Furman To Entertain Nicholls State Saturday In NCAA I-AA First Round Playoff Action

Nov. 20, 2005

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The Furman Paladins will play host to the Nicholls State Colonels on Saturday, Nov. 26, in NCAA I-AA first round playoff action, it was announced today. Kickoff at Paladin Stadium is set for 12:30 p.m.

Furman (9-2, 5-2 SoCon) completed its regular season on Saturday with a 56-35 win over Chattanooga to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA I-AA playoffs. The Paladins, who average 38.8 points and a nation leading 483.4 yards per game, won their final two regular season games and eight of their last nine contests.

Nicholls State (6-3, 5-1), located in Thibodaux, La., clinched a share of the 2005 Southland Conference title and the league's automatic playoff bid with a 39-26 win over McNeese State on Saturday. The Colonels, who sport the nation's second leading rushing offense (383.2 yards per game), had a pair of regular season games against Southern Utah (Sept. 3) and Western Carolina (Sept. 24) canceled due to hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Furman and Nicholls State have never squared off in football.

The winner of the Furman-Nicholls State game will play the winner of Saturday's Hampton-Richmond contest on Dec. 3 at a site and time to be announced.

The NCAA I-AA national championship game is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 16 at Chattanooga's Max Finley Stadium.

The playoff appearance is Furman's sixth in the last seven seasons and 14th overall since Southern Conference football was reclassified from I-A to I-AA in 1982. Furman sports a 15-12 playoff record and in 1988 won the NCAA I-AA national championship by defeating Georgia Southern 17-12 in Pocatello, Idaho. In its last playoff appearance a year ago, Furman knocked off Jacksonville State 49-7 in a first round game before falling 14-13 in the quarterfinals to James Madison, the eventual national champion.

"We're glad to be in the playoffs and happy to be playing at home against a very fine Nicholls State football team," said head coach Bobby Lamb. "I'm thrilled for our players and in particular our seniors. We thought we had played our way into a seed by winning nine games against quality I-AA competition and based on some results of key games yesterday, but I guess some regional issues had to be satisfied."

Tickets to Saturday's first round playoff game versus Nicholls State are $20 for adults, $10 for children (12 and under), and $5 for Furman students. The Furman Ticket Office will be open Monday-Wednesday from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Friday from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., and on Saturday at Paladin Stadium beginning at 10:30 a.m. The ticket office will be closed Thursday.

Following are the match-ups for the first round of competition to be played Saturday, Nov. 26. Complete game times will be released later:

November 26 at Durham, N.H.

Colgate (8-3) at No. 1 New Hampshire (10-1)

November 26 at Cedar Falls, IA

Eastern Washington (7-4) at Northern Iowa (8-3)

November 26 at Missoula, MT

Cal Poly (8-3) at Montana (8-3)

November 26 at San Marcos, TX

Georgia Southern (8-3) at No. 4 Texas State (9-2)

November 26 at Hampton, VA

Richmond (8-3) at No. 3 Hampton (11-0)

November 26 at Greenville, S.C., 12:30 p.m.

Nicholls State (6-3) at Furman (9-2)

November 26 at Charleston, IL

Southern Illinois (8-3) at Eastern Illinois (9-2)

November 26 at Boone, N.C.

Lafayette (8-3) at No. 2 Appalachian State (8-3)