all-time.

Every game has been close: a 23-21 win over William & Mary, the 39-38 Presbyterian upset and 28-24 over Campbell.

Quarterback Trey Hedden, of Tampa, Fla., who started most of last season as a freshman, seems to get more comfortable and confident every week. Hedden is 76/104 (.731) for 756 yards, with four TD passes and two interceptions. Seven receivers have caught at least three passes, led by Evan James with 25 receptions.

“You don’t ever want to look at the rush,” said Hedden. “You’re just trying to feel it. The more football I’ve played and the more snaps I’ve taken, it’s gotten easier. You know the guys you’re throwing to better and better, and that increases your confidence.

“I’ve continuously tried to improve my pocket awareness and presence to be able to feel the pressure, and I’ve learned how long I can hold it versus needing to get it out.”

The running game needs shoring up. The Paladins are averaging only 2.6 yards a carry.

Taylen Blaylock, a graduate transfer safety from Houston, Texas, with previous stops at Sam Houston State and Lindenwood, scored a 43-yard touchdown on a pick-six four plays into the William & Mary game. He’s already made 18 tackles and intercepted two passes.

Let’s just say the transition has been smooth.

“My career hasn’t been the smoothest,” Blaylock said. “I’ve had my ups and downs.

“I don’t want people to adapt to me. I want to adapt to the program. It’s easier to just adapt to what everyone does. I’m trying to do everything right, just fit in where I can, and it’s been pretty easy. This is a solid program, for sure. I’m just glad I made the right decision.”

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