By MONTE DUTTON

There are infinitely worse things than a 32-14 victory over VMI. Saturdays provide lots of bedlam.

When I drove home from Paladin Stadium, I felt refreshed, which is uncommon after documenting the Friday-night high-school wars. Furman took care of business. I visited with and spun old tales to buddies in the parking lot. I spent some time taking photos and breathing fresh, clear November air.

This just in. Furman University is a lovely place. Saturday was a perfect day to enjoy it.

I listened on the radio to Gamecock fans commiserating their embarrassing fate. On Friday, Abbeville had lost. Daniel had lost. Clinton had won. Furman won. I was humming the fight song.

I also thought about an old country song, which I think about too much. No more loneliness. Only happiness. Love’s gonna live here again. Not all football games are carefree. Some are gut-wrenching. The ones that aren’t are the best ones. Today I’m watching the NFL, and mostly I want to see a close game. When the heart is involved, a relaxing afternoon is fine.

The Paladins were dressed as God intended: white helmets and trousers, purple jerseys.

Furman (6-5, 4-4 SoCon) stanched the bleeding of a 2024 record of 3-8 and raised hopes for a return to glory next season. After a season that ended with heavy casualties and a fall from grace, this year’s is winding down with hope alive. The Paladins are still young but promising.

Clemson , too desperate to look past anybody, looms. Furman put up a fight in ’22, but Furman is Furman and Clemson is Clemson. The twain seldom meets. This one kicks off next Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in Death Valley.

“We’ll go play. See what happens,” Furman’s Clay Hendrix said. That’s what they do. It was Hendrix’s 60^th victory as head coach.

Sophomore Trey Hedden threw for 275 yards and connected with freshman Evan James on a pair of touchdown tosses to power Furman to a 32-14 victory over VMI on Senior Day.

After a scoreless first quarter, Hedden and James connected on an eight-yard touchdown to cap an eight-play, 68-yard drive with 5:09 to go before halftime. An 18-yard touchdown run by VMI’s Leo Boehling tied the game, but Furman answered with a six-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a leaping grab by James to haul in a 17-yard touchdown pass with 30 seconds left in the half. Jayquan Smith rushed for the two-point conversion – after a VMI penalty halved its distance — to give the Paladins a 15-7 halftime advantage.

Smith added a touchdown of his own to cap a 12-play, 85-yard drive to increase the lead to 22-7. Ben Croasdale scored on a one-yard plunge early in the fourth quarter and senior Ian Williams added a 51-yard field goal to extend the margin to 32-7 before VMI capped the scoring with a 17-yard scramble by Nana Utsey in the final minute.

With nine catches for 70 yards on the day, James established a new Furman freshman season receptions record, 57. He also owns the school record for receiving yards in a season by a freshman, 760.

Ja’Keith Hamilton added eight catches for 90 yards while Croasdale rushed 14 times for 70 yards and a score as the Paladins compiled 448 yards without a turnover. The Furman defense limited VMI(1-10, 0-7)  to 244 yards, 76 of which came on the Keydets’ final possession.

Take a look at the stats here.

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